Chapter 327
Calvin caught Davina in her lie and she instantly went red, a wave of embarrassment making her freeze on the spot. She didn’t answer, just avoided his eyes. Calvin grew impatient, pushing her, “Was it you or not p>
Davina realized there was no way to get out of this, so she tried to wiggle out of it with half-truths. “Dad, you can’t put all the blame on me. Barnard ran off from his own wedding to find Camilla. I just lost my temper. After everything Camilla’s done to embarrass us, I just wanted to help you get some revenge p>
But Calvin’s face went dark. The more she tried to explain, the angrier he got.
He slapped Davina across the face, sharp and loud. “You call that helping me? All you do is make things worse! Are you really that clueless? Haven’t you figured out by now that you can’t do anything right? Is it so hard to just keep your head down and avoid more trouble? I want you to really think. What else have you done behind my back p>
Davina held her cheek, head throbbing from the blow. He had hit her right where Carmen slapped her at the wedding, and now her skin burned, swelling up fast.
With tears in her eyes, she glanced at Calvin. His own jaw was still puffy from where the Blair family’s relatives had hit him at the party. His face, twisted with fury, made him look monstrous.
Davina shrank from him, body reacting before her mind could catch up. For a moment, guilt bubbled up, thinking of the relatives she’d pushed toward causing trouble for Camilla. But she buried that feeling. It had been a whole night since her relatives went out. If anything had really happened, Camilla would have come for her by now. Everything was quiet, so the mess hadn’t followed her home—at least, not yet.
There was no way she’d confess any more, not when Calvin looked ready to explode.
She shook her head, voice steady. “There’s nothing else. Really, I was just annoyed and told some people to give Camilla a hard time online. I swear I didn’t do anything else p>
Calvin looked at her, reading her expression. He almost believed her. At that moment, just as he was about to relax, the butler burst in, sounding frantic. “Sir, it’s bad! The police are here! They want to take Davina away p>
“What? Take her for what?” Calvin’s mind went blank. Behind him, Davina’s calm shattered. Panic flooded her face.
Calvin spun around, fixing her with a glare. “You lied to me? What have you really done p>
Davina didn’t get a chance to answer. By then, Newell and a group of officers had already come in. Newell looked at Davina, his voice official and cold. “Mrs. Carter, your relatives told us everything. You pushed them to target Camilla with insults and personal attacks. You’ll have to come with us. Also, you should know—Camilla has already filed a case in court for what you did p>
Calvin went rigid. His eyes bored into Davina. All she could do was look back at him, eyes wide and wet with tears, the truth written all over her face.
She finally broke down, grabbing onto Calvin’s arm like a lifeline. “Dad, please, you have to help me! Tell them I’m innocent! I can’t go to the police station p>
She held on with both hands, practically glued to him. Calvin tried to pull free but couldn’t. He shouted, “Let go! What do you think you’re doing, clinging like this p>
Newell and the police exchanged stunned looks. They’d worked enough family disputes to have seen a lot, but it was a first to see a grown woman in pajamas, clutching her father’s arm, begging to stay.
The chaos woke Laura, who stepped out of her bedroom, startled and furious. Her face went pale, her voice shaky. “What’s going on here p>
As Davina struggled, the buttons on her pajama top popped open. From Laura’s angle, she could even see a flash of Davina’s bra.
Laura charged across the floor, fueled by a sudden burst of energy. She managed to pry Davina off of Calvin, even though he couldn’t do it himself. “Have you no shame? What are you doing at this hour p>
Laura was usually warmth itself around Calvin—her sudden anger stunned him. Realizing they still had an audience, he quickly tugged Laura’s arm, nodding at her to hush up.
Newell and his team finally snapped out of it. Awkward and embarrassed, they led Davina out without another word.
After the noise faded and the house fell quiet, Laura eyed Calvin’s wrinkled sleeve, still anxious. “What just happened? What were you two up to? She p>