Chapter 343
Davina trusted Barnard, but the thought of handing over every last penny made her uneasy. She hesitated, glancing down at her hands, before speaking up.
“Barnard, do you really need all of it? Surely you can deal with them without that much money p>
Barnard shook his head. “Davina, I’m not taking it for myself. It’s just for emergencies. Once my cards are thawed, I’ll pay you right back p>
Davina’s fingers twisted together. “But…” She finally blurted out what was really on her mind. “You aren’t planning to see Camilla again, are you p>
Last time, Calvin had frozen all of Barnard’s accounts because of Camilla. The memory still made Davina nervous.
Barnard stiffened just a bit, clearly caught off guard by her intuition. Then he tried to brush it off. “Davina, what are you imagining now? Why would I go find her? You don’t need to worry about those problems outside, I’ll handle everything p>
He looked at her face with real concern. “You’ve hurt yourself again. If you don’t take care of it, you’ll be left with a scar. There’s ointment in the house. Go ask the maid to help you put some on p>
His tone was gentle and focused, and Davina began to relax. Most of her doubt faded. “Barnard, my phone broke too. I p>
“I know. I’ll have someone bring you a new one. It’ll be here soon,” Barnard interrupted.
Before leaving, he said a few more soft words, comforting her until her smile returned. Only then did he finally go.
The Blair family was as greedy and clueless as Barnard expected. He offered about a million, tossed in a few threats, and those people scrambled away from the Carter estate without looking back.
With the mess cleaned up, Barnard didn’t bother reporting to Calvin. He hopped in his car and left.
Lunch hour had arrived, and BLC employees were trickling out. Some longtime staffers spotted Barnard’s car as soon as they stepped out the doors. A few snapped quick photos and sent them straight to Camilla.
When Camilla got the message, she didn’t hesitate. She called security right away to kick him out. Minutes later, security passed along a message—Barnard had left a not-so-subtle threat.
No surprise, he was using Jasper’s paternity again, trying to corner her with it.
Once, such threats would have sent Camilla into a panic. Now, they just made her laugh.
Jasper’s biological father?
Barnard didn’t even know who the real father was.
Trying to use Lean as leverage was pointless.
Camilla was firm when she told security to remove him again. She stood by her office window, looking through the clear glass at the blurry figures below, so small they looked like ants.
About ten minutes passed, but Barnard was still out there. Ada came in, holding out a phone.
“Camilla, Barnard couldn’t reach you, so he called me,” Ada said. “He said… if you won’t see him, he’s going to go to Laguna Shores to find Lance p>
Camilla closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her forehead. Barnard’s persistence was exhausting. But in the end, she put down her work and headed downstairs.
Barnard leaned lazily against his car, still facing off with security. The moment he saw her, he waved, calling out, “See? Didn’t I say your boss would see me p>
Security backed up as soon as Camilla appeared.
She walked up to Barnard, her lips curling into a sharp, mocking smile.
“Well, Barnard, you came all this way and made such a big show… are you here to pay me at last? I remember the Carters still owe me eight million. Are you handing it over in one go p>
Barnard’s smile wavered for just a second, then he grinned even wider. “Camilla, since when did you become such a little money-grubber p>
He tried to make it sound teasing, maybe even sweet, like he was talking to an old flame. But it only made Camilla’s skin crawl.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t stand here making me sick,” Camilla shot back.
“Camilla, you already know why I’m here,” Barnard said. “I just wanted to ask what you’ve decided p>
“Decided what? Wondering if I’ve figured out why you’re so awful?” Camilla didn’t hold back. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder. Do you even love Davina, or are you just addicted to cheating?
You dragged her into your life. We’re done—completely. If you’ve got even a sliver of dignity left, you’d keep away from me.
Instead, you keep showing up like this, pestering me. Barnard, don’t you think this is disgusting p>
“We haven’t signed the papers, so it’s not marriage,” Barnard said simply.
He stepped a little closer, eyes meeting hers. “You’re right. Before, I was confused. I couldn’t separate gratitude from actual love. Only recently did I realize… Camilla, I think the one I care about is you p>