Chapter 349
With the area buzzing with guests, Tessa didn’t want to stir up more drama. She stepped forward, softened her tone, and said a few nice things to Lance, hoping he’d let things go.
Even with the olive branch, Lance barely budged. When he finally agreed to stay, he laid out his terms loud and clear. “I’ll stay, but you all need to treat Camilla with respect. If anyone keeps giving her those judgmental looks, then honestly, we have no reason to be here at all p>
He didn’t care about keeping the peace with his own parents and chose to stand up for Camilla, right there for everyone to see. It was obvious to anyone in the room how much she meant to him.
A flicker of frustration crossed Tessa’s face. She held back any complaints though, quietly taking Sarah’s arm and heading off to greet more guests.
Oscar only shot Lance a quick look, then followed after Tessa and Sarah. The three of them together looked exactly like a picture-perfect family—which just made Lance feel even more out of place.
As the crowd started to thin, the sound of people whispering drifted over. Camilla caught a snippet—a guest saying that Sarah seemed more like the real Charles family daughter.
She glanced at Lance, feeling a tug of sympathy she hadn’t expected. Even though she barely knew him, it was suddenly clear his parents had never really cared.
Lance caught her looking. He let out a quiet little laugh. “What’s with that face, Camilla? Are you feeling sorry for me p>
“Is this how it’s always been for you?” Camilla asked softly. “Even when you were a kid p>
Looking at him right now brought back memories of Jasper. Barnard used to do the same thing—always coddling Daisy, ignoring Jasper like he didn’t even exist. If she hadn’t figured out what was really going on and left Barnard, Jasper would have lived his whole life in the shadows.
She remembered Jasper clinging to her sleeve, looking up at her with those sad eyes. Now Camilla understood why Lance had that wild, untouchable edge. The arrogance was a shield, a way to hide how lonely things really were for him.
Lance shrugged. “Pretty much. Sarah was always sick and fragile and everyone worried over her. It was nothing, really. Just a bunch of small, stupid things. Don’t overthink it, Camilla. Here, try this little cake. It’s actually really good. Forget about all the other stuff p>
But Camilla didn’t take the cake. She reached out for Lance instead, pulling him into a hug. “Lance, it’s not pity. My heart just aches for you. Jasper used to be the same way p>
“Alright, that’s enough.” Lance cut her off, suddenly flustered. “I’m going to be your husband one day. Don’t you dare compare me to Jasper p>
Camilla couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. She mumbled under her breath, “What are you even saying? I can tell you two apart, obviously. I just think p>
“It’s fine, Camilla, I get it. You’re the sweetest person I know.” Lance’s voice softened. “But I don’t need you to worry about me. I really don’t. The only thing I care about is you being happy p>
He placed his hand on her head, warm and gentle, and for a moment every hurt melted away.
The two of them had built a little bubble, so close that no one else could fit inside.
Across the room, Sarah stood next to Tessa, half-heartedly making small talk with guests. The whole time her eyes kept flicking over to Lance. When she saw how sweet he was with Camilla, her jaw clenched and she looked completely out of it.
Tessa picked up on the tension right away. She leaned in and asked, “Sarah, are you alright? You seem pale. Are you not feeling well p>
Sarah shook her head. “I’m fine, Tessa. Really p>
But Tessa wasn’t buying it. She quietly followed Sarah’s gaze and ended up staring at Lance too, taking in the coziness between him and Camilla.
Her expression grew even more pinched. “Unbelievable. He’s just getting more disrespectful. This is your birthday and he’s not even over here with us. Sarah, don’t be upset. I’ll go get him myself p>
Sarah placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Please don’t, Tessa. Let them be. Lance and Camilla didn’t want to come in the first place. We basically forced them, so maybe they had plans of their own. There’s no need to make things worse p>
Tessa huffed. “What plans? That girl doesn’t know how to behave either. She knows you’re the center of attention today, but she’s still hanging onto Lance. I really don’t see what he likes about her. She has zero sense and just can’t take a hint p>
Sarah didn’t say anything to that. She just blinked quickly, looking so hurt and delicate you’d want to reach out and protect her.
Tessa’s sympathy for Sarah only grew stronger. She made up her mind to go drag Lance back to their side, but before she could move, she caught sight of someone in server’s uniform hurrying toward Camilla. The woman snatched a glass of red wine off the table and tossed it right at Camilla.
Everything happened too quickly for Tessa to react.
Sticky red wine dripped through Camilla’s hair. She slowly looked up and realized who was standing in front of her. It was Davina.
Davina’s face was twisted, her eyes wild as she glared at Camilla. “You really are something, Camilla. Playing innocent, but you’re just a gold-digger. You’re divorced from Barnard, but still after his money. Today I’m going to show everyone who you really are p>
She looked Camilla up and down, her voice taunting, like she’d already won.