Chapter 389
Davina had been entirely consumed by the loss of her millions, but the mention of leaving Cabinda snapped her back to reality. Forgetting the money for a second, she asked frantically, “If we leave, does that mean we can never come back? What is Valdoria like? Will I even fit in there p>
Her eyes were wide with genuine terror. She didn’t want to abandon the city she had known her entire life, but she also knew that staying behind without Barnard—especially after alienating her own relatives—would be a death sentence.
Caught up in her own panic, she completely missed Barnard’s distracted expression. “I’ve never lived anywhere else,” she babbled on. “I’m scared. Will we still be able to live a good life there p>
That was the real question. During her short stint in the Carter mansion, she had grown addicted to the luxury of high society. Even though her in-laws despised her, she still had servants waiting on her hand and foot. The idea of returning to a life where she had to budget for groceries was completely unacceptable.
“Relax,” Barnard replied, his patience wearing dangerously thin. “Even in Valdoria, you’ll never go hungry or lack for clothes. Stop asking such ridiculous questions p>
“But can we come back?” Davina pressed. “Does this mean we’ll never see anyone from here again p>
What she really wanted to ask was if Barnard would ever see Camilla again, but she opted for a slightly more subtle approach.
Barnard didn’t pick up on her underlying jealousy. He assumed she was talking about Daisy. Feeling a twinge of guilt for his recent emotional distance, he offered a rare moment of grace. “If you’re really worried about Daisy, I can find a way to bring her with us p>
Davina froze. If he hadn’t mentioned the child, she would have completely forgotten she had a daughter.
She rejected the idea with breathtaking speed. “No, that’s fine! We don’t even know what Valdoria is like yet. Bringing her would just be a hassle. Besides, we’re going to have our own children soon, and her position in the family would be awkward. It’s better if she stays with my relatives p>
Even though Davina framed it as an act of consideration for him, Barnard felt a deep wave of revulsion. A dark thought crept into his mind—the woman standing in front of him felt like a complete stranger. She was nothing like the gentle, kindhearted girl from his memories.
But time was running out, and he didn’t have the luxury of dissecting her character. “Fine. We don’t have time to argue. Go pack your things. I have an urgent matter to handle at the office. I’ll be back for you later p>
“Barnard, the driveway is swarming with debt collectors! Why are you going to the office now? We p>
“Dad gave me an assignment, and I haven’t finished it yet. Don’t ask questions. Just pack. And don’t tell Dad I left, or he’ll accuse me of slacking off again p>
Davina sensed that something was fundamentally wrong with his attitude, but before she could pry further, Barnard had already slipped out of the estate.
After shaking off the mob of angry creditors, Barnard breathed a sigh of relief in his car. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number again.
He listened to it ring in agonizing suspense until it finally disconnected. Still no answer.
With a heavy heart, Barnard threw the car into drive and sped toward the hospital.
News of the Carter Group’s spectacular downfall dominated the headlines. Camilla had naturally heard the rumors. The family’s destruction was entirely Barnard’s own doing, and she felt zero sympathy. When two calls from an unknown number lit up her screen, she guessed it was him and simply ignored them.
She went about her evening completely unaffected by the Carter family’s demise. But at 2:00 AM, a jarring phone call shattered her peace.
It was the hospital. Tessa’s hysterical sobbing echoed through the speaker, demanding Camilla come immediately.
Camilla initially wanted to hang up, but realizing it was Lance’s mother, she worried something terrible had happened to the Charles family. She quickly threw on a coat and rushed to the hospital.
The scene in the waiting room was far worse than she had anticipated. Tessa and Oscar were there, but so were the Carters.
The red light above the operating room flickered ominously. The corridor was filled with Laura’s muffled weeping and Tessa’s vicious cursing.
At the sound of Camilla’s footsteps, everyone turned. The moment Tessa saw her, she lunged forward like a feral animal, grabbing Camilla by the collar. “You bitch! You absolute bitch! This is all your fault! Sarah is in there because of you! Why wasn’t it you in that crash? Sarah is completely innocent, her hands haven’t even healed yet, and now she’s going through this! Give me my daughter back p>