Chapter 403
Lance stared at Camilla, his expression somber. “Camilla, you don’t actually need to rely on Carol for this. I have my own connections in Valdoria. If you want, I can p>
“Lance, you know my biggest concerns are Jasper and my mom,” she interrupted gently.
“Jasper is resilient, but my mom’s condition means she absolutely can’t travel. I can only have peace of mind if I leave her in your care.
“I know you’re worried about me, but I can protect myself. Plus, with Mahoney there, I won’t be in any danger.
“My mom can’t know the real reason I’m leaving. Lance, you’re the only one who can help me with this p>
She had never asked him for a favor before. Hearing her put it like that, Lance couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Even though he was still anxious about her safety, he relented. “Alright, I’ll do as you say. I’ll send you the contact info for my point man in Valdoria. Reach out to them if you need anything.
“And Camilla, if you run into anything you can’t handle, tell me. I’ll take care of it p>
His thumb gently brushed the corner of her eye, tracing the faint redness.
She wasn’t crying anymore, but his fingertip still caught a trace of lingering moisture.
The braver Camilla tried to be, the more Lance’s heart ached for her.
He blamed himself for coming back too late. If he had found her sooner, she wouldn’t have had to endure so much hardship in what should have been a smooth, happy life.
Unable to fully shake his worry, Lance hosted a private dinner for Mahoney and his team right before Camilla was scheduled to leave, silently ensuring they knew to protect her.
Three days later, Camilla and Carol boarded a flight to Valdoria.
It was eight in the evening by the time they landed.
Knowing Camilla was coming, Dahlia had booked a restaurant in advance to take her out to dinner.
It had been a while since Camilla last saw her, and they had a lot of catching up to do.
After dropping her luggage off at the hotel with Carol, Camilla grabbed a cab to meet Dahlia.
Compared to when she had left Cabinda, Dahlia looked remarkably better.
Her complexion was radiant, and the hollow, haunted look was gone from her eyes.
The moment she saw Camilla, she grabbed her hands enthusiastically. “I originally told you I’d go back to Cabinda to spend the holidays with you! I can’t believe you came to Valdoria first.
“Camilla, how have you been p>
“I’ve been doing really well. What about you? Has Magee been giving you a hard time since you moved here?” Camilla asked.
The memory of Dahlia’s total emotional breakdown in the hospital was still fresh in her mind. Even though they had talked on the phone regularly, Camilla had never stopped worrying.
Especially given Magee’s track record. When Dahlia had blindly thrown herself at him yet again, Camilla couldn’t help but be concerned.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Camilla. I’m doing great,” Dahlia reassured her. “Magee seems genuinely remorseful. He’s been doing everything to make it up to me. No matter what I ask for, he never says no.
“His engagement with Pamela is completely off, too. I p>
Dahlia hesitated, glancing at Camilla’s face, and ultimately swallowed the rest of her sentence.
But Camilla didn’t need to hear the rest. She had already guessed it from the moment Dahlia started singing Magee’s praises. This foolish girl had gone soft on him again.
At the end of the day, matters of the heart were between the two people involved. Camilla might not agree with it, but it wasn’t her place to interfere. She simply looked at Dahlia with serious eyes. “Dahlia, no matter what you decide, I just hope you prioritize yourself first. Don’t let yourself get hurt again p>
“Don’t worry. I’m not that naïve girl who throws herself into the fire anymore. Whatever I decide, I’ll think it through carefully.
“Anyway, let’s talk about something else. I have to tell you something.
“A couple of days ago, Magee took on a new patient. He was acting super secretive about it, so I kept pressing him. Guess who it was p>
She paused, keeping Camilla in suspense.
“Barnard,” Camilla said flatly.
Barnard was severely injured, and Calvin had fled to Valdoria in the dead of night. It wasn’t surprising that they would seek out Magee.
“How did you know?” Dahlia looked disappointed, pouting slightly. “You’re always too smart, Camilla. You ruin all my fun p>
“I’m guessing you have more to the story?” Camilla prompted.
Dahlia nodded eagerly. “Yes! His parents brought him in together. He was in terrible shape, and they had delayed getting him treatment for too long. Magee said the only option was amputation.
“But the weird part is, he’s their only son. He goes through this massive, life-altering tragedy, and after dropping him off with Magee, his parents completely vanished. They haven’t shown their faces since.
“Now, the only person taking care of him in the hospital is his mistress. Don’t you think his parents are acting super shady p>
A look of sheer gossip lit up Dahlia’s face.
Calvin was one thing, but Dahlia knew firsthand how obsessively protective Laura was of her precious son.