Chapter 409
Having gotten what she needed, Camilla didn’t waste another second on him and walked out.
Barnard didn’t move. He sat motionless, staring blankly in the direction she had vanished, the gears of his predatory scheme grinding aggressively in his mind.
Suddenly, a shrill, piercing wail shattered the lounge’s low-key ambiance, snapping every patron’s attention toward the entrance.
Annoyed, Barnard whipped his head around, only to see Davina dragging his sobbing caregiver through the doors.
His brow instantly furrowed. His immediate, overwhelming urge was to bolt.
But without legs, and with Davina’s furious gaze already locked onto him, escape was impossible. He hardened his expression, glaring at her coldly. “What are you doing here p>
Davina’s face was a mask of pure rage. She shoved the frail caregiver hard, sending her stumbling toward him. “You have the nerve to ask me that? What are you doing alone in a bar with this little slut? Barnard, I followed you across the world, and this is how you repay me p>
Exhaustion had taken a brutal toll on her. Her previously decent complexion had devolved into a sallow, sickly yellow, and with her features twisted in hysteria, she looked thoroughly unhinged.
The caregiver lost her footing and practically collapsed into Barnard’s lap. Whether paralyzed by shock or something else, she didn’t immediately scramble away. Instead, she wept, “You have it all wrong! There’s nothing going on between us p>
“Nothing going on? You’re sitting in his lap right now and you’re still lying to my face? Get up!” Completely oblivious to the fact that she was the one who had shoved the girl in the first place, Davina lunged forward, grabbing at her to haul her back up.
Panicking, the caregiver grabbed fistfuls of Barnard’s collar to steady herself, pouring gasoline on Davina’s blinding rage. “Let go of him, you bitch! Get off him p>
She yanked with every ounce of her strength. The violent momentum tipped the heavy wheelchair completely sideways, violently throwing Barnard onto the hardwood floor.
The brutal crash drew a deafening shriek from the caregiver. The piercing sound echoed through the lounge, drawing shocked stares from every corner of the room.
A server sprinted over immediately. “Sir, do you need help p>
The sight of Barnard hitting the floor had shocked Davina into absolute stillness. She stood frozen in place, utterly horrified by what she had just done.
Barnard glared up at her, raw humiliation radiating from him. “What the hell are you staring at? Pick me up p>
He used to find Davina’s clumsy, scatterbrained nature endearing. Her complete dependence on him had stroked his ego.
But now, as he lay publicly humiliated on a bar floor, a wave of profound disgust washed over him, and his thoughts immediately drifted to his ex-wife. Camilla would never have subjected him to something so spectacularly degrading.
Snapping out of her trance, Davina scrambled to help the server hoist Barnard back into his chair, shooting a venomous glare at the trembling caregiver.
Unwilling to endure another second of her psychotic meltdown, he ordered the caregiver to leave.
But in Davina’s eyes, this was clear proof of his betrayal. Her voice trembled violently. “You’re still protecting her? Even after this p>
“Are you out of your mind? Can you calm down and stop making a scene?” he snapped. “Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Get me out of here p>
Frowning, she reluctantly grabbed the handles of his chair, too afraid of pushing him any further over the edge. She wheeled him out into the cool night air.
The second they hit an empty stretch of the sidewalk, she exploded again. “What the hell is going on with you and that girl p>
“Since when did you become so hysterical? She’s literally a hired nurse. I’ve known her for a few days. I was in a bad mood and just wanted to grab a drink. That’s it,” Barnard shot back.
She wasn’t buying it. “I could have brought you here. Why did you need her p>
He let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Stop acting like a lunatic. I’ve been miserable lately, and I know I’ve been taking it out on you. It’s hard for you to see me like this, and I just wanted to give us both a little breathing room p>
The woman standing before him was nothing like the sweet girl he remembered, and his tone dripped with blatant dismissal.
But the cheap manipulation worked. Davina’s shoulders sagged in relief. Crouching beside his chair, she grasped his hand, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like that. I’m just so terrified of losing you. I wouldn’t survive without you.
I don’t need breathing room. If you need anything, just let me do it, okay p>
Her pathetic tears did absolutely nothing to thaw his frozen heart.
In the past, seeing her cry would have triggered an overwhelming wave of guilt and protectiveness. Now, she just seemed profoundly embarrassing. She was an adult woman, yet her entire existence revolved around adolescent romantic melodrama. It was pitiful.
He gave a hollow nod of agreement. “Fine. My mistake. Just get up p>
Appeased for the moment, she stood up, though a frown still tugged at her lips. “But why were you in such a bad mood p>
Why?
Barnard hadn’t actually had a reason ready, but her question sparked a brilliant, dark idea. His gaze darkened, a deeply calculating expression washing over his features.