Chapter 418
“Are you toasting to my travels, Clement, or are you trying to apologize?” Lance chuckled, his tone dripping with mockery.
Clement’s smile faltered. He shot a desperate glance at Mike and didn’t immediately reply.
“I thought you might have something specific to tell me,” Lance pressed on lazily. “Or was I just flattering myself p>
He intentionally left the question open, waiting for Clement to incriminate himself.
Clement swallowed hard, his guilt palpable. He peeked at Mike’s expression again, his heart hammering against his ribs. His two subordinates were still missing, which meant whatever he pulled yesterday was completely blown.
Mike sat in total silence, clearly intending to stay completely out of the crossfire.
After a moment of hesitation, Clement tested the waters. “Lance, is there some sort of misunderstanding between us p>
“A misunderstanding?” Lance asked coldly. “My girlfriend comes to Valdoria for a vacation and gets kidnapped by your men. If you consider that a simple ‘misunderstanding,’ does that mean you’re so used to trafficking people that it doesn’t even register as a problem anymore p>
The ruthless accusation made Clement’s eyes dart nervously, but he quickly forced a look of outraged shock. “What? Are you serious? Lance, believe it or not, I had absolutely no idea this happened! If you found your way to me, you must have uncovered something, but I swear to you, someone else must be using my name to pull this garbage! This must be Camilla, right? I’ve never even met her before today. Why on earth would I have any motive to do such a thing? You’ve definitely got the wrong guy. By the way, if you tracked this back to me, you must have some sort of evidence. Why don’t you bring it out so we can look at it together p>
After his brief moment of panic, Clement had completely regained his footing. His defense was airtight. Even if they dragged his two men in right now and confronted him, those thugs would just claim they acted on their own.
Lance opened his mouth to press harder, but Camilla beat him to it. “We see your sincerity, Clement. Maybe it really was just a misunderstanding. It’s entirely possible someone was trying to frame you. Since you work with Mike, and Mike is a friend to Lance and me, let me be the first to offer you a toast p>
Camilla’s diplomatic words instantly defused the tension in the room. Eager for an out, Clement grabbed onto her lifeline and raised his glass toward her. “You’re absolutely right, Camilla. We’re all friends here. Please forgive my ignorance for not recognizing who you were sooner. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word p>
Camilla and Clement exchanged a few more fake pleasantries before she casually steered the conversation. “By the way, why didn’t we see your right-hand man today p>
Clement’s hand froze slightly as he poured his drink. He quickly covered it up with a vague excuse. “Barnard had some issues to handle with his project, so I sent him on a business trip. You guys just missed him; he left first thing this morning. If I had known Mike was coming, I would have made sure he stayed to pay his respects before heading out p>
“A man in a wheelchair doesn’t exactly have the easiest time getting around. It’s so easy for things to go wrong,” Camilla remarked thoughtfully. “You must really trust him to send him out of town on business p>
“I value Barnard’s capabilities,” Clement replied smoothly. “Even with his disability, I know he can get the job done. But judging by your tone, Camilla, it sounds like you’re quite familiar with my new assistant. Is there some bad blood between you two p>
Considering he had orchestrated her kidnapping just yesterday, Camilla didn’t believe for a second that Clement was ignorant of her history with Barnard. But if he wanted to play dumb, she was more than happy to play along.
“I wouldn’t call it bad blood. We were just married once upon a time, but that’s long over now,” she said breezily. “Speaking of which, I am a bit curious. As far as I know, my ex-husband has zero background in the medical field. He doesn’t know the first thing about pharmaceuticals. So, Clement, what gave you the confidence to make him your project lead p>
Prompted by her question, Mike’s sharp gaze shifted back to Clement.
Clement didn’t even flinch. “A project lead relies heavily on management skills, and I believe Barnard has a real talent for that. Though, I honestly had no idea you two shared that kind of history. In that case, I suppose it’s a good thing he wasn’t around today p>
As he spoke, his eyes lingered on Lance for a fraction of a second, his meaning deeply suggestive. He was blatantly trying to sow discord between the couple.
Pretending to ponder the situation, Clement added, “Now that I think about it, maybe some idiot in my ranks found out about your past with Barnard and tried to curry favor with him by doing something incredibly stupid. If you trust me, let me handle this internally. I will make sure you get a proper explanation p>
Mike, who had remained quiet up until now, finally broke his silence. “Clement, Lance isn’t just a friend. He’s practically my own brother. Since you’re offering to take responsibility for this mess, I’ll give you the chance. From now on, you are personally responsible for Camilla’s safety in Valdoria. If she suffers even the slightest scratch, I’m holding you accountable p>