Chapter 429
Camilla stood firm on not officially setting a wedding date, but to humor Darwin, she didn’t object to him having some lucky days picked out.
The holidays arrived in a flash.
Under Darwin’s relentless insistence, Camilla, Elise, and the rest of their immediate group packed up and headed to the Charles Estate for the new year. Even Snow, Jasper’s dog, received a VIP invitation from Darwin.
Seeing Darwin’s overwhelming enthusiasm, the estate staff quickly realized that Camilla and Jasper held unprecedented status in his heart. It was painfully obvious they were going to be permanent fixtures in the Charles family.
Taking the hint, the staff treated Camilla with extreme reverence.
The Charles family tree had been notoriously sparse over the last few generations. In Darwin’s era, it was just him and Carney. When Carney retreated to a monastery, he left no heirs behind.
As for Darwin, besides Oscar, he had a daughter named Leah, who had married into the militarily entrenched Byron family years ago.
In fact, when Oscar had sent Lance into the military years ago, he had pulled strings through the Byron family to do it.
By Lance’s generation, the bloodline was even thinner. Oscar only had Lance, while Leah had given birth to a single daughter, Jeniffer, who was two years younger than Lance. Jeniffer had gone straight to a military academy for college, and both mother and daughter rarely visited.
The estate’s butler had filled Camilla in on all these family dynamics.
Even though the butler didn’t explicitly say it, Camilla could sense that Darwin must have been terribly lonely holding down the sprawling Charles Estate by himself, which explained his sudden move to Laguna Shores a while back.
Darwin didn’t strictly force the extended family to gather every year, but he mandated a massive family reunion every five years. This year just happened to land on that milestone.
Having rushed into agreeing to Darwin’s holiday plans, Camilla knew she couldn’t show up empty-handed. She spent the days leading up to the trip frantically preparing gifts.
On New Year’s Eve, Leah arrived with Jeniffer. They pulled up in a rugged military Jeep, the back seat piled high with presents.
Leah shared some of Oscar’s facial features. Dressed in a beige overcoat and adorned with understated pearl jewelry, she exuded a quiet, graceful elegance.
Her daughter, Jeniffer, was the polar opposite. Rocking a sleek windbreaker, cargo pants, and a sharp pixie cut, she had total tomboy energy. The second she stepped out of the Jeep, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Grandpa! Oscar! Lance! We’re home p>
Darwin walked out with Camilla, rolling his eyes. “Brat. Just come inside. What are you shouting for? I’m not deaf yet p>
Jeniffer flashed a cheeky grin. “Grandpa, you’re hilarious as always. Did you miss me p>
“What’s the point of missing you? You all have your own lives. None of you ever bother to visit p>
“Aw, Grandpa, I’m sorry! I specifically requested a whole month off just to keep you company. Don’t be mean to me,” Jeniffer whined playfully.
Standing on her tiptoes, she peered into the house before asking Darwin in a hushed, probing tone, “Grandpa, did you really kick Oscar’s adopted daughter out p>
Her eyes sparkled with blatant schadenfreude. Even though it was Camilla’s first time meeting Jeniffer, it was crystal clear the girl deeply loathed Sarah.
Leah furrowed her brow and scolded her softly. “Jeniffer, watch your mouth p>
After all, Sarah was still Oscar’s adopted daughter. If Oscar heard his niece gloating over her exile, it wouldn’t end well.
“There’s nothing to hide,” Darwin grunted. “That woman is morally bankrupt. She should have been thrown out a long time ago p>
Jeniffer nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Knowing her daughter’s blunt nature, Leah quickly hijacked the conversation before Jeniffer could cause any actual trouble. Her gaze shifted to Camilla. “You must be Camilla. It’s so lovely to finally meet you. I didn’t know what to bring you, but my mother passed this down to me years ago. I’d like you to have it p>
As she spoke, she placed a velvet box into Camilla’s hands. The box was open, revealing a breathtaking emerald bracelet that clearly cost a fortune.
Startled, Camilla immediately tried to hand it back. “This is far too precious. You should save it for Jeniffer p>
If the bracelet was passed down from Lance’s grandmother to Leah, then naturally it belonged to Jeniffer. Even if Leah was offering it willingly, Camilla wasn’t presumptuous enough to take it.
“I’ve already set aside Jeniffer’s share. This was always meant for Lance’s future wife,” Leah insisted gently. “Don’t refuse it, Camilla. Take it p>
Darwin chimed in, “It was always meant for his wife. Leah was merely keeping it safe. Accept it p>
Lance’s grandmother had known exactly how foolish Tessa was. The heirloom bracelet was supposed to go to the daughter-in-law, but on her deathbed, she bypassed Tessa entirely and secretly slipped it to Leah.
At the time, Darwin hadn’t completely agreed with her choice.