Chapter 444
“Stop lying, Camilla. The Williams Group isn’t a place you can just casually poke around in. Since you refuse to behave, I’m left with no choice but to use a little force.
Starting today, you’re going to live here temporarily. Once I’ve tied up some loose ends, I’ll naturally let you go,” Barnard declared.
“You’re imprisoning me p>
“It’s not imprisonment, it’s protection. Camilla, sometimes, being brave just isn’t enough. Don’t worry, I won’t let you get lonely. I’ll come see you every single day.
I know you despise me right now, and that’s fine. Affection takes time to grow. Eventually, you’ll see how genuine my feelings for you are,” he insisted.
The waters surrounding The Williams Group were far too deep and treacherous. He couldn’t let her wade any further into them.
Moreover, she absolutely could not keep digging into that specific incident. Until he completely obliterated the evidence, keeping her under lock and key was the only way he could sleep at night.
Her phone had been confiscated by the guards before she even entered the room. Feeling secure in his dominance, Barnard slipped back into the role of a doting lover. “You must be starving after rushing all the way here. I ordered all your favorites. Should I have them brought up p>
“Drop the act, Barnard. It only makes me sick. I could never develop feelings for a butcher,” Camilla spat.
Barnard’s face hardened into a mask of ice. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “How much do you actually know? Do you know about the fishing village too?
Camilla, you are far too bold for your own good. Do you have any idea what Clement will do to you if he finds out you know?
From this second on, keep your mouth shut. Don’t say another word p>
He didn’t even attempt to deny it. His reaction was all the confirmation she needed—the massacre had been his brilliant idea.
Camilla glared at him, her eyes practically throwing daggers. “Barnard, do you feel any shame at all? When you close your eyes at night, aren’t you terrified those innocent souls will drag you to hell?
I used to think you at least had a bottom line. I was wrong. You’re nothing but a cold-blooded animal. You’re sick p>
“Are you done? What do those people have to do with you anyway? Camilla, I’m going to say this one last time. Shut your mouth. You know absolutely nothing. Got it?” Barnard’s temper flared. He suddenly reached out, grabbing her by the collar and jerking her forward. His other hand clamped down on her jaw in a bruising grip. His eyes burned with a dark, suffocating intensity as he glared into hers.
“You don’t know a damn thing,” he repeated slowly. “You’re only here because I’m obsessed with you and locked you up. Understand p>
His tone was lethal, entirely devoid of the polished facade she was used to seeing.
Despite the churning nausea in her stomach, Camilla knew the walls had ears. She swallowed her curses and remained silent.
Seeing her submit, Barnard’s tone softened slightly. “Just be good, Camilla. I’d never hurt you. Stay here for a while. I’ll visit you every day p>
He had the food brought in and stayed to eat with her. But the meal was cut short. After just a few bites, his phone rang. It was Clement. Barnard hurried out of the room.
Left entirely alone, Camilla reached into the hidden compartment of her purse and pulled out a delicate brooch. It was a gift from Mike—and her ultimate trump card.
A faint red light pulsed from a tiny crevice in the metal, indicating the transmitter was active.
But as the hours dragged on into night, there was no sign of Mike’s people. A heavy sense of dread began to settle over her.
Had Mike just been putting on a show?
Was this transmitter completely useless?
With his legendary reach and power, there was no way it would take him this long to respond.
If Mike had truly abandoned her, her trump card was worthless. She would have to find a way to save herself.
She crept silently to the door and peered through the peephole. Two massive bodyguards stood like statues in the hallway.
Barnard had thought of everything. The windows were guarded from the outside as well. She was hermetically sealed in.
Her only hope now was that Carol and Mahoney would realize she was missing.
Meanwhile, Barnard had arrived at Clement’s office.
The moment he wheeled himself through the door, the heavy, suffocating tension in the room hit him. Something catastrophic had happened. Unease coiled in his gut. “Clement, you called me back in such a rush. Did something go wrong p>
Clement stared at him. “Barnard, where did the test subject you gave me this morning come from p>
“Is there a problem with the subject?” Barnard asked cautiously.
Clement let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not the subject, Barnard. Your father works for Zachary, doesn’t he? Did he procure that subject for you p>
His hesitant tone only made Barnard’s heart race faster. He was terrified Clement was testing him.
He flatly denied it. “How is that possible? I cut ties with my dad. There’s no way he could get me a test subject. Clement, did someone say something to you p>