Chapter 452
Clement had always intended to put on a show, so he let Barnard snatch the knife with ease.
Barnard gripped the handle tightly. He closed his eyes and, without a second thought, plunged the blade into his own stomach. Blood immediately spurted out, and the heavy, metallic scent filled the air.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he held the knife. His fingers trembled slightly, but his movements were decisive.
He had to earn Clement’s absolute trust to survive this ordeal.
He hadn’t claimed Camilla yet, nor had he avenged Calvin. He absolutely could not die here in such a pathetic way.
He had to take these hits. He was the only one who could.
Clement gave Barnard a deep look. The three required stabs were quickly delivered, but Barnard didn’t stop. A fourth stab went straight under his ribs. His voice trembled as he said, “The first three are for my reckless disregard for life. This fourth is for making Mike doubt Boss Clement. The fifth p>
His voice was unsteady, and the hand gripping the knife shook violently, but Mike didn’t call for him to stop. Barnard showed no signs of stopping either, plunging the blade into his own body over and over as if he couldn’t feel the pain.
Lance reached out and covered Camilla’s eyes, shielding her from the gruesome sight. But the metallic stench of blood permeated the air, overwhelming her senses.
In Camilla’s memories, Barnard had always been somewhat cowardly, even timid. His schemes were always underhanded, never putting himself on the front lines.
But watching him stab himself relentlessly today, Camilla genuinely felt that Barnard had changed. He had become unhinged and utterly irrational.
She secretly resolved to stay as far away from this lunatic as possible.
If he could be this ruthless to himself, there was no telling what kind of psychopathic things he might do to others.
By the time the knife descended for the eighth time, Barnard was so weak that his breathing grew ragged and heavy. Mike finally waved a hand to stop him and had his men carry Barnard out. He cast a cold glance at Clement. “You certainly found yourself a loyal dog p>
Clement didn’t show a hint of a flaw. “Even I didn’t expect Barnard to go this far. I suppose he’s just grateful. He had nowhere to go, so I took him in. He probably wanted to prove himself to me so badly that he took a wrong turn. Please, Mike, be the bigger person and forgive his foolishness this once p>
Blood stained the hotel floor.
Clement’s performance was flawless, leaving Mike with no room to pick a fight. The matter could only end there.
Mike sighed slowly, “Gratitude. What a fine thing. Back then, when you said you accidentally killed a cop, I kept you by my side. Clement, tell me, if I ever find myself in a situation like this, would you go to such lengths for me p>
He sounded like he was just casually chatting, but the word ‘cop’ instantly grabbed Camilla’s attention.
Mike had mentioned earlier that Clement had been with him for over a decade. Now, specifically bringing up a cop, it felt like he knew exactly what Camilla was investigating and was deliberately feeding her clues.
Camilla’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward Clement. Clement didn’t deny it. He replied, “Of course. When you helped me out of that massive mess, Mike, I promised that whenever you needed me, I’d walk through fire and hell for you without batting an eye p>
Mike stood up. Whether he believed Clement or not was unclear, but he seemed unwilling to continue the conversation. He sighed, “Forget it. I’ll give you one last chance. Keep your people in line. Don’t let these nasty rumors reach my ears again.
As for Barnard kidnapping Ms. Camilla, you can apologize to Lance and Ms. Camilla yourself p>
Before leaving, Mike cast a meaningful glance in Camilla’s direction. His eyes seemed to hold a hint of warning.
In their world, loyalty was paramount. Without any hard evidence against Clement, he naturally wouldn’t punish him.
Camilla felt that his deliberate warning was partly out of respect for Lance, and partly to smooth over today’s chaos.
Clement turned to Camilla, but instead of apologizing directly, he asked, “Ms. Camilla, you seem to have some hostility toward me today. You were targeting me constantly in front of Mike. Is there some misunderstanding between us?
We’re practically family. Why don’t we clear the air p>
Getting further confirmation from Mike’s words made it highly likely that Clement was her father’s murderer. Camilla couldn’t calm down, nor could she have a civil conversation with him.
Lance took over the conversation. “Boss Clement, you promised to keep my girlfriend safe, yet you let your man kidnap her and drag her here. Are you saying she doesn’t have the right to be a little pissed off? Aren’t you being a bit too overbearing p>