Chapter 470
Magee had practically wiped out her corporate and international crises in one fell swoop.
“What do you mean ‘thank you’? Camilla and I are practically family. Even though you helped her out today, if she ever needs you again, you better not make excuses,” Dahlia ordered, jabbing Magee in the ribs.
Magee didn’t get mad, just looked at her with pure adoration. “Yes, ma’am. I spoke out of turn. Whatever Queen Dahlia says goes p>
Seeing how entirely wrapped up they were in each other, Camilla knew they probably needed some time alone. She and Jeniffer quickly made their excuses and left.
By the time Camilla got back to the estate, Lance’s grandfather had already returned from officially changing Jasper’s last name.
The old man seemed thrilled, but Camilla could still detect the heavy undercurrent of anxiety beneath his smile.
Jasper wasn’t as energetic as usual either. He was curled up in the corner of the sofa, a cartoon playing on the TV, but he was completely zoned out, lost in his own world.
“You’re back?” the old man asked. “I heard rumors that your company was running into trouble. Do you need the Charles family to step in p>
It was no secret that Lance and Camilla were together now. Plenty of people in their circle were desperate to suck up to the Charles family, so it was no surprise that someone had immediately tipped him off about her corporate issues.
Camilla said, “It’s pretty much all handled. I won’t need to bother you with it, Mr. Charles p>
“We’re family, it’s not a bother. If you run into real trouble, absolutely do not try to carry it all by yourself. Just tell me,” the old man insisted.
Camilla nodded and promised she would.
Her head was spinning. She stayed downstairs to chat with him for a few more minutes before heading up to her room.
The audio from Magee’s wire had left a heavy, suffocating weight pressing on Camilla’s chest.
The person trying to force her to Silvania was almost certainly Clement.
If that same group was responsible for kidnapping Tessa, Lance walking right into their territory was p>
Driven by blind panic, Camilla tried calling Lance’s number. It rang and rang until it went straight to voicemail. The dial tone echoed through the speaker, deepening the pit of dread in her stomach.
He had been in Silvania for days, and he hadn’t sent her a single text. This was way beyond abnormal.
No matter how swamped he was, he always managed to fire off a quick text just to let her know he was safe.
Now there was absolutely nothing. Their chat history was nothing but dead silence.
The overwhelming radio silence made Camilla want to book the next flight to Silvania, but she forced herself to crush the impulse.
Their entire goal was to bait her into going there. If she flew to Silvania right now, she’d be walking straight into their trap.
She would only become a massive liability to Lance.
Right now, the only thing she could do was wait and trust Lance.
Refusing to let herself spiral into panic, Camilla buried herself entirely in work for the next two days.
After being reported, The Gates Group was hit with a massive federal raid.
It went exactly as Magee had predicted. The Gates Group’s books were a disaster, and investigators easily found millions in discrepancies. Both Arthur and Beatrice were immediately hauled in for questioning.
The suppliers who had sided with Pamela to boycott Camilla instantly realized the wind had changed, and they desperately tried to crawl back to her.
But Camilla had zero interest in doing business with people who would stab her in the back so easily. She ruthlessly axed all of them and completely overhauled BLC’s supply chain. After a grueling week of negotiations, BLC was finally back on track.
She was wrapping up paperwork in her office when Jeniffer called her. Jeniffer sounded completely breathless. “Camilla, where are you? I’m coming to pick you up. I need to tell you something right now p>
Even though she was trying to hide it, Camilla could hear the raw tremor in Jeniffer’s voice.
A crushing sense of dread slammed into Camilla. “Is it Lance? Did something happen to Lance p>
“Camilla, I’m just going to come get you. I’ll explain everything when I see you,” Jeniffer said, dodging the question entirely.
Less than thirty minutes later, Jeniffer pulled up to BLC.
Camilla found out the truth the second she got in the car. Lance was back. Tessa was back.
But Lance was in critical condition. Federal agents had actually been the ones to extract him and fly him back.
He had been rushed straight to the hospital the moment he landed. Tessa was completely unharmed, but she hadn’t stopped sobbing hysterically and was completely incoherent.
Sarah had also been brought back and was currently locked down under heavy guard at the Charles Estate. As to what had actually happened in Silvania, they wouldn’t know until Lance woke up or Tessa finally broke down and confessed.
Twenty agonizing minutes later, Camilla and Jeniffer sprinted into the hospital.
The moment they stepped out of the elevator, they could hear Tessa’s frantic wailing echoing down the sterile corridor.
Over the sound of her crying came the old man’s furious, exasperated voice. “What the hell is crying going to do?! What happened out there?! Speak clearly!
What did they do to Lance p>
Get this through your head—that is your son! Your only son! The second he heard you were in danger, he dropped everything to go save you!
What exactly are you still trying to hide p>
How did he end up like this?! Tell me the truth p>