Chapter 65
Aaron showed up in no time. When Barnard handed Camilla the check, he piled on the sugar-coated words, but she wasn’t moved. She still wouldn’t let him stay to look after Jasper.
Divorce was coming for them sooner or later. It made sense to let Jasper slowly get used to less time with his dad. In the long run, that might be healthier for everyone.
But Barnard was determined, almost desperate, to patch things up. He made it a point to drop by the hospital every day. Sometimes he brought food, or toys for Jasper, and every now and then he’d have flowers or a necklace for Camilla.
His persistence finally broke down Jasper’s walls. The little boy stopped acting scared around him. Their relationship settled into something calm. Not particularly close, but there wasn’t any awkwardness or tension anymore.
Camilla, however, still didn’t feel good about leaving Jasper alone with Barnard. She asked Susan to hang around as backup. Even if Barnard was with Jasper and Camilla was busy, Susan was always nearby keeping an eye out.
Two weeks slipped by before anyone noticed. Elise finally woke up. Her health still wasn’t great, but at least she was conscious. That alone allowed Camilla to breathe a little easier.
It felt like things might finally be looking up.
And then Davina walked back into their lives.
Camilla hadn’t seen Davina in two weeks. She figured maybe Barnard, out of guilt, had put his foot down and told Davina to stay away from Jasper. But that wasn’t the whole truth.
That weekend, Davina showed up at the hospital with Daisy, who clutched a wooden box tightly in her hands. Daisy’s gaze darted nervously toward Jasper. “Camilla, Jasper… I’m sorry for everything. Mom took me to get a talisman for Jasper. I’m willing to give up ten years of my own life for Jasper’s safety and happiness. Please, Camilla, can you stop being upset with us now p>
“What talisman? Davina, didn’t I ask you to take Daisy traveling?” Barnard looked genuinely startled to see them.
Davina let out a heavy sigh. “Jasper is still stuck in a hospital bed, and Camilla’s exhausted. How could we have fun on vacation? I heard the talismans from Kaston are really effective, so I took Daisy there. It was tough getting this one. Please, Camilla, don’t turn it away. If losing ten years of Daisy’s life means Jasper recovers, that’s Daisy’s good fortune p>
The wooden box in Daisy’s hands was a violent shade of red, almost like it had been soaked in blood. Even across the room, Camilla felt something cold tingle along her spine, leaving her unsettled and uneasy.
Barnard’s face hardened. “Davina, this has gone too far. Daisy is your daughter. Doesn’t she matter to you? How can you say things like this p>
Davina’s voice dropped, her expression losing any sense of warmth. “We’re the ones who made a mistake. If Daisy can help Jasper, that’s a blessing for her. Barnard, I know you care about Daisy, but she’s the nanny’s daughter—at the end of the day, she’s just a helper. Doing things for this family is her job p>
Camilla caught herself watching Davina, wondering not for the first time if this woman ever truly cared about Daisy or thought of her as a real daughter.
Barnard, who usually never raised his voice to Davina, cut her off sharply. “Don’t say that kind of thing again. I never saw you as a servant, and Daisy isn’t one, either p>
Whatever gentle, devoted act Barnard kept up around Jasper had vanished the second Davina walked in. His attention stuck firmly to Davina and Daisy. Not even Jasper or Camilla seemed to exist to him at that point. Susan noticed too. She quietly stepped in front of Jasper, ready to keep him out of the drama.
Davina only brushed Barnard off. “Look, I know you care about Daisy, but we already have the talisman. We should use it, not waste it.” She nudged Daisy. “What are you waiting for? Give it to Jasper p>
Daisy hesitated, glancing at Camilla before shuffling closer with the box. Camilla straightened up and stopped her. “There’s really no need, Davina. Tell her to keep it. Jasper’s already getting better. He doesn’t need any kind of talisman p>
Rumors about these so-called foreign charms had been circling online for ages. Davina’s story about traveling all the way to Kaston and sacrificing ten years of Daisy’s life set Camilla on edge. Even if it wasn’t true—which hopefully it wasn’t—the whole idea made her skin crawl. Why not just get a lucky charm at a local temple? Why bring up fate and life spans at all? Instead of feeling protected, Camilla just felt like there was something dark and sinister about it.
Honestly, Camilla wouldn’t have accepted something like this for Jasper from anyone, not just Davina.
Davina didn’t back down. “Camilla, are you still mad at me? I know I messed up before. If you want to blame someone, blame me. But please, take the talisman, just this once. It shows how much we care about Jasper. We p>
Camilla shook her head and interrupted her. “I said no. You may have helped Barnard, but that doesn’t mean I blame you or owe you anything. And I’ve told you before, you don’t need to get on my good side. Let’s just keep our distance p>