Chapter 97
The call ended, but the dial tone lingered in her ear. Barnard’s face was a mess of colors, shifting between angry red and sickly pale.
Davina leaned in, worry all over her face. “Barnard, was that Camilla just now? Was she upset p>
“It wasn’t her,” Barnard replied, keeping his voice calm, but his grip on the phone tightened. Camilla’s words kept replaying in his head. Sure, he felt a twinge of guilt, but it was mostly hesitation… and even a strange thrill.
He had known it. Camilla still cared about him. She wouldn’t have brought up Davina at all if she didn’t.
Thinking back, he really had been neglecting Camilla lately. He decided once this trip with Davina was over, he’d find a way to make it up to her.
Camilla’s company was as busy as ever. She only found out Barnard was off traveling with Davina through her private investigator.
Coming into the office, she overheard the whispers. People talked. With so many ties between her company and The Carter Group, news like Barnard taking time off to go on vacation spread fast. It didn’t take long for people to notice she wasn’t with him.
Camilla ignored the gossip as usual. She just sent more money to her private investigator and told him to keep a close eye on Barnard.
After more than a week of back-to-back overtime, she finally finished the design for the necklace going into next season’s collection. For once, she could breathe and focus on the brooch she’d promised Lance.
Lance wanted a rose-shaped brooch, but Camilla knew how to give it his vibe. She added bold edges to the petals, giving the rose an unexpected, rebellious twist.
Three days slipped by while she tweaked the design.
Then Barnard was back from his trip, and he wasted no time coming to her studio, arms loaded with expensive shopping bags. Aaron and the others trailed behind him, handing over armfuls of luxury gifts, making a bit of a spectacle.
The office door opened. Camilla frowned the moment she saw Barnard.
Ada tried to explain. “Camilla, Barnard said he wanted to drop off some gifts for you. He really insisted on coming in. We couldn’t stop him p>
Barnard didn’t hide his annoyance as he looked at Ada. “Camilla’s my wife. I own part of this company. This place is like home to me. Why are you making it a big deal p>
“Ada, it’s fine. Go back to work,” Camilla said, brushing it off. Aaron and the others put down the mountain of gifts and quietly left the room, leaving just the two of them.
Barnard walked right up to her. “Camilla, you’ve been so busy lately. How’s the new launch coming along p>
He saw her looking at him and quickly explained, “Things were crazy at The Carter Group. That’s why I left for a bit, just to clear my head. I thought about inviting you, but you’ve been swamped at work. I didn’t want to bother you. I saw all this stuff while I was away and just thought of you.
“And Jasper too. You always say I’m not invested in him. This time, I picked out a ton of clothes and shoes for him p>
Camilla barely glanced up as he gestured at the pile. Of course, she spotted a few pricey kids’ brands buried among the gifts.
His sudden focus on Jasper didn’t fool her one bit. He was just trying to cover his tracks after taking Daisy and Davina on their little getaway. If only he knew she already had photos from her investigator. Even if he tried to play it cool and keep his distance from Davina in public, he couldn’t hide how attached he was to Daisy. Carrying her everywhere, looking at her with such obvious affection. No one would miss the way he doted on her.
Maybe these photos wouldn’t hold up in court, but they could still come in handy. She could always send them to The Carter Estate, just as a little warning.
Barnard seemed to notice her silence and bent down, reaching for her shoulders. Camilla stepped back, her voice cold. “You’re in my office. I still have work to finish. If you’re done here, you can go p>
He hesitated for a second. “Camilla, I’ve been thinking about you this whole time. The second I landed, I came straight here. We haven’t seen each other in ages. Do you really have to be this distant p>
He sounded genuinely hurt, as if he cared more than anyone.
But Camilla just felt numb. Barnard was such a performer. All these years, he’d given his heart to someone else, yet managed to play the perfect husband in front of her and every person in their world. And now here he was, fresh off a plane with Davina, pretending that Camilla was the only one who mattered. If anything, she pitied him. She didn’t know how he found the energy to keep acting.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m seriously busy,” Camilla brushed him off, not even looking at him.
Barnard’s eyes drifted down to the sketches on her desk. The brooch was obviously designed for a man. His expression darkened. “I don’t remember a brooch in the next collection. Who’s that for p>
Camilla casually tucked the drawing away. “It’s a gift p>
Barnard’s brows stayed furrowed as he studied her, but then a small, strange smile appeared. “Alright then. You keep working. I’ll get out of your way. See you later p>