Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 12

“It’s nothing. I just wanted to thank you for the ride, I…” Camilla started, trying to keep her tone polite.

“A thank you and that’s it? Camilla, that feels a little half-hearted.” The man closed his laptop, his dark eyes drifting lazily over her face.

His stare was so direct it sent Camilla’s heart tripping over itself. There was a strange, subtle challenge there, bold enough to make her uneasy, yet inexplicably familiar.

She tried to play it cool. “So what kind of gratitude are you hoping for?”

“That depends on what you think is appropriate.” He flashed a quick, easy smile and handed her a business card. “Here's my card. Whenever you figure it out, give me a call.”

Everything about him—his posture, his movement—just oozed relaxed confidence, like he was used to breaking the rules. But over this simple thank you, he seemed oddly insistent.

She glanced down. The card was matte black with just one name in gold: Lance. Beneath that, a long string of numbers.

Camilla felt a jolt of shock. If she remembered right, the most powerful family in Cabinda was the Charles family, and their heir was named Lance.

The Charles family practically ran circles around the Carter Group. If this was that Lance, there’s no way she would have met him before. Still, she couldn’t shake that odd sense of déjà vu. Ever since she first looked at him, something deep inside had been pulling at her.

Just before the car rolled to a stop, Camilla blurted out, “Lance, have we met before?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

“I don’t think so...” She couldn’t sound more unsure.

He grinned, his teasing words nearly lost under the rumble of the engine. “Then it’s as good a time as any to change that.”

Camilla didn’t even bother taking off her shoes. She tossed her bag aside and crouched next to Jasper. “What happened?”

Susan sighed. “It’s Daisy. She stepped on Jasper’s favorite train and broke it. He got upset and threw Daisy’s doll in the pool. Then Barnard came home, grabbed Davina and Daisy, took them out to buy new toys, and left Jasper here alone.”

Listening to Susan, Camilla felt a wave of cold absurdity wash over her.

So Barnard had dropped everything—his work, her—to go shopping for a doll just for Daisy.

And worse, he’d left Jasper abandoned for the sake of that doll, too.

Camilla’s jaw tightened. The truth was crystal clear. She really didn’t need to wait any longer to file for divorce.