Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 155

Lance made sure to give Camilla enough space. He wasn’t the type to push for answers or demand she make a decision right away. After sharing how he felt, he simply excused himself and left.

Before he walked out, though, he handed Camilla a USB drive. Inside were the security clips from Saddlebrook Estates, all the footage collected over the past few weeks.

“I’m not some heartless businessman,” he told her, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “Miss Hedgehog, you already paid your rent, so remember to pick up your things on time. If you don’t, I guess I’ll just have to bring them to you.”

Barnard still had enough leverage over Camilla to trap her. Without solid evidence to turn her situation around, she couldn’t even think about divorce. Even so, she tucked the USB somewhere safe, clinging to the quiet hope it represented.

At dinner, Jasper kept sneaking glances at her, his little face tense, eyes flicking away whenever she looked back. It took him a few tries before he finally worked up the nerve to speak. “Mommy, did you and Lance have a fight? Did he make you upset?”

Camilla shook her head gently. “No, sweetheart, nothing like that. You don’t need to worry. Just focus on being happy. Grown-up problems aren’t for you to handle.”

He was quiet for a moment, but then his curiosity won out. “Mom, Lance is a good person. Could you… please not hate him?”

Even during the whole mess with Barnard, Jasper had never been this insistent. Kids could always sense who was genuine, who was safe. Clearly, Lance had been good to Jasper behind the scenes—good enough for Jasper to care so much.

Still, Camilla felt her heart tighten a little as she looked at Jasper’s earnest face. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that Jasper trusted Lance this much. And she couldn’t help but wonder—if Lance ever found out about the secrets Barnard was holding over her, would he still treat Jasper the same way?

Jasper tugged softly at the sleeve of her shirt, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mommy, do you really not like Lance? Does that mean I can’t spend time with him anymore?” When she didn’t answer right away, his lips trembled, and his eyes filled with worry.

Camilla let out a soft sigh, wrestling with her own feelings. “Jasper, everyone’s their own person, okay? You don’t have to take on my feelings or let them decide things for you. If you like being around Lance, I’m not going to stop you.”

Every night when she closed her eyes, the thought of Barnard being drawn to someone her own age—someone who even looked older than she did—drove her crazy. Guilt gnawed at her too, a constant reminder that maybe if she’d been more attentive, if she'd recognized Barnard’s odd tendencies sooner, none of this would have happened.

This time, Laura was sure she’d get nothing but silence again. She was about to get up, already sighing, when Barnard finally spoke.

“Mom, I’ll take care of my own business. You don’t have to worry about me. As for Davina and Camilla, I’ll figure out how to handle things. Camilla will never get a divorce, so you can rest easy about that.”

Laura could sense there was something hidden in his words, especially when he talked about Camilla. Still, what upset her the most was that Barnard clearly wasn’t willing to give up on Davina.

Her frustration boiled over, and her voice rose. “I just can’t understand it. What is it about that woman, anyway? All she does is cause trouble, she’s not even pretty, and she has no class at all.”