Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 203

Barnard had always believed the only person he truly cared about was Davina.

To him, Camilla was just a way to gain a solid footing in The Carter Group. She was a means to an end, someone he could set aside once he held all the power. After that, he’d finally marry Davina like he’d always planned.

But now, everything was a mess. He and Camilla argued constantly, and she was slipping further away every day. Only then did Barnard realize how much Camilla was part of his life. She was everywhere. He couldn’t just toss her aside like he once thought.

It didn’t help that lately it seemed like there was someone else taking up space in Camilla’s life, either. That kept him up at night, anxious and on edge.

So when Aaron managed to trace the car’s plates to Abelard today, Barnard didn’t even hesitate. He followed the trail straight here.

And when he saw Camilla standing right next to Abelard, something snapped inside him. All he could think was that no matter what, he needed to bring his wife home.

If Camilla was willing to give it another try and come back, Barnard decided he could even overlook her messing around with someone else. If she forgave him, he’d forgive her too.

That seemed fair. Maybe they could call it even and get back to living their lives together.

“Camilla, I don’t care about your child, and I don’t care if you cheated,” Barnard said, his tone calm and self-assured, like he already knew she’d agree. “If you come back with me, we can pretend none of this ever happened. Things can go back to the way they were. Just end it with this guy, okay?”

Camilla just laughed, letting Barnard’s confidence wash over her. Where did he even get the nerve? “Barnard, do you really think you’re being so generous by letting me be Mrs. Carter again?” she said, eyebrow raised. “Did you forget about your precious Davina? She’s still in the hospital, pregnant with your kid. Aren’t you worried about breaking her heart? And why would I ever want to live with Davina under the same roof?”

Barnard just ignored everything else she said. “I know you don’t like Davina,” he replied. “Once she has the baby, I’ll send her away. You won’t have to see her ever again. Is that enough for you to come home?”

It was strange, standing there with Camilla right in front of him—the same Camilla who used to cook his favorite meals and wait for him to come home. But now, there was some invisible wall between them. Someone else’s presence had crept into that space. Barnard hated it.

He’d always been used to thinking of Camilla as his. Like she belonged to him.

“Camilla, I know I was an idiot before and made mistakes. But you have to believe I care about you. If you come back this time, we won’t sleep in separate rooms anymore. We’ll start our own family and...”

Lance’s family was at the top of the social food chain. Nobody in the inner circle would dare cross him, not even Barnard.

Lance went right to stand by Camilla, totally at ease. “Why I’m here doesn’t matter,” he said, shrugging. “What matters is how entertaining your little scene was, Barnard. You don’t mind if I watch, do you?”

Barnard’s jaw clenched. He looked awkward all of a sudden, clearly uncomfortable with Lance seeing his dirty laundry aired out like this. Even if Lance wasn’t planning to get involved, Barnard had some pride. He didn’t want to be anyone’s laughingstock today.

Lance was obviously needling him, but if anyone was truly enjoying the drama, it was Abelard.

When Barnard clammed up, Abelard piped in, stoking the fire without a hint of shame. “Why so quiet now, Barnard? A minute ago, you couldn’t stop talking. Do you have a problem with Lance or something?”

“Of course not. Stop trying to stir things up,” Barnard shot back angrily. But then, an idea hit him. He turned to Lance with a look of desperation. “Lance, I didn’t expect to see you here, but... would you please help me out?”