Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 222

He never thought their next meeting would happen on this cruise ship.

Honestly, who could have guessed that Camilla would end up being the one hurt, yet someone else had to call the police for her? That alone said enough—she must have gone through more than she let on.

“I get that you’re worried, Mahoney,” Camilla said, her voice steady. “But like I told you before, I can take care of myself. I can take care of my mom, too. I really don’t want to be a burden.”

She gave him a quick, reassuring smile. “And trust me, I’m not stupid. If something happens that I can’t handle, you’ll be the first person I reach out to.”

Mahoney stared at her, lost for words for a second. Camilla’s stubborn streak was unmistakable. She’d sooner swallow her troubles than let anyone see her pain. She really was a lot like his old friend.

“So many years have passed...” Mahoney began, his voice a little softer now. “The group your dad was investigating was finally taken down last year—it’s all over. Camilla, you don’t need to hold back anymore. Stay in touch with me. If you run into any trouble, just come to me. Don’t hesitate.”

Camilla nodded right away, and only then did Mahoney motion for the medical team to check her out. The results came back fast. Just like she’d said, there were small traces of a sedative in her blood. It wasn’t much, but the machines picked it up.

At the sight of the report, Mahoney’s hands started shaking with anger. “How could they do this? I’m going over there. Someone needs to teach them a lesson!”

“Hold on, Mahoney,” Camilla cut in, reaching for his arm. “You care about me, I know that, but don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of your job. The last thing I want is for someone to use this against you. Just follow protocol, okay? As for the Carter family, I’ll settle things with them on my own.”

Even though ages had passed since they last saw each other, Camilla still remembered Mahoney as the man who came to their home for dinner when her father was alive. He’d always bring her cute little gifts—fancy pens, pretty notebooks, plush toys. After her dad’s accident, Mahoney kept checking in. Back then, he wasn't chief yet. Just a squad leader.

Camilla remembered watching him get scolded once for visiting their family against the rules. Even as a kid, she knew her father’s work made things dangerous, and Mahoney’s attention—no matter how kind—brought its own risks. So as soon as she could fend for herself, she went to Mahoney and firmly cut off contact. She didn’t want to bring him trouble.

Now, after all this time, Mahoney still treated her with the same warmth, but Camilla was determined—her problems wouldn’t mess up his life or his career.

Mahoney gave her a long, searching look, then finally turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

Calvin’s patience snapped. His face darkened as he glared at her. “Camilla, what do you want from us? The Carter family is letting you go already. Isn’t that enough?”

“I just want what’s fair,” Camilla replied calmly, turning to the officers. “Illegal buying and selling of controlled substances, attempted assault, framing me for something I didn’t do—these are serious charges. Shouldn’t you be detaining them now?”

Mahoney had heard enough. Seeing Calvin try to intimidate Camilla in front of everyone made his irritation obvious. He didn’t hesitate. “Take him away,” he ordered, pointing at Barnard.

“No, you can’t!” Davina burst out crying, chasing after the police. “Barnard didn’t do anything wrong. We were together willingly—I’m not pressing charges, so you can’t arrest him!” She tried to block their way, her tears streaming down.

Right then, a second door swung open from the next room. Lance leaned against the doorway, looking effortlessly bored as he took in Davina’s outburst. He glanced over at Mahoney. “Well, Mahoney, looks like not everyone appreciates your way of handling things. Maybe you should take her along, too.”

As Lance spoke, everyone froze. The Carters exchanged awkward glances, but Barnard looked especially shocked. “Lance? What are you doing here?”