Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 388

"Right now?" Barnard asked, clearly stunned, though his eyes darted around as if calculating a hidden angle.

Seeing his hesitation, Calvin's temper flared. "If you hadn't been so reckless and offended the Charles family, we wouldn't be chased out of our own city! I know exactly what you're thinking, and you need to drop it. We can barely save ourselves right now. Do not go looking for that woman again. Your only priority is figuring out if you're bringing your new wife to Valdoria."

Calvin deliberately emphasized the words "new wife" just to twist the knife. Barnard's expression stiffened. He glanced involuntarily toward the staircase, a flicker of deep uncertainty in his eyes.

Without pushing the issue further, Calvin grabbed Laura and headed to their room to pack.

Once the door was shut, Laura finally voiced her dread. "Are we actually taking her with us?"

Living under the same roof as Davina had been an absolute nightmare. Laura couldn't stomach the thought of babysitting the girl in Valdoria. If Davina threw one of her clueless tantrums in a city where they had zero influence... The mere thought gave Laura a pounding headache.

"That's not up to us," Calvin replied dismissively. "It depends on what your beloved son decides."

Taking that woman was a liability, but leaving her behind might cause its own set of problems. Calvin had foolishly believed that letting Barnard marry Davina would force him to settle down. If he had known it would lead to total ruin, he never would have allowed Camilla to sign those divorce papers.

Downstairs, Barnard sat on the couch, lost in a chaotic swirl of thoughts. His parents were definitely hiding something. That slip about the "police officer" felt incredibly sinister.

But he didn't have time to unravel their secrets. His gaze drifted back upstairs toward the master bedroom. Since the wedding, he hadn't slept in that room once. Davina was up there right now, waiting for him. Yet, he felt absolutely zero desire to be near her.

Should he just leave without a word? The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly suppressed it. Davina had saved his life once. He couldn't just abandon her to the wolves.

"What? You lost it? How could you lose it? That was my money!" Davina's voice pitched into a hysterical screech. She clawed at his jacket, demanding an explanation. The looming threat of the family's collapse had triggered every survival instinct she had. That money was her only safety net, and she needed it back.

Barnard grabbed her wrists, pinning them down. "Enough, Davina! I didn't do it on purpose. Investments carry risks. I'll make it back and repay you later. Right now, you need to go pack. We're leaving Cabinda."

"Leaving? To where?" she asked, instantly bewildered.

"To Valdoria. A fresh start. I know you've been doubting me lately, but look at the facts—even when everything is falling apart, I'm taking you with me. Doesn't that prove how much I care about you? Stop overthinking. I'll get your money back eventually."

He couldn't tell if he was taking her out of a misplaced sense of obligation or clinging to the idealized version of her from his childhood memories. Even though he found her increasingly unbearable, he wasn't ready to cut her loose.