Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 415

There was nothing in the world that could compare to the rush of hearing the woman he loved finally confess her feelings.

They had been living together in a blurred, undefined state for so long. But in Lance's mind, tonight was the night they officially became a couple.

All his principles, all his plans to teach her a lesson by keeping his distance, instantly vanished into thin air. "Camilla, I swear to you, I will protect you with my life. As long as there is breath in my lungs—"

Before he could finish, Camilla pressed her fingertips gently against his lips. "Lance, we aren't even married yet. It's a bit early for life-and-death vows. Let's worry about the future when it gets here. For now, let's just take it one day at a time, okay?"

Having thought everything through and finally defining their relationship, Camilla saw no point in playing games.

She had seen every ounce of devotion Lance had poured into her over the past months. She truly believed he was the man she could spend the rest of her life with.

The atmosphere in the dimly lit room was thick with tension. The natural progression of things was obvious, and Camilla wasn't going to shy away from it.

But even after she opened the door, Lance didn't push further. He simply tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "Go to sleep, Camilla. We have serious business to handle tomorrow."

His rigidly honorable response completely doused the spark of anticipation in her chest, leaving her no room to insist.

Combined with the sheer exhaustion of surviving a kidnapping, her adrenaline finally crashed. Within minutes, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Lance, however, didn't sleep a wink. In the quiet darkness, his fingers gently traced the delicate curve of her cheek. His eyes held deep affection, but beneath it burned a terrifying, possessive intensity.

His Camilla was so sweet, so unbelievably accommodating.

She was willing to compromise this much just to soothe his anger.

But he loved Camilla for who she was, not just to get her into bed. He absolutely refused to take advantage of her when she was emotionally vulnerable after an attack.

When they finally crossed that line, it would be when she was entirely, undeniably ready.

He reasoned with himself, completely oblivious to the fact that Camilla had been more than ready tonight.

...

The night passed without incident. At noon the next day, Lance told Camilla to bring Carol along, and the three of them headed to Valdoria's most luxurious hotel.

Inside the opulent lobby, a concierge was already waiting. Upon seeing Lance, the man bowed respectfully. "Mr. Charles? Mike is waiting for you in the private suite. Right this way."

Disrespecting Mike to his face in his own city was a blatant declaration of war.

The smile on Mike's face froze. The genial warmth vanished, replaced by a dark, dangerous scowl.

"Lance," Mike growled. "Out of respect for our past, I consider you a friend. But don't get arrogant. This is Valdoria, not Cabinda."

"Oh, you still have some bark left in you," Lance mocked effortlessly. He leaned back in his chair, regarding Mike with lazy contempt that matched the crime boss's aura pound for pound.

"If you're so powerful, how did your scum get away with kidnapping my girlfriend?"

As he spoke, Lance reached over and gently lifted Camilla's wrist, exposing the brutal, red rope burns marking her pale skin. "My girlfriend finally visits Valdoria, and this is your hospitality?"

"Lance, there has to be a misunderstanding," Mike said, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the injuries. "I know my men. With me breathing down their necks, they wouldn't dare pull a stunt like this. Why would they randomly target your woman?"

Even as he deflected the blame, he was subtly fishing for information.

"Your empire is expanding, Mike," Lance replied coldly. "You can't have your eyes everywhere. We all have a few bad apples in our ranks, don't we?"