Though he addressed Calvin and Laura, his glaring, suspicious eyes were locked dead on Davina.
He hadn't contacted Calvin once, let alone given him the address. Davina was undoubtedly the leak.
Davina squirmed under his gaze. "Barnard, I'm sorry. I bumped into Mom while I was out shopping, and she insisted on coming back to see the place. I figured they're family, and we haven't seen them in so long... We should spend the holidays together, so I brought them back."
"You're really good at making decisions for me," Barnard sneered, making Davina's face flush hot with embarrassment. She muttered defensively, "I was doing it for you! They're your parents. It's not like they even like me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have bothered entertaining them."
Feeling wronged, she didn't care that Calvin and Laura were sitting right there. Her unfiltered complaint made both of their expressions sour instantly.
But Calvin's anger ultimately landed squarely on his son. "I'm your father! Is it a crime for me to come see you? What kind of attitude is that?"
"Oh, so now you want to see me?" Barnard scoffed. "Weren't you avoiding me the second you got to Valdoria?"
"Barnard, how can you talk to your father like that? Even if we kept our distance back then, it was for your own good!
"You're our son, no matter what. Of course we care about you. Shutting us out like this breaks our hearts!" Laura cried, her eyes turning red.
Barnard was already on edge from Clement's impossible deadline. He had absolutely zero patience for Laura's tears. "Well, you've seen me. Can you leave now?"
"Barnard... how could you..." Laura sobbed. Calvin cut her off, demanding, "What exactly have you been up to lately?"
Barnard's tone remained venomous. "You threw me aside like a burden. Am I not allowed to get a job and make a living?
"Mom, Dad, the Carter Group is gone. Me trying to build a nest egg is perfectly justified. You don't need to come all the way here to lecture me."
"Are you working for the Williams Group?" Calvin pressed.
"What if I am?" Barnard retorted.
"What if you are? Do you have any idea what the Williams Group actually does? How could you get mixed up with them?
"Barnard, we're only in Valdoria temporarily. Cabinda is our real home. We're going back eventually.
"Tell me right now—what exactly are you doing for them? You haven't done anything illegal, have you?"
Calvin wasn't screaming and belittling him the way he used to. There was a trembling edge of desperation in his voice, his eyes practically begging for reassurance.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance)