Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Atticus's face went pale. He threw down the contract in his hand and rushed over, spreading his arms wide to shield Camilla.
"What are you doing? Who sent you here?" Atticus trembled with rage, shoving away the cameras shoved in their faces. "Get back! One more shot and I'm calling the cops!"
The reporters didn't take Atticus seriously at all.
"Sir, are you Camilla's new lover? Or just one of her backups?"
"What do you think about Camilla abandoning her own son?"
The flashbulbs were practically a solid wall of white light.
Camilla stood behind Atticus, expressionless as she looked at the mob.
She didn't need to guess. Only one person could have tracked her movements so precisely and crafted such vicious talking points at this exact moment: Serena.
Serena was using public opinion to nail her to a pillar of shame permanently.
Camilla took a deep breath. Her stomach began to ache again, a dull throb.
She placed a hand on Atticus's shoulder and pulled him back.
"Atticus, don't argue with them." Camilla's voice was cold. "It's pointless."
She reached into the canvas bag slung over her shoulder.
Inside was a voice recorder. Yesterday at the hospital, after she'd woken up, she'd asked a nurse to record everything—Ollie cursing at her, Theodric blindly taking his side.
If Serena wanted to play the public opinion game, Camilla would play along.
Just as Camilla's fingers touched the metal casing of the recorder—
A sharp screech of tires echoed from the end of the street.
A dozen jet-black Maybachs lined up in formation and roared toward them at breakneck speed.
The lead Maybach executed an arrogant drift, skidding sideways to a stop directly in front of the courtyard, blocking all the reporters' vans against the curb.
The cars behind it screeched to a halt one after another, sealing off the entire scene.
The piercing sound of brakes made every reporter freeze and turn to look.
The car doors opened in perfect unison.
Over fifty bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses poured out. Without a word, they surged into the crowd, shoving the reporters back roughly.
"What are you doing? You can't hit us!"
"This is a public space! We have the right to interview!"
The reporters protested loudly, but they were quickly subdued by the bodyguards' firm grip.
A wide path was carved through the crowd, leading straight to Camilla.
The rear door of the lead Maybach opened.
A spotless custom leather shoe stepped onto the asphalt.
Caspian emerged from the car.
He wore an impeccably tailored black haute couture suit today, his tie knotted flawlessly. He exuded an overwhelming aura of authority.
The scene fell silent instantly.
The reporters who'd been shouting about their rights moments ago didn't dare breathe too loudly now.
The man who controlled the Mitchell Group.
In Seaside City, anyone who crossed Caspian would vanish from the industry by tomorrow.
Caspian strode over to Camilla.
He didn't look at the cameras. Instead, he took off his suit jacket and draped it gently over Camilla's thin shoulders.
The jacket still carried the man's crisp woody scent and his warmth.
Caspian wrapped an arm around her, pulling her securely into his embrace.
Only after that did he turn to look at the reporters, who were now cowering like quails.
"Just now, who said she was clinging to power?"
Caspian's voice wasn't loud, but it was piercing, hammering into every eardrum.
No one dared answer.
The only sound was the rustle of wind through the leaves.
Caspian let out a cold laugh.
He stared directly at the camera with the live-streaming equipment. "Today, I, Caspian, am going to make something very clear."
"Camilla isn't clinging to me. I, Caspian, am shamelessly pursuing her."
The moment those words left his mouth—
The entire scene erupted.
The reporters gasped audibly, jaws dropping. Even Atticus froze.
The live stream chat, after a one-second lag, exploded.
[What did I just hear?]
[Mr. Mitchell said he's shamelessly chasing a divorced woman?]
[This is some next-level CEO protecting his woman! So hot!]
[Where are all those people who said Camilla was throwing herself at him? Come out and take your beating!]
Caspian ignored the shock around him. His arm around Camilla's waist tightened slightly.
"As for abandoning her husband and child?" Caspian's tone dripped with undisguised contempt. "A toxic mess like the Clifford family doesn't deserve her."
He looked into the camera and dropped a bombshell, word by word. "My entire fortune, including my shares in the Mitchell Group—"
"As long as she says yes, it's hers as an engagement gift. Anytime."
The entire street exploded.
Flashbulbs went wild again. The reporters, risking life and limb, shoved forward desperately to capture this moment that would shake the entire business world.
The live stream servers, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of traffic, crashed and went black.
City Center Hospital, VIP Ward.
The latest model smartphone was hurled violently against the wall. The screen shattered into a spiderweb pattern and clattered onto the tiles.
Serena sat on the hospital bed, her chest heaving violently.
She'd wanted to watch Camilla get crucified by the internet, her reputation destroyed.
Instead, she'd just watched Caspian publicly confess his feelings!
Mitchell Group shares as an engagement gift?
The Clifford Group can't hold a candle to the Mitchell Group!
Serena trembled with rage, her nails digging into her palms, her face twisted with jealousy.
"Why... why does that bitch Camilla get everything?"
She'd schemed so hard to drive Camilla out of the Clifford family, only for Camilla to turn around and find a man a hundred times better than Theodric!
The Clifford Group, CEO's Office.
Theodric sat behind his desk, staring at the frozen screenshot on his computer screen.
In the image—
Caspian held Camilla in his arms. Camilla wore his oversized suit jacket. Though her face was pale, the glow of being cherished like a treasure stabbed Theodric's eyes.
Theodric felt like an invisible hand had carved out a piece of his heart.
Cold wind poured through the gaping, bloody hole, chilling him to the bone.
He remembered the way Camilla had looked at him yesterday in the hospital.
No love. No hate. Just complete indifference.
Only now did Theodric truly, fully realize—
He'd lost this woman forever.
Outside the signing venue.
Camilla stood frozen in Caspian's arms.
She hadn't expected him to say something like that in front of the entire internet.
Engagement gift?
Shamelessly pursuing?
Camilla looked up in shock at the man so close to her.
Caspian noticed her gaze.
He leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ear.
His warm breath brushed against her earlobe. His voice was low, carrying a tenderness only the two of them could hear.
"Camilla, stop running."
Caspian looked into her flustered eyes.
"Let me be your strength. Will you?"