Chapter 10 - Camille’s Version
Camille surrendered the next morning.
Her attorney arranged it.
She asked to speak with me.
I almost said no.
Lena said, “Listen. Don’t promise. Don’t threaten. Just listen.”
So I did.
Camille sat across from me in an interview room.
“Did you know about Emma before you met me?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“My father told me four years ago.”
“We met three years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
She looked down.
“Because the acquisition needed your trust vote.”
“You dated me for a vote?”
“At first.”
“At first.”
She closed her eyes.
“I did love you.”
I almost laughed.
“You filed for custody of my daughter.”
“My father said if Emma became legally unstable for thirty days, the proxy could still pass the acquisition.”
“Did you know the court order was fake?”
“No.”
I watched her.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Did you know Eric planned to take Emma and Ava out of the country?”
“He had tickets in your name.”
Camille went pale.
“My father said he had a contingency.”
“Children were the contingency.”
She covered her mouth.
For the first time, she looked sick.
She admitted visiting Olivia.
Admitted showing the forged waiver.
Admitted telling Emma I had chosen a new family.
I stared at her.
“Why say that to a six-year-old?”
Camille’s eyes filled.
“Because she looked at me like I was stealing something.”
“You were.”
Silence.
Then she whispered, “I was supposed to scare Olivia away.”
“Instead?”
“She found the trust amendment.”
“What did you do?”
“I told my father.”
That led to Charles visiting Olivia.
The crash.
Eric posing as husband.
The wedding.
Every road went back to Charles.
Then Camille leaned forward.
“But you still don’t understand why my father is doing this.”
“Money.”
“No.”
“What then?”
She looked at the camera in the corner.
“Survival.”
“Hartwell?”
“Whitmore Capital.”
My stomach tightened.
Camille whispered, “The acquisition isn’t buying another company.”
“What is it buying?”
“Time.”
May you like
Then she told me Whitmore Capital was hiding a $310 million hole.
And Hale Development’s assets were supposed to cover it.
