Chapter 145: Chapter 145

Michael slowly approached her with a smile, and she noted that he looked especially handsome tonight.

He was dressed in a well-fitting black tuxedo, with satin lapels that caught the light. Under the jacket, he wore a white shirt with a wing collar. He also wore an expensive-looking silver watch on his left wrist to complete the look.

The sight of him took her breath away.

She was so engrossed in looking at him that she almost forgot to respond.

“Oh! Thank you, Mr. McGregor,” she said with a polite smile. “I appreciate your congratulations.”

Michael nodded, and his smile seemed to soften. Then he turned to address the crowd.

“As you all know, we’ve been working with the Callahan Group on something lately, and the news even broke about it a while ago. This woman has a reputation for hard work and integrity. Let’s all politely congratulate her instead of mocking and doubting her, shall we?”

The implication was not lost on anyone. The snobbish young ladies exchanged glances and began sucking up to Michael.

“Oh, Mr. McGregor,” Betty Collins gushed. “You always know just the right thing to say.”

“Yes, yes!” Miranda Candlebury said enthusiastically. “It’s refreshing to hear such genuine compliments from you.”

And that was the end of it.

Camille could breathe easy, her heart swelling with gratitude. Michael had really done so many things for her, she couldn’t count them all. How could she ever repay him?

Guiltily, she turned her head to take another look at Christian. He was staring at her with a wry smile on his face. Then, he pointed his head in Michael’s direction, subtly ordering her to get closer to him.

The gleam in his eyes also conveyed a sense of urgency, as if something bad would happen if she didn’t comply.

Camille hesitated and looked in Michael’s direction. The three ladies were engaging him in small talk. The crowd around her had dispersed, leaving her alone and giving her a moment to gather her thoughts.

Veronica had already left, with Marvin Huckington following her from behind. He seemed interested and tried to flirt with her, but she clearly rebuffed him.

Those two would be quite the pair…

Camille looked back at Christian to see if he was still watching. He had moved to another table and was in deep discussion with some businessmen, his back to her.

“Camille,” Michael’s voice interrupted her thoughts, making her catch her breath again. He had approached her without her noticing, staring at her with a searching look in his eyes.

He seemed to be hesitating about something, but his presence was calm and reassuring to her, making her heart feel much calmer than it had in weeks.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Michael suddenly suggested. “The garden outside is quite nice, and it’s a bit quieter there.”

There was a subtle implication to his words, one that she did not miss.

Camille looked at him and hesitated even more.

She knew why Michael wanted to talk to her, but she still wasn’t ready. Christian wanted more information about him, but she had to gather it without looking like she was having an affair with another man, and in a public event, no less!

If Christian expected her to do what the woman had done with Harold Huckington, then Camille would have to be invited to Michael’s house in the first place.

But she couldn’t just make that happen. For one, she worked for the Callahan Group. And two, she was Christian’s damn fiancée! How could she even consider that option?

Granted, the contract marriage between them had been established long before she got back together with Michael, but still… Christian should’ve just annulled it.

Better yet, he should’ve decided not to announce it publicly in the first place!

“Camille?” Michael said, looking puzzled when she didn’t respond.

Camille snapped out of her thoughts and nodded subtly. “Yeah, I could use some fresh air.”

They walked towards the exit, blending in with the other guests who were constantly mingling and moving around. Fortunately, some more celebrities and famous businessmen had just entered the venue, and there was also a spectacle at another table, so no one noticed them amid all the excitement.

As they reached the garden, the noise from the ballroom faded, replaced by the soft hum of crickets and the gentle rustling of leaves. The garden was illuminated by fairy lights all around, creating a serene atmosphere away from prying eyes.

Michael led Camille to a secluded area and a bench, far enough from the ballroom to ensure privacy but close enough to maintain a semblance of propriety. He sat down beside her, his expression filled with concern and determination.

“Camille, I know you’re hiding something,” Michael said softly. His tone wasn’t accusatory, just a little probing. “I don’t want to push you, but I need to understand what’s really going on. You can trust me. You know that, right?”

‘I know,’ Camille thought to herself, feeling a dull ache in her heart. ‘But I can’t tell you, Noah. I just can’t.’

“Everything is fine,” she said calmly. “And as I told you, I only overheard a few things at the company by accident. Unfortunately, I didn’t see who the mastermind was, but I did notice the culprit coming out of a private room and quickly took note of his appearance. That’s all I know.”

Michael was silent for a moment. “Camille,” he said, and there was a change in his voice, “I trust you, you know.”

She stared at him, unsure of what to say.

“I trust you, so I know you’re not capable of doing something like this. That’s why I want to know everything. And not just about the culprit or the information you happened to find out. By everything, I mean the details about your situation and what you’ve been going through all these years.”

Michael knelt on one knee on the ground and looked up at her with an encouraging expression.

“Vanilla,” he said softly, without a hint of judgment in his tone. “The perpetrator, Hank Turner, gave the detectives information about the mastermind before his death. Did you know that?”

Camille felt like the air had gotten stuck in her lungs. “What?” she said in surprise. “Is that true?”

‘If so, then why hasn’t Christian been arrested?’ she wondered.

Michael nodded. “That’s right. And judging by the look on your face, you seem confused.”

She nodded very slowly, unsure of where this was going.

“Well, the description Hank Turner gave the day before he died fits you perfectly, down to the last detail.”

“What?!” Camille exclaimed in shock. It felt as if her heart stopped for a moment.

That damned Christian!

Was he trying to make her take the fall instead of him? Did he want to plant seeds of doubt in the police’s minds, and in Michael’s?

“That bastard,” she cursed under her breath.

Michael looked at her calmly. “Camille,” he said, “I know that something strange has been going on with you since you left all those years ago. I know you’re not in an easy position right now. But all I have is suspicion and, frankly, conjecture.

“So I need to hear it from your own mouth. I can’t help you if you don’t want me to. I know you. You always have a plan, don’t you? Would telling me what’s really going on ruin your plan? Or are you just reluctant to ask me for help? Because if that’s the case, you don’t have to feel that way with me. You know I would never think less of you.”

His words touched something deep in her heart. He talked to her softly, with such a disarming look in his eyes, that she couldn’t help but melt.

Camille continued to stare at him, and her resolve began to fade bit by bit.

He really did know what to say. Geez, he was like her weakness at this point.

There was no choice but to admit defeat now.

“…I’m sorry,” she whispered, “but I swear to you, Noah, I’m not the one behind this. Please believe me.”