Chapter 12 - Camille Changes Sides

Camille called me at 6:22 that evening.

I almost ignored her.

Then I remembered Julian's face when he saw the emerald in my hand.

I answered.

“Where are you?”

Her breathing was fast.

“My apartment.”

“Is Julian there?”

“No.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“He knows I talked to you.”

“You barely told me anything.”

“He doesn't know that.”

I stood from my desk.

“What happened?”

“He came here furious.”

“Did he threaten you?”

A pause.

“Not exactly.”

I waited.

Camille continued.

“He demanded my laptop.”

“Why?”

“There are copies of things.”

My pulse quickened.

“What things?”

“Contracts.”

“What contracts?”

“Julian's new company.”

I looked at Margaret, who was sitting across from me.

I put the call on speaker.

Camille continued.

“Northbridge agreements.”

“Do you still have them?”

“Yes.”

“Don't send them electronically.”

“Why?”

“Because if Julian is monitoring your accounts, he'll know.”

Silence.

Then Camille said something unexpected.

“I didn't know you owned the resorts.”

“I noticed.”

“He told me your family had some old minority stake.”

“Of course he did.”

“He said you barely understood the business.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow.

I almost smiled.

Camille continued.

“He said he built everything.”

“He says that often.”

“He told me once you were only useful because your father introduced him to people.”

That one hurt.

I didn't let her hear it.

“Why are you helping me now?”

Camille went quiet.

Finally, she answered.

“Because he lied to me too.”

“That doesn't make us allies.”

“I know.”

“He stole from me for you.”

“I know.”

“You stood behind him while I was thrown out.”

“I know.”

Her voice cracked.

“I thought you were weak.”

I looked out the office window.

The resort lights had begun glowing across the gardens.

“And now?”

“Now I think Julian was terrified of you.”

That surprised me.

“Why?”

“Because you were the one person in every room who didn't need him.”

I said nothing.

Camille continued.

“He hated that.”

There it was.

A truth so simple I had missed it for years.

Julian hadn't fallen out of love because I failed him.

He resented me because I could survive without him.

Camille gave us an address.

Margaret sent two investigators and an attorney.

By 8:00 p.m., we had the documents.

Julian had promised Northbridge intellectual property he did not own.

He had promised financial data he had no right to disclose.

And worst of all, he had included a timeline.

Three days after removing me from the flagship resort, he planned to announce our separation.

Five days later, six senior executives would resign.

Within two weeks, Mercer Aurelius Group would reveal a luxury development project almost identical to one our company had been planning in secret.

Julian wasn't improvising.

He had built an entire escape route.

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He simply made one mistake.

He built it across land my family owned.