Chapter 6 - TREVOR FINALLY TOLD CAMILLE WHY HE CHOSE HER
Trevor called Camille directly the next morning.
Not Roman.
Not Rebecca Sloan.
Camille.
She was sitting in a Chicago hotel suite with Nadia when her phone lit up.
Blocked number.
She knew.
“Answer,” Nadia said.
Camille did.
“Hello?”
Breathing.
Then Trevor.
“Cam.”
Her stomach turned.
No matter what he had done, her body recognized his voice before her mind could reject it.
Two years did that.
“Where are you?”
“Are you alone?”
“No.”
“Roman?”
“No.”
True.
Roman was downstairs speaking with Rebecca.
“Nadia?”
“Yes.”
Nadia leaned toward the phone.
“Hi, Trevor. I still own a shovel.”
Camille almost smiled.
Trevor exhaled.
“Camille, I need you to listen.”
“You’ve had a lot of practice asking for that.”
“I made mistakes.”
“A forged passport is not a mistake.”
“I was trying to get out.”
“Using me.”
“I was trying to take you with me.”
Camille laughed.
“That’s worse.”
“No.”
“You planned to steal my trust money.”
“I planned to borrow it.”
Nadia mouthed: Kill him.
Camille shook her head.
“You don’t secretly borrow money from someone by marrying them before telling them.”
Silence.
“Where is Elliot?” Camille asked.
Trevor hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“Lie.”
“Cam—”
“Where?”
“He’s with Dominic.”
“Vincent?”
“I don’t know.”
“Serena is safe.”
Trevor stopped breathing.
There.
He had not known.
“How?”
“Not your problem.”
“Camille, you don’t understand.”
“I understand you priced a pregnant woman.”
“No.”
“Mara’s letter says you called the ultrasound proof of life.”
Trevor went silent.
Camille closed her eyes.
She had hoped for denial.
Not because she believed him.
Because some small stupid part of her wanted the man she loved to have a limit.
“Why me?”
She asked.
Trevor’s breathing changed.
“What?”
“Out of everyone you could have dated, why did you choose me?”
“Camille.”
“Did you know about my trust when we met?”
Long silence.
Nadia went still.
Camille’s chest tightened.
“Trevor.”
“Yes.”
The room tilted.
One word.
Two years.
Birthdays.
Vacations.
Proposals.
Her father shaking Trevor’s hand.
Her mother choosing flowers.
All of it suddenly contaminated at the beginning.
“How?”
“Elliot.”
“Elliot knew my family?”
“He found public filings.”
Camille’s eyes burned.
“So you targeted me.”
“At first.”
The words nearly stopped her heart.
Nadia reached for her hand.
Camille held tightly.
“At first?”
“I didn’t expect to love you.”
“Do not.”
“I did.”
“No.”
“Camille, please.”
“No.”
She stood.
“You do not get to make love the excuse that cleans everything you did afterward.”
“I’m not.”
“You planned to marry me under false pretenses.”
“Yes.”
“You cheated.”
“Yes.”
“You planned to use my money.”
“Yes.”
“You forged travel documents.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me what part of that love was supposed to protect.”
Silence.
Trevor started crying.
Camille almost hated him more for it.
Not because men could not cry.
Because once, his tears would have broken her resolve.
Maybe he expected them to now.
“Why are you calling?”
“I need help.”
Of course.
“What happened?”
“Dominic wants me dead.”
“Consequences are ugly.”
“Cam.”
“Where is Elliot?”
“He betrayed me.”
“Everyone betrays everyone in your story.”
“Because that’s how this works.”
“No.”
Camille’s voice sharpened.
“That’s how you work.”
Trevor went quiet.
Then:
“I have something Roman needs.”
“What?”
“Vincent’s account book.”
“Another ledger?”
“Current.”
Camille’s attention sharpened.
“Where did you get it?”
“Elliot.”
“Why would Elliot give it to you?”
“He didn’t.”
Of course Trevor stole it.
“What do you want?”
“A deal.”
“With federal prosecutors.”
“Then call them.”
“They’ll arrest me.”
Camille almost laughed.
“Yes, Trevor.”
“I need protection.”
“You kidnapped Serena.”
“I moved her.”
“You held her tied to a chair.”
Silence.
“That wasn’t me.”
“Did you stop it?”
“No.”
“Then don’t ask me to separate your hands from the men you chose.”
He breathed shakily.
“Meet me.”
“No.”
“I’ll give you the account book.”
“No.”
“Camille.”
“No.”
“I know what happened to Noah.”
Her heart changed rhythm.
“Roman knows Vincent was involved.”
“Not all of it.”
“What else?”
“Roman thinks Vincent sold Noah’s route.”
“Yes.”
“He did.”
“Then?”
“Roman thinks Dominic killed Noah.”
Camille waited.
Trevor whispered:
“Elliot did.”
The room became silent.
“Why?”
“To make Serena run.”
Camille felt sick.
The plan had begun earlier than anyone understood.
Noah discovered Vincent.
Vincent and Dominic needed Noah gone.
Elliot killed him.
Roman’s existing threat made the perfect frame.
Trevor helped Serena flee.
At first maybe sincerely.
Then learned the conspiracy could make him rich.
A chain of selfish decisions.
Camille asked:
“Do you have proof?”
“Yes.”
“Send it to Rebecca Sloan.”
“I want you there.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I trust you.”
Camille almost screamed.
“You targeted me for money.”
“I know.”
“You lied for two years.”
“I know.”
“You cheated.”
“I know.”
“And you call that trust?”
“I know you won’t kill me.”
That sentence stopped her.
Roman’s world again.
Trevor did not trust Camille because he respected her.
He trusted her because she was safe.
Something he had used repeatedly.
“No.”
“Camille—”
“I am not your shield.”
She ended the call.
Then cried.
Not dramatically.
Just sat on the edge of the hotel bed while Nadia held her.
After several minutes, Nadia asked:
“Do you still love him?”
Camille hated the question.
“Yes.”
The answer came out broken.
“Some part.”
Nadia nodded.
“That part doesn’t get to drive.”
Camille laughed through tears.
Best-friend wisdom.
Roman arrived twenty minutes later.
Camille told him everything.
Including that Trevor had targeted her from the beginning.
Roman’s expression became murderous.
She noticed.
“Don’t.”
His eyes met hers.
“What?”
“Do not be angrier for me than I am allowed to be for myself.”
Roman went still.
Then nodded.
“You’re right.”
She wiped her face.
“I hate how often you say that.”
“I’m practicing.”
Rebecca arranged a controlled contact with Trevor.
This time he agreed to meet.
Parking structure beneath a closed office building.
Federal surveillance.
Trevor wanted Camille present.
Rebecca refused.
Camille agreed with her.
That mattered.
She did not need to see him to prove strength.
Trevor arrived alone.
Or appeared to.
He carried a brown envelope.
Agents moved only after he placed it on the hood of a car.
Then gunshots erupted from across the garage.
Elliot.
Trevor dropped.
Agents returned fire.
Elliot fled.
Trevor was hit in the shoulder.
Alive.
Arrested.
The envelope contained Vincent’s account book.
And an audio file.
Elliot Crane confessing to Noah Mercer’s murder while arguing with Trevor.
Trevor had recorded him.
Again, everyone collected insurance against everyone else.
The account book led to three more police officials.
Two judges.
A shipping executive.
And a private aircraft registered to Dominic Kessler.
Flight scheduled that night.
Destination:
Belize.
Passengers:
Dominic.
Vincent Vale.
Elliot Crane.
The men at the center of everything were preparing to run.
Roman stood beside Rebecca watching the flight manifest.
“Let federal take them.”
Camille looked at him.
His jaw tightened.
He hated it.
“Let them.”
A long pause.
Then Roman nodded.
“Yes.”
That night, federal agents arrested Vincent at the airport.
Dominic escaped before arriving.
Elliot never appeared.
May you like
One man remained free.
And Camille had no idea he had already chosen her as the person Roman Vale would risk everything to save.
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