Hugo’s POV

"I apologize for causing you pain, Camilla, but my decision is final. Zack and I are leaving," I declared, watching as tears began to gather in her eyes.

Her gaze remained locked on mine for what felt like an eternity before she turned and fled from the room without another word.

Once she was gone, I shifted my attention to Zack and felt my chest tighten at the hollow look in his young eyes.

"Everything will be alright, little man. I am taking you back to your mother." The moment those words left my lips, I caught a glimpse of hope flickering across his face, and something deep inside me cracked.

I rushed through a shower, threw on fresh clothes, and prepared for departure. Bella needed my support, and I refused to let her face those predators alone.

After finishing my preparations, I gently roused Zack from his rest. The boy had been sleeping for over an hour, but exhaustion still clung to his small frame, so I lifted him into my arms, letting his head settle against my shoulder.

The moment I emerged from my room, Camilla appeared before me like a sentinel.

She had positioned herself against the hallway wall, arms crossed defensively over her chest. Her posture suggested she had been standing there for some time, wrestling with whether to confront me. But seeing me step into the corridor seemed to steel her resolve.

I raised my hand before she could utter a single word.

"Please, not now, Camilla. The council meeting has already started, and I need to be there," I said, hoping she would hear the urgency in my voice. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

But she remained unmoved by my plea.

"I just need one answer," she persisted, pushing away from the wall and closing the distance between us.

"Can this wait until later?" I asked, though her expression already gave me the answer.

"Absolutely not," she replied with finality.

"Then ask your question," I said through gritted teeth, acutely aware that precious time was slipping away.

The interview had likely been in session for hours already. Bella was probably drowning in worry about her children, facing that tribunal completely alone.

"Something has shifted in you, Hugo. I cannot pinpoint exactly what happened or who poisoned your thoughts, but do not pretend that everything is normal," she demanded.

Of course she had noticed the change. Years of observation had made her an expert at reading my every reaction and mood.

"We can discuss this later," I attempted to deflect.

My words seemed to confirm her suspicions. She immediately spread her arms wide, creating a human barrier across my path.

"No, we discuss this now. I deserve the truth," she pressed, forcing me to take a backward step.

Engaging in this conversation while racing against time was not ideal, but it appeared that giving her some explanation was the only way to escape this confrontation.

"Who used Bella’s phone to text me that night?" The question hung in the air like a blade, and I watched as her entire demeanor transformed.

Whether she was genuinely shocked by the accusation or simply caught off guard, I could not determine.

"What are you talking about?" she responded, though her confusion seemed exaggerated.

"Years ago, the night Bella disappeared, I sent her a message and received a reply." I had barely finished the sentence when Camilla made a dismissive clicking sound with her tongue and waved her finger at me.

"So you immediately assume I was the one responding? What possible motive would I have? How can you even be certain she had already left?" she countered, her features hardening with indignation.

"Bella confirmed she never took her phone when she fled, and she never saw any message from me." The words had barely left my mouth when Camilla erupted into bitter laughter, her chest heaving with the effort.

"And her word carries more weight than mine? You started doubting me simply because she said so?" she challenged, and I could see moisture gathering in her eyes.

It felt cruel to question her loyalty after everything we had shared, after all the years she had stood by me. But my heart had already chosen to trust Bella over everyone else.

Besides, verifying Bella’s honesty had been simple enough.

"She probably responded before running away and now regrets whatever she wrote," Camilla suggested, attempting to shift the blame entirely onto Bella.

But she had no idea how thoroughly I had investigated.

"I verified the cruise departure time from that night. Bella boarded that ship a full hour before I sent my text, and she left her phone behind. Even if she had taken it, there would have been no signal for communication," I stated coldly, watching the color drain from her face.

She understood that her explanation had just crumbled completely.

"Then I have no idea what happened," Camilla stammered, her voice losing its earlier confidence.

I held up my hand once more.

"I am leaving now, and we will resolve this when I return," I said firmly, making it clear that her attempt to paint Bella as dishonest had only deepened my disappointment.

After securing Zack in his seat, I slid behind the wheel and drove with determined speed toward the council center.

Upon arrival, I quickly extracted Zack from the car and headed straight for the upper floors, only to be redirected by staff to the main lobby. They informed me that the formal interview had concluded and the council was having final words with Bella.

When I entered the space, I could hear them addressing her in a tone that made my protective instincts flare dangerously.

The time had come for me to step forward and make my intentions crystal clear.