Page 17 of The Rancher's Second-Choice Wife

"I told you, didn't I? I told you, I told you, but you wouldn't listen! You never listened!"

Camelia was screaming and pacing back and forth like someone who had lost her mind. He had never seen her like this, but when Valerian tried to reach for her, she angrily pushed him away and gazed at the billionaire as if he were leprous.

This can't be happening, Camelia thought in a panic. How can this man she was dating be a billionaire one moment and a pauper the next?

She saw him flinch out of the blue, and Camelia realized too late she had unconsciously spoken her thoughts out loud.

Fuck.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Valerian asked quietly. "That I'm no longer rich enough for you?"

Camelia decided to ignore his words. He already knew the answer to it, anyway. It wasn't like she had ever tried to hide how much she loved money. "How much do you need to turn things around?"

"Why?"

"Maybe I can borrow from Ignacio—-"

"Over my dead body."

"I know you don't like him," Camelia said impatiently, "but if he's our only way—-"

"Do you really think I was not aware that you were his mistress when you first came to me with your proposal?" Valerian demanded.

Camelia struggled to keep her face expressionless. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. When he put it that way, she could see now how foolish she had been, to assume that Valerian would never see through her lies.

"That's all in the past," she said finally. "It's different now—-"

"How is it different?" Valerian challenged. "That man will not give you anything without something in exchange—-"

"Then I'll give him whatever he wants," Camelia cried out. "Can't you see how serious this is—-"

"I'll turn things around," Valerian gritted out. "All I ask of you is to wait—-"

"You're asking me to wait for nothing!"

The way Valerian simply stared at her had Camelia glaring at him in bitter resentment. "Don't you dare make me feel guilty over this!"

"You obviously do not trust me—-"

"And you're obviously naïve, for someone who's supposed to be smarter than the rest of us," Camelia sneered. "Why would anyone trust you when you've always acted like it would be our privilege to work with you? You ignore everyone's advice. You risk your life like you don't give a shit about the consequences. No one trusts you! No one just had the guts to tell you since your dumb luck kept making you mo—-"

"Enough, Camelia."

The softness of his voice was always an indication of Valerian's temper, but Camelia was too furious herself to give a damn.

"No, it's not enough," she screamed. "I warned you for years and years—-"

"I said enough," Valerian exploded, and this time, Camelia finally did shut up, but it wasn't to hear what he had to say.

"You're right, Val. I've had enough of you and your stupid principles. I've had enough of you acting like you're better than all of us. From now on, it's over between us. Go look for your vilain petit canard," she suggested. "I'm sure she'll still think you're a catch even when you're forced to sell off everything."

Numbness had spread throughout Valerian's body as he watched his girlfriend of eight years walk out on him. Bitterness simmered deep inside of him at the realization of how big a fool he had been all these years. He had never been in love with Camelia, but he had been faithful to her because he had valued her loyalty.

But he was wrong about her, obviously, and one day he would make her pay for turning her back on him.

One day.

But for now, he had work to do.

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