I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 252

Natalie sat trembling, her breath coming in quick, uneven bursts. The room was so quiet, she could almost hear the pounding of her own heart.

Alexander pulled away from their kiss. He touched her shoulder, his hand gentle, his eyes filled with a kind of sadness that hurt to see. “Tomorrow, I’ll make sure you have the best bodyguards with you,” he said quietly.

He hadn’t arranged them openly before, worried she’d protest. Instead, he’d had Bruce send someone to watch over her from the shadows. And look where that had led them.

Regret and fear flickered across his face. If Benjamin had been even more twisted, or if Alexander hadn’t made it in time… If anything truly awful had happened to Natalie, he didn’t even want to imagine it.

She understood right away. He was scared.

“Benjamin’s been caught, but… will he get out?” she asked softly, glancing over her shoulder.

Alexander finished smoothing ointment onto her back, then tugged her robe gently into place. His voice was cold, sharp enough to send a chill down her spine. “He’s only getting out in a body bag.”

Benjamin White was never going to see the light of day again.

Natalie stared at him for a moment. “Since I’m safe now, do we really need the bodyguards?” It would be so obvious, and even if they tried to keep it low-key, she hated the feeling of being watched.

Alexander recapped the ointment and set it aside. “Alright. In that case, I’ll drive you to work myself every day. That way, I’ll know you’re safe.”

She just stared at him, speechless. That was definitely not going to happen. What would people think if he showed up at her office every day?

“Actually… maybe the bodyguards are better,” she said quickly. A hidden security detail was way less embarrassing than Alexander making an appearance at her job every morning.

Alexander smiled, just a little. “Good.” He bent down to tie the belt at her waist, then looked up, noticing her damp hair. “Let me dry your hair.”

“I can do it myself,” she said, her face still burning.

He had meetings and reports to go through, and she knew he’d be working late.

She didn’t argue.

In the middle of the night, she woke alone in the huge bed, feeling thirsty. She sat up, planning to get a drink, but then noticed a glass of water on the nightstand. She picked it up—it was still warm.

Natalie just sat there, holding the glass, lost in thought. They’d moved into this villa a year after their wedding, at a time when things between them were already cold. All her memories here were tinged with sadness, right up until she left for England. But now, with Alexander’s quiet care and all the little things he did for her, those dark memories started to feel distant, almost like someone else’s life.

She couldn’t deny it any longer. Deep down, she still loved him.

But she wondered, could she really trust him again?