I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 266

Bruce shot Natalie a quick thumbs-up, then let out a sigh. “Alexander really messed up losing you.”

He stood, ready to leave, but paused and glanced back at Arianna. “Don’t forget, I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow.”

Then he strode off, leaving Natalie and Arianna alone at the table.

Natalie turned to her friend, an eyebrow raised. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and Bruce? Things seemed tense.”

Arianna waved it off. “Honestly, it’s nothing. I just owe him a favor, that’s all…”

She gave Natalie the rundown, keeping her voice low. “I wasn’t hiding it from you. It just didn’t feel important. Once I settle things, Bruce and I won’t have anything to do with each other.”

Arianna tried to change the subject. “But seriously, you’re really planning to give all the settlement stuff back to Alexander? That’s so unfair, Nat.”

She looked at her friend, concern written all over her face. Natalie had given Alexander the best years of her life, carried his child, and suffered through a miscarriage with lasting pain. Alexander owed her. And honestly, the money and assets meant almost nothing to him.

Natalie caught her meaning and shook her head. “I chose him. I chose to get married. And I was the one who wanted the divorce. I don’t need his compensation. I’m not his possession. We’re equals.”

Meanwhile, Bruce headed back to the private room. Inside, a few people were busy playing cards. Alexander sat at a low table, quietly drinking tea. His date sat close by, refilling his cup whenever he finished it.

Bruce took the seat across from him. Ariana, the woman, had already topped off his tea. He glanced at her. “Ariana, go join the others at the card table. Alexander and I need to talk.”

Ariana looked at Alexander for approval. He didn’t say a word, so she slipped away. Someone at the table stood up and waved her over to take his spot.

“She did. She asked for the reason.”

Alexander looked up, waiting. Bruce didn’t make him ask. “If you wanted to give her that land in the northern suburbs, you should’ve just told her. Instead, you made up that story about feeling guilty and wanting to make it up to Camila. Now she’s even more hurt.”

Cabinda was about to build a massive resort on the west side of town, and all the land there was going to be bought up. The payout wouldn’t be much. Alexander had heard about it early and didn’t want Natalie to take a loss. So he came up with some excuse to get the property back. He had a valuable plot of land in the northern suburbs, where a new mall was planned, and he’d decided to give that to Natalie instead.

Alexander poured out the rest of his tea into the small plant on the table, watching the leaves soak it up.

“It was a misunderstanding before. Not anymore.”