I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 319

The bright, sterile light made Natalie squint until her eyes watered. She tried to get her bearings, blinking away the blurriness. By the window, Alexander stood tall and silent. He looked like he’d been carved from stone, completely untouched by the warmth of the morning.

Natalie remembered the last thing she’d heard before she passed out. Arianna’s voice, calm and worried. But now, the room was empty except for Alexander. Her throat burned when she spoke. “Where’s Arianna?”

She winced at how rough her voice sounded. It felt like she’d swallowed sandpaper.

Alexander didn’t move from his spot, the sunlight behind him making it impossible to read his face. “There was an emergency at work. She had to go handle it,” he said, his tone flat.

Natalie recalled Arianna mentioning a big project. She’d been running herself ragged lately, and Natalie knew she’d already taken up too much of Arianna’s time. If the office called, it had to be about the project.

“Oh,” Natalie said, the word coming out small. She lay there quietly for a moment before she managed, “Thank you for bringing me to the hospital.”

Arianna wasn’t here. The first person Natalie saw when she woke up was Alexander. She didn’t need to ask how she’d gotten here. He must have brought her and waited until she came around.

The realization left her with a tangle of emotions she couldn’t quite sort out.

Alexander turned away from the window and walked to the end of her bed. His voice was as cold as ever. “Don’t thank me. I only stayed because I have something else to say.”

Natalie’s breath caught. She looked up at him, searching his eyes for any sign of warmth, but all she found was distance.

“What is it?” she asked quietly.

He stepped closer, looming over her. His eyes were still as cold as ever. “Give it all to Camila. That’s what you owe her.”

“I don’t owe her anything.”

Natalie glared up at him, the pain in her chest making it hard to breathe. She fought to keep her voice steady, but her words came out sharp. “Alexander Ramirez, is there anything you wouldn’t do to make Camila White happy? If she wanted my life, would you give that to her too?”

For a moment, something flickered in Alexander’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He laughed quietly, his voice full of contempt.

“Your life? Natalie Watson, you give yourself too much credit. Your life means nothing.”