He Bet I’d Crawl Back—My New Husband Was Waiting Outside Chapter 03

He Bet I’d Crawl Back—My New Husband Was Waiting Outside Chapter 03

Tessa leaned against the doorframe, smiling like she’d already won.

“I moved into the master bedroom. I turned you into a punchline for every socialite in New York.”

“And you’re still here, clinging to the Varenna name like a barnacle.”

“Then again, I get it.”

“Old Mrs. Bellucci died last month.”

“Lose your last safety net and of course you’re going to hold on to Sebastian for dear life.”

I didn’t engage. I grabbed my suitcase and started walking past her.

Tessa blocked me again.

“That day you were crying, begging Sebastian to send the helicopter so you could see your grandmother one last time. You know why he said no?”

“Because he’d already promised to take me to watch the sunset by the shore.”

She held up her phone.

On the screen: a photo of her and Sebastian kissing against a backdrop of golden light over the ocean.

“Look.”

“Taken that very day.”

I knocked the phone out of her hand.

I couldn’t take it anymore. My fingers closed around her throat.

The metal canister slipped from Tessa’s grip and hit the floor.

The sharp stench of gasoline filled the room instantly.

In the struggle, she knocked over a candle on the side table.

Flames raced along the carpet.

Smoke billowed in every direction.

Fire swallowed the guest room whole.

Barely out of the hospital, I lost my strength fast and crumpled to the ground.

Through the haze, I heard Sebastian’s voice.

“Ginevra!”

Then the security team, holding him back.

“It’s too dangerous in there, sir!”

“Fire suppression equipment is on the way. You can’t go in!”

“Get out of my way!”

“My wife is still in there!”

Sebastian charged into the fire without a second thought.

For one brief, delirious moment, I actually believed it.

This time, he’d finally chosen me.

But he hadn’t expected Tessa to be in there too.

“Sebastian save me…”

She didn’t even finish the sentence.

Sebastian had already scooped her into his arms without hesitation.

He didn’t look at me once.

He turned and ran out of the room.

The flames reflected off his retreating back.

And strangely enough, I stopped feeling the pain.

Half an hour later

, after Sebastian had calmed Tessa down, he searched every corner of the estate.

He couldn’t find me anywhere.

By then

, Declan’s people had already taken me to the airport.

In the late-night terminal, I mailed a package I’d prepared in advance to Varenna family headquarters.

Then, coughing, I boarded a flight to London.

Just before takeoff, a message from Sebastian lit up my screen.

[I don’t have time for your disappearing act.]

[Tessa has a prenatal checkup tomorrow at ten.]

[Come get your lungs checked while you’re at it.]

I didn’t reply.

I pulled out the SIM card and powered off the phone.

Sebastian.

From this day forward.

You and I will never see each other again.