Chapter 8%
Brandon’s POVI
Laughing maniacally, Sabrina asked, “Do you think Camilla still loves you, huh?”
The words barely registered before I shot back, “Of course she does. No one on this damn planet loves me more than she does.”
I didn’t look at Sabrina. Didn’t need to
I turned to the pilot. “Close the doors.”
And that was it.!!
I left Sabrina standing there on the helipad, wet–eyed and broke.
But still, I didn’t look back.
We were high over the Pacific when the sky turned black. Lightning cracked, thunder roared, and the helicopter jolted like a toy in a kid’s hand.”
For a moment, I thought that was it.
No more chances. No more seeing Camilla.
But somehow, we punched through. Below us, through the haze, a stretch of sand curved out into the ocean, cut off from everything.
One private island. One villa.
Exactly where she was.
We landed, but I didn’t wait. The moment the skids hit the ground, I jumped out and ran.
It had been 2 months and 1,468 hours.
And every one of them had been hell!
I thought about her constantly, what I would say when I saw her, how she’d look at me, whether she’d scream or cry or fall apart in my arms. I kept replaying old pattems in my head ¦
Back then, if she was med, it didn’t take much to fix things. A lazy apology, a kiss on the forehead, would make her fold.
Camilla was soft like that. She didn’t need anything more than me.”
And I liked that about her.
But this time? This time, she hadn’t come back. Not once.
Before flying to the island, I stopped in South Africa first. I searched for the biggest diamond dealer I could and dropped more money than I’ve ever spent on anything.
0 million for a gemstone…
Rare as hell, I got my hands on a blood–red ruby. I had it set on a custom ring with Camilla’s name engraved inside. It sat in the inner pocket of my jacket now, right over my heart, waiting for its owner.
I pressed my palm against the box as I moved down the stone path toward the villa on the private island.
My pulse was flying. My mouth was dry!
God, I hadn’t felt this nervous since I was a teenager, as though I was about to tell a girl I liked her for the first time. It was ridiculous, yet beneath all of that, I was sure that as soon as I saw her, I would pull her in and never let her go again.
Then, as if the heavens had answered my prayer, I saw Camilla.}
She was by the pool. Sunlight dripping down her fair skin, water still clinging to her body from a swim.
“Camilla-”
Her name barely left my mouth before I even stopped.
Someone else was already holding her.
A man. Young Built. Smug.
Jaxon fucking West
My rival.
He had her in his arms, wrapping tightly around her waist like it was the most natural thing in
And Camilla?
the world
She wasn’t pulling away and was even giggling as she looked up at him with the same soft smile that used to be mine.
Then, he kissed her
Not a peck. But a full, no–holding–back kiss
Mouth to mouth. Out in the open. In the middle of the day
Like I wasn’t even real anymore.X
My chest locked up, and I couldn’t breathe. It felt like someone had shoved their hand through my ribs and crushed whatever was left of my
heart
I stood there, fists clenched at my sides, too stunned to move.
The breeze was soft, brushing across my skin like silk. Overhead, the sky was hazy with clouds, the ocean murmuring in the distance i
I had just stepped out of the pool when strong ams slipped around my waist and lifted me effortlessly off the ground.
I smiled
Jaxon returned my smile, his eyes radiating that familiar warmth. I moved closer, letting him tilt his head and kiss me openly right them. A kass that said. She’s mine.
And I let him say it.
No hesitation, No quilt. Just the truth!
Behind us, it was silent. No footsteps. No breath. Nothing.”
But I felt it. That sharp, cold weight of a stare boring into my back, like a match held too long against the skin.
Brandon
He didn’t need to speak. His presence was a weight I’d recognize anywhere. That silence–the stunned, angry kind–was his signature. Still, I didn’t turn. I didn’t need to. I already knew the expression on his face. Know the way his jaw would lock, how his fists would curl just out of sight.
Then finally, with his raw and heavy w
voice, he asked, “You want a divorce.. just because of that bastard?”
I turned just enough to meet his stare and leaned a little closer to Jaxon’s side while doing so.
My eyes mot his, calm and detached.
“I don’t know how you found this place.” I said evenly. “But this is private property. You’re trespassing. Please leave.”
Beside me, Jaxon’s smile barely twitched. He pulled me a little closer and spoke in that clipped, controlled tone I knew well.
“You heard her, Brandon. My wife just asked you to leave. Unless you’re looking for a real problem, I suggest you walk away.” Brandon’s face twisted, disgust bleeding into disbelief.
“My wife?” he echoed almost spitting the word. “We didn’t sign anything. We haven’t filed. What gives you the right to call her that?” Then he stepped forward and gripped my wrist, harder than necessary. Not enough to hurt, but enough to assert his hold. He stared. directly into my eyes, as if he believed he was making a dramatic, sweeping gesturell
“I know you’re only doing this to punish me. I came all the way here for you. You win. Now let’s go home, Camilla”
Before Jaxon could even move. I was already pulling my hand away, calmly, like brushing lint off my sleeve.
I looked at Brandon like I didn’t recognize him anymore. “Do you have hearing problems?”
He blinked, looking startled. He wasn’t used to that tone from mo.
I are legally married. We registered overseas. My husband’s
So I gave it to him straight. “Let ine make this simple, just once. Jaxon and I a name is West. Not Doyle.”
wanched the color drain from his face.
But I wasn’t done. “And no, I’m not with Jaxon to spite you. I’m with him because I like him. Because I chose him. Because I love him.” My voice didn’t waver. Not even a little.X
Because every word was true