BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER 67

Valerie's POV 
 
The darkness of insecurity envelops me as I stare into his blue eyes, watching me intensely before sighing.
 
This reaction that I get from him every single time is what makes me more curious about who the damn woman is. If I wasn't curious about her before now, what happened a few minutes ago is enough to make me more curious about her.
 
Celina Sebastian is not a woman I like. I don't know if it's because I saw her with Fred or the fact that she had a past with Ryan.
 
I keep telling myself that she must have dated Ryan in the past. I called her his ex-girlfriend but whenever I think deeply about this, I keep denying it because Ryan was never in a relationship which means there is something more to it.
 
Ryan seems to dislike her. She seems to like him. What answer does that give me?
 
I don't know. The more I ask these questions, the more confused and curious I become.
 
I don't know why I am pissed even after knowing that Ryan dislikes her but I guess it's because he might start liking her now. She is beautiful and she could pass for a model. I couldn't deny the fact that I was envious of her when we first saw her that night.
 
His dislike for her might not be as intense as I assumed it is. Ryan needs a woman and Celina won't hesitate to give him what he wants.
 
She kissed him. 
 
Because she saw me coming.
 
I know that but the thought of it still makes me so mad that I wish I could scratch my fingers all over her face and pull her hair out for wanting to play such dirty games with me.
 
The major reason why I am mad at Ryan is because he spent the night with her under the same roof and he never called to inform me of where he was going.
 
"Val, this…", he trails off, then scratches his jaws and looks away with guilt.
 
I know I promised not to ask him this question ever again since the last time. His reaction every time this comes up makes me annoyed and I couldn't help it tonight.
 
Celina is the subject of topic so it won't be so bad to know who she really is and what she means to him.
 
I want to know if she is really a rival.
 
Despite my interest in the topic, I take a step and another towards the door, pretending to want to take the door out.
 
Like I am thinking, Ryan calls back. "Valerie, wait!"
 
I stop in my tracks. Why do I have to do all of this for him to tell me who she really is? I might not have told him everything about me but he knows it all because I am transparent. 
 
Even though he isn't.
 
"Can you sit down so we can talk?" he asks, with my back to me. I want to tell him to fuck off because I am not interested in talking about anything else but her.
 
He adds quickly. "It's about who Celina is."
 
I twirl back instantly, my gaze locking with his. He looks in pain, as though the topic is bringing back some memories he wants to forget completely.
 
Who is this woman? Why does he look hurt? Did she hurt him in the past? If they didn't date, then how did she hurt him?
 
Do they know each other from childhood? Is that why his mother knows about her too? Does she like him?
 
Obviously, she does. If she doesn't like her, then she wouldn't let her sleepover in the mansion and with Ryan. Perhaps, if I wasn't in the picture, she would have persuaded him to marry her instead of me.
 
I take a step back the way I came and finally sit on the bed. I wait for him to start.
 
Instead, he moves closer to me and sits on the bed beside me. I hoist my head up to gaze up at him. 
 
His face is so close that I can see all the emotions. Nothing close to happiness or satisfaction from seeing her again and it makes me wonder if they had any good memories together that he missed.
 
All I see is sadness, anger, and hurt.
 
"Celina was the girl mother told you about", he reveals after another moment of silence between us, with an unwavering gaze.
 
I don't avert my gaze from his because of the meaning I am attaching to his expression. Suddenly, he darts his eyes away from me, making me lose contact.
 
"The woman your mother told me about?" I find myself asking with my brows creasing in confusion.
 
I don't know what he is talking about. He nods anyway.
 
"The same girl I spent my childhood with, do you remember her now?"
 
"The only thing I remember was the girl you proposed to when you were young…", I pause, realization dawning on me. I gasp and ask him. "Celina was the girl with braces?"
 
A sad smile touches the corner of his lips as he nods intermittently.
 
I clamp my hands over my mouth. "Are you serious?"
 
That story was meant to amuse me because I was seriously amused. His mother told me about how he was in love with the girl with braces at a very young age and even went ahead to propose to her with a flower ring. Proposing to a girl at 10 was the amusing part and it always makes me laugh but now I understand everything I didn't pay attention to before now.
 
She told me Ryan never liked another girl because the girl told her he was too ugly.
 
If this isn't a serious situation, I would have laughed but my curiosity has the upper hand.
 
When I look up at Ryan, he is also watching me.
 
"I was head over heels in love with her when we were still little. Mother said it was a crush and it would fade away but it didn't. Everyone in school didn't like her because of the braces but I always stood by her. When I told her I liked her, she humiliated me and stopped coming over to play with me. It's funny because it made me feel stupid but it's all part of who I am today."
 
I swallow hard, yet no word is forming.
 
He continues. "Her parents moved and we lost contact. When we became adults, we met again. The feelings were still very much present but the same thing repeated itself. She humiliated me at every slightest opportunity she would get. And my feelings turned into contempt for her. That's all."
 
That's not all. I want to say this out as loud as I can. 
 
That is not all. There is more to it.
 
I can read it from his expression. From the creases of pain on his forehead and the way he clenches his jaws and fist.
 
Does he still love her?
 
"Do you still love her?" My question makes him jerk upright with wide eyes.
 
"What?!" he exclaims in disbelief. "No, of course not."
 
"Are you sure?" I ask him to be sure that he doesn't. "No, I don't."
 
If he still loves her, I can help him. Yes, I can but why do I feel this way? Why do I not feel happy about this whole story and scenario?
 
His hands touch mine, as he holds my two hands, his gaze melting as he flashes me a smile.
 
"Do you believe me now that I didn't kiss her?" 
 
I don't expect the question he is throwing at me. I am thinking of how to help him get her. It doesn't matter if he has stopped loving her or not, what matters is that he loved her.
 
"Yes, I believe you."
 
His smile widens. Before I can ask him the question in my mind, he leans forward and pecks my forehead.
 
Impulsively, I shut my eyes as his lips linger on my forehead for some minutes before he pulls away.
 
I flutter my eyes open to see his intense eyes boring into mine. "The woman I love is right in front of me, Val."
 
My heart still goes to the statement. Then it picks up its race again when he remains silent.
 
"I love you, Valerie. Do you feel anything for me too?" He questions and my heart stops beating.

****

Now she knows who Celina is. Is Ryan completely honest with her about his relationship with Celina? Will she be an obstacle?

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