Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Victoria s smile flickered. Just for a second.

“I already told him I wanted a divorce, I continued, my voice steadier now. “And you know what? He refused. Your precious Julian is the one who won’t let me go.”

Her face twisted in anger, and she stammered, “You…”

“How did you get in?” The question came out sharper than I intended.

Victoria blinked, surprised. “What?”

“The front door.” I gestured behind her. “There’s a keypad. A six-digit code. How did you get in?”

Her smile returned, even more triumphant than before. “Oh, that.” She laughed. “Julian gave me the code years ago. Before… well, before all this.” She gestured vaguely at me, like I was a mess that needed cleaning up.

My throat tightened. “What’s the code?”

“My birthday. Her voice was smug now. “April fifteenth, 1995. 04-15-95. He set it up when we first got engaged. Said he wanted me to always feel welcome in his home.”

“He never changed it,” Victoria continued, watching my face with obvious satisfaction. “Even after he married you. Even after I left for Paris. The code was always mine. This place was always meant to be mine. She paused. “Just like Julian was always meant to be mine.”

Something inside me shattered. The last fragile piece of hope I’d been clinging to.

Three years. Three fucking years, and he never changed the code.

“Poor thing. You really thought you had a chance, didn’t you?”

“Get out.” My voice was hollow.

“Excuse me?”

“Get out of my home.” I stepped forward, my body shaking with suppressed rage. “Now.”

Victoria’s eyes flashed. “Your home? Honey, this has never been your home. You’re just… borrowing it.”

“I said get out.”

‘Or what?” She moved closer, her voice dropping to something vicious. “You’ll push me? Attack me? Give Julian another reason to hate you?”

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Heavy. Measured.

Julian.

Shock became understanding. Understanding became fury.

He thought I’d pushed her.

“Julian- I started, my voice shaking. “I didn’t-

But he was already moving, dropping to his knees beside Victoria’s bleeding form. “Victoria. Fuck. Can you hear me?”

Julian…” Her voice was weak, trembling. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make her angry. I was just trying to leave, and she-”

“Don’t talk.” His hands were gentle, checking the wound on her head. “Save your strength. I’m calling an ambulance.”

He pulled out his phone, already dialing, his other hand pressing against Victoria’s wound to slow the bleeding.

And then his eyes found mine.

The hatred there was so pure, so absolute, it felt like a physical force pushing me backward.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” His voice was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that came before an explosion.

‘I didn’t push her,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper. Julian, please, you have to believe me-”