My Husband Is a Million Years Old Vampire-Chapter 145

Meanwhile, Chloe’s mouth moved without pause. "I mean, seriously," she laughed bitterly. "What are you both doing here? This isn’t a car dealership where you throw cash around like fools. This place," she waved her hand mockingly at the boutique’s grand interior, "isn’t for people who spend their entire salary to buy a car."

Valentina didn’t say a word. Her silence was louder than anything Chloe had screamed, but Chloe kept going.

"Valentina," she said with an exaggerated scoff, "still pretending to be some queen, huh? You really don’t understand what’s happening around you. Do you? You don’t belong here."

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head with a mocking grin.

"You’ve always been the girl who dressed nice but had no class. Acting mighty in front of us now?" Immediately Chloe folded her arms. "Why are you even here?"

Still Chloe didn’t stop her voice cut through the boutique like a knife. "Because the get-together is tomorrow, right? So now you’re here to do what? Shop last minute like beggars? Or is it to copy what others will wear and pretend you belong?"

Valentina’s brows lifted, but her lips remained pressed together.

Chloe leaned a little forward, her voice louder now, almost asking everyone around to listen. "For your information, the people coming to that get-together aren’t your regular crowd. These are real names. The kind of people you only read about. So I hope you’re both prepared for the embarrassment that’s waiting."

Still Raymond didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. He simply slipped one hand into his pocket, letting Chloe talk, he really wanted to see how Valentina would be responding back.

But Valentina...She finally turned.

Her eyes locked onto Chloe’s with a strange calmness. Not fury. Not panic. Just... precision.

"Are you done?" Valentina asked softly.

Chloe froze for a second, thrown off by the serenity in her voice. "What did you just say?"

"I said..." Valentina’s voice was still soft, but it carried weight, "are you done vomiting all that bitterness out of your mouth?"

Immediately Chloe’s expression shifted.

Valentina stepped forward, one slow step at a time. "I understand now. You’re not angry because I’m here. You’re angry because I’m still here. You thought when that accident happened, that was the end of me. You thought you’d won."

Her gaze held firm. "But I survived, Chloe."

Victoria, still silent, looked down.

"And not just that," Valentina continued, her voice still composed but unwavering, "I’m doing better than you ever imagined. That’s what’s burning you, isn’t it? That after everything, I still rose, Stronger, Louder. And loved."

At that moment Chloe’s lips parted, but no words came out.

Valentina’s voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to.

She looked directly at Chloe, her tone calm but firm, like someone speaking a truth too sharp to deny.

"You were happy when nobody could come near me again, weren’t you?" she continued. "When I was in that accident, when my name vanished from conversations, you were glad. You almost succeeded."

Again Chloe’s jaw clenched even more, but she said nothing.

Valentina took one step closer, just enough to close the distance, but not enough to invade. Her eyes didn’t waver. "But here I am. Married to the most incredible man I’ve ever known. A man I prayed for, and never thought I’d find. And somehow... I found myself again too."

Then her hand brushed gently across the fabric of the dress Raymond bought for her before. She smiled faintly.

"Everything’s falling into place," she said. "And I get it now... why you’re really angry. You expected to see me broken, shopping in back streets, covering my scars, begging for hand-me-downs. But here I am... in a boutique where people save for months just to afford a scarf. And you—"

She paused, tilting her head slightly. "You’re surprised."

Again Chloe’s mouth twitched. "You think you know everything—"

Valentina cut her off smoothly. "I understand your pain, Chloe. I really do."

At that moment Victoria looked away.

"And what breaks you the most isn’t even me," Valentina added, softly now, like she was delivering a sad confession. "It’s that your wedding should’ve happened by now. But instead, it’s in limbo. Stuck. Not cancelled... but not moving either. He’s stringing you along with soft words and empty promises."

She shook her head, almost gently. "And you know it."

Upon hearing what Valentina just said Chloe’s hands curled at her sides. "Who do you think you are to advise me?"

Valentina gave a half-smile. "No one. You’re a smart woman, Chloe. A smart lady. That’s why this must sting even more."

Seeing those words Valentina didn’t flinch. Her face remained calm, lips parted only slightly, eyes locked on Chloe’s with unshaken focus.

"You don’t need advice," she said quietly. "So go ahead. Mind your business... just as I’m minding mine."

She gestured around the boutique with a soft flick of her wrist. "You go do your shopping, Chloe. I’ll do mine."

The words were simple, but they stung more than a slap.

At that moment Chloe’s nostrils flared even more. A small vein on her forehead bulged from the tension building in her skull. She forced a smile—but her clenched jaw betrayed the fury behind it.

She wasn’t about to let Valentina see her lose control, not here, not now.

Still, her pride burned.

"I dare you," Chloe said in a low voice, taking a step forward. "I dare you to talk trash to me one more time. Who do you think you are?"

She didn’t stop there. She walked closer, each step deliberate, her heels clicking against the floor like a warning.

But before she could get too close, one of the boutique’s attendants swiftly stepped between them, her voice respectful yet firm.

"Excuse me, madam," she said. "This is the VIP section."

Another attendant appeared beside her, her expression just as composed.

"We don’t allow yelling or confrontations here. Our guests come here for peace and exclusive treatment."

"If this continues," the first added, "your VIP access may be revoked. Please respect the atmosphere and other clients present."