Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire-Chapter 372: The One Who Stayed

Carla slumped weakly on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she trembled with frustration and despair. She couldn’t believe how everything in her life seemed to crumble simultaneously. Even Henry, someone she had once controlled so effortlessly before, dared to reject her.

Hurried footsteps broke through her sobs, and she looked up to see Renzo entering the room. His expression shifted from confusion to alarm as he saw her disheveled state and the dress crumpled on the floor.

"Carla! What happened?" Renzo exclaimed, quickly shrugging off his coat and draping it over her shoulders. He crouched down in front of her, his voice tense but concerned. "Why are you like this? What’s going on?"

Carla met his gaze, her eyes swimming with tears. "Renzo... everyone’s turning me down," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her lips quivered as she clutched the coat around herself. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Renzo frowned, his confusion deepening. "What do you mean? Who turned you down?"

She let out a hollow, bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Everyone," she said weakly. "First Alexander, then Henry... I’m Carla Cartier! I’m supposed to have everything, to get whatever I want. Why is it all slipping through my fingers?"

His hands rested lightly on her arms, his expression a mixture of concern and something deeper, something Carla recognized. "Carla," Renzo murmured softly, his voice almost breaking, "you don’t have to be like this. You’re worth so much more than throwing yourself away."

Carla’s tear-filled eyes met his, and she saw the emotion swirling within him. Renzo, who had always been by her side, who had always done her bidding without question, looked at her now like she was both fragile and untouchable.

Before she could process it, Renzo leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a fleeting, tentative kiss. It was tender, hesitant, and over almost as quickly as it started. His eyes widened in shock, and he pulled back abruptly.

"I’m so sorry," he blurted, his voice shaking. "I shouldn’t have-"

But Carla wasn’t about to let him retreat. She seized the opportunity, grabbing his face and kissing him back with a ferocity that startled him.

Her lips moved hungrily against his, pouring all her desperation, frustration, and need for validation into that one act.

Renzo froze for a heartbeat before he gave in, his hands gripping her waist as if he couldn’t help himself. Carla smirked against his lips, sensing his hesitation and knowing exactly how to exploit it.

"You’ve always wanted this, haven’t you?" she whispered breathlessly, pulling back just enough to see the dazed look in his eyes. "You’ve worshiped me from the start, Renzo. Always at my beck and call. Always mine."

"Carla," Renzo murmured, his voice filled with conflict. "This isn’t right."

But she silenced him with another kiss, her hands tangling in his hair. "Don’t think," she murmured against his lips. "Just give me what I need, Renzo."

Renzo’s resistance wavered, his loyalty and feelings for Carla warring with his better judgment. Carla could feel it, the way he hesitated, the way he wanted to stop but couldn’t bring himself to pull away. She knew she had him under her spell, just like always

.

At that moment, Carla felt a flicker of triumph. She might have been losing everything else, but this? This she could still control.

Carla’s desperation consumed her as she took full control, guiding Renzo with calculated intent. She led him to the couch and began removing his clothes.

As she expected, Renzo was already hard. "Carla," he hoarsely muttered when her hands started exploring his body, her whispered seductive words breaking down any remnants of his resolve.

Renzo was powerless to resist, succumbing entirely to the moment, his feelings for her overriding any lingering hesitation.

"I know you’ve been holding back for far too long, Renzo. Now, I’m giving you the authority to make me happy, even if just for a while. I know I’ve been hard on you, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed how you’ve desired me all these years," she murmured against his lips as she positioned herself on his lap, brushing herself against him.

Renzo growled in great pleasure, and Carla smirked, seeing how his body trembled in anticipation. She reveled in the power she held over him, her movements confident and deliberate as she guided him through every step of their intimate act. Yet, as the intensity between them grew, Carla found her mind beginning to drift elsewhere.

She closed her eyes, and in her imagination, it wasn’t Renzo before her, it was Alexander.

She saw his face, felt his presence, and heard his voice in her mind. Every touch, every sensation, every surge of pleasure became intertwined with her longing for him.

Her breaths quickened, and as she reached her peak, a name escaped her lips in a breathless moan.

"Alexander..."

Renzo froze beneath her, his euphoria cut short as her words registered. He stared up at her, his heart sinking as the reality of the moment crashed over him. Carla, meanwhile, lay slumped against him, a satisfied yet distant look on her face.

For her, it had been an escape, a way to pretend, even for a fleeting moment, that she still had Alexander’s love and attention. For Renzo, it was a painful confirmation of what he had always feared: that no matter what he gave her, he would never truly be enough.

The silence that followed was deafening, and Carla made no move to address the name she had just uttered. Instead, she stood up, adjusted the coat around her shoulders, and walked toward the window, leaving Renzo to process the devastation she had unwittingly inflicted on him.

Renzo sat there, his emotions swirling between anger, heartbreak, and the unshakable loyalty that kept him tethered to her despite everything. "Carla," he finally murmured, his voice hoarse, "is this all I’ll ever be to you? A stand-in?"

Carla didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she gazed out at the city skyline, her expression unreadable. "Don’t complicate this, Renzo," she said coldly. "You’re the one who stayed."