My Husband Is a Million Years Old Vampire-Chapter 16

Bernard stood there, completely stunned, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. His mind struggled to reconcile the woman standing before him with the broken girl he had mocked and ignored for years.

Valentina smirked, tilting her head slightly as she glanced at Raymond. "It seems someone has lost his voice," she said with amusement.

She turned on her heels, ready to leave. There was no point in wasting another second on Bernard. He was a relic of a past she no longer belonged to.

But just as she took a step forward, a rough hand clamped around her wrist.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Bernard’s voice was sharp, desperate.

Valentina slowly turned back, her expression icy.

Bernard’s grip tightened. "If you think you’re still married, you’re a fool," he sneered. "Your marriage isn’t valid anymore. As of now, you’re coming with me."

Silence settled between them.

Then, without warning, Valentina wrenched her wrist free with such force that Bernard staggered backward, his hand stinging from the sheer strength of her resistance.

Her blue eyes glowed with a fierce intensity.

"Don’t you dare disrespect me or my husband again," she said, her voice dangerously low. "I won’t repeat myself."

At that moment Bernard’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the sheer authority in her tone.

For a brief moment, something flickered across his face—shock, maybe even fear.

But then, as if to regain control, he scowled, his face twisting with disgust.

He jabbed a finger toward Raymond, his lip curling. "Him? This—this nobody is who you call your husband?" He let out a short, bitter laugh.

"You can’t be serious, Valentina."

Bernard’s gaze raked over Raymond, his expression filled with disdain.

"This man doesn’t even have a proper background. No family, no legacy—nothing. He’s nothing!"

His voice grew louder, his words dripping with mockery. "He came to marry you for money, and now you’re standing here defending him?" He shook his head, scoffing. "You’re blind, Valentina. You’re being deceived by his looks. He’s just a beggar."

Valentina didn’t even spare Bernard a glance this time. She had nothing more to say to him. She turned away, determined to leave this encounter behind.

But before she could take another step, Bernard grabbed her wrist again, his grip even tighter than before.

"You’re coming with me," he growled.

Before he could utter another word, Raymond was already behind him.

There was no warning, no time for Bernard to react.

Raymond’s hand clamped around Bernard’s wrist, his grip like an iron vice. In a split second, he applied just enough pressure—sharp, precise.

A sickening crack echoed through the air.

Immediately Bernard let out a piercing scream, his knees buckling as he instinctively tried to yank his hand free. His face twisted in agony, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

But before he could even process the pain, before he could hurl another insult—

"SLAP!"

Raymond’s palm connected with Bernard’s face in a brutal, bone-rattling impact.

The sheer force of it sent Bernard sprawling to the floor. His body hit the cold marble tiles with a thud, his head spinning from the slap.

A thick, metallic taste filled his mouth.

He blinked in confusion, lifting a trembling hand to his lips—only to find them slick with blood. His tongue instinctively searched the gaps in his teeth.

Two of them—gone.

His cheek throbbed with a sharp, unbearable pain, swelling almost instantly. The world around him tilted, the shock of it all hitting him at once.

Above him, Raymond stood tall, his crimson eyes dark and unyielding.

"This will be the last time you, or anyone, dares to touch my wife again." Raymond said, his voice dangerously calm.

However Bernard remained on the ground, too stunned to move, too shaken to even utter a response.

Valentina, unfazed, took Raymond’s hand, and together they walked away, leaving Bernard in his disgraceful heap.

As they stepped outside, the sun cast a golden glow over the city.

Then Raymond turned to Valentina, his expression softening.

"Let’s get something to eat," he suggested.

Valentina, still amused by what had just happened, nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

Minutes later, they arrived at an upscale restaurant, where they were immediately ushered into the VIP section.

Raymond had already placed their order, the warm ambiance and soft instrumental music setting a perfect atmosphere.

Just as Valentina was about to take a sip of her drink, a voice came from behind her.

"Is this really you, Valentina?"

**

Inside the grand Callum mansion, the air was thick with the scent of expensive wine.

A large conference table sat at the center of the luxurious study, where Mr. Callum, Maria, and Liam were engaged in a serious discussion. Papers were spread across the table, the final steps of Liam and Maria’s upcoming marriage being ironed out.

The heavy doors swung open abruptly.

Bernard staggered in.

All eyes turned to him, and for a moment, the room was silent.

His cheek was grotesquely swollen, red and bruised, as if a brick had been smashed against his face. His lip was split, dried blood staining the corner of his mouth. And worse—when he opened his mouth slightly, the noticeable gaps in his teeth were glaringly obvious.

Maria’s perfectly manicured fingers froze over a document, her brows knitting together in pure disbelief.

"What the hell happened to you?" she blurted out.

Liam leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you get into an accident?"

Mr. Callum folded his arms, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Bernard’s disheveled appearance.

Bernard exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "No."

Maria scoffed, her perfectly lined lips curling into a smirk.

"Then what? You look like you got into a street fight."

Bernard clenched his jaw, wincing at the pain that shot through his face. "If it were just a fight, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here."

"Then why did you come?" Mr. Callum asked impatiently, tapping his fingers against the table.

However Bernard hesitated, his throat bobbing as he recalled the moment that had nearly made his heart stop.

"I saw something..." he began slowly, his voice low.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Spit it out, Bernard. We’re in the middle of finalizing my daughter marriage to Liam, we don’t have time for your riddles."

Bernard inhaled sharply, bracing himself. "You’re not going to believe this..."

He looked each of them in the eye, drawing out the suspense for just a second longer.

"I saw Valentina."

Immediately Mr. Callum’s fingers stopped drumming.

Maria’s smirk disappeared.

Liam narrowed his eyes.

Bernard licked his split lip before delivering the real blow.

"She’s all cleared up. Her burn scars—they’re gone."