Sebastian’s POVThe night air felt thick, like it was pressing down on me. I sat on the couch, staring at my hands. My fingers were curled into fists, but I wasn’t even aware of it until I felt my nails digging into my palms.The house was quiet, except for the sound of the clock ticking. Natalie sat across from me, hugging a pillow. She wasn’t speaking. Her face was blank, but I knew what that meant. She was scared.We had every reason to be scared.A knock on the door made both of us freeze.Natalie’s grip on the pillow tightened. Her eyes snapped to mine, wide and full of fear.I stood up slowly. My heartbeat was steady, but my chest felt tight.We knew who it was. We had been waiting for him.I walked to the door and opened it.He stepped inside without a word. He was dressed in black, his expression calm, his eyes sharp. There was something about him that always made the air feel colder.He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze moved between me and Natalie.“I have
When I woke up this morning, if someone had tapped me and told me that the world as I knew it would come crashing down today, I would have laughed and said they were bluffing.But it is amazing how the worst can happen, at moments when we least expect it.I was smiling when I walked up the pathway to Alfred’s house, the warm June sun casting a golden glow over everything. It was one of those perfect days that seemed tailor-made for surprises. My heart raced with excitement, and I clutched the small gift I had brought for him—an antique watch he had been eyeing for months. Today marked our two-year anniversary, and I wanted to make it special.The front door creaked as I pushed it open, stepping into the cool, air-conditioned sitting room, where I found Marlene, the housekeeper, dusting a vase in the living room.“Hi Marlene!” I greeted her with a warm smile. “Where’s Alfred? I have a little surprise for him.”“Oh, Miss Natalie, he’s inside the house, resting,” she replied, returning
The world seemed to tilt, my knees threatening to give way beneath me. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be some kind of nightmare. But as I looked into Iris’s triumphant face and Alfred’s regretful eyes, I knew it was real. “How could you?” I whispered, more to myself than to them.Iris crossed her arms, her expression unyielding. “Because it’s about time I got what I deserve. You’ve always been the perfect one, the chosen one. Well, not anymore.”With that, she turned on her heel and walked back toward the house, leaving me standing there in shock. Alfred lingered for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something, but then he followed Iris without another word.I watched them go, my mind spinning. Everything I had known, everything I had believed in, was a lie. My father’s legacy, my love for Alfred, my bond with Iris—it was all gone, ripped away in the cruellest way possible.I sank to my knees, the gravel biting into my skin, but I hardly felt it. It is all gone.The r
Headache.That was the first thing I noticed, as I opened my eyes and closed it again to adjust better to the brightness of the day.Raging headache. It felt like my head was on fire.Pure mad headache.I opened my eyes again and stared at the very unfamiliar ceiling, and with a start looked around the room - but I was in a strange place. A room that looked like a hotel room.This wasn’t my hotel room. The bed was too large, the sheets too luxurious. Panic began to set in, but the throbbing in my head was too intense for me to move much. I tried to think, to piece together the events of the previous night, but everything was a blur.Suddenly, the sound of a toilet flushing jolted me further into consciousness. The bathroom door creaked open, and a man walked into the room. He was wearing nothing but a towel tied around his waist. I tilted my head staring at him. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him.He caught my eye and gave me a knowing smile. “Good morning. How a
The satisfaction I felt knew no bounds as I watched Alfred and Iris' eyes widen in shock.Boom!I resisted the urge to go to their stupid faces and snap my fingers at them. “What!” Iris yelled, gaze darting frantically between Sebastian and I, “what?!”“Surely there must be a mistake,” she said with a chuckle and turned to Mr Knight, “Natalie can't possibly be -”“Natalie is my wife. And I demand you speak with some respect.”Dayumm.“This is a joke. Mr Knight I have no idea how she managed to lure you, deceive you into marrying her but Natalie is nothing but a low life. She has nothing and is not capable of anything except using her body to woo men.”You've got to be kidding me.I Clenched my fists as anger flared in me but I decided to not respond.“Like I said Miss Wilson,” Sebastian stated calmly, “you will speak to my wife with disrespect.”Iris' jaw dropped and I smirked when her gaze shifted to me.“Shameless whore!” She spat, “so that's what you've been doing huh? Throwing yo
I would have undoubtedly thought I had crossed the line the moment I made that statement,but Natalie never stops at leaving me in awe.“Alright,” she said. But before she responded, a disappointed scoff ran through her curled lips. Just then, I knew she was determined to get what she wanted.“I think we're good then, wife.” I pressed forward towards her as I shot a grin.“On one condition.”Hm, the lass with the conditions. I hoped it wasn't something serious. “I'm all ears.” “No strings attached. No feelings, just raw sex.”I paused. “Sure.”“Then we're good. Do have a nice day, husband.” She laid emphasis on husband as though she was insinuating something - something I couldn't seem to lay hands on as she turned on her heels and left, shutting the door behind her.I must say I'm pleased and intrigued by her - the way she makes unpredictable decisions…even though I had just known her for less than forty eight hours. Stupidly insane.I somehow needed to know more about my Natalie la
Anger still surged through me as I did , returning to that godforsaken house. Damn it. Knowing I had to see their face again made me feel strangely stupid.I finally reached and got a grip of myself. Me showing them they could annoy me gave them more power.I went in as my eyes roamed the sitting room. It was nowhere to be found. Just then, mother walked in, her voice shifting my attention to her.“I knew you would come back.” If only she knew why.“Can I have my phone back?” “Come over here, Sebastian. I want to talk. I want us to talk.” “What if I say there's no room for that?” “You don't have an option here, just listen to me.” I felt a chill down my spine as a trickle of tears ran down her face. I wasn't sorry she cried. I just didn't know what came over me that I listened so that she could do the talking.“I'm all ears.” I tried to hide my frustration and impatience. “Bear in mind that I don't have all night.” “What has come over you, son? “ The statement I hated hearing.
I took a taxi back to my house. No, scratch that. My previous house as it seemed. I'd never expected a day like this to come. The day that the mansion my own father left for me; in my name would be taken away all because of the blind trust I had in someone.Ridiculously funny. Now I know better. Moral of the story, trust no one.Surprisingly I didn't go through the heartbreak phase of weeping day in day out with tissues scattered around and me looking like some rotten cheese.I was still in my “sexy black dress” as I noticed the driver glancing at me through the rare mirror. I knew I was the temptation here.“I don't see any ring on your finger ma'am.” He stroked his tongue against his lower lip.“I'd be merciful enough to pretend you didn't speak; drive.” I'd have definitely given him a hard knock on his bald shining-armor head for trying to mess with me, but I'd let it slide just because I wore something that exposed me .“Stop here,” I said and highlighted the vehicle. I had pai
Sebastian’s POVThe night air felt thick, like it was pressing down on me. I sat on the couch, staring at my hands. My fingers were curled into fists, but I wasn’t even aware of it until I felt my nails digging into my palms.The house was quiet, except for the sound of the clock ticking. Natalie sat across from me, hugging a pillow. She wasn’t speaking. Her face was blank, but I knew what that meant. She was scared.We had every reason to be scared.A knock on the door made both of us freeze.Natalie’s grip on the pillow tightened. Her eyes snapped to mine, wide and full of fear.I stood up slowly. My heartbeat was steady, but my chest felt tight.We knew who it was. We had been waiting for him.I walked to the door and opened it.He stepped inside without a word. He was dressed in black, his expression calm, his eyes sharp. There was something about him that always made the air feel colder.He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze moved between me and Natalie.“I have
Natalie’s POVThe house was quiet. Too quiet.I sat on the couch, staring at the empty wall. The silence wrapped around me, thick and heavy, like a wet blanket I couldn’t shake off. It wasn’t the kind of silence that felt peaceful. It was the kind that screamed and wish everything could just end.Cause why the hell was this happening? What have we done wrong to deserve this from Iris, Samantha,a nd Sebastian's stepfather…Regarding his stepfather, Sebastian has a lot of explaining to do. Why is he making our stay here traumatic?Sebastian was in the kitchen. I could hear the sound of water running, the faint clinking of a glass against the counter. He wasn’t talking. He hadn’t said much since we got here. He was thinking, planning, trying to figure out how to fix what they took from us.I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them tight. My fingers curled into the fabric of my jeans. I felt cold, even though the room wasn’t. Maybe it was because everything I knew was gone. Stolen. B
Sebastian’s POVI drove fast. The tires screeched as I swerved past slower cars, my hands gripping the wheel like it was the only thing keeping me together. The city lights blurred outside the window, and the farther we went, the darker the roads became.Natalie sat beside me, her arms crossed, staring out the window. She hadn’t said much since we left. I could hear her breathing - deep, slow, controlled -:but I knew she was barely holding it together.I wasn’t either.Everything was gone. Our name, reputation…. everything. My stepfather had taken it all, with Iris and Samantha right by his side. They hadn’t just stolen from us; they had destroyed us.I swallowed the anger rising in my throat. It burned like fire, but I couldn’t let it consume me. Not yet.The silence in the car was thick, almost suffocating. Finally, Natalie spoke. “Where are we going?”“Away,” I muttered.She sighed. “I know that. But where?”I hesitated. “Another city. A safe place. Somewhere no one can find us.”S
Natalie's POV I paced back and forth in the living room, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, my heart hammering against my ribs. The air between Sebastian and me was thick, the weight of our argument pressing down on us like an invisible force. I hated fighting with him. We had been through so much together, and yet, here we wereon opposite sides, again.Sebastian sat on the couch, rubbing his temples, his expression tight. His usual calm demeanor was cracked, revealing the frustration bubbling beneath the surface.“Natalie, we can’t keep doing this,” he said finally, his voice rough with exhaustion. “We have to decide what to do next.”I stopped pacing and turned to face him, my arms still crossed over my chest. “And you think going public is the answer?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “Do you really believe we can control the narrative? The media will twist everything we say, Sebastian. This could getl out of control.”He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “Then what
Sebastian’s POVI sat at the small table in our hotel room, flipping through pages of notes and screenshots on my laptop. My eyes burned from lack of sleep, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when we were so close.Natalie was curled up on the bed, scrolling through her phone. She had been quiet for a while, too quiet. I knew she was thinking, just like me. Thinking of how to bring Iris down.“This isn’t enough,” I muttered.Natalie glanced up. “I know.”I rubbed my face and leaned back in the chair. We had gathered messages, emails, a few receipts—stuff that hinted at Iris’s shady deals, but nothing solid enough to destroy her. People like her didn’t leave obvious trails. She was too smart for that.“We need someone who can make sense of all this,” Natalie said, sitting up. “Someone who can dig deeper.”I frowned. “Like who?”“A journalist. An investigator. Someone who isn’t scared of her.”I let out a dry laugh. “Good luck finding one.”Natalie bit her lip. “I can try.”I watched her
Sebastian’s POVI sat at the small table in our hotel room, flipping through pages of notes and screenshots on my laptop. My eyes burned from lack of sleep, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when we were so close.Natalie was curled up on the bed, scrolling through her phone. She had been quiet for a while, too quiet. I knew she was thinking, just like me. Thinking of how to bring Iris down.“This isn’t enough,” I muttered.Natalie glanced up. “I know.”I rubbed my face and leaned back in the chair. We had gathered messages, emails, a few receipts—stuff that hinted at Iris’s shady deals, but nothing solid enough to destroy her. People like her didn’t leave obvious trails. She was too smart for that.“We need someone who can make sense of all this,” Natalie said, sitting up. “Someone who can dig deeper.”I frowned. “Like who?”“A journalist. An investigator. Someone who isn’t scared of her.”I let out a dry laugh. “Good luck finding one.”Natalie bit her lip. “I can try.”I watched her
Natalie’s POVThe hotel room was too quiet. Uncomfortably so that I began hearing voices in my head.Sebastian had booked a private suite, far from the city, far from the reporters, and far from the god forsaken Iris. But no amount of distance could erase what had happened.I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands resting on my lap. My fingers felt stiff, like they weren’t mine. My chest was heavy, my throat dry. The shock of everything still hadn’t fully left me, but now that we were alone, reality was settling in.Iris had done this to me.She had called the reporters, leaked the news, and thrown me under the bus. And for what? To ruin me? To see me crumble?I swallowed hard. She had won. Again.Sebastian sat across from me, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. The car ride here had been silent, his grip on the wheel tight, his jaw clenched.Now, he looked like he wanted to say something but was waiting for me to go first.I didn’t.“Natalie.” His voice was quiet, careful.I blinked an
(Sebastian’s POV)The cameras kept flashing. The reporters kept shouting. My head was pounding.I grabbed Natalie’s arm and pulled her toward me. She was frozen, her eyes wide, her breathing shallow. The shock had taken over."Move," I said, my voice low but firm. She didn’t react. She just stared ahead like she wasn’t even here.The reporters pushed closer. They shoved microphones in our faces."Natalie, how do you feel about your sister's betrayal?""Sebastian, do you have a comment on the leaked reports?""Iris, why did you do it?"I clenched my jaw and turned to Iris. She was calm. Too calm. Like she wasn’t standing in the middle of the mess she made."Did you call them?" I asked, my voice sharp.Iris shrugged. "They were coming anyway. I just made it easier."Rage boiled inside me, but I had no time for her. I had to get Natalie out of here.I tightened my grip on her wrist. "We have to go."She didn’t move."Now, Natalie," I said again.This time, she blinked and looked at me. T
(Natalie’s POV)I was done crying. My head hurt, my eyes felt swollen, and my body was just… tired. I had spent the last two days in my apartment, ignoring calls, ignoring the news, ignoring everything. But no matter how much I tried, the anger wouldn’t go away.Sebastian had destroyed everything.I used to think he was different, that he wasn’t like the rest of them. But I was wrong. He was just another liar who thought he could get away with anything because he had money.I stared at my phone. Twenty missed calls from him. I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to listen to his excuses.A knock on my door.I ignored it. Probably a neighbor or some delivery mistake.Another knock. Louder."Natalie, open the door."Sebastian.My hands clenched into fists. Of course he was here. He just couldn’t leave things alone. I got up, marched to the door, and swung it open.He looked like hell. His suit was wrinkled, his tie was gone, and his hair was a mess. His eyes were wild, like he had been running