7
I stared at him, utterly stunned, as if I’d been struck by lightning on a clear day.
For a moment, I forgot the pain coursing through my battered body. Or perhaps the medicine Sebastian Ford had given me was already taking
effect.
Sebastian’s expression shifted, his jaw tightening as if he’d made up his mind. Slowly, he stepped forward and leaned down, his face so close
to mine that I could feel his breath against my skin.
Panic welled up inside me, and instinctively, I leaned back, only to lose my balance and fall onto the soft mattress behind me.
My mind went blank.
I lay there, frozen like a puppet whose strings had been cut, completely at his mercy.
But instead of touching me, Sebastian reached over my head and grabbed something from the other side of the bed–a phone with a bright pink case that was vibrating furiously.
I hadn’t even noticed it ringing.
Without asking for my permission, Sebastian smirked mischievously and pressed the speaker button.
Cole Parker’s voice came through the phone, sharp and condescending.
“Thanks for calling me yesterday, Lila. If you can keep being this sensible, maybe we can still go through with
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
I’d never met anyone so shameless in my entire life.
the engagement.”
I turned my head, only to be met with Sebastian’s gaze. Our faces were so close that our breaths intertwined, the air between us thick with
tension
Too close.
I could see every lash framing his dark eyes, every detail of his angular features.
“Lila? What are you doing? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Cole’s impatient voice cut through the moment, his irritation bleeding through
12:09 PM O
<
I forced myself to focus, speaking before I could think too much. “Why don’t you marry Mia, Cole? Wouldn’t that be perfect? She’s already your precious little mistress. Or is it because, deep down, you don’t actually respect her?”
I paused, letting the venom in my voice sink in. “So your love for Mia is just as shallow as everything else about you. What a shame, Cole. What a waste.”
I refused to meet Sebastian’s eyes, choosing instead to stare at the ceiling as I spoke, trying to distract myself from the heat radiating off him.
“Lila Hayes, what the hell are you talking about?” Cole snapped, his voice rising with anger. “Stop spewing nonsense and know your place!”
That was the last straw.
Before I could even think of a response, Sebastian let out a low, mocking laugh–a sound so casual yet sharp it sent chills down my spine.
Cole immediately froze on the other end of the line, his silence quickly replaced by fury.
“Who’s with you, Lila? Is there another man there?!”
I’d had enough.
Dealing with both of them at once was too much, and with Sebastian still half–leaning over me, I was in no state to think clearly.
“None of your damn business!” I snapped, ending the call with a sharp tap on the screen.
I turned back to Sebastian, meeting his piercing gaze. His sharp features were even more striking under the cold white light of the room, his expression unreadable.
“Mr. Ford,” I said, my voice trembling slightly but steady enough. “Does your offer still stand?”
His eyes darkened, his expression hardening into something I couldn’t quite decipher.
“Of course,” he said, his voice firm.
I nodded, hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached up to wrap my arms around his neck.
“Then let’s get married,” I said quietly.
