Chapter 7 - A Dangerous Chemistry
The line between their fake engagement and a terrifying reality was blurring.
To keep up appearances, Arthur threw a lavish Engagement Gala on the manor's sprawling terrace. The night air was thick with the scent of blooming jasmine.
Elena and Sebastian were forced to dance in the center of a hundred staring elites. But as the music swelled, the world around them seemed to melt away. Sebastian held her close, his hand resting firmly on the bare skin of her back.
"You look breathtaking tonight," Sebastian murmured, his voice husky.
"It's just armor," Elena replied, looking up into his stormy eyes.
"Then let me be the one to take it off," he whispered.
He didn't wait for the cameras this time. Sebastian pulled her off the dance floor, dragging her into the labyrinth of the garden hedges. Hidden in the shadows of a marble fountain, he pressed her against the cool stone and kissed her.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was desperate, bruising, and consumed by months of built-up tension. Elena kissed him back, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel like a maid, and she didn't feel like a pawn. She felt powerful.
May you like
But as they broke apart, breathless, the harsh light of a flashlight cut through the darkness.
Arthur’s head of security stood there, a cruel smile on his face. "Mr. Sterling wants to see his daughter in his office. Now."
