16. Sebastian
CHAPTER 16
sebastian
T he boardroom felt like a powder keg waiting to explode, the tension thick enough to choke on. I leaned against the back wall, arms crossed, watching Maxine stand her ground at the head of the table— Carlos's seat. She looked like a queen defending her throne; her fingers curled protectively around the locket she never took off. My father’s face, already red with restrained anger, grew darker with every second she refused to fold.
“As I was saying,” Mr. Patterson drawled, oblivious to the storm brewing, “the merger cannot proceed without consolidated ownership. However, we’ve uncovered an interesting clause in the company bylaws...”
I caught the exact moment Maxine put it together. Her grip on the locket tightened, her knuckles white.
“You’re trying to force a sale?” Her voice was sharp enough to cut glass. “David, what did you do?”
My father straightened his tie, a move I recognized as his prelude to a calculated strike. “Article seven, Section three allows the board to vote on mandatory share redistribution in cases where a shareholder is deemed... incapable of fulfilling their corporate responsibilities.”
The room collectively held its breath.
“Incapable?” Maxine’s bitter laugh sliced through the silence. “I have a business degree. I’ve worked in every department since I was sixteen. My father?—”
“Your father made some questionable decisions near the end,” David interrupted smoothly, sliding a folder across the table with just enough flair to make it sting. “Decisions that, if brought to light, might tarnish his legacy.”
The air was ice cold now.
I pushed off the wall. “That’s enough.”
“Sebastian,” My father didn’t even look at me as he practically growled, “stay out of this.”
“No.” I stepped forward, planting myself beside Maxine’s chair.
"You want to come after Maxine? Think again. As long as I’m here, no one will touch her—got it?"
The boardroom erupted. Half the members were shouting over one another, while the rest sat frozen in shock. Through all the noise, I felt Maxine’s hand slip into mine under the table. Her fingers were like ice, but her grip was steady and grounding.
“Meeting adjourned,” Patterson finally stammered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Maxine was out the door before anyone else moved. I followed, catching up to her in Carlos’s old office. She was gripping the edge of his desk, her shoulders rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths.
“Max—”
She spun around, her eyes brimming with tears that she refused to let fall. “He’s trying to destroy everything my dad built. And Mom... she just sat there and let him.” Her voice cracked, raw with anger and grief.
“Hey.” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “We’ll fight this. Together.”
“Why?” Her gaze pinned me in place, searching, pleading. “Why are you risking everything to help me?”
The answer hit me like a punch to the chest—because I loved her. I’d loved her long before we were stepsiblings, long before our lives turned into this tangled mess. But saying it out loud? That was a risk I wasn’t quite ready for. So instead, I cupped her face, letting my touch speak for me.
“Sebastian,” she whispered, her voice trembling with equal parts question and warning.
I kissed her.
The world tilted and went still all at once. Her lips were soft and warm against mine despite the chill in her fingers as they fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer. It wasn’t a perfect kiss; it was desperate, messy, and tasted of coffee and unshed tears. But it was real.
“Oh my God.”
We broke apart like guilty teenagers. Brooklyn stood in the doorway, her mouth slightly open.
“Bee—” I started, but she held up a hand.
“Save it. I’m not here to judge.” She glanced back toward the hallway. “I’ll keep watch, but you two need to wrap this up fast. Dad is on his way up.”
The door clicked shut behind her, and Maxine sagged against me with her forehead pressed to my chest. Her shoulders shook, caught between a laugh and a sob.
“What are we doing?” she whispered, her voice muffled.
I tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “What we should have done months ago. Max, I?—”
The ding of the elevator cut me off. Reality came crashing back, cold and unforgiving.
“We’ll talk later,” she said quickly, squeezing my hand as she stepped back. “Tonight, by the old oak tree?”
I nodded, reluctant to let her go.
Footsteps approached, and my father opened the door, his expression thunderous.
“Sebastian. My office. Now.”
One last look at Maxine, and I followed him, knowing everything had changed. Her taste lingered on my lips, a reminder of the line we’d obliterated—and the battle we’d just begun.
.