19. Sebastian
Chapter 1 9
Sebastian
I’m fiddling with my pen, staring at the screen.
Money laundering, right under our fucking noses. How did I not see it? I never liked Oliver, but I didn’t think he had the brains or the balls to pull this shit.
Gemma… she was happy with him, at least I thought so before I found out he was cheating on her. And Dad, he wanted Oliver in the company. I should have kept a closer eye on him. I could have prevented this.
It didn’t take long for Elijah, Connor, and me to find the evidence. And now Gemma’s back with him because she loves him?
No way, that’s a coincidence or true. That son of a bitch must be threatening her, using this to keep her in line. He needs her to stay his wife. That much is obvious.
Elijah already took some necessary steps to get my sister out of this mess. Oliver’s not going to get away with this. We’ll make damn sure of that. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it.
I don’t get why Gemma wouldn’t talk to me, wouldn’t tell me the truth when I went to see her the other day .
Am I that unreliable? That shitty of a brother?
The thought of my sister trapped with that scumbag, it’s…
I rub my temples.
My head is pounding, the migraine creeping back in. I open the top site drawer of my desk, pop an ibuprofen, and let my head fall back against the chair.
How much I wish Lil were here, in my arms.
But I doubt she’d want that.
I accused her of spying on me, of trying to get information. The hurt in her eyes when I said those words… haunts me.
Why do I always manage to fuck things up with her? It’s like I can’t help but push her away, even when all I want is to keep her close.
I’m startled out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.
Emily pops her head in. “Sebastian, there’s a Lilian Edmunds at reception asking to see you. Should I send her away?”
Lil? Here? Now?
“I can tell her you’re busy if you don’t know who she is,” Emily continues.
“No. Send her up. Immediately.”
Emily closes the door with a smirk.
Lil is here. She came. Why? She hates me. I didn’t think she’d want to see me. Fuck, I’m not prepared for this.
First, I need to apologize and explain myself. That didn’t work last time, so why should it now?
Wait.
The door opens, and there she is. Lil. Looking beautiful as ever, even with the guarded expression on her face.
She steps into the office, closing the door behind her. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I gesture for her to sit. “I didn’t expect to see you. ”
“I’m sorry. I—” Her eyes flicker everywhere except toward me. “I’m not here for me. It’s about Gem. I can’t sit by anymore. Oliver won’t stop, and I’m scared.” She paces back and forth in front of my desk, wringing her hands. “She’s going to his place for dinner tonight, and it’s not a public place with people around. What if he hurts her? I’m not that close with Elijah, and—”
“Hey, hey.” I stand up, rounding my desk to cup her face. “Look at me. Breathe.”
She takes a shaky breath, her eyes locking with mine, tears threatening to spill. “Gem told Mary and me to keep quiet, but how am I supposed to stand by? I can’t…”
“Shh, it’s okay.” I gently stroke her cheek with my thumb. “We’ll figure this out.”
She leans into my touch, and I forget the chaos swirling around us. All I can focus on is the warmth of her skin and the way her breath hitches.
“Lil, is Gem being threatened by Oliver?”
She nods, a single tear escaping down her cheek.
Fuck. We already suspected it, but this is confirmation. That bastard’s going to pay for this.
“Thank you,” I say.
“For what?”
“For trusting me. For telling me.”
She shrugs, pulling back slightly. “You’re her brother, so…”
Her words cut deep, an echo of the past. Back in college, when she kept me at arm’s length, afraid that getting too close would destroy her friendship with my sister.
Is that all I am to her? Gemma’s brother?
Better than nothing ?
“I know it wasn’t easy for you to come here,” I say gently.
“This is for Gem.”
“Listen, about what happened at the resort… I’m sorry, Lil. Truly.”
“Not now. Please.” She blinks back tears. “I want her to be okay.”
This is no use. We need to fix this soon so I can get back to conquering my princess.
“We are already on it,” I say. “We’ve got eyes on Oliver, and we’re gathering evidence to take him down. Legally.” And not so legally.
“What about tonight?”
“We have people keeping an eye on things.”
“Wait. So you already knew?”
“Kind of.”
Her shoulders sag, and she averts her gaze.
I tilt her chin up with my finger until her eyes meet mine. “Hey, we’re going to make sure she’s safe, okay? I promise you that.”
She searches my face, and I swear there’s a flicker of something else beneath the concern. Something raw and vulnerable that makes my heart ache. But then she blinks, and it’s gone, replaced by a hardened resolve. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing. You’ve done enough by coming here.”
“But—”
“Lil, please. Let us handle this.” My tone is firm, but not unkind. “I don’t want you getting caught up in this mess.”
She looks like she wants to argue, but then she sighs, her shoulders slumping again. “Fine. But promise me you’ll keep me updated?”
“Of course.” I reach out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll always keep you in the loop, princess.”
Her voice is soft, tinged with reluctance as she steps back. “I should go. ”
“Yeah.” I shove my hands in my pockets, wrestling with the need to pull her back into my arms. “But Lil?”
She pauses, her hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
A ghost of a smile flickers across her face. “You’re welcome.” And then she’s gone, leaving me alone with the lingering scent of chocolate.
Let’s do this. I want my princess back.
My eyes sweep across the crowd of the gala, taking in every face, searching for a specific one. Elijah is beside me, whiskey in hand.
I clink my glass with his. “You look like you’re having a wonderful time.”
“Thrilled beyond measure.”
I follow his gaze, which is glued to my sister. She’s beside that snake Oliver, playing the role of a doting wife.
“Quite the performance.” I take a swig of my drink.
“It’s fucking torture,” Elijah says.
“Not for long anymore.”
Tonight, justice will be served. Whatever the cost.
My eyes drift back to the crowd, searching for Lil. I spot her across the room, looking absolutely stunning in a black dress. Our eyes meet, and the rest of the world fades away.
Brandon sidles up to the bar then, eyeing the crowd. “Spymaster and Codecracker, reporting for duty.”
Elijah shoots him an annoyed look while Connor simply rolls his eyes.
Trust Brandon to find the humor in even the most serious of situations .
“You’ve been watching too many action movies again.” I point my drink at him. “Are you going to order a martini? Shaken, not stirred?”
“Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. We could all use code names and everything. I call dibs on Agent Big D.”
“I talked to Spectre. Everything’s set,” Connor says, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“I still think we should’ve gone with the exploding cake idea,” Brandon says.
“Right, because nothing says ‘subtle’ like a dessert detonation,” I say.
“Bran couldn’t be discreet if his life depended on it,” Elijah says.
“Details, details.” Brandon waves a hand, undeterred. His gaze slides past me to Gemma. “Looks like the snake is set on making the most out of today.”
Oliver guides her, with his disgusting hands, to a group of older women. No doubt he’s trying to charm money from some old biddies.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I set my glass down on the bar and straighten my cuffs. “It seems I have some fun to spoil.”