Chapter 33 #2
Then I see Sebastian.
He stands only a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the image still frozen across the projector screens. Around him, conversations have dissolved into whispers, and although no one says anything to his face, I can feel the weight of every sympathetic glance directed his way.
Slowly, he turns to look at me. The expression in his eyes makes my stomach sink. He doesn't say a word. He simply starts walking toward me.
When he reaches me, he takes hold of my wrist.
"Sebastian..."
He doesn't respond.
His grip is firm as he turns and begins leading me through the crowd. I have no choice but to follow, stumbling to keep up with his pace while security struggles to hold the reporters back.
Microphones are thrust toward us from every direction.
"Mr. Hayes! Do you have a comment?"
"Do you know who’s the man in the photograph?"
"Is the engagement over?"
The flashes become relentless.
"Sebastian." I say, trying to free my wrist. "You're hurting me."
Nothing. He doesn't slow down or look back.
Within moments we're outside, where an even larger crowd of journalists waits beyond the security barriers. The instant they see us, waves of shouting erupts, but Sebastian ignores every question. He marches straight to his car, opens the passenger door, and pushes me inside.
Before I can gather my thoughts, he rounds the front of the car, slides behind the wheel, and pulls away from the estate without saying a single word.
The silence inside the car is far more unsettling than anything the reporters could have asked.
For several minutes, neither of us speaks. The city lights blur past outside the windows as Sebastian drives, his jaw locked, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. I've never seen him like this. He's always been composed, even under pressure. Tonight, that composure feels dangerously fragile.
"Sebastian..." I say carefully. "I know you're angry."
A humorless laugh escapes him. "Angry?"
His grip tightens around the steering wheel. "I found out my fiancée kissed another man because someone decided to broadcast it to half of Manhattan."
"I was going to tell you."
"Were you?" He asks quietly. "Or were you waiting until you couldn't hide it anymore?"
The words sting because I don't have an answer.
"I never wanted you to find out like that."
"No." He shakes his head. "If you wanted to fuck around, the least you could've done was keep it private." His voice remains unnervingly calm. "Instead, you humiliated me in front of everyone who matters. You didn't just destroy our engagement tonight, Zora. You destroyed my reputation."
Before I can respond, my phone begins to ring. I glance down at the screen. Nico.
"Put it on speaker." Sebastian doesn't raise his voice.
I hesitate for a fraction too long.
"I wasn't giving you a choice."
With unsteady fingers, I answer the call and switch on the speaker.
"Zora?" Nico's voice is immediate. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fi…"
Sebastian snatches the phone from my hand.
"She's with me."
"Put her back on."
"No." His answer is immediate. "She doesn't need another conversation with the man she decided was worth throwing away my reputation for."
"Sebastian…"
"I said no." His voice hardens. "You've caused enough damage for one night."
Another silence stretches between them. Then Nico speaks again. "Let me hear her."
A cold smile appears on Sebastian's face. "You don't get to make demands anymore."
His grip tightens around the phone. "You wanted another man's used whore?" A bitter laugh escapes him. "Congratulations! She's all yours."
Sebastian lowers the phone just enough for his thumb to hover over the screen.
"One last piece of advice." He says. "Stop pretending you're her hero. You're just the man she spread her legs for."
He ends the call before I can react and drops the phone onto the dashboard. And for the first time since leaving the estate, I see genuine rage replace the calm in his eyes.
After that, neither of us speaks again.
The minutes stretch into half an hour as Sebastian drives far faster than he should, the engine growling beneath us while the city slowly gives way to darker, emptier roads. Every time I ask him to slow down, he ignores me, his hands tightening around the steering wheel instead.
Then, somewhere behind us, another engine cuts through the silence.
A motorcycle rapidly closes the distance before pulling alongside us. The rider is dressed entirely in black, a full-face helmet concealing every identifiable feature. My heart skips. It couldn't be.
Yet the longer I watch him, the more certain I become. There is something unmistakably familiar about the way he handles the motorcycle. Effortless, controlled, every movement precise enough to look almost instinctive.
I know it's him before I can explain how.
Sebastian notices the rider a heartbeat later. "What the hell is he doing?"
The motorcycle surges ahead, cutting in front of us before easing off the throttle.
Sebastian instinctively tries to overtake, but he anticipates every move, drifting smoothly across the lane and blocking each attempt with calculated precision.
Every maneuver forces the car to bleed more speed until Sebastian has nowhere left to go.
He leans the motorcycle sharply across our path.
The tires shriek against the asphalt. The car fishtails before Sebastian slams on the brakes.
Everything inside lurches forward as the seatbelt bites into my shoulder.
After what feels like an eternity, the car shudders to a stop in the middle of the empty road.
The motorcycle rolls to a controlled halt several feet ahead. The rider switches off the engine, removes his helmet, and dark hair falls free.
I was right. Nico.
Relief crashes through me with enough force to leave me momentarily breathless.
Sebastian is already climbing out of the car, and by the time I catch up, he and Nico are standing inches apart before, without a single word, Nico grabs him by the front of his suit and slams him back against the side of the car with enough force to make the impact echo through the empty road.
Sebastian immediately grabs Nico's wrist. "Let go."
Nico doesn't move. The silence between them is suffocating.
"Nico." I step closer, resting a hand lightly against his arm. "Please."
For a long moment, he doesn't react. Then, almost reluctantly, his grip loosens, and he releases Sebastian.
Relief barely has time to settle before Sebastian lets out a bitter laugh.
"So this is him." His gaze drifts from Nico back to me, revulsion twisting his features.
"So this is what you really are." A humorless laugh escapes him. "I almost married a woman who spreads her legs for the first man who gives her attention."
Before I can react, Nico turns around. His fist crashes into Sebastian's face in one clean, brutal movement. The crack of cartilage echoes through the empty road as Sebastian stumbles backward, blood pouring freely from his broken nose.
Nico doesn't spare him another glance.
Instead, he walks straight toward me. His eyes briefly settle on the angry red marks around my wrist before he opens one of the motorcycle's side cases and removes a spare helmet.
Without a word, he gently settles it over my head. His fingers work beneath my chin, fastening the strap with practiced efficiency before giving it a small tug to make sure it's secure.
Only then does he climb onto the motorcycle and steady it beneath him. He glances back over his shoulder, waiting until our eyes meet.
"Get on."
I don't hesitate. I climb onto the seat behind him, and the moment my arms slip around his waist, he gives me just enough time to settle before lowering his visor. The engine growls to life beneath us, vibrating through the frame of the motorcycle.
Nico twists the throttle and pulls away, leaving Sebastian standing alone beside his car, blood running down his face as we disappear into the darkness.