Chapter 3: Sebastian Cross’s Rules Untitled Episode
2813 Words
The elevator continued its descent.
Neither of them spoke.
Elena’s phone remained locked in her hand, the anonymous message glowing on the screen.
**Ask him what happened to your mother.**
She had read the words so many times that they no longer seemed real.
Her mother had died when Elena was eight.
A car accident.
That was what her father had always told her.
A rainy night. A sharp turn. A truck crossing the center line.
There had never been a reason to question it.
Until now.
Sebastian watched her through the reflection in the elevator doors.
“What did the message say?” he asked.
“You saw it.”
“I saw your expression.”
“So you admit you were watching me.”
“I watch everything.”
“That must make you very popular.”
“I’m not interested in being popular.”
“No. You prefer being feared.”
The corner of his mouth moved, but it was not a smile.
“Fear is more reliable.”
The elevator stopped on the lobby level.
Before the doors opened, Elena turned toward him.
“What happened to my mother?”
Sebastian’s gaze hardened.
“I don’t know.”
“That is not what your face said.”
“My face does not speak.”
“It almost shouted.”
The doors opened.
Employees filled the lobby, but when they saw Sebastian, they immediately moved aside.
Elena stepped out first.
Sebastian followed behind her.
“I asked you a question,” she said.
“And I answered.”
“You’re lying.”
His footsteps stopped.
Elena turned around.
The lobby was crowded, but the moment felt strangely private. Everyone nearby pretended not to listen.
Sebastian stood beneath the gold-and-glass logo of Cross International, his expression controlled.
“You have known me for less than one day,” he said. “You are already certain I’m lying?”
“You arranged a marriage in under an hour, predicted my financial problems, and admitted you want access to my family. I don’t think you’re a man who tells the truth unless it benefits you.”
His eyes narrowed.
“That may be the first intelligent thing you’ve said to me.”
Elena folded her arms.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Did you know my mother?”
Sebastian looked at her for a long moment.
Then his phone rang.
He answered without breaking eye contact.
“Speak.”
A male voice came through the speaker, too faint for Elena to understand.
Sebastian’s expression shifted.
“Keep him there.”
He ended the call.
“Who was that?”
“Someone handling a problem.”
“What problem?”
“Your father.”
Elena felt a wave of concern despite everything.
“What about him?”
“He left Hartwell Manor.”
“He was going home.”
“No. He was trying to leave the city.”
Her brows drew together.
“Why?”
“That is what we are going to find out.”
Sebastian turned toward the entrance.
Elena followed him, but she stopped at the revolving doors.
“Wait.”
He looked back.
“Are you taking me to my father?”
“I’m taking you to my house.”
“You just said he was in trouble.”
“He is not in immediate danger.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I arranged for him to be watched.”
Elena stared at him.
“You had my father followed?”
“I had everyone connected to the financial transfer followed.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Yet you’re still coming with me.”
She hated that he was right.
Outside, the rain had grown heavier.
The driver opened the rear door.
Elena got in first and moved to the far side. Sebastian entered after her, leaving only a small space between them.
The car pulled away from the building.
For several minutes, Elena watched the city disappear behind rain-streaked glass.
Then she noticed the small velvet box in her lap.
The second ring.
She opened it.
Inside was a plain silver band.
“What is this?” she asked.
“Your wedding ring.”
“I thought the diamond was my wedding ring.”
“That is for public appearances.”
“And this?”
“For private ones.”
Elena lifted the band from its box.
The inside was engraved with a single date.
**October 14, 2008.**
Her mother’s death date.
She looked sharply at Sebastian.
“You put this here.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t.”
The car suddenly felt too small.
Elena turned the ring in her fingers.
“Then who did?”
Sebastian took it from her.
His fingers brushed hers.
Neither of them moved for a second.
Then he held the band up to the light.
“There is no engraving in the ring I ordered.”
Elena examined it.
The date was unmistakable.
“Where did it come from?”
Sebastian looked at the driver through the rearview mirror.
“Did anyone enter the car before we left?”
“No, sir.”
“Did anyone place anything inside?”
“Not that I saw.”
Sebastian’s eyes returned to the ring.
“Give it to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“I’m tired of hearing that.”
“Then listen to reason. If this was placed in your belongings, someone had access to you today.”
“My father. Vivienne. The wedding staff.”
“Or someone who wanted you to find it.”
Elena snatched the ring back.
“I’m keeping it.”
“Of course you are.”
“You don’t get to take every piece of evidence from me.”
“I get to keep you alive.”
“Those are not the same thing.”
“They are in my world.”
She slipped the ring into her purse.
“Then your world sounds unbearable.”
“It is.”
The answer was so direct that Elena looked at him.
Sebastian had turned toward the window.
For the first time, she noticed the exhaustion beneath his polished appearance. His shoulders were tense, and there was a faint scar along the side of his neck.
A man who lived in fear of betrayal, she thought.
Or a man who caused it.
“Why did you choose me?” she asked again.
He did not turn.
“I told you.”
“No. You gave me the convenient answer.”
Silence.
Rain tapped against the windows.
Finally, Sebastian said, “Your mother saved my life.”
Elena’s breath caught.
“What?”
He looked at her.
“She saved my life when I was seventeen.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because my mother never knew you.”
“You were eight when she died. You wouldn’t know everyone she knew.”
Elena searched his face.
“How did she save your life?”
“That is not a story for today.”
“You can’t say something like that and then refuse to explain.”
“I can.”
“Did she know your father?”
“Yes.”
“Did she know your uncle?”
“Yes.”
“What did they have to do with her death?”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“I told you I don’t know.”
“Again?”
“I don’t know who caused the accident.”
“But you suspect someone.”
“I suspect everyone.”
His words settled into the car.
Elena looked out at the passing streets.
Her entire childhood had been built around one explanation.
Now Sebastian had placed a question mark over everything.
The vehicle left the city center and turned onto a private road bordered by tall iron gates.
Elena sat upright.
The gates opened automatically.
Beyond them stood a massive stone mansion surrounded by dark trees and manicured gardens. Warm lights glowed through the windows, but the house looked more like a fortress than a home.
The car stopped beneath a covered entrance.
A line of staff waited outside.
Sebastian stepped out and offered Elena his hand.
She looked at it.
“I can walk.”
“I know.”
“Then stop offering.”
“People are watching.”
She glanced toward the staff.
Every face was carefully blank.
Elena placed her hand in his.
His fingers closed around hers.
The touch was firm, possessive, and surprisingly steady.
They entered the mansion together.
The foyer rose two stories above them, decorated with black marble, crystal chandeliers, and massive portraits of the Cross family.
Elena recognized Sebastian’s grandfather from business magazines.
The elderly man looked severe even in paint.
A woman descended the staircase.
She was tall and slender, with silver hair swept into a perfect knot. Her black gown was simple but expensive.
Margaret Cross.
Sebastian’s grandmother.
Her eyes went immediately to Elena’s ring.
Then to Elena’s wedding dress.
“I expected a wife,” Margaret said. “Not a scandal.”
Elena’s spine straightened.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Margaret’s brows rose.
Sebastian looked at Elena with something close to approval.
“You’re bold,” Margaret said.
“I’m having a difficult day.”
“Difficult days reveal character.”
“Then you should be pleased. You’ve seen plenty of mine.”
For a moment, the older woman studied her.
Then she looked at Sebastian.
“You married her?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why is she wearing your ring?”
“Because she will be my wife before midnight.”
Margaret’s gaze sharpened.
“Does she know why you need this marriage?”
“She knows enough.”
“That is not what I asked.”
Elena stepped forward.
“I know he needs a wife to inherit the company.”
Margaret looked at her.
“And do you know what happens if Sebastian fails?”
“No.”
“He loses everything.”
Sebastian’s voice turned cold.
“Grandmother.”
Margaret ignored him.
“His position. His voting shares. His father’s estate. Even this house.”
Elena glanced around the foyer.
“So this entire marriage is about an inheritance.”
“Most marriages are,” Margaret replied.
“That’s a depressing thing to believe.”
“It is a realistic thing to believe.”
Sebastian removed his coat.
“Where is the registrar?”
“In the library.”
Margaret’s eyes moved to Elena.
“Before you marry my grandson, you should hear the rules of this house.”
Elena looked at Sebastian.
“I thought the contract had the rules.”
“The contract has legal terms,” Margaret said. “I am speaking about survival.”
Sebastian gave his grandmother a warning look.
Margaret turned toward the hallway.
“Come.”
Elena followed her.
Sebastian remained behind for a moment, speaking quietly with one of the staff members.
Margaret led Elena into a smaller sitting room.
A fire burned in the marble fireplace.
“Rule one,” Margaret said. “Never lie to Sebastian.”
Elena almost laughed.
“Does that rule apply to him too?”
“It applies to everyone.”
“Then perhaps you should explain why I was chosen.”
Margaret’s expression did not change.
“Sebastian does not choose without reason.”
“That is what worries me.”
“Good. Fear keeps people alert.”
Margaret walked to a cabinet and poured two glasses of water.
“Rule two: Do not interfere with the Cross family business.”
“I have no interest in your family business.”
“You will once you discover how much of it is connected to your own.”
Elena accepted the glass but did not drink.
“What does that mean?”
Margaret studied her.
“You have your mother’s eyes.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“What did you know about my mother?”
“Your mother was a brilliant woman.”
“Was she involved with this family?”
“She was involved with many people.”
“Were you friends?”
“No.”
“Enemies?”
Margaret’s expression softened by the smallest degree.
“Your mother did not have enemies. She had people who feared what she knew.”
Elena set the glass down.
“What did she know?”
“Ask Sebastian.”
“I did. He lied.”
“Then ask him again.”
The door opened behind them.
Sebastian stood there.
His face was unreadable.
“Are you finished?” he asked his grandmother.
“Not nearly.”
“Grandmother.”
Margaret looked at Elena.
“One last rule.”
Elena waited.
“Never fall in love with my grandson.”
The words should have sounded ridiculous.
Instead, a chill moved through Elena.
She looked at Sebastian.
He had gone completely still.
Margaret walked past him and left the room.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Sebastian entered and closed the door.
“You don’t need to listen to her.”
“Why? Is she wrong?”
“Yes.”
His answer came too quickly.
Elena’s heart gave an unexpected beat.
“Because you’re incapable of love?”
“Because this is a contract.”
“Contracts end.”
“Exactly.”
He moved toward the door.
Elena stopped him.
“You said my mother saved your life.”
“Yes.”
“And your grandmother said people feared what she knew.”
“Yes.”
“What did she know?”
Sebastian’s eyes turned cold.
“Your mother discovered that someone inside Cross International was stealing from the company.”
Elena stared at him.
“Was it my father?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was it your father?”
“I don’t know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it is the truth.”
“Then what do you know?”
Sebastian stepped closer.
“I know your mother came to my father shortly before she died. I know she had evidence of a criminal conspiracy. I know the evidence disappeared after her death.”
Elena’s pulse thundered.
“And you think my father was part of it?”
“I think your father knows more than he has admitted.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before I signed?”
“Because you would have refused.”
“Yes, I would have.”
“Exactly.”
Elena slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
Sebastian’s head turned slightly with the impact.
The silence afterward was absolute.
Elena’s hand stung.
“I am not a tool,” she said.
Sebastian slowly faced her again.
“No.”
His eyes dropped to her trembling hand.
“You are a woman whose family has lied to her for eighteen years.”
“And you’re different?”
“No.”
The honesty stopped her.
Sebastian touched the corner of his mouth, then looked at the faint red mark on his fingers.
“I have lied to you too.”
Elena’s breath caught.
“About what?”
“Many things.”
“Then why should I marry you?”
“Because you are already in danger.”
“That is not enough.”
“Because I can give you the power to fight back.”
Her anger faltered.
Sebastian stepped closer until only a breath separated them.
“You want revenge,” he said.
Elena’s voice was barely audible.
“Yes.”
“Then marry me.”
“And what do you want?”
His gaze held hers.
“The same thing.”
Before she could respond, a loud crash came from somewhere beyond the hallway.
The staff shouted.
Sebastian immediately moved in front of Elena.
“What happened?” he demanded.
A guard rushed into the room.
“Sir, the east gate was breached.”
Sebastian’s expression changed.
“Who got inside?”
“We don’t know. The cameras went down thirty seconds ago.”
Elena reached into her purse, searching for her phone.
It was gone.
Her blood ran cold.
Then someone screamed from the foyer.
Sebastian drew a gun from beneath his jacket.
Elena stared at him.
“You carry a gun?”
“Stay behind me.”
“Where is my phone?”
His eyes flicked toward her.
“What?”
“My phone was in my purse.”
A slow, terrible realization crossed his face.
Before either of them could move, Elena’s phone began ringing.
Not from her purse.
From somewhere inside the mansion.
The ringtone echoed through the dark hallway.
Once.
Twice.
Then a man’s voice spoke from the shadows.
“Ask Sebastian what happened the night your mother died.”
The lights went out.
And in the darkness, Sebastian grabbed Elena’s hand.
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