All for Her

Veils and Vows​

The night deepened, the skyscrapers outside blazing with light.

For the first time, Aaron truly took in the nightscape. It was a view of prosperity, yet it felt inexplicably desolate.

The unfinished design was carefully mounted and stored in his drawer. During those lonely days abroad, Aaron had often wondered what the lively, cheerful Yvonne from his childhood had grown into.

Obedient or rebellious? Vibrant and energetic? Elegant and refined? He had imagined it all, yet he never anticipated that the present-day Yvonne would feel like a stranger to him.

A distance that was unbridgeable, untouchable, laced with a polite detachment in every word.

Yvonne was deliberately keeping her distance, and now he didn't know what role he could possibly use to get close to her.

Covering his face, Aaron cried alone in the vast night.

Truthfully, he wasn't one to cry easily. It was just that every time he cried, it perfectly elicited Yvonne's pity. Over time, Aaron had grown accustomed to using tears to vent his pressure.

Warm tears traced his cheeks. He leaned weakly against the desk, his mind replaying his first encounter with Yvonne all those years ago.

The party wound down after several rounds of drinks; everyone headed home.

Yvonne gathered her things and stepped outside.

She wasn't heavily drunk, and the night air cleared her head instantly.

In the neon-lit night, Sebastian's black car was a steady, quiet shadow blended into the darkness, mysterious and silent.

Yvonne had no idea how long he'd been waiting. But the moment she emerged, the window rolled down, and Sebastian gave a curt nod, his voice low and raspy:

"Get in."

Just two short words. Yvonne approached him.

The wind was strong and cold, whipping her carefully styled hair. She tightened her trench coat and got into the car. Before she could even settle, Sebastian's question came from the front:

"Why not the passenger seat? Did you drink?"

"No. You know I don't touch alcohol. And I always sit in the back."

Yvonne rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, her voice soft.

The scent of his cologne was fainter. Even though Sebastian looked as stern as ever, her sharp eyes caught the slightly disheveled edge of his shirt. Perhaps he’d gotten up in too much of a hurry, making the usually perfectionist Sebastian overlook this detail.

An awkward silence fell. Yvonne didn't know how to start a conversation with Sebastian, so she simply placed her hands on her knees, watching the scenery flash by outside the window.

It wasn't until he dropped Yvonne off at home that the usually silent Sebastian finally offered a piece of advice:

"Try to avoid those kinds of places in the future."

Aaron's hung-up call, Sebastian's nagging, lecturing tone—piled onto her already** (irritated) mood, it was the last straw for Yvonne. She barely held her emotions in check, replying quickly:

"Sebastian, you're not my father or my mother. What right do you have to control me like this?"

Sebastian's brow furrowed deeply. He looked at Yvonne, his lips trembling as he struggled for words. Finally, he fell back on reason: "Yvonne, I'm just concerned about you."

"Feels more like you're trying to trap me."

After loudly stating this, Yvonne didn't want to hear another word from Sebastian. She took the stairs quickly, slamming her bedroom door shut with a loud bang. Throwing herself onto the soft bed, she hugged a plush toy and sulked alone.

The living room was brightly lit. Sebastian sat at the dining table, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He felt helpless, but more than that, guilty and agitated. Strictly speaking, his interactions with Yvonne shouldn't extend this far. Beyond daily care, he shouldn't be probing into her private life.

But he couldn't help it.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. Work had been overwhelming lately, a tidal wave crashing down on him. Sometimes he wondered what he was so busy for.

He quietly reflected on his actions, wondering if he was controlling Yvonne too much, not giving her enough freedom. She was an adult, after all. Constant lecturing would only push her further away.

But Sebastian couldn't control it. He couldn't control any of his behavior regarding Yvonne.

He always worried excessively, afraid Yvonne would develop feelings for other men. But it was none of his business. The night they got the marriage certificate, they had agreed to lead separate lives.

Yet now, as he grew older, he, Sebastian Stone, was actually starting to worry that Yvonne's attention was no longer on him, afraid she would drift away.

Futilely covering his face, fighting back the aching feeling, Sebastian finally steeled himself and chose the path he wanted to take.

Yvonne lay back on her bed hugging her plush toy, idly opening her phone. No messages from the kid (Ezra). He was probably busy with filming.

She opened a game, but just looking at the loading screen bored her. The novelty of the game had worn off, leaving it feeling pointless.

She put her phone down, opened a frequently used app, and considered whether to schedule a session with a suitable 'pet' for some play.

She wasn't short on high-quality 'pets'; what she lacked was interest and time to spare.

But before she could scroll through all the profiles, a knock came at her door. Sebastian's knocks were always measured, with long pauses in between, the sound heavy and dull.

Yvonne got up reluctantly and opened the door. Seeing Sebastian's serious face, she spoke with renewed annoyance: "What do you want?"

"Yvonne, I'm sorry. My tone was too harsh earlier."

Was the sun rising from the west? The great Sebastian Stone was apologizing to her? But before Yvonne could respond, he continued: "I looked into that bar. Its background isn't entirely clean. It's better if you go less often in the future."

Sebastian had always quietly monitored Yvonne's movements. He secretly had every place she visited investigated. He worried she might come to harm, and even more, he worried she'd find new playmates in those places.

He always lacked a sense of security.

"Sebastian..." Yvonne raised her hand gently to stop him. "What capacity are you saying this to me in? As a friend? A husband? Or a stranger?"

Her tone was**** (confrontational). Yvonne's voice was soft, her tone as sweet and gentle as always, but each word pierced Sebastian's heart painfully.

His heart ached fiercely, as it often did. Sebastian took a step back, took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, and said, "Yvonne, I'm concerned about you. No matter what role I'm in, I am ultimately your elder."

"Elder?" Yvonne scoffed, stepping closer to Sebastian. She was much shorter than him, standing on tiptoe to scrutinize the older man's no-longer-youthful face. "The kind of elder who secretly spies on my private life, desperately wishing to be one of my pets?"

"Yvonne..." Sebastian opened his mouth to say more, but the next second, Yvonne raised her head and kissed his cool, thin lips.

Amid the faint scent of cologne was a sweet hint of strawberry candy. Yvonne watched Sebastian's trembling eyelashes, then wrapped her arms around the older man's lean waist, deepening the kiss.

She wasn't in the habit of closing her eyes during a kiss; she loved watching her pets' expressions. Thus, Yvonne clearly saw Sebastian's crow's feet, his handsome brows, his long eyelashes.

When the kiss ended, perhaps because Yvonne had been too forceful, Sebastian leaned against her shoulder, breathing lightly to recover.

"Yvonne..." He called her name again. Without waiting for her to speak, he continued on his own: "What about you? Have you ever thought about me?"

"We've lived together for so long. Can't you just look at me?"

"The things those men like, the things you do for them... you can do all of it to me..."

"I'm willing to accept it all, simply because it's you."