Chapter 7: The Family Name
757 Words
“You’ll need to be ready by tonight.”
I looked up from the sofa, confused.
Sebastian stood across the room, already dressed, already composed—like he had never left that controlled state he lived in.
“Ready for what?”
“For dinner.”
“That doesn’t sound threatening,” I said lightly.
“It will be.”
My stomach tightened.
“With who?”
He didn’t hesitate.
“My family.”
The words landed heavier than anything else he’d said.
Family.
Of course.
This wasn’t just about him.
This was about Laurent's name.
The legacy.
The people who would question exactly what I was doing here.
“And they know?” I asked slowly.
“Yes.”
“And they’re… okay with this?”
A pause.
Then:
“No.”
That didn’t help.
At all.
My chest tightened slightly. “So why are we doing this?”
“Because it’s necessary.”
That word again.
Necessary.
Like everything in his world had a reason that didn’t require explanation.
I stood up slowly.
“This feels like a test.”
“It is.”
The honesty caught me off guard.
I blinked. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No softening.
Just truth.
“Then what exactly am I being tested on?” I asked.
His gaze held mine.
“Whether you can stand beside me.”
Something about the way he said it,
Not behind.
Not beneath.
Beside.
— made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t understand.
“And if I can’t?”
A pause.
Then:
“You will.”
The confidence in his voice unsettled me more than doubt would have.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
Of course he did.
Or at least
He believed he did.
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself.
“This isn’t just dinner, is it?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
He took a step closer.
“Judgment.”
The word hit like a warning.
“They will question you,” he continued. “They will doubt you. They will try to find weaknesses.”
My pulse quickened.
“And what do I do?”
His eyes didn’t leave mine.
“You don’t break.”
Simple.
Direct.
Terrifying.
“I’m not used to this,” I admitted quietly.
“I know.”
That didn’t make it easier.
“They’ll see right through me,” I said.
“They’ll try.”
A beat.
“But they won’t succeed.”
The certainty in his voice
It was frustrating.
And strangely…
Reassuring.
“Why are you so sure?” I asked.
His gaze darkened slightly.
“Because you’re still here.”
The words hit deeper than I expected.
I swallowed.
That wasn’t strength.
That was circumstance.
But he didn’t seem to see it that way.
“Go get ready,” he said.
“Wear something appropriate.”
I frowned slightly. “And what exactly does ‘appropriate’ mean in your world?”
His eyes moved over me briefly.
Not in a way that felt invasive.
But in a way that felt… assessing.
“Something that makes them underestimate you.”
My breath caught slightly.
“Why?”
A faint shift in his expression.
“Because they always do.”
The room felt colder once he left.
Or maybe that was just me.
I stood there for a moment, processing everything.
Family dinner.
Judgment.
A test I didn’t ask for.
A role I didn’t choose.
I walked back toward the bedroom slowly, my thoughts racing.
This wasn’t just about surviving him anymore.
It was about surviving everything that came with him.
The name.
The expectations.
The pressure.
I stopped in front of the mirror again.
The same woman stared back at me.
But she didn’t feel the same.
“You don’t break.”
His words echoed in my mind.
I let out a slow breath.
“Easy for you to say,” I whispered.
Because he wasn’t the one walking into a room where he didn’t belong.
He wasn’t the one being judged.
He wasn’t the one
My hand moved to my stomach again.
And everything shifted.
No.
I wasn’t alone in this.
Not anymore.
And maybe
Just maybe
That changed something.
I straightened slightly, my reflection staring back at me with something new.
Not confidence.
Not yet.
But something close.
Determination.
“Fine,” I said softly.
“You want me to stand beside you?”
I lifted my chin slightly.
“Then I won’t break.”
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