Chapter 10: She Doesn’t Back Down
894 Words
The next morning felt different.
Not quieter.
Not calmer.
Heavier.
Like something had changed overnight even if nothing had been said.
I stood in the dressing room, staring at clothes that didn’t feel like mine.
Everything here belonged to his world.
Not mine.
“You’ll need to get used to it.”
I didn’t turn.
I didn’t have to.
His voice carried the same quiet certainty.
“I don’t want to get used to it,” I replied.
A pause behind me.
Then footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
“You will.”
Of course I would.
Because that was how his world worked.
Because everything here bent toward him.
I turned this time.
Sebastian stood in the doorway, watching me like he was already ten steps ahead.
“What now?” I asked.
“You’re coming with me.”
My brows pulled together. “Where?”
“To the office.”
That caught me off guard.
“Your office?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
A brief pause.
Then,
“Because people are already talking.”
Of course they were.
His family.
The staff.
Anyone who had seen last night.
“This isn’t just about us anymore,” he continued. “It never was.”
My chest tightened slightly.
“What exactly do you expect me to do there?”
“Stand beside me.”
The words landed the same way they had before.
Heavy.
Intentional.
Final.
I let out a breath. “You say that like it’s simple.”
“It is.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “It’s not.”
His gaze didn’t move.
“You’re overthinking it.”
“I’m not thinking enough,” I corrected quietly.
Because nothing about this felt clear.
Nothing felt safe.
Nothing felt… mine.
He stepped closer.
Not too close.
Just enough to make his presence felt.
“Today isn’t about comfort,” he said.
“It’s about position.”
My pulse quickened.
“Position?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then,
“They need to see you.”
The words settled in.
Cold.
Real.
Not personal.
Strategic.
“And if they don’t like what they see?”
“They don’t need to.”
Of course they didn’t.
Because liking me wasn’t part of this.
Accepting me was.
Or at least
Learning to.
The building was taller than anything I had seen up close.
Glass.
Steel.
Power.
It didn’t just stand there
It dominated.
“This is where you work?” I asked quietly as the car stopped.
“Yes.”
Of course it was.
Nothing about him was small.
Nothing about him was ordinary.
I stepped out of the car slowly, aware of the way people turned.
Not just because of him.
But because of me.
Because I didn’t belong.
Not here.
Not in this world.
Not beside him.
“Stay close.”
His voice was low, controlled.
A warning.
Or maybe
Instruction.
I followed him inside.
The lobby fell silent almost instantly.
People didn’t stop moving.
But they noticed.
Their eyes.
Their whispers.
Their curiosity.
All directed at me.
“Mr. Laurent,” someone greeted quickly.
He didn’t slow.
Didn’t respond.
Didn’t acknowledge anything that didn’t matter.
And right now
Only one thing seemed to matter.
Me.
The elevator doors closed behind us, cutting off the noise.
The silence that followed was heavier.
More private.
More dangerous.
“They’re going to talk,” I said quietly.
“They already are.”
I swallowed slightly. “And you don’t care?”
“No.”
The answer came too easily.
Too confidently.
“But you should.”
His gaze shifted to me slowly.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not what they expect.”
A pause.
Then
“I know.”
That stopped me.
“You keep saying that,” I said. “Like it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t.”
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
And the world outside felt sharper.
Colder.
More watchful.
We stepped out.
People stood straighter.
Moved faster.
Spoke quieter.
Because of him.
Because of what he represented.
Power.
Control.
Authority.
And I was standing beside him.
Trying not to feel like I was being pulled into something I couldn’t escape.
A woman approached.
Tall.
Elegant.
Confident.
Too confident.
“Sebastian.”
Her voice was smooth.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her eyes moved to me slowly.
Assessing.
Calculating.
And then
A faint smile.
Sharp.
“I see the rumors are true.”
My chest tightened.
“Who is she?”
Direct.
Bold.
Unapologetic.
Sebastian didn’t hesitate.
“My fiancée.”
The word hit the air like a statement.
Like a warning.
Like something meant to be heard.
The woman’s expression shifted.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Surprise.
Interest.
Something sharper underneath.
“And you didn’t think to mention this?” she asked.
“I didn’t need to.”
Her gaze returned to me.
Slower this time.
More deliberate.
“Careful,” she said softly.
Not to him.
To me.
“This world isn’t kind to people who don’t belong.”
The words were quiet.
But they carried weight.
Threat.
Truth.
I met her gaze.
Held it.
And for the first time
I didn’t feel like stepping back.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not here to belong,” I said.
Silence.
A brief one.
But enough.
Her smile faded.
Just slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
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