The ice clinked against the sides of the crystal glass as Sebastian swirled his drink, his grip tightening with every slow rotation. The private lounge was mostly empty now, save for a few lingering guests lost in hushed conversations, but the silence did nothing to quiet the thoughts roaring in his mind.
The gala had ended over twenty hours ago, but he wasn’t ready to go home.
Not when every headline, every flashing camera, every carefully curated moment of the night replayed in his head.
Not when he knew he’d made a mistake.
He exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers against his temple.
Victoria.
She had always been strategic, moving through the world with a quiet, practiced charm that disarmed even the most skeptical. It had taken him years to see through it—to realize that love shou
