One Night to Ruin Him

Look at me

Sarafina

I stared up at him, my heart was thumping so fast. The air between us was so thick I could barely drag it into my lungs.

"You cannot do this," I whispered, my hands pushing against the solid, unyielding wall of his chest. "I am a living being, I am not a business asset you can just claim in a contract."

He didn't budge an inch. Instead, he leaned his weight into me, pinning me closer to the cold stone of the balcony.

"You lost the right to play the innocent wife the second you invited me into your hotel room," Sebastian growled softly. "You bought my time. Now I am buying yours. That is how the world works, Little Wolf."

"I did not know who you were," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "If I had known you were a Lycan King, I would never have called that number. I just wanted to hurt Asher. I wanted him to feel the same betrayal I have swallowed for five years."

Asher’s eyes darkened. The amber glow flickered, hot and feral. "And did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you feel betrayal when I had my hands on you?" he asked. His voice dropped to a raw, rough whisper. "Did you think of your pathetic husband when my teeth were on your neck?"

A hot flush crawled up my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to hold the intensity of his stare. I wanted to lie. I wanted to tell him he meant nothing, that it was just a transaction. But the memory of that night was burned into my skin. It was the only time in my entire life I had felt truly alive.

"Look at me," Sabastain commanded.

I shook my head, tears hot and heavy on my lashes.

His fingers curled under my chin. His touch was not gentle, but it was not meant to hurt. It was purely possessive. He forced my face up until my eyes met his.

"You did not think of him," Sabastain said, a dark smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "You only thought of the wolf in your bed. And right now, my wolf is tearing at my ribs, screaming to take you right here on this balcony and show the entire city who you really belong to."

"Sabastain, please," I choked out. "Asher will destroy me if he finds out about this. Beatrice will throw me on the street. I have nowhere to go. I have no family left to protect me."

"You do not need protection from them," he stated, his thumb brushing away a tear that escaped down my cheek. "You need protection from me."

He stepped back, the sudden loss of his body heat making me shiver. He buttoned his suit jacket, his face instantly shifting back into the cold, untouchable billionaire the world feared.

"Fix your makeup, Sarafina," he ordered, checking his heavy silver watch. "You are leaving with me."

Panic seized my throat. "Leaving with you? Tonight?"

"Did you think I was going to let you go back to that house?" He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "You are moving into my penthouse. You will sleep in my bed. You will eat at my table. You are the liaison for this merger, and I require my liaisons to be available twenty four hours a day."

"I need my clothes," I stammered, frantically trying to find a way out. "I need my things. My passport."

"I will buy you new clothes. I will buy you a new life,"Sebastian said flatly. "You have exactly two minutes to wipe those tears, or I will drag you through that ballroom crying. The choice is yours."

He turned his back to me and opened the heavy glass door. The noise of the gala flooded the balcony again. I stood there trembling. I felt like a lamb that had just been dragged from one slaughterhouse to another.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand, taking a deep, shaky breath. I had survived five years with Asher. I could survive this. I just had to keep my head down, play along, and find a way out before the Lycan realized I was carrying a secret that would bind us together forever.

I walked back into the ballroom. Sabastain was waiting for me a few feet away. He did not offer his arm. He just looked at me, his eyes tracking every movement I made as I walked toward him.

Asher appeared from the crowd, clutching a thick leather folder. He was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Mr. Vane!" Asher called out, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. "I have the preliminary documents right here. My lawyers are ready to finalize the transfer of assets by tomorrow morning."

Sabastain did not even look at the folder. He kept his eyes locked on my face.

"Keep the paperwork, Miller. My legal team will contact yours," Sabastain said coldly. "The terms have changed."

Asher’s smile faltered. "Changed? Sir, I assure you, whatever you need, we can accommodate."

"I am taking Sarafina now," Sabastain announced. His voice carried over the quiet chatter of the surrounding guests. People were beginning to turn and stare.

Asher blinked, looking between me and the Lycan King in absolute confusion. "Now? But the gala just started. She has charity obligations. The press is outside."

"Cancel them," Sabastain said, taking a step toward my husband. The sheer dominance radiating from him made Asher physically shrink back. "She works for me now. She will be living at the Vane packhouse until the negotiations are complete."

Asher’s face turned an ugly shade of red. He looked at me, his eyes flashing with a toxic, warning glare. I knew that look. It was the look he gave me right before he locked me in the guest bedroom for days.

"Sarafina," Asher hissed through his teeth, trying to keep his voice low. "Tell Mr. Vane that you need to go home and pack your things. Tell him you will see him at the office on Monday."

I opened my mouth, the habit of obedience ingrained deep in my bones.

But before I could speak, Sabastain stepped directly between us.

"Do not speak to her," Sabastain growled. The sound was so low and dangerous it did not even sound human.

"You do not give her orders anymore. You gave her to me. She is my property for the duration of this deal. If you ever raise your voice at her again, I will tear your company apart piece by piece and feed it to the dogs. Do you understand me, Miller?"