chapter 5
1398 Words
Nathan's phone call lingered in my mind long after it ended.
"Mr. Vale requires your presence this evening."
No explanation.
No reason.
Just another instruction.
I climbed the grand staircase in silence, returning to my bedroom to prepare for whatever role Sebastian expected me to play tonight.
Outside my window, the afternoon drifted by in shades of gold, but inside the mansion time moved differently.
Slowly.
Heavily.
I had barely finished dressing in a simple checked jumpsuit when the familiar roar of a powerful engine echoed through the driveway.
Headlights swept across the marble entrance.
Sebastian was home.
Right on cue.
The front door swung open.
"What are you still doing?"
His voice thundered through the mansion before he had even stepped fully inside.
Almost instantly, the staff scattered.
A maid hurried toward the kitchen.
The butler disappeared into another corridor.
Even the gardeners outside suddenly found reasons to busy themselves elsewhere.
No one wanted to be caught in Sebastian Vale's temper.
Unfortunately...
I couldn't disappear with them.
I stood at the foot of the staircase.
Nathan called almost an hour ago," Sebastian snapped as he strode toward me. "And you're still standing here?"
Within seconds he had crossed the distance between us.
His fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist.
Not painfully enough to leave bruises.
Just firmly enough to remind me he could.
"We're attending a charity gala tonight."
His face hovered inches from mine.
"Vale Industries needs this evening to go perfectly."
His grip tightened.
"We can't afford for you to ruin it."
I stared back silently.
Not because I had nothing to say.
Because experience had taught me there was no point.
He released my wrist with the same indifference someone might discard an empty glass.
"A tailor is on the way."
He adjusted the cuff of his jacket.
"They'll make something suitable."
Without waiting for a response, Sebastian disappeared into his bedroom.
The afternoon became an endless blur.
The tailor arrived with assistants carrying fabrics, measuring tapes and boxes overflowing with jewelry.
I stood on a raised platform while they circled me endlessly.
They measured my shoulders.
My waist.
My hips.
Pinned fabric against my skin.
Stepped back.
Adjusted.
Started over.
Hours passed before anyone finally seemed satisfied.
When they finished, they presented the dress.
It was breathtaking.
Black silk flowed effortlessly over every curve before opening into a graceful backless design that somehow managed to look elegant without being excessive.
Diamonds sparkled around my neck.
Matching earrings followed.
Then bracelets.
By the time they finished dressing me, I hardly recognized the woman staring back from the mirror.
She looked expensive.
Perfect.
Beautiful.
She didn't look like me.
The jewelry felt strangely heavy.
Almost like chains.
When I stepped into the hallway, several members of the household staff stopped what they were doing.
One of the younger maids smiled.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Vale."
Another nodded in agreement.
For the first time all day, someone looked at me without pity.
Before I could thank them, Sebastian's bedroom door opened.
He emerged wearing a deep navy velvet tuxedo tailored to perfection.
Italian leather shoes reflected the hallway lights.
His watch alone probably cost more than most people's homes.
He walked straight past me.
Not a compliment.
Not even a glance.
"Let's go."
His voice remained as cold as ever.
The drive to the gala passed in complete silence.
Sebastian drove himself.
One hand rested confidently against the steering wheel while the face of his Rolex caught every passing streetlight.
Neither of us spoke.
The city gradually gave way to towering hotel lights until the venue finally appeared ahead.
Luxury cars stretched along the entrance.
Valets hurried from one vehicle to another.
Photographers crowded behind velvet ropes.
For an event supposedly dedicated to charity, there was no shortage of wealth on display.
The moment our car stopped, cameras exploded into flashes.
Sebastian stepped out first before walking around to my side.
He opened my door himself.
A smile instantly appeared on his face.
Warm.
Charming.
Almost convincing.
He reached for my hand.
His fingers intertwined with mine as though we were deeply in love.
He even lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss against my knuckles.
The cameras erupted.
"Mr. Vale!"
"This way!"
"One more picture!"
He wrapped an arm around my waist.
We smiled.
Turned.
Posed again.
To anyone watching...
We looked perfect.
Inside the ballroom, crystal chandeliers bathed everything in golden light.
Soft conversations floated between tables covered in white linen.
Live musicians played near the stage.
The illusion continued.
Sebastian introduced me to businessmen, celebrities and politicians.
Everyone praised our marriage.
Everyone admired us.
One elderly businessman laughed as he shook Sebastian's hand.
"You've got yourself the most beautiful woman in the room."
Sebastian smiled proudly.
"I know."
His words sounded affectionate.
I knew better.
We eventually stopped beside another couple.
The husband looked to be in his late sixties.
His wife couldn't have been older than thirty.
Despite the obvious age difference, they laughed together naturally.
Perhaps it was genuine.
Perhaps they were simply better actors than we were.
After exchanging pleasantries, I reached for a passing tray and picked up a glass of champagne.
Before it reached my lips, another hand took it away.
Sebastian.
"Don't."
His smile never left his face.
"Champagne will make you feel bloated in that dress."
He placed the untouched glass onto another passing tray before anyone noticed.
His concern wasn't whether I enjoyed myself.
It was whether I looked flawless for the cameras.
The evening continued.
Everywhere I walked, eyes followed me.
Some women whispered.
"She's so lucky."
"I wish Sebastian Vale looked at me the way he looks at her."
If only they knew.
The men weren't much better.
Several allowed their admiration to linger far longer than politeness required.
Oddly enough, Sebastian seemed pleased.
Their attention made him stand taller.
As though I were another possession proving his success.
The quartet shifted into a familiar Beethoven piece.
Couples drifted toward the dance floor.
Without asking, Sebastian took my hand.
We moved together beneath the chandeliers.
His movements were smooth.
Confident.
Anyone watching would have believed we practiced this every weekend.
His smile never faltered.
Neither did mine.
The music ended.
Applause followed.
"I'll be right back," I said quietly.
He barely acknowledged me.
I wandered toward one of Vale Industries' exhibition displays showcasing the company's charitable contributions.
Across the ballroom, Sebastian laughed loudly beside a senator.
The two men looked inseparable.
It amazed me how quickly he could become someone else.
A movement caught my attention.
Near one of the service entrances stood a man adjusting the sleeve of a dark suit.
For only a heartbeat...
I thought it was Colt.
By the time I stepped closer, he'd disappeared into the crowd.
Had I imagined it?
"Mrs. Vale."
A cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned.
Recognition came slowly.
Mr. Davenport.
One of Sebastian's longtime business partners.
He wore a polished monocle and smiled so broadly his gold tooth caught the light.
"You look absolutely radiant this evening."
"Thank you."
He extended his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
"I really shouldn't..."
"Nonsense."
His smile widened.
"It'll only be one song."
Not wanting to offend one of Sebastian's closest associates, I accepted.
The orchestra began another melody.
At first, everything seemed perfectly respectable.
Then his hand drifted lower along my waist.
Another inch.
Then another.
My stomach tightened.
"I need some fresh air," I said, stepping away before he could object.
His smile finally faltered.
The evening ended shortly afterward as guests pledged donations before departing one expensive car after another.
Outside, Sebastian walked me toward ours.
He carefully gathered the fabric of my dress so it wouldn't touch the pavement.
To anyone watching...
He looked like the perfect husband.
He opened the passenger door.
As I leaned inside, he stepped close enough for only me to hear.
His voice became ice.
"Never embarrass me like that again."
The words barely reached above a whisper.
Before I could ask what he meant, he shut the door.
The drive home passed in silence.
Streetlights streaked across the windows as confusion settled inside me.
I replayed every moment of the evening.
Every conversation.
Every smile.
Every dance.
Every step.
No matter how many times I searched for an answer...
I couldn't understand what I had done wrong.
Yet somehow, with Sebastian...
I always had.
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