shattered promises

chapter 4

Trapped in His World

The file felt heavier than it should have.

Like it carried more than just paper.

Secrets.

Lies.

A version of Liam I didn’t recognize.

I stood there, frozen, flipping through pages that refused to make sense.

Bank transactions—large ones. Offshore accounts. Names I had never heard before. Meetings in cities Liam never told me he visited.

This wasn’t a mistake.

This wasn’t a misunderstanding.

This was a life he kept hidden from me.

“I think you should sit,” Sebastian’s voice came from behind me.

Calm. Controlled.

Like this meant nothing to him.

I didn’t move.

“If this is some kind of sick joke—”

“It’s not.”

His tone didn’t rise.

It didn’t need to.

I turned slowly, anger rising to replace the shock.

“You’re telling me the man I was going to marry was involved in… whatever this is?”

“Yes.”

Just one word.

Cold.

Certain.

Final.

I let out a shaky breath, my grip tightening around the file.

“No. I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to believe me,” he said. “The evidence will do that for you.”

“I knew him.”

“Did you?” he asked quietly.

The question hit harder than anything else.

Because suddenly…

I wasn’t sure anymore.

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

Then my phone buzzed.

The sound made me jump.

Unknown number.

Again.

My chest tightened as I stared at the screen.

“Answer it,” Sebastian said.

I hesitated.

Then I picked up.

“Hello?”

At first, there was nothing.

Then—

A low voice.

Distorted.

“You should’ve listened.”

My blood ran cold.

“What do you want?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

A soft chuckle.

“You’re getting closer.”

My heart pounded.

“Closer to what?”

“To the truth,” the voice replied.

A pause.

Then—

“And the truth gets people killed.”

The line went dead.

My hand slowly dropped from my ear.

“He knows,” I whispered.

Sebastian’s expression didn’t change.

“Of course he does.”

Fear crawled up my spine.

“They’re watching me.”

“No,” Sebastian corrected calmly.

“They’re watching us.”

That was worse.

Much worse.

“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

“It means,” he said, walking toward me, “you’re no longer just someone asking questions.”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“You’re a problem.”

My breath caught.

“And problems…” he continued, “get eliminated.”

For the first time since walking into this building…

Fear felt real.

Not just in my head.

Not just a warning.

A threat.

“What do I do?” I asked.

The words came out before I could stop them.

Because for the first time…

I didn’t have control.

And I hated it.

Sebastian studied me carefully.

Not like I was weak.

But like I was something he needed to assess.

Measure.

Understand.

“You don’t go home tonight,” he said.

My brows pulled together. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not safe.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“No,” he said firmly. “You won’t.”

Anger flared instantly.

“I’m not staying here.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

That did it.

“I always have a choice.”

His gaze hardened slightly.

“Not in this situation.”

The tension between us snapped tight again.

“I don’t even know you,” I said sharply. “And you expect me to just stay with you?”

A flicker of something crossed his face.

Not anger.

Something darker.

“You came to me for answers,” he said. “This is the cost.”

“I didn’t agree to this.”

“You did the moment you walked into this building.”

I opened my mouth to argue—

Then stopped.

Because deep down…

I knew he was right.

I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair.

“This is insane.”

“Yes,” he agreed calmly.

“And you’re still here.”

I hated how steady he was.

How unaffected.

While everything inside me felt like it was falling apart.

“Fine,” I said finally. “One night.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“We’ll see.”

“I mean it,” I added quickly. “One night. Then I leave.”

He didn’t respond.

Which somehow felt worse than arguing.

“Come with me,” he said, turning toward the door.

I hesitated for a second.

Then followed.

The hallway felt quieter now.

Heavier.

Like every step I took was pulling me deeper into something I wouldn’t be able to escape.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Somewhere safer.”

“That doesn’t sound reassuring.”

“It’s not meant to be.”

We entered a private elevator.

The doors closed behind us with a soft click.

And suddenly…

It was just the two of us.

Too close.

Too quiet.

I became painfully aware of everything.

The space between us.

The way his presence filled the room.

The way my heartbeat refused to calm down.

“You’re not afraid,” he said suddenly.

I blinked. “What?”

“You should be.”

I let out a small breath.

“I am.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Then why are you still here?”

I hesitated.

Because the answer wasn’t simple.

Because it wasn’t just about Liam anymore.

Because something about this—about him—felt like the only way forward.

“I need the truth,” I said finally.

His gaze held mine.

“And you think I’ll give it to you?”

“I think you already have part of it.”

A pause.

“And I think you know more than you’re saying.”

Something unreadable passed through his eyes.

Then the elevator stopped.

The doors opened to an underground parking level.

Dark.

Quiet.

Isolated.

A black car waited for us.

Sleek.

Untouchable.

Just like everything else about him.

“Get in,” Sebastian said.

I hesitated again.

“Do you trust me?” he asked suddenly.

The question caught me off guard.

“Should I?”

“No.”

His honesty surprised me.

Then—

“Get in anyway.”

And somehow…

I did.

The drive was silent at first.

City lights blurred past the window, but I barely noticed.

My mind was still stuck on everything I had seen.

Everything I had heard.

“Who was the woman?” I asked suddenly.

Sebastian didn’t look at me.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

“No,” he said calmly. “I just don’t have that answer yet.”

I studied him carefully.

Trying to read him the way he read me.

But he was harder.

Closed off.

Controlled.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked.

This time, he did look at me.

Briefly.

Then back at the road.

“Because Liam’s death isn’t just your problem.”

My chest tightened.

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, “whoever killed him… didn’t stop with him.”

A chill ran through me.

“And you think I’m next?”

“I know you are.”

The words settled heavily in the car.

Minutes later, we pulled into a large, private estate.

Tall gates.

Security.

Isolation.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“My place.”

Of course it was.

The gates opened slowly.

And as we drove inside…

I felt it again.

That same realization.

That same truth.

I wasn’t just chasing answers anymore.

I was stepping into something dangerous.

Something I might not survive.

The car stopped.

Sebastian got out.

Then walked around to my side.

Opened the door.

I stepped out slowly, looking around.

Everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

“You’ll be safe here,” he said.

I let out a small breath.

“I hope you’re right.”

He stepped closer.

Not too close.

But close enough.

“You wanted the truth,” he said quietly.

My heart beat faster.

“Yes.”

His eyes held mine.

Dark.

Intense.

Unreadable.

“Then don’t run when it finds you.”

And in that moment…

Standing there in the silence of his world…

I realized something I couldn’t ignore.

This wasn’t just about revenge anymore.

It was about survival.

And the most dangerous part?

I wasn’t sure if the real danger was outside…

Or standing right in front of me.