At Her Discretion

CHAPTER NINE: UNWANTED ATTENTION

The penthouse was unusually quiet.

Not silent.

Sebastian's phone was playing some video at a volume low enough to be tolerated but high enough to be annoying. Every few minutes, a laugh escaped him before he quickly tried to suppress it.

Across the room, Naomi sat at the dining table with her laptop open and several documents spread neatly around her.

The table was hardly used for meals nowadays.

At some point over the past few months, it had become her unofficial office.

Not that Sebastian would ever admit he'd gotten used to it.

The argument from the Holloway meeting had happened three days ago.

Neither of them had brought it up again.

Neither of them intended to.

The disagreement had simply been buried beneath layers of sarcasm, stubbornness, and mutual refusal to acknowledge their feelings about it.

Sebastian snorted at something on his phone.

Naomi didn't look up.

"You're laughing alone."

"It's called entertainment."

"It's called concerning."

Sebastian placed a hand over his chest.

"You wound me."

"I can live with that."

A familiar voice interrupted before he could respond.

"I see domestic bliss is alive and well."

The penthouse door opened.

Adrian walked inside carrying a paper bag in one hand and a cream-colored envelope in the other.

Sebastian looked up.

"You know most people knock."

"Most people don't have the passcode."

"You have it by mistake."

"Yet I do."

Adrian smiled and headed toward the dining table.

Naomi didn't bother looking surprised.

Adrian appearing unannounced had become a normal occurrence.

At this point he practically lived there.

Which was ironic considering he owned three properties of his own.

"You received mail."

Naomi frowned.

"People still send physical mail?"

"Apparently the wealthy enjoy killing trees."

Sebastian nodded seriously.

"It's how they display dominance."

Naomi's attention shifted toward the envelope.

The moment she noticed the embossed gold lettering, her expression changed.

A very specific kind of annoyance settled across her features.

Adrian immediately noticed.

So did Sebastian.

"What is it?" he asked.

Naomi sighed.

"A problem."

Sebastian sat up.

"That's a dramatic response to an envelope."

"It depends what's inside."

She opened it.

Read the contents.

Then closed her eyes.

"Definitely a problem."

Sebastian looked delighted.

"Oh, now I need to know."

Adrian pulled out a chair and sat down.

"So do I."

Naomi handed the invitation over to Sebastian.

He scanned it quickly.

"The Sterling Foundation Annual Charity Gala."

He looked up.

"That sounds fancy."

"It is."

"You going?"

"Unfortunately."

The answer surprised him.

"You don't sound excited."

"It seems our dear Naomi hates galas," Adrian said.

"I don't hate galas."

"Really?"

Naomi folded her arms.

"I hate everything surrounding galas."

Adrian grinned.

"That's a very long way of saying you hate galas."

Naomi glared at him.

Adrian looked pleased with himself.

Sebastian leaned against the table.

"What's so terrible about it?"

Naomi closed her laptop.

"The cameras, the interviews, and the endless small talk."

"Fair."

"The people who spend an entire evening pretending they're passionate about charity because photographers are watching."

Sebastian nodded slowly.

"Okay. That one sounds exhausting."

"Exactly."

The charity gala was one of the largest fundraising events held every year.

The money raised genuinely helped people.

That part she loved.

The media circus surrounding it was another matter entirely.

By the end of the evening, half the guests would forget what cause they were supporting but remember exactly who had worn what.

It was exhausting.

Every smile was analyzed.

Every conversation was observed.

Every appearance became a headline waiting to happen.

Nothing remained private.

Sebastian looked back at the invitation.

"Wait."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're giving a speech?"

Naomi looked offended.

"I'm as shocked as you are."

"You agreed to this?"

"I don't remember agreeing."

Adrian laughed.

"That usually means you agreed and immediately forgot."

Naomi pointed at him.

"You're not helping."

Sebastian burst out laughing.

Naomi looked ready to commit a crime.

The next few days passed quickly.

Far too quickly for Naomi's liking.

By Friday afternoon, the gala had become unavoidable.

Before she knew it, the evening had arrived.

Which meant Sebastian's penthouse had become a battlefield.

Boxes occupied the living room.

Garment bags hung from chairs.

Hair products and makeup supplies had somehow appeared on nearly every available surface.

Naomi stood in the middle of the chaos looking deeply unimpressed.

"This is ridiculous."

One of the stylists smiled politely.

"It'll only take a few hours."

"A few hours?"

Sebastian nearly choked trying not to laugh.

Naomi immediately pointed at him.

"You."

"What?"

"One more comment and I'll make you help."

"I don't know anything about makeup."

"You'll learn."

His grin vanished.

For the next hour, Sebastian entertained himself by getting in everyone's way.

He accidentally knocked over a rack of clothing.

He wandered off with a stylist's makeup bag.

At one point, he somehow managed to spill juice dangerously close to one of the dresses.

Nobody could prove it had been intentional.

That didn't stop Naomi from threatening him.

By the time evening arrived, even Adrian looked relieved the process was finally ending.

The penthouse grew quiet again.

For several minutes, nobody appeared.

Then footsteps approached.

Both men looked up.

And Naomi emerged.

The room became very quiet.

She wore a dark emerald gown that somehow managed to be elegant without looking excessive.

The color complemented her perfectly.

Her hair fell over one shoulder in soft waves.

Simple jewelry caught the light whenever she moved.

The overall effect was understated.

Which somehow made it impossible to look away.

Sebastian stared.

Then immediately realized he was staring.

And looked elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Adrian saw everything.

Every single second.

The grin that spread across his face was immediate.

And dangerous.

"Wow."

Sebastian glared at him.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was."

Naomi looked between them suspiciously.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sebastian said quickly.

Adrian looked delighted.

"Nothing at all."

Naomi narrowed her eyes.

Neither man looked trustworthy.

Then again, neither man ever looked trustworthy.

For a brief moment, she caught Sebastian looking in her direction again.

The second their eyes met, he looked away.

Strange.

She decided not to mention it.

Mostly because Adrian looked entirely too interested in whatever was happening.

Some battles simply weren't worth fighting.

The drive to the hotel was surprisingly peaceful.

For approximately seven minutes.

Then Adrian ruined it.

"So."

Sebastian immediately knew that tone.

"No."

"I haven't said anything yet."

"You were going to."

Adrian smiled.

"I was going to compliment Naomi."

"Do that."

"I was also going to mention how you almost forgot how words worked earlier."

Naomi turned her head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"It wasn't nothing."

"It was absolutely nothing."

Adrian laughed.

Sebastian briefly considered opening the car door and rolling into traffic.

Naomi, unfortunately, looked amused.

The city lights blurred past the windows.

"You know," Adrian said, "this feels like we're heading into battle."

"In a way, we are," Naomi replied.

"How many rich people are going to be there?"

"Hundreds."

"Do they know they're rich?"

Adrian looked up from his tablet.

"Unfortunately."

Naomi laughed.

A genuine laugh.

Sebastian smiled despite himself.

For a moment, the tension left her shoulders.

Then the hotel came into view.

And everything changed.

Bright lights illuminated the entrance.

Luxury cars lined the curb.

Security personnel stood near the doors.

Behind the barriers, photographers crowded together with cameras already raised.

Waiting.

Watching.

Ready.

The moment Naomi saw them, her expression shifted.

The relaxed woman from the car disappeared.

The composed lawyer returned.

Sebastian noticed it instantly.

For the first time, he understood why she disliked events like this.

Because the second those cameras appeared, she stopped being Naomi.

She became a public figure.

A headline.

A story.

The car rolled to a stop.

Flashes immediately exploded outside.

Questions echoed through the crowd.

Reporters surged forward.

Photographers raised their cameras.

The driver opened the door.

Naomi took a slow breath.

Then stepped out first.

Perfect posture.

Calm expression.

Not a single sign of discomfort.

The cameras erupted.

Adrian followed behind her.

Sebastian climbed out last, blinking against the flashing lights.

And as reporters began shouting questions from every direction, he had a feeling the evening was about to become far more complicated than any of them expected.

The worst part?

They hadn't even made it inside yet.