Chapter 5

Sebastian stood up and slung his jacket over his shoulder.

"Do you have any idea what's going to happen next?"

"Well..." I said softly, "I'm going to try to get a boyfriend, and if that doesn't work out, I'll have to find another option." I added with a slight laugh.

"I can't believe it..." Sebastian sighed. "Well, I'm in this with you now. I'll get to work and talk to my family's lawyers to see what we can do for you."

Sebastian left through the door, looking confused, as if he hadn't expected me to have decided to play along with my uncle. I still couldn't fully trust him, but I was sure I couldn't do all this alone, and if he turned out to be an ally, all my problems would be much easier.

I left work with my heart in my throat. Kathe had given me the address where Elias said I was to meet Roy. I walked on, replaying everything that had happened and why we'd broken up. As I walked, I could hear my boots clicking on the ground, along with my racing heartbeat. That one question kept running through my head... "Why did we break up?"

I finally arrived at the cafe and sat down in a chair near the window. Out of nowhere, a scent I recognized reached my nose. I turned around.

It was Roy. He possessed an ethereal beauty that seemed to belong to another world. His brown hair fell in tousled strands, while his icy-blue eyes shone with an intensity that blended innocence and mystery. His pale skin stood out even more against the vibrant energy that surrounded him. He wasn't just attractive; there was a playful and rebellious vibe about him, but also a profound loneliness that made him irresistible at first sight.

He looked at me immediately and started walking toward me.He didn't greet me and went straight to sit in the chair across from me. I remained silent, and so did he.

"Roy," I said, and he looked me in the eyes. Those eyes made my heart skip a beat I hadn't expected. "Let's get married."

Roy didn't say anything, just frowned and looked at me, as if waiting for an explanation.

"If you accept, we'll get married in 30 days, and you'll have 3% of my company's shares. You'll also have access to everything I own, as long as you're legally married to me."

"What are you saying, dear?"

"I'm saying I need you. I need you to help me this once; it's the only way I can keep my company."

Roy let out a bitter laugh.

"So you're looking for me to save your company?" he said, his tone bitter.

"Roy, you told me never to look for you. So yes, I'm looking for you because I need you," I blurted out.

"Sure, now you care... my dear."

"What do you mean?" I said.

"I mean... Ugh, this is why..."

"Roy, whatever problems you have with your family, we can solve them. We can..."

"No. We can't."

"Just... listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me. Sofia, we've lived together for over two years. You never asked me what I wanted. You never wanted to let me be myself; you never helped me to..."

"What do you mean? I paid for everything for you, I worked two jobs because you couldn't find anything..."

"See? Now you're trying to make it my fault again. You always do this, always try to make it my problem. My fault."

I took a deep breath, trying not to ruin what I was thinking, attempting to make sense of it all.

"You want me to change? Well, it's just a marriage of convenience anyway; you just have to..."

"Enough, Sofia! We decided to separate, and the truth is I stopped feeling anything for you long before we separated. I stopped liking you, and I was with you for the comfort you gave me. Nothing more." He blurted it out.

I swallowed hard as I remembered our relationship. As I accepted that he had been pretending to love me for who knows how long just because... it gave him comfort. I got up from the table and opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. I turned around and heard him call my name with a hint of regret, but I didn't turn back. I kept walking until I finally left the café. I took a deep breath and continued walking, heading back home, my heart pounding, but this time with anger, pure anger. That bastard.

As I was crossing the street, a hand pulled me back, just as a motorcycle sped by honking its horn. I stood there hyperventilating for a moment, trying to process what had just happened... I'd almost been hit.

I turned around, frowning, and it was Sebastian standing behind me, looking distraught.

"Seb... Sebastian... what... what are you doing... here...?" I whispered.

"Me?" he said sharply. "What about you? You almost killed yourself."

"I... Yes... I... I just noticed," I said, my voice trembling, still a whisper.

When I finally regained my composure, I saw two bags of food on the ground, with other things scattered everywhere.

"What are you doing here?" I managed to say.

"I... I was just passing by when I saw you, walking straight into the street. I called out to you, but... But you didn't react at all."

"Oh, I," I said, letting out a nervous giggle, "my meeting didn't go well," I said, feeling my eyes begin to burn, my tears begin to well up.

No matter how hard I tried, I crumbled. I started hyperventilating. Sebastian noticed I was having a panic attack.

"Hey, hey... Look at me," he said, his tone very calm.

"I need a moment, I need... I need to get away from all of this."

In that instant, when I felt like my world was spinning, I felt Sebastian lift me off the ground. I closed my eyes as my mind raced, a flood of emotions overwhelming me, from anger at what I had just discovered about my past to the pent-up sadness from my father's death. Everything I had been trying to hold back was now engulfing me. When I regained consciousness, I was in a bed. I sat up abruptly, surprised.

"Where... Where am I...?" I said quickly, sitting up in bed.

"At my home," said a voice.

I turned and saw Sebastian sitting in a chair beside the bed, looking at me with those blue-gray eyes that had captivated me since the first day I saw him.

"Sebastian, what if...?"

A woman with short brown hair entered the room at that moment, wearing an expensive, elegant dress. The woman seemed surprised; she glanced from Sebastian to me and then back to Sebastian, her eyes wide open. She stifled a sigh and then approached Sebastian, angry.

"Sebastian. Don't even think about continuing to associate with Sofia Reign."