OliviaWe were curled up beneath a thick blanket that smelled faintly of cedarwood and laundry detergent, our bodies entangled like the firelight dancing across the walls. The freezing bite of New York's winter clawed at the windows, but inside, wrapped up in Sebastian's warmth and the golden hush of the flames, I felt like I was floating inside a snow globe that didn’t want to be shaken.The painting he gave me leaned silently in the corner, still and haunting. Beautiful, yes, but also strange. Like it was watching me. Like it remembered me before I remembered myself. I tried not to stare at it for too long.Sebastian pressed lazy, tender kisses to the nape of my neck, his lips hot against my cool skin, and I shivered at the feeling, slow, electric. The kind of shiver that had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with being desired.“Can I ask you something?” I murmured, threading my fingers through his, resting them over the soft curve of my waist.“Mhm,” he breathed against
SebastianIt had been exactly one week since the press conference, and somehow, my name was still trending on every corner of the internet. Headlines, tweets, business blogs—you name it. Most have been raging on with praise, some scrutiny, conspiracy theories—they couldn’t get enough. But Olivia... she wasn’t thrilled about it."I know your reputation's been salvaged," she said, her tone wary as we moved around the kitchen prepping for lunch together. "The investors are back, everyone’s praising you and tearing Phillip apart, but—"Her words were cut off by a sharp gasp.I turned just in time to see the knife clatter to the floor and blood streak down her hand."Shit," she muttered, pain slicing through her features.I was at her side in seconds, adrenaline crashing through me. The knife clattered against the tiles, a thin ribbon of blood curling down her palm.“Damn it,” she muttered, more annoyed than afraid, her mouth pulled into a pout as she clutched her hand like it was the kni
Olivia"I don't like her being here, Sebastian," I said flatly, letting him lace our fingers as I stared at the front door like it had offended me personally.He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, his voice calm but annoyingly reasonable. "She’s been helping us, Love. She said it’s something important, something we need to see.""And that’s enough reason to invite her into our home?" I shot him a glare, arching a brow. "Really?"He smiled, that maddening, effortless kind that made it hard to stay mad. "Darling, Alice is on our side.""More like Alice wants to crawl onto your side of the bed," I muttered under my breath."What?" Sebastian choked, coughing on air as his warm, amused laugh bounced off the walls.I folded my arms. "Oh, don’t play dumb. You’ve seen the way she looks at you, like she’s already picked out your wedding tux and the honeymoon suite."He tilted his head, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Are you...jealous?""Me? Jealous?" I scoffed, straightening. "I don’t get jealous.
Sebastian"Sebastian, you wanted to see me?" my mother asked as she stepped into the study, her heels tapping softly against the polished floor.I didn’t look up right away. My fingers stayed laced together on the desk, my face blank."Yes. Have a seat," I said, my tone colder than I intended, but I didn't bother softening it.She sat down in the chair across from me. Her poise was perfect, back straight, legs crossed, but there was a flicker of unease in her eyes that she couldn't hide.I stared at her in silence for a long second, letting the tension stretch."Did you tell her?" I finally asked, leaning back and folding my arms across my chest.Her lips pressed into a tight line. "Sebastian, not this again. Can we just...can we not do this right now?"My jaw clenched. "Do you even hear yourself? She has the right to know.""She just got better. The whole situation with Olivia was messed up. I can’t throw this at her now.""You’re stalling. You’ve been stalling. And I know you too da
OliviaThis was bad. I tried to focus on the runway, to keep my poise, my pace, my damn balance, but it was impossible. Every time my eyes flicked toward the crowd, there he was. Sebastian. Grinning at me like he'd just uncovered my biggest secret.I could practically feel the panic bubbling up in my throat.How the hell was I supposed to explain this? I already had a mountain of lies waiting to crash down on me, and now the man I called my husband had just watched me strut down a runway like some mystery model. In a mask. Like this was some kind of undercover mission from Vogue.Maybe—just maybe—he hadn’t recognized me?Yeah right.Who was I even kidding? The way he waved? That cocky little tilt of his head? That man knew. Knew exactly who was behind the mask. I was supposed to be comforting my injured friend. That was the story I fed him. The truth? I was walking a red carpet under a fake name, competing with a clone who was trying to steal my place in the fashion world.I started
OliviaHow the hell was I supposed to escape Sebastian?Don’t get me wrong—trailing him to work had been amazing. Being around him always felt like I was wrapped in velvet and sin, and watching him in his element? Sexy as hell. And now that things at his company were finally stabilizing, I should’ve been relieved.Except… I wasn’t.Because this man—this gorgeous, possessive menace—wanted me glued to him 24/7. I mean, I love being in his orbit. Who wouldn’t? But let’s be real: I couldn’t keep playing clingy trophy wife when I had a career to salvage. A secret career, mind you. The masked model wasn’t going to slay herself on that runway.And yet, here I was, stretched across his stupidly comfortable sofa, stuffing my face with a greasy burger while watching him work. My tastebuds were in heaven, but my brain? Screaming.I had to leave. Like, now.Except I didn’t move. Not a muscle. I just kept biting into the burger like it held the answers to my life.Because maybe... just maybe... I