Chapter 7:

Skylar

I walked beside Sebastian in silence, trying my best to match his long strides.

The moment we stepped through the front doors, everything changed. Every servant inside immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed in unison.

"Welcome home, Master."

I blinked.

Not a single person dared to lift their head until Sebastian had walked past.

The entire mansion fell into complete silence. No one whispered. No one looked directly at him unless he acknowledged them first.

For some reason, I found myself straightening my back too, intimidated by the cold authority that seemed to surround him.

A young girl approached us with calm steps. She wore a neat black uniform, and her brown hair was tied into a neat bun.

She stopped before Sebastian and bowed.

"Welcome home, Master."

Sebastian gave a small nod. "Louisa."

"Yes, Master?" she answered respectfully.

"Gather everyone."

She curtsied slightly. "Immediately, Master."

Without another word, she turned and began issuing quiet instructions.

Within minutes, every servant in the mansion had assembled neatly before us.

There had to be over twenty of them. Not a single person spoke.

I suddenly became very aware of the fact that I was standing beside Sebastian instead of behind him.

Louisa stepped forward once more. "Master, everyone is here."

Sebastian's expression remained unreadable as his gaze swept across the room. "Good."

Without warning, he reached for my hand.

My breath hitched as his fingers wrapped around mine. His hand was warm, his grip firm but gentle.

Almost instantly, every pair of eyes shifted to our joined hands.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. At that moment, I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

"This is Skylar," Sebastian said evenly. "And soon enough, she's going to be my wife."

My heart skipped a beat.

For some reason, hearing those words spoken aloud made everything feel real all over again.

I was actually going to marry him. Not for love, not for forever, but I was.

The room remained completely silent.

Even Louisa's composed expression faltered for the briefest moment before she quickly recovered.

Sebastian continued as though he hadn't noticed.

"She is to be treated with the same respect you show me."

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over every servant. "No one is to disrespect her."

His voice grew colder. "If anyone has a problem with that..."

His eyes hardened. "They will answer to me."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," everyone answered in unison.

I could only stare at them, unable to hide my surprise.

Louisa stepped forward again and bowed to me. "Welcome home, Madam."

The rest of the staff immediately followed. "Welcome home, Madam."

My head felt heavy. Madam?

The word sounded so foreign when directed at me. No one had ever addressed me with that kind of respect before.

Not once in my life.

"You may all return to your duties." Sebastian's deep voice echoed through the room.

"Yes, Master."

Almost immediately, the staff sprang back into action. The maids disappeared down one corridor while the guards headed in another direction. Within seconds, it was as if nothing had happened.

Sebastian released my hand and glanced at me. "Come with me."

I blinked.

"To... where?"

The moment the question left my mouth, I felt ridiculous for asking it.

"Our room."

My throat went dry. Our room?

The words echoed in my head, making my heart skip a beat. I had agreed to a fake marriage, but hearing him say it so naturally made me tense up.

Sebastian started walking. I hurried after him.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he said without looking back. "We won't be sharing a bed."

I let out a quiet breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

My heart refused to calm down as I followed him through the mansion. I didn't even have the luxury of admiring our surroundings. My mind was too busy trying to process the fact that I'd be marrying a man I'd met only hours ago.

Before I knew it, we stopped in front of two tall, polished wooden doors.

Sebastian pushed them open.

I froze.

The room beyond was enormous.

It was a luxurious master bedroom, furnished with elegant décor in shades of black, white, and gold. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the estate, while a spacious sitting area occupied one corner of the room.

"Earth to Skylar." His deep voice snapped me back to reality.

I jolted slightly and looked at him. He was holding a thick folder in one hand.

My breathing slowed. "What's this?" I asked.

"The contract."

He held it out to me. "We're getting married tomorrow."

I stared at him before slowly taking it from his hand.

My fingers trembled so badly that I almost dropped it.

"Tomorrow?" I repeated, my eyes widening.

Sebastian removed his coat and draped it neatly over the nearby couch before loosening his tie.

"I have some work to do," he said calmly. "It might take all night."

He glanced at the folder in my hands. "Go through the contract."

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with the document that suddenly felt heavy as a rock.

I carried the folder to the bed and sat down, staring at it for a long moment.

This was it.

If I signed this agreement, I'd be marrying Sebastian Blackwood in a matter of hours.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the folder.

The first few pages were filled with legal terms that made my head spin, so I focused on the clauses that actually mattered.

The marriage would be legal and public.

💌I'd return to college, and all my tuition and educational expenses would be covered. I'd accompany Sebastian to important corporate and family events whenever my presence was required.

Both of us were expected to uphold the agreement and maintain the image of a married couple.

Either of us could terminate the contract under certain conditions.

I found myself rereading a few sections twice.

For someone as powerful as Sebastian, the agreement was surprisingly fair. There were no unreasonable demands or humiliating conditions.

It almost didn't feel real.

Eventually, I reached the last page.

The signature line.

My fingers tightened around the pen. Once I signed, there would be no turning back. I closed my eyes for a brief second, then slowly wrote my name.

Skylar Vale.

I stared at the signature for a while before letting out a quiet breath.

It was done. Still curious, I flipped through the remaining pages. But a tired yawn escaped my lips.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on the words, but they refused to stay still. The neat black letters began to blur together, and no matter how many times I blinked, they wouldn't sharpen.

I rested my head against my hand for what I thought would be only a second.

But the next thing I knew, darkness claimed me.

***

A sharp knock startled me awake.

I blinked, squinting against the morning sunlight pouring through the curtains. For a second, I had no idea where I was.

Then I looked down.

The contract was still spread across the bed beneath me.

"Oh no..."

One of the pages had been stuck to my cheek.

I quickly peeled it off, my eyes widening as I noticed the faint damp mark I'd left behind.

Please tell me that wasn't...

My face burned.

I hurriedly tried smoothing the page with my hand as if that would somehow erase the evidence.

"Did you sign it?"

The deep voice made me freeze.

I looked up.

Sebastian was standing a few feet away, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, looking as composed as ever.

How long had he been standing there?

"I... uh..."

I nodded awkwardly. "Y-yes."

He walked over and held out his hand.

I quickly gathered the papers and handed him the folder, silently praying he wouldn't point out how wrinkled they were.

He opened it. His eyes scanned the signature. Then they shifted to the corner of the page.

A moment of silence passed.

Without changing his expression, he looked back at me.

"I asked you to sign the contract," he said evenly. "Not drool on it."

My entire body went still. My mouth fell open. Then my face exploded with heat.

"I-I didn't—"

I looked at the page.

The tiny drool stain stared back at me.

And at that moment I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.