Chapter Eighteen

Alina POV

I watched him put it in his pocket. “You wouldn't be needing this for now,” he told me.

I raised my brows, confused. “Why? I always need my phone, give it back”  I held my hands out expectantly.

“I'll give it back later,” he replied, shrugging.

“Well, I don't understand what silly games you are playing this time Sebastian Wolfe but I would like my phone back this very minute, I don't care about what you think”

“Fine,” he agreed and reached out for me. I flinched and jumped away as fast as I could.  He frowned but he didn't say anything and I didn't know whether he actually understood or if he was simply pretending. I decided not to ask and to take my chances with it.

He dropped the phone on the bed instead of handing it to me and soon he was walking towards the door. “I'm going downstairs,  I'll send my chauffeur around to pick you up,”

“Wait, you aren't coming?”

“No” he said matter of factly. He turned around and I saw something flash across his eyes, something very dark and cold, it scared me but also intrigued me. He gave me one last glance, turned and was gone without another word.

And just like he had said, one of the maids came knocking.

“The chauffeur is ready to take you to your destination ma’am” she said politely without looking me in the eye.

“Yes, thank you” I told her and headed out the door.

Once I reached the gates, I noticed that the reporters were no longer there . I wondered whether Sebastian had been successful in persuading them off. Once I got in the car, I was able to breathe a less suffocating  sigh of relief. I could feel that someone was watching me though.

The chauffeur, why?

“We need to stop by the mall, I need to get a few things”  I requested and the driver nodded.

When we got to the mall and I stepped out, it felt normal until it didn't.

I could feel people's eyes on me. I thought maybe the news of my sudden marriage to Sebastian had made it out of the city.

But their looks weren't that of curiosity or admiration, it was  more along the lines of disdain and disgust. Some people looked like they would faint if the air wasn't enough.

They all whispered among themselves as if  I was the plague or an infection. They were talking about me like I was a freak. I couldn't bear it. I had to get out of here.  It was too crowded. I couldn't stand it anymore.

I walked back into the car.

“Why is everyone looking at me?” I asked the driver.

His eyes widened in shock when he realized that I was already back.

“I have no idea, ma’am” But he was not a good liar, even when trying hard not to.

I stared ahead, staring blankly.

“What do you know?”  I asked, turning to face him.

“Ma'am, please don't worry about this. They are just upset because of the rumors” he assured me, but it sounded unconvincing.

“What rumors?” I pressed on.

He swallowed, looking nervously to the left and right, making sure that we were alone.

“About your relationship” he mumbled quietly.

I frowned, “My relationship?” I repeated. The words felt strange rolling off my tongue, almost wrong.

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze for a second “You haven't gone through your phone all day?” I shook my head.

I heard him mumble “Fuck”

But I didn't care, at this point I was already going through my phone.

My hands shook uncontrollably when I saw it.

“Photos of heiress and newly wedded wife of Sebastian Wolfe and another man surfaced on the internet, few days after their secret wedding”   The headline read in bold letters.

Below was a picture of me from five years ago and one of the men I slept with. When was this photo taken? How did I not notice? Who sent it to the media?

The next photo revealed the same thing with my arm slung across a new guy's shoulders, both of us wearing matching grins. I remember it well. I must have drunk a little too much that night.  I only had my lingerie on.

“Take me back” I ordered the chauffeur . My voice shook  as I stared down at the screen. The picture followed me everywhere. Everywhere. I kept rewatching them on my phone.

“We have arrived ma’am” the driver said to me and I forced myself to look at him again and nod my head. What was happening to me? I thought. Was I going insane?

I was a little bit familiar with the stairs now, so I moved straight to Sebastian’s master bedroom.

I couldn't face my grandfather , not with this new development, he would be ashamed of me.

Sebastian was casually sitting on the bed.

“You knew!” I spat at him unbelievably, I was ready to tear him into pieces. My body shook with so much anger.

He raised his eyebrows, “Know what?”  

“That there was a rumor about me, not rumors. Photos about my past on the internet” I said furiously. My cheeks were burning.

“I was under the impression that your family was not very open about such matters”  he said coolly and I stared at him. How dare he insult my family?

“And I also asked for your phone”   His blue eyes narrowed at me. He was getting impatient, I could tell.

I took a deep breath. “Did you think that would automatically fix things?”

“Well, I fixed it”

“That's a lie!” I shouted and took a step towards him. He stood abruptly from the bed and glared at me,  I could see anger in those cold blue eyes.

“Check again” His words sounded as if he was daring me. So I did, I checked again.

It was as if the whole gossip vanished from the world, as if it was never there in the first place. It wasn't on my phone anymore nor on the blog I found it.

“How did you…”

His hand cupped my chin as he pulled me closer. Our breaths mixed  together as he stared intently into my eyes. I didn't dare look away.

“Don't you think you owe me a thank you?”