Seth And Thea

“How do you feel about the outturn of things, Ms Thea?”

“How long have you kept the situation with Ms Posy Balmero a secret?”

“How do you feel now that everyone understands your situation?"

Thea and Seth head towards their car, pushing through the crowd of reporters as Seth and Thea's bodyguard surround them. Daisy, Arian and Clara already slipped into their car and were already on their way out.

The door swung shut, finally out of the reach of the reporters. Seth drove off immediately.

The city lights blurred past the tinted windows. Thea sat in the passenger seat of Seth’s black Aston Martin, her reflection flickering in and out of view as they sped down the empty highway.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the steady hum of the engine and the distant wail of police sirens somewhere far behind. Maybe from the chaos they’d just left.

Thea exhaled slowly, her pulse finally beginning to level out. Her fingers still trembled faintly in her lap. She didn’t know if it was adrenaline, victory, or the leftover anger that hadn’t yet burned out.

Seth’s hand tightened slightly on the steering wheel. He hadn’t said a word since they left the wedding hall. Not one. His jaw was tense, his gaze locked on the road.

“You’re quiet,” Thea said at last, her voice soft.

Seth’s eyes flicked her way for a second before returning to the road. “I am?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged.

A small smirk ghosted across his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I was waiting for you to say something.”

Thea chuckled under her breath. “You say that like you didn’t just help me to set the world on fire. ”

He gave a short laugh. “Oh, I did. And I’d do it again.”

Silence again but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. He reached for her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

“You did it,” he finally said. “You actually did it.”

Thea looked out the window. “I told you I would.”

“I didn’t doubt you.”

She didn’t deny it.

A small smile tugged at her lips. “You thought I’d back out. That I’d lose my nerve.”

“I thought,” Seth said, his tone steady, “that you’d get to the truth halfway and then decide you’d had enough. You surprised me.”

“I surprised myself too,” she admitted quietly. “For a while I wanted justice. And tonight I got it. But it doesn’t feel the way I thought it would.”

Seth’s brow furrowed. “How does it feel?”

“Empty,” she whispered. “Like… I’ve been holding my breath for so long and now I don’t even know how to breathe properly.”

Seth’s hand left the steering wheel and brushed lightly against hers. The warmth of his skin against hers made something in her chest twist.

“You did what you had to,” he said softly. “Don’t overthink it.”

Thea turned to face him, her lashes low. “You make it sound easy.”

“Nothing about tonight was easy.” He sighed, finally pulling the car into the long, winding road that led up to his penthouse. “But you didn’t just expose her. You freed yourself.”

Thea’s throat tightened. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe that she could wake up tomorrow and not feel the ghost of what Posy had done.

“You really think so?”

Seth’s lips curved slightly. “You’ll see.”

Thea leaned back against the seat, the exhaustion hitting her all at once. The adrenaline that had carried her through the evening was gone, leaving behind only the ache of her body and the weight of her thoughts.

When they reached his mansion, Seth killed the engine but didn’t move to get out. For a long time, he just sat there, looking at her. Thea could feel the intensity of his gaze without even turning her head.

Finally, she did.

“What?” she asked quietly.

Seth’s voice dropped low. “You were magnificent tonight.”

The words caught her off guard.

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Magnificent? I destroyed a wedding, Seth.”

“Correction, you revealed the truth. They destroyed themselves.”

Thea’s lips parted, but she didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to say.

Seth leaned a little closer, his hand resting casually on the gearshift. “You stood there while everyone else could barely look you in the eye and you didn’t flinch. That… is way scarier than you think. In a good way.”

His tone was low, like he was describing something pure.

Her chest fluttered. “You make me sound like a villain.”

He smiled faintly. “To them, you might be. Not to me.”

Thea’s breath caught.

Something in the air shifted between them, that dangerous pull that had always existed but tonight it was sharper and heavier. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through her veins, or maybe it was the way he was looking at her like she was made of something irresistible.

Seth reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered a moment too long.

“You should get some rest,” he murmured, but his voice was rough, betraying his restraint.

“I’m not tired.”

Seth stared at her with a knowing look, she looked exhausted.

Thea smirked faintly. “Maybe.”

He chuckled softly and finally stepped out of the car, walking around to open her door for her like he always did.

The night air was cool against her skin as she stepped out, her gown sweeping across the marble driveway. Seth’s hand hovered at her lower back, guiding her toward the house.

Inside, the lights were dimmed. Thea slipped off her heels, setting them neatly in one hand. Her feet ached, her head was pounding, but her heart…her heart was strangely light.

Seth watched her in silence, his tie loose now, shirt unbuttoned at the collar. The image of him in the dim lighting; tall, composed, eyes dark with thought made her pulse skip.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I almost stopped you.”

Thea turned. “At the wedding?”

He nodded. “When you were about to show the video. I wanted to tell you not to do it.”

She tilted her head. “Why didn’t you?”

He gave a half-shrug, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Because then you looked at me. And I realized you didn’t need my protection. You were already ten steps ahead.”

Thea smiled faintly. “You really think so?”

“I know so.”

The elevator doors swung open and Thea stepped in first and Seth followed right after. The doors swing shut.

Seconds later, they were in the penthouse.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Before she could blinked, Seth already swept her off her feet, carrying her like she weighed nothing.

“Seth!” Thea called, unable to control her laughter. “I can walk just fine.”

“We both know damn well that your feet hurt.” He replied.

He wasn't wrong..

But deep down in Thea's heart, she's exactly where she wants to be.