What are you doing here?

SEBASTIAN

I hated putting her in this position. Seeing the tears threatening to spill from her eyes twisted something deep inside me.

But this was the only way. If I didn’t frame it this way, there was no way she’d accept the offer I was about to give her.

Her hand hovered over the doorknob as she turned back to face me. Her voice wavered, though she tried to keep it steady. “What’s the condition?”

I took a deep breath. “You can keep your job,” I began, “but you have to agree to one thing.”

Her brows furrowed, and she crossed her arms, waiting.

“You’ll act as my date for my family’s Christmas and New Year’s celebrations,” I said, watching her expression carefully. “You’ll have to pretend to be my girlfriend. After that, everything goes back to normal. You’ll keep your job, and I’ll stay out of your way.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” I replied. “My father has been breathing down my neck, insisting I bring someone home. If I don’t, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She blinked, clearly struggling to process what I’d just said. “So, let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend? At your family’s gatherings? For two entire holidays?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “In return, you keep your job, and we pretend this conversation never happened.”

Callie sighed, her arms dropping to her sides. Her eyes shifted to the floor, then back to me, and I braced myself for her rejection.

This was a long shot, I knew that. But I couldn’t come up with any other way to navigate this mess without dragging her into it.

Then, finally, she spoke. “Will Ethan be there?”

Her question caught me off guard. “Yes,” I said slowly. “My whole family will be there. And from what I hear, Ethan’s bringing his new girlfriend.”

Her head snapped up. “What? New girlfriend?”

The sharp edge in her tone caught me off guard, but I kept my reaction on check. “That’s what I heard. Why?”

She shook her head, muttering under her breath, 'Unbelievable.' Then, raising her voice, she said, 'Do you even know that Ethan and I used to be close? Well, not anymore, obviously.”

I leaned back in my chair, studying her. “Yeah, I know,” I said casually. “Ethan mentioned you once or twice. He said you were just a friend… someone he saw more like a sister.”

“Well, I’ve heard that, and I don’t remember having any siblings,” she scoffed.

I shrugged. “Look, I don’t care about Ethan. We’re not that close… we hardly talk. This arrangement has nothing to do with him.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought she’d say no. Then she exhaled. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

Relief flooded through me, though I masked it with a nod. “Good. I’ll have everything arranged. We leave this weekend, so be ready.”

As soon as the door clicked shut, I waited a moment to make sure Callie wasn’t coming back, then stood up and did a quiet, triumphant fist pump.

“Yes,” I muttered under my breath, grinning like an idiot. For a second, I glanced around my office, realizing just how ridiculous I must’ve looked.

But I didn’t care. She’d agreed. Against all odds, she’d agreed.

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing a bit to burn off the unexpected surge of energy coursing through me.

I didn’t know what it was about her… those fiery eyes, the way she always stood her ground, or maybe it was because of that night.

Whatever it was, Callie had a way of getting under my skin in a way no one else ever had.

*******************

CALLIE

The moment I stepped out of Sebastian’s office, I wiped the corners of my eyes, careful not to smudge my makeup.

Once I was out of sight, a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I hadn’t agreed to this ridiculous charade just to keep my job…though that was certainly a bonus.

This deal had just handed me the perfect opportunity on a silver platter. A chance to face Ethan. A chance to see his reaction when I showed up as Sebastian’s girlfriend.

Oh, this holiday was going to be good.

*******

Dragging my travel bag behind me, I spotted Sebastian leaning casually against his car. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his gaze met mine as I approached.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Finally, Sebastian cleared his throat and uncrossed his arms. “Before we head out, I want to say something.”

I raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt.

“I’ve been a dick,” he said bluntly. “I know I acted in a completely absurd manner since that night. I shouldn’t have used the whole ‘I’m firing you’ stunt to get you to agree to this.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his honesty.

He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and looked at me. “The truth is…I really wanted you to come with me for Christmas. I was desperate, and I handled it all wrong. I didn’t mean it when I said I’d fire you. You can still say no if you want to.”

I studied him as I bit my lower lip. This wasn’t the Sebastian I met two nights ago… the one who oozed confidence and sarcasm like a second skin. This was someone who, for once, seemed…human.

“It’s fine,” I said finally. “You’ve apologized, and I’m good with that. Let’s just get this over with.”

He sighed and for the first time, I noticed the faint curve of a smile tugging at his lips. He extended his hand toward me. “Alright then. Let’s start over.” His grin widened as he added, “I’m Sebastian, your completely ridiculous and overdramatic boss.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I took his hand. “Callie,” I replied, shaking it firmly. “Your unimpressed, dragged-into-this-mess employee.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Callie,” he said, as his smile widened, and for a moment, his charm felt disarming rather than annoying.

He gestured toward the car. “Alright. Let’s hit the road.”

As Sebastian pulled up the long, tree-lined driveway, my eyes widened at the sheer scale of the estate. The house… or rather, the palace, looked like something out of a fairytale. I’d only ever seen places like this in movies, and stepping into this world felt surreal.

Sebastian glanced at me as he parked the car and smirked. “Impressed?”

“Is this a house or a theme park?” I muttered, still staring out the window.

“Depends on who you ask,” he replied, stepping out of the car. Before I could open my door, he was there, pulling it open for me like some sort of gentleman.

As I stepped out, the cool breeze brushed against my skin, and Sebastian’s hand was suddenly on mine, steadying me. “Don’t fall now,” he said.

I looked down at our hands, then back up at him. “I’m not that clumsy.”

He didn’t let go, though, and as he helped me out of the car, he glanced at his phone, and his expression changed. “Just got a message in the family group chat,” he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket.

“Ethan and his new girlfriend arrived already.”

I stiffened at the mention of Ethan, but I quickly masked it with a smile. “How lovely,” I said, trying to ignore the tightening in my chest.

Sebastian’s smirk returned. “Well, my girlfriend… my love, can we go in now?”

I rolled my eyes at his dramatic tone but then I couldn’t stop the blush creeping up my cheeks. “Yes, boyfriend,” I said, emphasizing the word, “let’s go in.”

Sebastian knocked, and we waited. The sound of footsteps approached from the other side, and the heavy door creaked open.

Ethan stood there.

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. His brown eyes widened in shock as sighted me, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn’t quite form words.

“Callie?” he finally managed to say. “What… what are you doing here?”