Chapter 21: The Queen's New Armor

 

They dripped onto the expensive marble floor of the foyer. Puddle. Puddle. Puddle.

The maids rushed over with towels, gasping. "Mr. Sterling! Miss Evans! You're soaked!"

Sebastian ignored the water dripping from his own nose. His eyes were fixed on Harper. Her clothes were clinging to her body. Her lips were slightly blue from the cold hail.

"Go upstairs," Sebastian ordered, his voice sharp. "Hot shower. Now. Don't come out until you're warm."

Harper sneezed. "But the wheelchair... I need to dry the battery..."

"I said go," Sebastian pointed to the stairs. "If you get sick, I'm deducting it from your salary."

The threat worked. Harper grabbed a towel and sprinted upstairs. "I'm going! Don't deduct my money!"

Sebastian watched her disappear. He shivered, but not from the cold. He touched his chest. The frantic heartbeat from the storm had calmed down, but a warm, steady rhythm remained.

"Sir?" The butler approached cautiously. "Your bath is ready."

"Wait," Sebastian said. "Make ginger tea. Strong. And send it to her room."

---

[Enter: The Stylist]

An hour later. The storm had passed. The villa was warm and dry again.

The doorbell rang. A man burst in, followed by three assistants rolling racks of clothes. He wore a neon pink suit, oversized sunglasses (indoors), and had a tape measure around his neck.

"Sebastian!" The man dramatically removed his sunglasses. "My poor darling! I heard you were attacked by a lawnmower!"

This was Leo. The most expensive stylist in the city, and one of the few people Sebastian tolerated.

Sebastian rolled into the living room, freshly showered and wearing a dark turtleneck. His hair was neat and sharp (thanks to Tony).

Leo paused. He circled Sebastian like a shark. "Wait. This... this is actually good." Leo touched the fade. "Sharp. Modern. Edgy. Who fixed it? Tony? That hack actually did a good job."

"Harper started it," Sebastian said dryly. "Tony saved it."

"Harper?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "Is that the name of your new lawnmower?"

Just then, footsteps echoed on the stairs. "Boss? I smell ginger tea! Did you order it?"

Harper hopped down the stairs. She was wearing an oversized hoodie (probably Liam's old one) and sweatpants. Her hair was wrapped in a messy towel. She looked like a fluffy, unbaked bun.

Leo stared at her. "Who... is this creature?"

Sebastian looked up. His gaze softened. "This is Harper. My date."

Leo choked on air. "This? This is your date for the engagement party of the century? Sebastian, she looks like she lives in a gym bag!"

Harper stopped, holding her mug of tea. She looked at the neon-pink man. "And you look like a highlighter pen," she retorted.

Leo gasped. He looked at Sebastian. "I like her. She has claws."

---

[The Fitting]

"Okay, Highlighter," Harper put down her tea. "What are we doing?"

"We are going to war," Leo announced, snapping his fingers. "The Vance-Lin engagement party. Everyone will be there. Your ex-fiancée. Your traitors. We need to make sure that when Sebastian enters the room, they regret being born."

He turned to Harper. "And you, my dear, are his weapon. You need to look like a Queen."

He shoved Harper behind a changing screen. "Try this! Red! Aggressive!"

Harper poked her head out. "It's too tight. I can't breathe."

"Beauty is pain!" Leo shouted. "Try the Gold one! Rich!"

"It itches!"

"Try the Black one! Mysterious!"

"I look like a widow."

Sebastian sat on the sofa, watching the fashion show. He rejected every dress Leo suggested. "Too short." "Too flashy." "Too much back." "Absolutely not."

Leo threw his hands up. "Sebastian! You are impossible! You want her to look sexy but you don't want anyone to see her? What do you want?"

Sebastian looked at Harper, who was currently drowning in a pile of rejected silk. He thought about the rainbow in the garden. He thought about her standing in the rain, holding the umbrella over him like a shield.

"Blue," Sebastian said quietly. "Not just blue. Starry Night Blue."

Leo paused. His eyes lit up. "Oh. I have just the thing."

He ran to the back of the rack and pulled out a garment bag. He unzipped it.

It was a deep, midnight blue velvet gown. It had a slit up the leg (for movement) and delicate silver crystals scattered across the fabric like stars. It was elegant, regal, and breathtaking.

"Go," Leo pushed Harper back behind the screen.

Five minutes passed. Silence.

"Harper?" Sebastian called out. "Do you need help?"

"No," Harper’s voice was small. "I just... I've never worn anything like this."

"Come out," Sebastian said softly.

Slowly, Harper stepped out from behind the screen.

The room went quiet. The dress hugged her figure perfectly, the velvet contrasting with her porcelain skin. The silver crystals caught the light, making her shimmer with every step. She had taken the towel off. Her damp hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

She didn't look like a caretaker. She didn't look like a "Happy Puppy." She looked ethereal.

Sebastian felt his throat go dry. He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair. He knew she was pretty. But he didn't know she could stop time.

Leo clapped his hands, breaking the spell. "Perfection! We just need some diamonds, a pair of killer heels, and maybe a tiara!"

Harper looked at Sebastian nervously. She tugged at the hem of the dress. "Boss? Is it... okay? Do I look weird?"

Sebastian rolled his wheelchair closer to her. He reached out and took her hand. "No," he whispered, his voice rough. "You look dangerous."

Harper blinked. "Dangerous?"

"Yes," Sebastian smirked, his eyes dark and intense. "You're going to break a lot of hearts that night."

Harper blushed, turning the same shade as Leo's suit. "Well," she muttered. "As long as I don't break my heels."