Chapter 27: The Price of Standing

 

The air in the rehabilitation room smelled of sweat and disinfectant.

"ARGH!" A low, suppressed growl broke the silence.

Sebastian gripped the parallel bars so hard his knuckles turned white. The veins in his arms bulged like winding snakes. Sweat rolled down his high nose bridge, crashing onto the floor. His legs were trembling violently, shaking like two withered branches in a storm.

"Enough!" Dr. Ryan (Mo Hai) stared at the monitor, his brows furrowed. "Sebastian, your heart rate is over 100. Your muscles are on the verge of spasming. Stop now!"

"No..." Sebastian gritted his teeth. His face was pale as paper, but his eyes burned with terrifying intensity. "Five... more... seconds."

He was trying to stand without the exoskeleton. It felt like walking on knives. As his dormant nerves woke up, every signal sent from his brain felt like a thousand steel needles piercing his bone marrow.

Harper stood nearby, clutching a towel. Her knuckles were white, too. Seeing him in such agony, bathed in cold sweat, felt like a giant hand was squeezing her heart. She wanted him to stop. But she knew she couldn't. This was a battle for his dignity.

"Three..." Sebastian squeezed the number out through clenched teeth. "Two..." "One."

The moment the second passed, Sebastian’s strength collapsed. His knees buckled, and his body fell backward like a crumbling tower.

"Careful!" Harper was ready. She darted forward like an arrow, catching his heavy body with her slim shoulders.

Thud. They fell together onto the thick yoga mat. Sebastian’s weight pressed down on her, knocking the wind out of her with a small grunt.

"Did I hurt you?" Sebastian ignored his own wretched state, trying to push himself up to check on her.

"I'm fine, the mat is soft." Harper quickly supported him. "What about you? Do your legs hurt?"

Sebastian collapsed back onto the mat, throwing his arm over his eyes to hide his face. "Useless..." His voice was hoarse, filled with deep frustration. "I risked my life, and I only stood for ten seconds. Harper, I am a cripple."

What did it matter if he was a business genius? What did it matter if he played the piano like a god? In front of the woman he loved, he couldn't even stand to hug her.

Harper propped herself up on one elbow, looking down at him. She reached out and gently moved his arm away from his eyes. Those dark eyes, usually so cold and arrogant, were now red-rimmed and full of vulnerability.

"Sebastian Sterling, look at me." Harper said seriously. "A month ago, your legs had no sensation." "A week ago, you needed a robot to stand." "Today, you stood for ten seconds on your own." She held up a finger and wiggled it in front of his face. "That is not 'useless'. That is a miracle."

Sebastian looked into her fierce, determined eyes. The self-hatred in his chest began to dissipate. "But it's too slow," he whispered. "I want to recover faster. I want... to take you to more places."

Harper’s heart melted into a puddle. She rolled her eyes playfully, a mischievous smile forming on her lips. "Boss, relying on willpower isn't enough. We need a Reward System."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "What reward?"

Harper leaned down to his ear. Her warm breath brushed against his neck, carrying that familiar scent of jasmine. "If you can stand for thirty seconds next time," her voice was soft, laced with a hint of temptation, "I will grant you one request."

"Any request?" Sebastian’s Adam's apple bobbed.

"Any request," Harper nodded generously. "As long as it's legal."

Sebastian’s eyes darkened instantly. The defeated man from seconds ago vanished. In his place was a predator staring at his prey. He suddenly grabbed Harper’s waist, pulling her closer until their noses touched.

"You said it, Happy Puppy." His voice was low, dangerous, and possessive. "Don't regret it."

Dr. Ryan, who had been completely ignored this whole time, rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "Hello?! I am still alive! Can you respect the single doctor in the room?" "Also, I want a reward too! I want a raise!"

Sebastian didn't even look at him. "Ask Liam."

---

[The First Kiss]

One week later. Same rehab room. Same people. But the atmosphere was electric.

"Twenty-eight... twenty-nine... THIRTY!" Ryan shouted, staring at the stopwatch, nearly throwing his pen in excitement.

Sebastian didn't fall this time. He gripped the parallel bars, sweat dripping from his chin, his legs shaking uncontrollably, but he stood firm. Thirty seconds.

"You did it!" Harper cheered, rushing over with a towel to wipe his sweat.

But Sebastian released one hand from the bar and hooked his finger at her. "Come here."

Harper stepped closer. "What is it? Do your legs hurt again..."

Before she could finish, Sebastian released his other hand. He didn't fall. Instead, he used the momentum of gravity to fall forward, wrapping his arms around Harper and trapping her against his chest. He leaned against the parallel bar for support, locking her within the circle of his arms.

Harper was forced to look up, her hands instinctively resting on his chest. Through his thin workout shirt, she could feel his heart hammering. Thump. Thump. It was beating just as fast as hers.

"Thirty seconds are up," Sebastian lowered his head, his forehead resting against hers. His breath was ragged and hot. "Time to pay up."

Harper’s face turned as red as a tomato. "What... what request do you want?" Did he want a raise? A fancy dinner? Or...

Sebastian looked at her flustered, darting eyes. He let out a low chuckle. "I want to finish what we didn't finish in the car."

Harper blinked. "The car? What..."

Then it hit her. The almost-kiss.

Before she could react, his lips descended. He didn't give her any chance to escape. It was aggressive, yet incredibly tender.

It was a kiss that was long overdue. It tasted of salty sweat, of the bitterness of rehab, but mostly, of sweet victory. Harper’s mind went blank. All logic exploded into fireworks. She forgot she was in a gym. She forgot Dr. Ryan was watching (Ryan had wisely covered his eyes and fled). She forgot he was her boss.

She only knew that this embrace was hot, and this man... belonged to her.

She slowly closed her eyes, her arms winding around his neck, responding clumsily but enthusiastically.

A long time later, Sebastian finally pulled back. Both of them were gasping for air. Sebastian’s eyes were rimmed with red. His thumb gently brushed her swollen lips. His voice was raspier than sandpaper: "Stamped and sealed." "From now on, you are mine."

---

[The Shadow]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city. In a dimly lit, luxurious office.

"Useless idiots!" A teacup shattered against the wall.

Julian (Xu Jiachang) knelt on the floor, trembling. His fiancée, Elena (Qi Xue), stood in the corner, her face pale, too scared to speak.

The man in the large leather chair turned around. He was in his fifties, with a face that resembled Sebastian’s but with eyes that were cloudy and cruel. This was Shen Yuanfeng. Sebastian’s uncle. And the mastermind behind the board of directors.

"I spent a fortune orchestrating that car accident to make him a cripple and get him out of the company!" Uncle Shen’s face was dark. "And what did you do? You helped him make a high-profile comeback and become the internet's 'Tragic Hero'?"

"Uncle, I didn't expect it..." Julian stammered. "That maid... that woman named Harper. She's too good. She handled the PR, and..."

"And what?"

"And she's helping him with rehab," Julian gulped. "My source at the hospital says Sebastian is visiting the gym frequently. And... his leg muscles are recovering."

"Recovering?" Uncle Shen’s eyes turned cold as a viper’s. "He must not stand up." "If he stands up and returns to the CEO's chair, the accounts from three years ago... will be exposed."

He opened a drawer and pulled out a black burner phone. He dialed a number.

"Initiate Plan B," Uncle Shen spoke coldly into the phone. "Since he likes that woman so much... since he calls her his 'Salvation'..." "Then destroy his salvation."

He hung up and looked out the window. "Sebastian, you forced my hand."