All Chapters of His Name Was Never Mine: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The morning light in Sebastian’s townhouse was soft, almost gentle, filtering through the dusty curtains as if it wanted to forgive everything. August woke curled on the old couch, the blanket Sebastian had draped over him slipping to the floor. He could hear faint clattering from the kitchen.Sebastian appeared a moment later, holding two mugs of coffee. He wore the same sweater as last night, sleeves pushed to his elbows. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was quiet.“Sleep okay?”August nodded. “Better than I have in weeks.”Sebastian set the coffee down on the table and crouched in front of him. “I meant what I said last night. You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just… stay.”August’s throat tightened. He didn’t answer.Sebastian studied him for a long moment, then gently brushed his knuckles against August’s jaw. “You look like you’re bracing for a fight.”“Because I am,” August admitted.Sebastian tilted his head. “With Ash?”August flinched at the name. “He’

Ash met the contact at midnight.They didn’t exchange names. The figure stayed cloaked in shadows beneath the parking garage near the art faculty building, hood up, voice distorted through a voice filter on their phone. But Ash didn’t care who they were not right now. All that mattered was the folder they handed him.Inside: photos, messages, documents.Everything that tied Sebastian to a sealed juvenile record.Assault. Identity fraud. Manipulation.And worse: the name of the professor who had quietly helped cover it all up years ago.“This is all real?” Ash asked, breath short.The figure nodded once. “Sebastian’s charm works because no one ever sees what’s behind the mask. But you do. You’ve watched him feed on August like he’s art to be possessed. So the question isTheir voice paused. Then:are you ready to make him fall?Ash closed the folder. His pulse was racing, but his voice was calm. “I don’t care what happens to him. Just keep August out of the wreckage.Across town, Augus

Other Side of the StoryAugust had spent most of the morning avoiding eye contact with Sebastian. Not because of fear but because of something far more confusing.The email from Julian still sat in his inbox, a warning painted in sharp, undeniable words. And yet, here Sebastian was, moving quietly through the kitchen, making breakfast like nothing about him could be dangerous.He set a plate in front of August: warm toast, fresh fruit, a cup of tea steeped exactly how August liked it.“You’re thinking too loud,” Sebastian said with a faint smile.August looked up, startled. “I didn’t know you could hear that.”Sebastian sat opposite him, resting his chin in his hand. “I’ve always been able to read you. Even when you hated me for it.”August hesitated, then blurted out, “Julian emailed me.Sebastian’s smile faltered. He leaned back in his chair, sighing softly. “I figured he would, eventually.“You’re not going to deny anything?” August asked cautiously.“No.” Sebastian’s voice was ca

The post went up just after sunrise.A photo of Sebastian at the shelter, surrounded by kids, all smiling. The caption under August’s name read:People change. We are not the worst things we’ve done. Sebastian Wolfe is more than his past, and I will not stand by while lies bury the truth.By noon, it had been shared hundreds of times.Some comments were supportive. Others accused August of being blinded, manipulated, even complicit. But August didn’t delete it. He sat at Sebastian’s kitchen table, watching the notifications roll in, feeling a strange mix of defiance and calm.Sebastian appeared in the doorway, coffee in hand.“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.“I wanted to, August replied. “Everyone’s tearing you apart based on pieces of a story. If I don’t speak up, who will?Sebastian’s eyes softened. “You’re going to take heat for this.“I’ve taken worse.Sebastian smiled faintly and set the coffee down in front of him. “Then I guess we’re in this together.Across the city, Ash

By mid-morning, August was sitting in the cramped back room of an independent print shop two blocks from campus. Old posters lined the walls, curling at the edges, and the air smelled faintly of ink and hot paper.Miles, a friend from his photography elective, hunched over the image on a glowing monitor. He zoomed in until the pixels turned into abstract blocks of color.“Definitely been through some processing,” Miles said, adjusting his glasses. “See here? The pixel structure’s inconsistent. And this shadow doesn’t line up with the primary light source.August leaned over his shoulder. “So… it could be fake?“Could be,” Miles said. “Or it could just be enhanced to make it look worse. Whoever did this wanted you to feel something before you even thought about whether it was real.The words stuck in August’s head. Feel first. Think later. Exactly how Sebastian’s enemies or friends might play it.“Can you find out where it came from?” August asked.Miles shook his head. “Not from this.