Chapter 18

In the corner, Sebastian leaned over and stubbed out the last half of his cigarette. His profile was striking, long fingers finishing the simple movement with a kind of casual elegance. Then he stood up, tall and well-proportioned, and walked over with steady steps, gently resting a hand on Elaria's shoulder. "Mrs. Richards, time to go home." The private room fell into silence. No one expected Sebastian to be this sensitive. Wasn't he supposed to not care about Elaria at all? And it wasn't like Liam had crossed any lines. He just dropped a few vague comments-it's not like he dug into Sebastian's heart or anything. Why overreact like this? Back then, with that other someone, Sebastian hadn't acted half this defensive. But now-he's got the marriage certificate. That changes things. Most folks in the room figured that with Sebastian backing down like this, Elaria would just play along, head home with him quietly, settle into the role of Mrs. Richards, maybe ignore a few headline scandals