Chapter 226

Cecilia's pov The tension in the car was suffocating, thick enough to cut through. I kept my gaze fixed on the window, watching the jagged skyline blur past, pretending I couldn't feel Sebastian sitting inches away, silent and unreadable. By the time we pulled up to the house, I practically jumped out, desperate for air. Four of us filed into the sprawling house, each wrapped in our own silence. "I need to go over a few things before the meeting," Sebastian said once we stepped inside. His voice was cool, careful. "I won't be long." I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor. "I should get changed. Sawyer's going with me to the reception." That was it--no questions, no hesitation. Just two people passing each other like strangers in the hallway of a house that wasn't home. We moved in opposite directions, our usual choreography of avoidance. When his door finally clicked shut behind him, I felt a sharp wave of relief... followed immediately by something that felt annoyingly close to disapp