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 disappo