Chapter 15 Chapter 15
Paris at Night – A Walk of Truth
“Okay fine, I’ll tell you everything after dinner,” Sebastian finally says, his voice low but steady.
“Good.” I reply with a faint grin, though my heart pounds from curiosity and doubt. I sip what’s left of my wine, watching him with careful eyes.
The rest of dinner passes in silence. I can tell he’s lost in thought—his eyes aren’t fully present, not really. I order a slice of dark chocolate cake for dessert, trying to salvage something sweet from this sour tension. He doesn't order anything, just watches me.
“You’re not eating?” I ask casually, hoping to break the tension.
He shakes his head. “No appetite.”
I don’t press further.
When the check is paid and we leave the restaurant, the cool night air of Paris wraps around us like silk laced with shadows. The Eiffel Tower glows faintly in the distance. I take a deep breath, then say, “I want to walk for a while.”
Sebastian nods silently and matches my pace.
We walk down the cobbled streets, past softly lit cafés and old buildings draped in ivy. The city hums with quiet beauty, but the weight between us is heavier than the night.
After a few minutes, I stop and sit on a wooden bench near the edge of a quiet square. He joins me without a word, his jaw clenched, hands folded.
“Will you say something?” I finally ask, turning toward him.
He exhales a breath like he’s been holding it for days. Then he begins.
“I met Giana three years ago,” he starts, his voice low and distant. “I came to France for a business meeting. She was modeling for Dior at the time. She’d moved here from New York five years earlier to chase her career. I was invited to a fashion show through a client. We met backstage. She was… magnetic.”
He pauses, staring at the ground.
“We started seeing each other. Whenever she had breaks in modeling, she’d come to New York. It wasn’t just lust. I was… serious. Nine months ago, we were planning a wedding. Venue booked, everything. I knew her favorite colors, the flowers she wanted, the music.”
My breath catches in my throat. I don’t interrupt.
“A month before the wedding, I found out she was cheating on me—with a made man. Someone I knew. Someone I’d worked with. I canceled everything. Told her we were done.”
He rubs a hand over his face.
“Then she called me. Said she was pregnant. I didn’t know if it was mine or his. I couldn’t believe her. Told her to do what she wanted. She had an abortion. She left the other guy too… and went back to Paris.”
He goes quiet.
I stare ahead, processing everything. The city around us feels hushed, like it’s listening in. Part of me feels sorry for him. But another part of me feels… suspicious. Like that wasn’t the whole truth. There’s something else he isn’t saying—I can feel it.
I don’t say anything right away. I sit still, my arms wrapped around myself as the night’s chill bites into my skin.
He glances over and sees me shivering.
“You’re cold,” he says softly.
Without waiting, Sebastian shrugs off his black coat and gently places it around my shoulders. It smells like his cologne—rich and expensive, familiar and masculine.
I look at him. His face looks pale in the moonlight, more vulnerable than usual.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He simply nods and looks away, eyes distant again—haunted, almost. And I wonder… if ghosts of love past still linger inside him, how much room does he have left for me?
We walk back to the hotel slowly, the Paris night wrapping around us in silence. Neither of us says much—his confession still lingers between us like smoke, and I’m still trying to decide if I’ve inhaled too much.
The hotel looms tall and regal as we approach. Its golden lights glow softly against the dark sky, elegant and quiet, like it knows how many secrets its rooms have held.
Once inside our suite, Sebastian closes the door behind us. The moment feels suspended—like time itself has paused to watch us.
Without a word, he steps closer and wraps his arms around me from behind. His body is warm, solid, grounding. I feel his breath against my hair before he presses a slow, soft kiss to the side of my neck.
I freeze—heart racing, body tense. His touch ignites something inside me I try to suppress, but it stirs anyway, blooming under my skin.
“We’ll be sharing the same bed today,” he whispers, his voice deep and steady against my ear.
I say nothing. I simply breathe, unsure whether it’s anticipation or fear that has me paralyzed.
He slides the coat off my shoulders gently, letting it fall in silence. I’m left standing there in my red backless dress, the cool air of the room brushing against my bare spine.
His hand grazes my skin, slowly, running down the length of my back with reverent fingers.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmurs.
My lips part slightly, but I don’t speak. My body is burning, but my mind is still catching up. I stand still—tense, uncertain—torn between his touch and the flicker of doubt still lingering from dinner.
He moves in front of me now, studying my face, watching my reaction like he’s looking for permission.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me, Lily,” he says gently.
Sebastian stands behind me, his presence dark and magnetic, and his breath brushing against my ear.
“Undress yourself,” he orders, his voice low, calm, and absolute.
For a moment, I freeze—my heart thunders against my ribcage. My fingers twitch at my sides. I should say something, ask a question, challenge him even… but I don’t.
Instead, I draw in a slow breath and do as he says.
My hands move to the back of my dress. I feel his gaze burn into my skin as I slide the zipper down, the soft sound filling the silence between us. The fabric slips from my shoulders like water, pooling at my feet. I step out of it, standing in nothing but the flickering shadows of the dimly lit hotel room.
I hear his breath hitch behind me.
“Good girl,” he murmurs.
A chill dances across my bare skin—not from the cold, but from the way he looks at me. Slowly, he steps closer, his hand brushing down my spine. The contact is electric, sending shivers to the base of my neck.