Chapter 8: The Boss's Girlfriend
It was the only way she could think to repay him.
Sebastian was about to respond when urgent knocks rattled the suite door.
His assistant Aiden burst in, anxiety etched on his face.
"Mr. Carter, we've got a problem!"
Sebastian's brow furrowed instantly. "What's got you so worked up?"
Aiden glanced at Sophie, pressed his lips together, then leaned close to Sebastian's ear and whispered, "It's Ms. Roberts. She got drunk at a bar, got into some kind of altercation, and now she's been taken to the police station."
Emma?
Sebastian's expression darkened. He rubbed his temples where a headache was building.
He stood, grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa, and strode toward the door without sparing Sophie another glance.
"Mr. Carter…" Sophie called out instinctively, but could only watch his cold, retreating figure disappear.
She was left alone in the room with Aiden.
Confusion swirled through her mind. "Aiden, what's going on with Mr. Carter…"
Aiden gathered Sebastian's scattered documents without looking up. "Mr. Carter's girlfriend ran into trouble. He's handling it."
Girlfriend?
The word detonated in Sophie's mind like a bomb.
She stood frozen, as if her blood had turned to ice in her veins.
Sebastian already had a girlfriend.
Sophie's throat constricted. Black spots swam at the edges of her vision. Even breathing became difficult.
At the police station, Emma sat slumped in a chair, her makeup streaked with tears, hair disheveled, white dress stained with alcohol. She looked utterly fragile.
The moment she spotted Sebastian, she lunged for him like he was her only lifeline, clutching his arm desperately. "Mr. Carter, I was so scared… those men were harassing me, and they wanted to…"
Before she could finish, tears spilled down her cheeks. Her body trembled slightly, the perfect picture of a frightened, helpless victim.
Sebastian extracted his arm with practiced ease, irritation carved into every line of his face.
He had originally sent Aiden to handle this. He hadn't expected the situation to be complicated enough to require his personal intervention.
He didn't even bother asking what happened. He simply turned to Aiden with a cold command. "Five minutes. Fix it."
Aiden immediately understood, moving to confer quietly with the officers on duty.
Within moments, the other party—indignant just seconds before—completely reversed course, apologizing profusely and insisting it had all been a misunderstanding.
Money and power ended the drama in minutes.
Outside the station, Emma trailed Sebastian closely, her voice tentative. "Mr. Carter, thank you for today."
Sebastian stopped. The night wind caught his jacket, making him look even more severe.
He turned, those ice-blue eyes examining Emma in the darkness with surgical precision. "Tonight makes twice I've cleaned up messes." His voice came out flat but weighted with pressure. "First Sophie's brother, now you. Do you all enjoy creating problems for me?"
Emma's heart clenched, but her expression remained bewildered and wounded. "I was just feeling down, so I went to the bar for a few drinks, and then…"
She had originally planned to use the opportunity to spend the night with Sebastian, but when he'd shown no interest, she'd gone to the bar to drown her sorrows. That's when things had spiraled.
Emma's innocent act triggered a flash of suspicion in Sebastian's mind, but irritation quickly buried it.
He had no patience for parsing these details.
He knew perfectly well that this woman was likely telling people she was his girlfriend, even though that wasn't remotely true. But she might very well be the woman from that night. Whatever the truth, he couldn't allow her to cause scenes that would damage his reputation.
"Where are you living now?" Sebastian asked.
"The apartment I share with Sophie."
"Pack your things. Someone will pick you up tomorrow." Sebastian's tone left no room for argument. "I'm arranging new accommodations for you. Until my people arrive to move you, you don't leave that apartment. Understood?"
Emma blinked, then joy flooded through her.
New accommodations? Wasn't this exactly how kept women got their start?
She suppressed the smile threatening to break across her face, affecting uncertainty instead. "Mr. Carter, that's… you're too kind, I really couldn't—"
"I don't want a third call from the police." Sebastian cut her off coldly, then turned and got into his car without another glance.
Watching the luxury vehicle disappear into the night, Emma's timid expression evaporated, replaced by triumph and satisfaction.
She'd always known men could be manipulated this way.
Playing the victim—it never failed to soften them up.
Every ounce of fragility she'd shown was just another move in her game.
Sophie thought she could compete? Laughable.
The next day, Emma returned to the apartment in high spirits and began packing.
She hummed as she folded expensive clothes and designer bags into her suitcase, her mood sky-high.
That's when the apartment door opened.
Sophie dragged herself inside, exhaustion radiating from every movement.
She had spent last night calming Laura down, then rushed back to check on Jack after his release, getting virtually no sleep. She looked completely drained.
Seeing the suitcases piled in the living room and Emma's smug expression, Sophie froze. "Emma, what's… where are you going?"
Emma paused, crossed her arms, and looked down at her with a superior smile. "I'm moving out. My boyfriend's setting me up in a new place."
Looking at the undisguised happiness and pride on Emma's face, complicated emotions churned inside her.
She had never heard of Emma being involved with any man before, and now, out of nowhere, Emma suddenly had a boyfriend—Sophie couldn't help but feel a tinge of concern.
Despite her lingering anger, years of friendship compelled her to offer a warning.
"Emma, do you really know this boyfriend of yours?" Sophie stepped closer, concern lacing her voice. "How long have you two known each other? You must be cautious—don't let yourself be deceived by him."