Chapter 51

Chapter 51
Joanna's POV

Sebastian yanked me by the wrist, pulling me out of the conference room. I stumbled behind him, my wrist aching under his grip, but I didn't have any desire to break free.

'Sebastian, I know you're angry, but I never meant to hurt you. I misjudged you, thought you were embezzling that money, but now... now I realize Zayne might have been using me all along. I'm so sorry.'

The hallway was completely empty, with only the sound of our hurried footsteps bouncing off the walls. Sebastian's back was rigid, his shoulders tense beneath his suit. I bit my lip hard, fighting back tears.

What should I say? Should I fight back?

'No, I have no right.'

He didn't look back once as he dragged me toward his office. My heart raced, pounding against my ribs.

---

Sebastian shoved open his office door and threw me onto the leather couch. I fell awkwardly, barely catching myself before he loomed over me, hands planted on either side of my body.

His eyes were cold with fury, his face inches from mine.

"Happy now?" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "See Zayne's true colors yet?" Every word dripped with rage, like a volcano that had been waiting years to erupt.

My heart clenched painfully. Images of Zayne's warm smile flashed through my mind, along with his talk about "taking over the company."

'Sebastian, I know you hate me, but what if Zayne really was just trying to help those residents? What if he was just misled?'

But I couldn't say it aloud. I don't know who to believe anymore.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I choked out, "Sebastian, I'm sorry. I... I never meant to hurt you. I was just trying to help those people." My voice grew quieter with each word. I'm sorry, but those three simple words are too light—they can't possibly make up for what I've done to you.

He stared at me with such intensity that I could barely breathe. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken accusations.

"Sorry?" he finally spat out. "You helped him try to destroy everything I've built. You believed the worst about me without question." His voice cracked slightly on the last word, revealing a glimpse of something beneath the anger—pain.

I flinched at the raw emotion in his voice. "I know," I whispered, a tear escaping down my cheek. "I should have talked to you first. I should have—" My voice broke off as more tears fell.

Sebastian's gaze remained fixed on me, but something shifted in his expression. A bitter smile twisted his lips as he straightened up, creating distance between us.

"I should have known," he said, his voice suddenly weary. "I knew my family would always take Zayne's side, but I thought, at least you would be on mine." He laughed, a hollow sound that made my chest ache. "But I guess that's the lesson I keep refusing to learn—everyone will betray me eventually."

My heart seized with sudden fear. Betray?

I looked at his clenched jaw, the exhaustion in his eyes, and something inside me cracked open. A wave of tenderness washed over me so powerful it took my breath away. I wanted to erase that pain from his face, to somehow fix what I'd broken.

"That's not true," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "I made a mistake, Sebastian. A terrible mistake. But it wasn't because I wanted to hurt you."

He turned away, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Manhattan skyline. "It doesn't matter why," he said quietly. "The result is the same."

I couldn't bear the defeat in his voice. This wasn't the Sebastian I knew—the man who commanded rooms with his presence, who never backed down from a fight. This man sounded... broken.

Before I could second-guess myself, I stood up and crossed the distance between us. With every ounce of courage I possessed, I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, pressing my body against his back.

He stiffened immediately but didn't push me away.

My tears fell freely now, soaking into the fabric of his suit jacket. "Sebastian, I'm sorry," I choked out. "I won't ever betray you again, I swear."

I buried my face against his shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of tobacco and his cologne.

'Sebastian, I know I messed up, but I can't lose you. From now on, I'll stand by your side, no matter what happens. I won't let you face everything alone ever again.'

After what felt like an eternity, Sebastian gently pulled away from my embrace. He turned to face me, his expression unreadable as he studied my tear-stained face. His mouth curved into a sad smile.

"You want to know about Elodie?" he asked softly.

I froze, my heart skipping a beat.

'Elodie? That name I've been haunted by? The woman I've been a replacement for all this time? Sebastian, are you finally going to tell me?'

I nodded numbly, unable to speak. My pulse raced as Sebastian sank onto the couch, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. He rarely smoked—only when he was truly stressed.

As he lit it and took a deep drag, his eyes grew distant and sorrowful. He looked vulnerable and alone in a way I'd never seen before.

"After my mother died, my father dumped me in boarding school," he began, his voice low. "The kids there bullied me, isolated me, even beat me up. Every day was hell... until Elodie came along. She was the only one who stood up for me."

Sebastian paused, his voice dropping even lower. "She was two years younger than me, but she'd always stand in front of me, taking the blame and the beatings meant for me. She'd sneak candy to me and sit with me in the corner of the dormitory at night. She'd say, 'Sebastian, don't be afraid. No one can hurt you when I'm here.' Back then, she was my only warmth."

His eyes reflected a pain so deep it made my chest tighten. The cigarette trembled slightly between his fingers.

"But then, she died. In a car accident." His voice was barely audible now. "We snuck out to play that day, and she pushed me out of the way... she was hit by a car. I watched her lying in a pool of blood, never waking up again."

I was too shocked to speak. Dead? Elodie is dead? Not missing or abroad, but... killed in an accident?

My heart twisted with an inexplicable agony. I thought she'd just left you, but I never imagined such a tragic ending. Why does my heart hurt so much? I don't understand why it feels like something's crushing me.

I stared at Sebastian, watching a single tear slide down his cheek as he looked through me to a past I couldn't see.