Chapter 85 Let’s Keep Pretending

Chapter 85 Let’s Keep Pretending
♤YASMIN♤

The flicker of fear in Sebastian’s eyes tells me everything I need to know.

I watch the subtle shift in his expression under the moonlight, and a wave of validation washes over me.

My intuition was right all along. He is hiding something from me.

He admitted he cheated on me...fine. It is in the past, and quite frankly, I am not going to hold a grudge over a memory I can’t even remember right now.

But the way he stiffened when I threw that accusation back at him feels incredibly suspicious.

Who did he cheat with? Could it be someone very close to me? Could it be the reason Ginger looked at me with so much fear today?

I swallow the questions before they can show on my face. I am not going to stress over that tonight. I know that with time, patience, and more therapy sessions with Dr. Petra, I will recall every single detail of what happened three years ago.

For now, we are both just playing a game.

Let’s keep pretending.

I force a soft smile onto my lips and reach up to touch his arm.

“You don’t have to look at me like that, Seb. I’m just kidding with you. It’s in the past.”

He looks at me, his gaze skeptical.

“Are you sure, Yas?”

“Of course,” I murmur, letting my hand slide down to intertwine our fingers.

“There is no need for us to hold onto things from the past. Let’s just forget about it. Honestly, part of me is kind of happy to find out we were actually lovers back then. It explains all the intense attraction I felt the second I met you.”

I lower my eyes, a soft blush warming my cheeks.

“And when we… when we were together in your bed the other night, I was secretly feeling so guilty about it. I felt like a terrible person.”

Before the sentence can fully leave my mouth, Sebastian pulls me tightly into his chest. He wraps his strong arms around me, cradling the back of my head with one large hand.

He holds me so close I can hear the frantic pounding of his heart against my ear.

“You don’t ever have to feel guilty about being with me, Yasmin,” he whispers into my hair, his voice rough and thick with a possessive warmth that sends a shiver straight down my spine.

“I love everything about you. I miss having you near me. I miss everything we used to be.”

He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear from my cheek before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

“Thank you for coming back to me.”

Listening to him speak, a small ache blossoms in my chest. He sounds so sincere that I find myself genuinely moved by his words.

He truly does love me. I can feel it in the way his hands tremble against my skin.

But at the same time, the voice in the back of my mind reminds me of a brutal reality: you can love someone with everything you have and still lie straight to their face.

I am just going to enjoy this moment, I tell myself, letting my head rest against his shoulder as I breathe him in.

I will enjoy this warmth for now and worry about the truth later.

A heavy gust of wind sweeps across the dark lake, making my teeth chatter involuntarily. Sebastian notices my body trembling from the cold.

“You’re freezing,” he says, his brow furrowing with concern as he looks me over.

“We should get you home right now. Did you come here by car?”

“No, I didn’t,” I reply, pulling my coat tighter around my shoulders.

“I didn’t want your father’s men trailing me, so I took a taxi.”

“Smart girl,” he murmurs, a proud smile touching his lips.

“Come on, then. I’ll drive you back to the estate.”

I look up at him in surprise.

“You’re staying there tonight? I thought you went back to your place.”

“Of course I am,” Sebastian declares, his jaw tightening as he guides me down the wooden steps of the pier.

“I need to be there to make sure you’re safe.”

A small, breathless laugh escapes me.

“Safe? Sebastian, you know I’m perfectly safe.”

“No, you’re not,” he counters, his voice dropping into a grim tone that makes my stomach twist.

“But it’s fine. Let’s go.”

He holds my hand tightly, leading me back through the overgrown trees to the clearing where his Maybach is parked.

He opens the passenger door for me and shuts it after I settle into the seat.

The ride is quiet except for the roar of the engine, which drowns out the thoughts racing through my head.

When we finally roll through the gates of the Cross estate, Sebastian steers the vehicle into a dark corner of the driveway.

Before the headlights can catch the attention of any roaming guards, Sebastian reaches forward and cuts the engine, plunging the inside of the car into total darkness.

The silence of the estate settles over us.

I start to reach for my seat belt, but Sebastian’s hand suddenly catches my wrist in the dark.

He gently pulls me toward him, and his mouth finds mine, capturing my lips in a deep kiss that makes my mind go blank for a moment.

It is hungry and possessive, his fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of my neck as though he is trying to brand me before he has to let me go.

When he finally pulls away, both of us are breathing heavily.

“I hope to spend another moment like this with you again very soon,” he whispers against my lips, his thumb brushing lightly along my jaw.

A small smirk tugs at my lips.

“Bold of you, Sebastian Cross. Pulling stunts like this right outside your father’s house… with his fiancée.”

“Of course I am,” Sebastian says with a rough chuckle, his eyes shining in the darkness.

“My father knows exactly how bold I am. He knows better than to mess around with what belongs to me.”

The statement makes my heart melt completely, a strange warmth spreading through my chest. I have to force myself to break the spell.

“I should get inside now,” I whisper, gently unclasping my hands from his shirt.

“Go,” he nods. “I’ll stay out here for a few minutes.”

I get out of the car, close the door, and start walking toward the entrance of the mansion.

I understand why he is staying behind, he wants us to walk through the doors separately to avoid raising any suspicion.

But as I take my first step onto the porch, a strange prickling sensation crawls up the back of my neck.

I pause and slowly look up, my gaze drifting toward the balcony of the master bedroom.

My stomach drops.

Standing there is Jonathan.

He is looking down at me, his hands resting casually on the stone railing. Under the moonlight, I can make out a mischievous, sickeningly proud smile spreading across his face.

He looks at me like a master puppeteer watching his favorite doll return to the stage.

He holds my gaze for one agonizing moment before turning on his heel and disappearing back into the bedroom.

A cold sweat breaks out across my palms as I push the front door open and step into the foyer.

What is that old psycho up to now? I think, my teeth clenching as the image of his smile burns into my mind.