Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Lily (POV)
Sebastian’s gaze is sharp, so sharp it feels like it can cut through skin and bone. He leans back in his chair, posture relaxed, but his eyes… his eyes are unreadable. My hands won’t stop trembling, my knees press together under the table, and my heart is pounding so loudly that I am convinced he can hear every frantic beat.
I don’t know whether to stay or run. Each second of his silence makes the air heavier, pressing against my chest. The longer he says nothing, the more my fear rises like a tide I can’t stop.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Maybe I should have found another way. Emma and Drey told me to, insisting I had no choice. “He’s the only one who can help you, Lily,” they said. But should I have listened? No. I could have tried something else, anything else.
But then again… what other choice did I really have? Nobody was willing to help me. Friends, neighbors, even those who once claimed to love my mother—they all turned away. Some whispered ugly suggestions, the kind of things I promised Mama I would never do. “Sell yourself. Use what you have. Men will pay.” I spat those words out in disgust every time they were mentioned. I swore to Mama I would never sell my body, no matter how desperate we became.
And yet here I am, in the office of Sebastian Kingsley, a man people describe as ruthless, cold, heartless. And I am begging.
The thought makes me sick with shame. But what else can I do? Mama’s life hangs in the balance. If I don’t get her the treatment she needs, within hours things will get worse.
Sebastian still says nothing. He just watches me, calm and terrifying in his silence.
I close my eyes for a second, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. God, please… let him speak. Let him say something.
And then his voice slices through the silence. “How much?”
The question startles me so much I nearly choke on my own breath. “S-sir?” My voice is a whisper, uncertain, trembling.
“The treatment,” he says, each word sharp, clipped. “How much does it cost?”
My mouth goes dry. For a moment I don’t even believe what I’m hearing. The Sebastian Kingsley I’ve heard about–the man with no mercy, who fires workers on a whim, who destroys competitors without blinking–he’s asking about the cost?
Relief and shock crash together inside me. My throat feels tight, but I manage to whisper the number. “Three million, sir.”
He shakes his head once, expression unreadable. Then silence again.
My stomach twists. Is it too much? Did I say something wrong? The seconds drag, stretching unbearably. Each one is a blade against my nerves. Then, finally, after what feels like three long minutes, he reaches for his phone.
“Hello?” His voice shifts, smoother now. “How have you been?”
The person on the other end responds warmly, almost nervously. Sebastian exchanges a few pleasantries, his tone distant, commanding but polite. Then he says, “I need your help.”
I lower my gaze, hardly breathing. He’s helping me?
“You can’t say that, boss,” the man replies quickly. “You don’t need help from anyone. Please, just tell me what you want.”
“I have someone in your hospital,” Sebastian says. “She needs immediate care. Make sure she receives it. All her bills will be taken care of.”
My throat closes up. This is real. He’s really doing it.
“Of course, sir. I didn’t know… please forgive us. I’ll handle it immediately. What’s her name?”
Sebastian turns his eyes on me. “What’s the name?”
I stammer. “D-Diana Serena, sir.”
He repeats it into the phone, sharp and final. “Diana Serena.”
The man on the other end almost trips over his words. “Understood, sir. I’ll see to it right away. Please don’t worry.”
The line goes dead.
Sebastian sets his phone down with deliberate calm. Then he looks at me. “Your mother will be treated.”
I don’t even realize I’ve fallen to my knees until the cold marble touches them. “Thank you,thank you so much, sir.” The words tumble out of me, messy and desperate. Gratitude floods me, choking me. “You’re not like what they say. You’re not wicked. Not fierce. I was wrong–“
The words slip past my lips before I can stop them, and as soon as they’re out, I know I’ve gone too far.
His eyes darken. “Wicked? Fierce?” His voice lowers, tense, and dangerous. He stares at me like a predator cornering prey.
I bow my head, wishing I could disappear. Lily, what have you done? Why did you say that?
Drey, ever eager, steps forward. “She means you’re not as cruel as people claim, sir. She’s just trying to say you’re–”
“Did I ask you to talk?” Sebastian’s gaze cuts him down. The room freezes. Drey shuts his mouth instantly.
I open mine, desperate to fix my mistake. “I only meant… you’ve been kind, sir. I didn’t know how to thank you.”
His expression softens only slightly, enough to make me breathe again. But then, just as quickly, his eyes sharpen once more. “I’ll see to it,” he murmurs, more to himself than me.
A silence stretches, heavy with meaning. Then he leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “How will you repay me?”
My heart stutters. Repay him? My mind races. I am just a maid. What could I possibly offer?
“I… I’ll work harder. Clean, cook, anything you want. I’ll—”
He interrupts with a low sound, somewhere between amusement and dismissal. “Praise won’t pay my bills, Lily.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. “I don’t have anything, sir. I’m just–”
“I know what you’ll do.” His voice is calm, firm, and absolute. “You’ll be my secretary.”
The words land like thunder in my chest. My breath catches. “Secretary? Me?”
“Yes.” He doesn’t blink. “You’ll still be a maid. But you’ll also be my personal secretary at home. You’ll manage my office, keep my files organized, prepare reports, and handle correspondence. Everything.”
I stare at him in disbelief. Secretaries are chosen from the most qualified, polished women. I’ve seen them—smart suits, perfect English, confident smiles. Women who dream of working under Sebastian Kingsley, even if only to be near him. And yet… he’s asking me.
“I… I don’t think I’m qualified, sir.”
He leans closer, his gaze burning into me. “I’ll be the one to decide that. You start tomorrow.”
The finality in his voice leaves no room for argument. My chest tightens, fear and confusion tangling with something I can’t name.
“Yes, sir,” I whisper.
“Good.” He glances at Drey. “Show her everything she needs to know.”
Drey nods eagerly. “Yes, boss.”
I rise slowly, legs trembling. Sebastian’s eyes follow me as I leave, heavy and unreadable.
⸻
The hospital feels different when I arrive. The nurses treat me with sudden respect. My mother has been moved to a private room, her bed crisp and clean, machines humming softly around her. A doctor in a white coat speaks to me with gentle words, assuring me she’s stable now.
Relief washes over me so fiercely I nearly collapse.
Mama’s eyes light up when she sees me. “Lily.” Her voice is weak but filled with love.
I ran to her side, taking her hand. “Mama. You’re okay. Thank God.”
She squeezes my hand gently. “How did you manage it? How did you get the money?”
The truth burns on my tongue, but I swallow it. “God sent us an angel,” I whisper. “An angel took care of everything.”
Her eyes soften, but I can still see the shadows of fear. She hesitates, then asks, “Victoria and her friends came, didn’t they?”
My heart skips. “They came… but they didn’t hurt me.”
Her face tightens. She knows more than she says. “They came with gifts. Empty gifts. And threats. Lily, I have a request.”
I lean closer. “Anything, Mama. You know I’ll do anything for you.”
Her grip tightens on my hand. “Promise me you’ll stop working in Sebastian’s house.”
The words strike me harder than I expect. “What? Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous.” Her voice trembles. “Victoria… her mother… their eyes are cruel. They’ll destroy you if you stay there. Please, Lily. I don’t want you to suffer.”
I shake my head quickly. “But Mama, I like it there. I’ve made friends. If I leave, how will I pay the hospital bills? How will I pay our debts?”
Her eyes glisten with tears. “We will find another way. I’m already getting better. I can work, I can provide. Just… leave that house.”
I wish I could listen to her. I wish I could just walk away. But I can’t. Sebastian saved her life, and he asked for something in return. I can’t walk away from that.
“Mama,” I whisper, voice breaking, “if I stop working there, everything falls apart. I can’t let that happen.”
Her tears spill over. “Then I’m afraid for you, my daughter. Because sometimes the devil disguises himself as an angel.”
Her words cut deep, and for a moment I can’t breathe. She doesn’t know how right she might be.
I force a smile through the ache in my chest. “Don’t worry, Mama. I’ll take care of us. Always.”
But inside, I’m drowning. Because I know the truth: the man who saved her is not an angel. He’s a devil with a kind of power I don’t understand. And I owe him.
What can I do? How do I convince my mother? How do I keep her safe when I’m already trapped?
I close my eyes, and all I see is Sebastian’s sharp gaze, following me even here, even now.