Chapter 85: 85

Alfred.

"I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you," he whispered, his voice catching. "Don't you understand that you're my whole world? My reason for everything?"

"If that's true," I replied softly, "then you need to prove it by letting me go. Someone who truly loves another person doesn't keep them in a cage, Sebastian, no matter how gilded it might be."

His fingers traced the contours of my face as if memorizing them by touch, his eyes never leaving mine. For a moment, I glimpsed the man I had fallen in love with—beneath all the power and control, the vulnerability that had drawn me to him in the first place.

"I'm so afraid of losing you again," he admitted in a barely audible whisper. "The past year without you nearly destroyed me."

"I know," I said gently. "But this isn't the way to keep me."

"No more discussion about this, Sebastian," I said firmly, clearing my throat and staring directly into his eyes. "If you truly love me as deeply as you claim to, then please do the right thing and let me go immediately. We're running out of time—hurry up!"

My words were direct and uncompromising, leaving no room for further debate or emotional manipulation. I needed him to understand that this situation had only one acceptable resolution.

"There has to be another way," he began, but I cut him off with a sharp shake of my head.

"There isn't," I insisted. "Either you let me go willingly right now, or those officers downstairs will take me by force and arrest you in the process. Those are your only options."

Sebastian stared at me for a long moment, searching my face for something—perhaps a sign that I was bluffing, or maybe some hint that I felt something for him still. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found it, because finally, with a deep, resigned sigh, he nodded once.

"Matthews," he called without looking away from me. "Untie Mr. Alfred's hands."

The security man moved quickly before his employer could change his mind, efficiently releasing me from my bindings. The relief of having my hands free was immediate, though I resisted the urge to rub my wrists where the silk had chafed them.

"Thank you," I said quietly, both to Matthews and to Sebastian.

Sebastian pointed to his man to complete the task of untying my hands, then stepped away from the bed, turning to give me his back as if he couldn't bear to watch my release. His shoulders were rigid with tension, his posture screaming defeat even as he tried to maintain his dignity.

"Okay..." he said, his voice hollow and resigned. "You are completely free now to go wherever you wish. But please remember, always remember, that I loved you more than I have ever loved myself or anyone else in this world. I'm deeply sorry that I hurt your feelings so terribly. I wish you nothing but a good, happy life, Alfred, even if it's without me in it."

To my shock, I saw him reach up to quickly wipe away tears that had escaped despite his efforts to contain them. Sebastian Evans—crying over me. It seemed impossible, and yet the evidence was right there before my eyes.

"Sebastian," I began, not even sure what I wanted to say. There was too much between us—too much pain, too much misunderstanding, too many words left unspoken for too long.

"Just go," he said quietly, still not turning to face me. "Before I change my mind."

I slid off the bed, testing my legs carefully after being restrained. They felt wobbly but supported me well enough to walk. In that moment, despite everything he had just put me through, I felt an overwhelming urge to go to him, to place my hand on his shoulder, to offer some comfort. But I resisted, knowing that clear boundaries were what we both needed now.

"I'm going downstairs," I said instead. "I'll try to fix this situation as best I can."

He nodded once, a jerky motion that spoke volumes about his emotional state, but said nothing more as I left the room.

Once I finally reached the grand staircase and descended to the first floor, I was confronted with exactly the chaotic scene the security team had described—the spacious foyer was teeming with uniformed police officers and agitated reporters, just as the guard had warned us upstairs. Camera flashes were going off repeatedly, and multiple news cameras were pointed directly at the staircase, capturing my appearance for what would undoubtedly be tomorrow's headline story.

"Mr. Alfred! Thank God you're alright! Are you injured in any way?" The county sheriff rushed urgently towards me, his hand resting cautiously on his holstered weapon as he approached. His expression was a mixture of professional concern and personal relief.

I remained momentarily frozen in place on the stairs, my mind racing to find a solution that would defuse this volatile situation before it spiraled completely beyond control. Taking a deep breath, I carefully composed my features into what I hoped was a convincingly calm expression while I formulated a plan.

"He seems disoriented," one reporter called out. "Was he drugged?"

"Are those bruises on his wrists?" another shouted, cameras zooming in on where the restraints had left marks.

I heard Sebastian's footsteps behind me, felt his presence before I saw him. The cameras immediately swiveled to capture his appearance, and I heard gasps at the sight of the blood still visible on his forehead from where he had struck the wall.

"There was clearly a struggle," someone murmured loudly enough to be heard.

This was rapidly spiraling out of control. I needed to act fast.

Until I clearly heard Sebastian's hesitant footsteps approaching from behind me, I deliberately glanced over my shoulder at him, taking in his disheveled appearance and the traces of blood on his forehead. Then I quickly twirled my head back around and purposefully furrowed my eyebrows in apparent confusion as I gazed directly at the sheriff standing below.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, thank you for your concern," I began in a strong, clear voice that carried throughout the foyer. "But what exactly is wrong here? Who on earth said I was kidnapped by anyone? How could someone possibly suggest that the honorable mayor of this county, a man who has dedicated his life to upholding justice and law, could ever hurt someone in such a way?!"

I paused dramatically before delivering my most shocking statement, making sure my voice was loud enough for everyone to hear clearly: "And especially since I'm his deeply beloved fiancé and our wedding is actually scheduled for tomorrow afternoon!"

My unexpected announcement had exactly the effect I'd hoped for—creating immediate confusion and derailing the kidnapping narrative that was forming.

"What! Fiancé? And a wedding scheduled for tomorrow morning?" The sheriff's jaw literally dropped in astonishment as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly struck with sudden embarrassment about the situation his department had created.

"Yes, that's absolutely correct," I continued confidently, crossing my arms over my chest and adopting an annoyed expression. "Mayor Evans and I have been engaged for some time now, though we've kept it private until the appropriate moment. This entire misunderstanding is completely ridiculous and frankly embarrassing for everyone involved."

I could feel Sebastian's shock radiating from behind me, but to his credit, he remained silent, letting me control the narrative.

"Oh, we... we had no idea, Mr. Alfred," the sheriff stammered, clearly thrown off balance by this unexpected development. "We received a very credible report that—"

"That report was clearly filed by someone with either a complete misunderstanding of the situation or perhaps even a personal vendetta against the mayor," I interrupted smoothly. "Either way, as you can see, I am perfectly fine and exactly where I want to be."

"Yes, Mr. Sheriff, you've been seriously misinformed," I continued with growing confidence. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you and your officers would please leave these premises immediately. As you can see, I was in the middle of getting some much-needed rest when I was so rudely interrupted by this unbelievable, completely childish situation."

I made a show of yawning slightly and adjusting my rumpled clothing, reinforcing the idea that I had merely been sleeping rather than held captive.

"We sincerely apologize for the intrusion and misunderstanding, Mr. Alfred," the sheriff replied, clearly eager to extract himself and his department from this increasingly embarrassing situation. His eyes darted between Sebastian and me, still seeming uncertain but unwilling to challenge my clear statement.

The sheriff cleared his throat awkwardly, turning to address Sebastian directly. "We're truly sorry about this unfortunate incident, Mr. Mayor. Please accept our deepest apologies for the disruption and any inconvenience we may have caused you this evening."

Then he looked back at me with a slightly suspicious expression that suggested he wasn't entirely convinced by my story but had no grounds to pursue the matter further given my clear statement that I was there voluntarily.

"Apology accepted," Sebastian finally spoke, his voice remarkably steady given the circumstances. "I understand you were simply doing your job, Sheriff. No hard feelings."

His calm, measured response seemed to ease some of the tension in the room. The consummate politician had returned, stepping smoothly into the role of the wronged but gracious public figure.

"Oh, we are genuinely sorry for the misunderstanding and intrusion, Mr. Alfred," the sheriff replied, clearing his throat uncomfortably while glaring at me with slight suspicion. Then he quickly looked back toward Sebastian, who had now stepped down to stand beside me on the stairs.

"Please accept our sincere apologies for this disruption, Mr. Sebastian," the sheriff continued formally. "We were simply responding to what appeared to be a credible report. We're leaving now, and again, congratulations to both of you on your upcoming nuptials."

I could see the reporters exchanging skeptical glances, clearly sensing there was more to this story than what appeared on the surface. But without my cooperation in confirming any wrongdoing, they had nothing concrete to report beyond a supposed engagement announcement.

"This story just took an unexpected turn," I overheard one reporter murmur to another. "From kidnapping to surprise engagement announcement in under an hour."

"All of you are cordially invited to attend the wedding ceremony tomorrow!" I suddenly announced with exaggerated enthusiasm, folding my hands dramatically in the air and forcing myself to giggle with apparent excitement. The invitation was impulsive but strategic—having witnesses and documentation of a happy ceremony would help sell our fabricated relationship to the public.

"We'd be truly honored to have you all there to share in our special day," I added, reaching out to take Sebastian's hand in mine. His fingers twitched slightly in surprise before closing around mine, warm and familiar.

"Sure, Mr. Alfred," the assembled officers and reporters replied almost in unison, clearly eager to witness what promised to be either a genuine romantic event or the biggest political scandal of the decade. Either way, they wouldn't miss it for the world.

"The ceremony will be at the main cathedral downtown," Sebastian added smoothly, playing along without missing a beat. "Two o'clock sharp."

His quick thinking impressed me—he was already filling in the details of our charade with the confidence of someone discussing long-established plans.

"We'll be there," the sheriff assured us before quickly ushering his officers toward the exit. The reporters followed reluctantly, still snapping photos and calling out questions that we strategically ignored as Matthews efficiently showed them all to the door.

Once the last of our unwelcome visitors had finally departed and the heavy front door closed behind them, Sebastian immediately placed his hands gently but firmly over my shoulders, physically turning my body and head to face him directly. His expression was a complex mixture of confusion, hope, and disbelief.

I quickly transformed the triumphant, somewhat manic grin on my face into a deliberately annoyed expression, crossing my arms defensively across my chest as I prepared for the inevitable questions.

"What in the world just happened?" Sebastian narrowed his eyebrows in complete bewilderment. "Why would you tell them we're engaged? Why would you announce a wedding that doesn't exist?"

His genuine confusion was almost endearing after everything we'd been through this evening. The powerful mayor who had orchestrated a kidnapping was now completely thrown off balance by a simple lie.

"What?" I replied with exaggerated innocence. "You practically begged me upstairs to give you one more chance to prove how much you truly love me! So are you changing your mind about that now? You can certainly cancel the wedding if you're having second thoughts."

I couldn't resist adding a smirk at the end, enjoying the rare sight of Sebastian Evans completely wrong-footed and struggling to keep up with events beyond his control.

"No, I'm not changing my mind," he replied quickly, almost desperately. "I'm just completely shocked by your sudden change in attitude, that's all. Just an hour ago, you were claiming that you love someone else!"

Sebastian shook his head in utter disbelief, clearly struggling to reconcile my earlier vehement resistance with my current apparent acceptance of a future together. I had to admit, even to myself, that I was enjoying playing with his emotions a little after everything he had put me through.

"I'm not usually this impulsive," he added, almost to himself. "But a wedding tomorrow? Is that even possible to arrange so quickly?"

"With your money and influence?" I shrugged. "Anything's possible."

"I was just making you jealous, you know," I finally admitted, stepping closer to him. "Jack is actually my best friend, like an older brother to me. That's literally all our relationship has ever been... nothing romantic whatsoever."

I raised a single eyebrow teasingly, watching as comprehension slowly dawned on his face. The realization that he had been jealous of a completely platonic relationship seemed to hit him all at once.

"So all this time..." he began slowly.

"You were making yourself crazy over nothing," I confirmed with a slight nod. "Jack and I have never been together that way. Never."

"But you let me believe—" he started accusingly.

"Yes, I did," I cut him off unapologetically. "After what you put me through a year ago, I'd say we're still not even close to being even, Sebastian."

He seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding slowly in reluctant agreement. "I deserve that," he admitted. "And probably much worse."

"Much, much worse," I agreed, but there was no real heat in my words anymore.

"So could we actually make it happen tomorrow? A real wedding, I mean?" Sebastian asked with surprising vulnerability, his voice catching slightly on the words. "Do you truly have genuine feelings for me after everything that's happened between us?"

His question hung in the air between us, weighted with hope and fear in equal measure. His eyes searched mine intently, looking for any sign of deception or manipulation.

"No, Sebastian, I don't have mere 'feelings' for you," I replied honestly, watching his face fall momentarily before I continued. "Because I never actually forgot about you for a single day since I left. I never managed to hate you despite how hard I tried. Call me a complete jerk if you want, but during our entire time apart, I was only ever thinking about you, constantly and painfully."

I stepped even closer to him as I made my final confession: "The truth is, I didn't date anyone else during the past year—not Jack, not anyone. I'm still completely, hopelessly in love with you, you absolute idiot."

Before he could respond, I reached up and firmly pulled his head down to meet mine, pressing my lips against his in a strong, passionate, lasting kiss that communicated everything words couldn't. I had missed him so desperately—missed absolutely everything about him, from his infuriating stubbornness to his unexpected tenderness. I had missed his touch, his penetrating eyes, the taste of his lips against mine.

As we finally broke apart, both breathless, I saw something I had never witnessed before—Sebastian Evans with tears openly running down his face, making no attempt to hide them.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered. "But I promise I'll spend every day of the rest of my life trying to be worthy of this second chance."

"You'd better," I replied with a smile that felt more genuine than any I'd managed in the past year. "Because I'm not going anywhere this time."