Chapter 28 Stolen Kiss

Chapter 28 Stolen Kiss

The realization hit Sebastian with full force.

A wild, impossible thought rose in his mind.

What if Sophie had feelings for him?

He froze at the idea, then dismissed it as absurd.

But the image of her falling apart earlier, the broken whispers in her sleep—they replayed in his mind like a loop he could not stop. He could not completely deny it.

While his thoughts churned, Sophie shifted in her sleep. Her arm slid off the couch, and her hand, slightly cool, brushed against his where it rested on the bed frame.

The brief, soft contact sent a jolt through his entire body.

He went rigid.

The woman from that night—her skin had felt like this. Smooth. Warm. With a faint, clean scent.

He remembered losing control. Pinning her beneath him. Her inexperienced responses. The way she had tried to hold back her sounds...

But that feeling was nothing like Emma.

Emma always wore heavy perfume. Her body was firm and toned from years of working out.

The woman in his memory had been soft. Clean. Like gardenias after rain.

That softness matched the sensation of Sophie's hand brushing his skin just now.

Sebastian's heart skipped a beat. A thought he could not believe broke through.

He stared at Sophie, searching her sleeping face for any trace that matched that night.

Her lips were beautiful. Full. Slightly parted now in restless sleep, vulnerable and unguarded.

His throat tightened.

Logic told him this was insane. Emma was the one he had slept with that night.

But his body's memory was relentless. It pushed him to confirm.

He leaned down. His ice-blue eyes darkened like the ocean at midnight, churning with doubt, curiosity, and something else he did not recognize.

He kissed her.

Soft. Warm. Exactly like he remembered.

The moment their lips touched, it was like lightning struck his nerves. Every blurred fragment from that night snapped into sharp focus.

It was her. Not Emma.

The realization shook him harder than the crash earlier that day.

Instinct took over. He deepened the kiss. No longer testing—this was claiming. Desperate to confirm more.

He parted her lips and claimed her mouth, possessive and demanding, tasting every bit of that softness and sweetness.

Sophie felt her breath stolen in her sleep. A forceful, unfamiliar presence wrapped around her, suffocating. She struggled. Finally, on the edge of losing air, she forced her eyes open.

The first thing she saw was Sebastian's face, inches from hers. Those deep, ice-blue eyes that could pull you under.

He was... kissing her?

Sophie's mind went blank. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest.

The moment their eyes met, Sebastian froze. He pulled back sharply, so fast it was like nothing had happened. Every emotion on his handsome face vanished in a second, replaced by that impenetrable coldness.

He looked down at her, his gaze detached, his tone flat, as if stating something insignificant. "You were having a nightmare."

Sophie was still lying on the couch, completely frozen.

The heat of his kiss lingered on her lips. The possessive pressure of it. It was real. Not a dream.

He had kissed her while she was asleep.

Why? What had he figured out?

Sophie bolted upright, instinctively putting distance between them. She kept her eyes down, afraid to meet his gaze.

"I... I need to use the restroom." She threw out the excuse and practically fled, stumbling toward the bathroom in the adjoining room.

Sophie pressed her back against the cold door. Her legs were shaking. Her whole body trembled.

She clutched her racing heart and gasped for air.

He suspected. He had to.

Otherwise, with Sebastian's pride, why would he kiss a subordinate he looked down on?

That kiss was not desire. It was a test.

The thought made her blood run cold. If he knew she was the woman from that night, what would he think? That she had planned it all? Slept with him to climb the ladder, then used the baby to trap him?

No. She could not let him know.

Her life was already a mess. She could not add this kind of shame to it.

She could not let her child carry the stain of illegitimacy.

Sophie walked to the sink and turned on the faucet. She splashed cold water on her face over and over, trying to force her chaotic mind to calm down.

The mirror reflected a pale, panicked face. Her lips were slightly swollen. Her eyes held a fear she could not hide.

She had to act like nothing had happened.

After a long time building up her composure in the bathroom, Sophie finally steadied herself.

She smoothed her expression back into that polite, distant mask and opened the door.

In the room, Sebastian was already back in bed, phone in hand, focused on work. His face was calm and detached, as if the kiss had never happened.

Sophie kept her head down and walked back to the couch without a word. She curled up, pulled her jacket tighter around herself, and turned her back to him, pretending to sleep.

But sleep was impossible.

That night, both of them lay awake with their own thoughts. Neither spoke.

The next morning, Sophie woke to something soft against her skin.

She opened her eyes and found herself lying in the hospital bed, covered with a blanket. Sebastian, who should have been there, was gone.

She sat up quickly and looked around. The room was empty.

A nurse pushed a cart in. Seeing Sophie awake, she smiled. "You're up? Mr. Carter left early this morning. He told me to let you know he left breakfast on the table. He wants you to eat and then handle the discharge paperwork."

The nurse set down an elegant breakfast from a well-known restaurant in the city.

Sophie stared at the food. Her mind was a mess.

She grabbed her phone and dialed Sebastian's number.

He picked up almost immediately.

"You're awake?" His voice was cool and businesslike, without emotion.

"Mr. Carter, where... where did you go? What about the situation in City A..."

"It's handled." Sebastian cut her off, his tone brisk. "I've already booked tickets for this afternoon. Eat breakfast, finish the discharge process, and meet me at the station."

Handled? Yesterday it was a standoff. Today it was over?

Sophie wanted to ask more, but he did not give her the chance.

"That's all."

"Mr. Carter, I'd like to request some time off."

On the other end, Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You don't want to come back with me?"