Page 44 of Bastian

He never was.

Taking a sip of my glass, I take a deep breath and continue ignoring the man currently standing behind me, waiting for a reaction from me. “Will you turn around and give me those eyes, Arianna?” He says softly and so gently, and that messes with my head. I was not ready for this.

Knowing I can’t keep running, I turn around and face him, not at all expecting the sight of him looking at me the way he’s doing right at this instant.

No, I did not expect this at all.

I expected a fight.

I expected him to fight back when we started tearing each other apart. Instead, he is smiling and acting as if we are the same people we once were.

We’re not.

He made sure of that.

You’re not a coward, Arianna… The vicious little devil on my shoulder whispers.

So, I lift my head and look him straight in the eyes, smiling. It hurts. Why does it hurt when ten minutes ago, I could smile freely with Ella?

“What can I help you with, Mr. President?” I ask him. My tone is bored.

His eyes sharpen. “Stop that shit.” He seethes, but his eyes do not once seem angry just…sad. Damn you, liar.

I stare at him, trying really hard to hide the fact that his deceiving and sad eyes are having a terrible effect on me. He then takes a step forward, and my eyes instantly look behind him, noticing Benjamin standing back with his eyes trained on his boss. On us. I swallow, looking at him while he gives me a ‘you’re okay’ nod.

And suddenly, I don’t feel all that vulnerable. My eyes leave Benjamin’s and focus on the tyrant. “Again, is there anything you need, President Kenton?”

“It’s Sebastian to you.” He whispers, sounding hurt, but I know better. I am just one of the many who fell for his shit and now I pose a challenge to him.

And Sebastian Kenton loves games as much as he enjoys the challenge.

The chase.

The thrill of it all.

I learned that the hard way.

I wanted to remain calm, but now he’s pissing me off.

The audacity of this man to act as if I would just fall on my knees the second he got close to me, and all would be right. That I would care about his demands. Fuck that. “You’re nothing to me,” I say through gritted teeth, hoping that my voice doesn’t betray me. Thankfully, my tone comes off as convincing.

He stands tall with both hands inside his slack’s pocket, looking confident, strong, and very determined. “That is a lie, darling. I am everything to you. Just like you are the whole fucking world to me. Heaven, hell, and if there is something beyond that. You’re that, too.”

Liar.

Liar.

Fuck, stop lying.

Stepping back from him because his mere presence makes me want to break the flute in my hands over his head and cut his Carotid artery with a piece of glass. It also makes me feel things I have no business feeling again for this man.

So instead of being vulnerable or acting on my borderline psychotic impulse that will surely land my ass in jail for life, I place the flute down on the nearest table and then raise my head and stare at him as if he doesn’t matter. “You’re so full of shit. Step back and save your lies for the naive ones who voted for you and can stomach the farce of you because that is not me. Your lies, empty promises, and meaningless confessions mean nothing to me.” I snap, failing at containing my temper.

Sebastian steps closer, minimizing the space between us, towering over me, strong, confident, and really fucking pissed.

Good.

Get mad and fight me, Sebastian.

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