Page 23 of Sebastian.

Hi gives me nothing but a smile, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh, just to have a little chat about your illustrious family and someimportantinformation I've come across.”

I can't help but feel a surge of anger and frustration. Kenneth has always been relentless in his pursuit of sensational stories, no matter the cost to our family's reputation. From digging up past scandals to spinning innocent incidents into tabloid fodder, he has made a fortune by preying on our lives. I’m sure he makes so much from harassing us that he doesn’t even bother with writing anything else anymore. Our family probably pays all this man's bills, and then some.

As he stands there, I can't help but see him as a vulture, ready to swoop in and exploit any vulnerability. But I know I must handle this situation carefully, as confronting him in anger could only fuel his appetite for controversy.

“Alright. I’m listening,” I tell him, steady but guarded.

Kenneth smirks, knowing he has the upper hand. “Well, it's quite interesting, really. You see, I was writing about your son’s wedding when one of my sources sends me a rather intriguing footage of your husband…” Kenneth is almost vibrating with glee, pulling out an iPad as he speaks.

My heart skips a beat. What could he possibly have on Sebastian? Certainly the issues between him and I haven’t gotten out into the real world yet, have they? It’s only been hours since our confrontation in the billiard room. I try to maintain my composure, not wanting to show any sign of weakness.

“He was spotted at a gentlemen’s club just two hours ago, indulging in some questionable behavior,” he continues, the excitement evident in his voice.

My mind races, and I fear the worst. I can't believe that Sebastian would do something to jeopardize our family’s reputation further, especially on such an important day. Does that mean Seb already went as far as cheating on me after our conversation? Kenneth has to be exaggerating, or maybe he’s managed to find footage of someone that looks enough like Sebastian that he might be able to push the story through. I've got to remember that Kenneth is known for exaggerating and manipulating stories for his own gain. I can't let him control the narrative and exploit our private lives for public consumption.

Summoning my courage, I ask, “And what do you intend to do with this footage?”

He grins, clearly relishing the drama he's creating. “Oh, I'm thinking of publishing it, of course. A little scandal always sells well,” he replies, the malice in his eyes sending a shiver down my spine. “I’ve already written the story to go along with it, too. My readers love to get as much details as they can, and I’m always more than happy to give them what they want.”

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. “And I assume you came here to give me a chance to respond before you publish it?”

Kenneth smirks again. “Well, I thought it was only fair to let you know what I have. You know how much I value your family's side of the story.” The sarcasm in his voice makes my skin crawl.

“I appreciate the ‘offer', Kenneth, but I'm not interested in playing your little games.”

His eyes narrow, sensing my resistance. “Oh, come now, Julia. You know how this works. Give me a good story, and I might just reconsider publishing this little video.”

I feel the urge to lash out at him, to tell him to leave us alone and stop exploiting our lives for his own gain. But I know that engaging with him in this way would only feed into his agenda.

Instead, I stand my ground and keep myself as stoic as possible. “I have nothing to say to you. You can do whatever you want with that footage, but I won't be part of your circus.”

One of his hands goes to his chest as he gasps, feigning outrage at my words. “I’m wounded. We could talk about this more at length, if you’d like. Why don’t you invite me in for tea?”

“There are a lot of guests visiting today,” I snap right back, my eyes narrowed. “I guess your invitation got lost in the mail.”

“Ah, yes, the wedding of your oldest son. How is it going without Sebastian being present?”

“What do you want, at once?” I repeat, my patience wearing thin. “I’ve already told you I’m not getting involved.”

“How are you feeling without your husband here by your side for the wedding of your oldest son?” he repeats, ignoring my question. “That must be very painful for you. Do you want to make a comment about how Sebastian being gone makes you feel?”

I refuse to give him the satisfaction of a response, so I remain silent.

“Fine.” Kenneth sighs. “If you don’t want to collaborate now, maybe you will once you see this.” He turns the iPad he's holding, and a video begins to play. My heart sinks as I see Sebastian and Karl sitting at a table in what looks like a private bar or maybe a fancy lounge in Amsterdam. The room is exquisite, with a luxurious surrounding,including dark wood paneling, leather furniture, and rich tapestries. The video was clearly taken without their knowledge, and I can feel the anger building up inside me. It’s shaky camera phone footage, but it’s obviously Sebastian, no matter how much I want to deny the truth.

I watch, unable to tear my eyes away, as Sebastian and Karl drink and talk. The camera pans around the establishment, showing other tables with waitresses dressed in provocative outfits. It looks like a gentlemen's club, just like Kenneth pointed out, and the scene is infuriating. The lights in the room are low, the music soft and sensual. When the camera pans around, I can see multiple tables, and many more scantily-dressed women working.

My stomach rolls as a waitress stops by their table, a filigree black mask covering her face and lingerie that matches. Her skin is pale and flawless, and her long legs are balanced on a pair of stiletto heels. She opens a bottle of champagne, all the visible parts of her bouncing alluringly with the motion, and fills the flutes on the table with the bubbling liquid.

The video abruptly ends, leaving us in silence, my pulse pounding in my ears. Kenneth's sinister grin widens as he watches my reaction. “Quite a compromising situation they're in, don't you think? Nothing better than being in a gentlemen’s club surrounded by half-naked women while the heir of the family is getting married, huh? Should I assume that Sebastian doesn’t approve of the union?”

My heart sinks at the sight of Sebastian with Karl, especially in such an inappropriate establishment. The pain is unbearable, and I can't help but feel humiliated at the thought of my family and staff seeing this video. I don’t want anyone’s pity.

I clench my fists, my emotions roiling. “So what’s your plan?” I manage to ask, trying to keep my voice steady. “Release the footage and your damned article? So what? You’ve done worse to us before.”

“Oh, the possibilities are endless,” he gloats. “This could be the story of the year, a scandal that could make or break careers.”

My mind races, trying to figure out how to handle this situation. I shouldn’t let Kenneth use this video to hurt my family, but I’m also exhausted. And so hurt by what Sebastian has done, that I find it hard to summon the passion necessary to protect him. “You're enjoying this, aren't you? Hurting people just to boost your career.” My anger seeps through the question and it leaves Kenneth even more amused.

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