Page 88 of Addicted To His Favorite
Adam watched silently, his brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. He remained still, his hands loosely clasped behind his back.
Outside, the evening air was cool and damp, mist curling along the edges of the garden, swirling softly around the hedges. The faint scent of rain hung in the air. Emily’s gaze immediately landed on Sebastian.
He stood a few steps away, cigarette dangling lazily between his fingers. Smoke spiraled upward in delicate, tense wisps that framed his sharp, angular face. Even in the dim light, his dark, stormy eyes and set jaw radiated a silent intensity, and his shoulders were rigid with tension.
“Sebastian!” Emily called, her voice cracking with urgency.
He turned sharply at the sound of her voice, surprise flashing in his eyes as he saw her racing toward him. The cigarette slipped from his fingers, hitting the ground and leaving a faint trail of smoke behind just as Emily ran into his arms, throwing herself into his arms.
He hugged her back instantly, but there was a subtle stiffness, a restrained tension coiled in every line of his body. His hands slid to her back, pressing her close, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“Emily,” his voice came low, rough, and uneven, vibrating against her collarbone. “Please… don’t divorce me.”
Chapter 32 Darkness
The words made her still in his arms. Her fingers, resting around his neck, curled tighter as she leaned back slightly, startled. “Divorce you?” she repeated softly, confusion flickering across her face. “I never even thought about leaving you. It’s my brother who didn’t let me leave the house. He was afraid I jumped into this too quickly. That I might get hurt.”
She pulled back enough to see him clearly. In the dim light, there was a tightness in Sebastian’s features she had never seen before. The man she knew—arrogant, perfectly in control, effortlessly confident—was gone. In his place was someone who looked almost… vulnerable.
Her heart squeezed. She had never even imagined that she was this important to him.
She lifted a hand to his cheek, her thumb brushing the rigid line of his jaw. “Were you scared?” she asked softly.
Sebastian didn’t answer. His jaw flexed, and he turned his face slightly, almost as if to hide himself from her.
Emily’s hands found his face again, coaxing him to meet her gaze. “Look at me,” she whispered, her voice soft. “I’ll never leave you.”
His dark eyes locked on hers, the storm in them flickering, breaking apart. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, the words rough. “We should have told your parents. We should have taken their permission before getting married.”
Emily shook her head quickly, her hair brushing her cheeks. “No. I’m the one who insisted we hide it. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me. And don’t worry about Adam—he’s just… too protective. He doesn’t hate you. You’re his best friend. He can’t stay angry at you for long.”
Sebastian studied her face, something unreadable flickering across his expression before he muttered, “I love you, Emily.”
For a brief moment, her breath caught. But then…
‘He only said that because of the tension… because he doesn’t want my family against him,’ she told herself, clinging to rationality even as her pulse betrayed her. ‘But why does it feel so real?’
Before she could find words, Sebastian pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly.
Inside the house, George, Diana, and Adam stood by the window, watching the scene unfold.
Adam stood with his arms folded tight, jaw clenched, glaring through the glass. “Why did you let her go to him?” he demanded, turning to his father.
George didn’t even flinch. “Sebastian comes from one of the most powerful families in the country. He’s rich, influential. If he didn’t care about Emily or us, do you honestly think your two bodyguards could have stopped him from taking her away?”
Adam’s glare deepened. “So that’s it? You’re not afraid she’s making a mistake? That she just left one man who wasted fiveyears of her life, and now she’s already married to another? Doesn’t that worry you?”
George’s expression stayed calm. “I’ve only spoken to Sebastian for one evening. But even then, I could tell he isn’t the kind of man to hurt someone deliberately. And you—” he fixed Adam with a pointed look “—you’ve known him for years. Tell me, why is it so easy for you to assume he’ll harm Emily instead of care for her?”
Adam didn’t answer, his jaw tight, his gaze shifting back to the window where Emily was still in Sebastian’s arms, her face pressed to his chest.
Outside, Emily gently pulled away from Sebastian’s embrace. He hesitated for a brief moment, reluctant, before letting her go, his fingers brushing hers one last time.
Leon stepped forward, approaching them quietly, and handed Sebastian a neat stack of papers.
Emily couldn’t see the details, but she noticed the careful way Sebastian accepted them with a short nod. Together, he and Emily turned and walked back inside the house.
Her gaze flicked toward Adam and her parents. Anxiety tightened her chest. ‘I never imagined our relationship would come out like this…’ she thought, tension knotting her stomach.
