Page 24 of Forever His Favorite
A third man’s gaze flicked between Sebastian and Emily. “As expected of Mr. Graves. You must have recognized her talentlong before the truth came to light. No wonder you placed your trust in her even before Amelia was exposed.” His eyes flicked deliberately toward Lucas before adding, “But, Miss Crawford… if I may ask, when Amelia was accused, did Mr. Cantrell truly not believe you? Even though you were his girlfriend at the time?”
Emily’s chest tightened. She shook her head once, her voice quiet but clear. “No.”
A heavy hush fell instantly, the kind that pressed against the walls and seemed to steal the very air from the room.
Sebastian’s arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer. His gaze swept the hall.
“My wife loves designing. But she despises conflict.” he began, “She suffered quietly, tried to endure, tried to remain kind even when wronged.” His jaw hardened, the muscle ticking, his tone deepening to a dangerous edge. “But those days are over. I am by her side now. She will never again need to explain herself to anyone ever again.”
The crowd erupted with murmurs of admiration.
“What a perfect match, Mr. and Mrs. Graves.”
“You can see the devotion between them.”
“You two look incredible together.”
“It’s amazing—Mr. Graves never attends small private events like these, but he came to this one, just for his wife.”
Emily’s cheeks warmed. The lights overhead made her dress shimmer; the sweet tang of champagne and perfume folded into the afterglow of compliments. For a heartbeat she let herself lean into it — the soft gossip, the small, approving smiles. Her palm felt cool in Sebastian’s at her side.
Emily’s cheeks flushed, overwhelmed by the supportive words around her. But before the moment could settle, a sudden disruption shook the crowd.
Lucas shoved through the crowd, shoulders barging past bodies, eyes locked on Emily like a man possessed. His face was drained of color, jaw clenched.
Chapter 10 Divorce Him!
The crowd parted as Lucas forced his way forward until he stood face-to-face with her. And before Emily could even breathe, he grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing hug.
A ripple of gasps ran through the hall. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Someone near the back whispered, “What’s going on? Didn’t Ms. Crawford just say she’s married to Mr. Graves?”
“Yeah,” another answered, incredulous. “And didn’t she break up with Mr. Cantrell? Why’s he hugging her now—right in front of her husband?”
Sebastian’s jaw clenched until he tasted metal. Light in his eyes snapped to ice. He closed the gap in a single, controlled step, fingers locking into Lucas’s shoulder like a vice, and with one hard twist ripped Emily free. He shoved Lucas so hard the man staggered back, boots skidding on the floor. Sebastian’s voice dropped low.
“Mr. Cantrell,” Sebastian bit out, his fury shaking every word. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Lucas staggered back, but his fury only deepened. His eyes burned into Sebastian as he barked, voice raw with possessiveness,
“Your wife? Don’t make me laugh! Emily is my woman. My would-be wife! Why would she ever marry you? I’m the one who stayed by her side for five years. I’m the one who—”
His words faltered, his anger choking into something almost desperate as his gaze snapped to Emily. His tone shifted, dropping lower, trembling with restrained emotion.
“Emily… I’m sorry for what you went through. I know I was away. I thought it was just a minor fight, that you’d come back. I should’ve pacified you sooner, but it’s never too late to accept mistakes. You’re right in front of me now—please…” His voice cracked as he extended his hand toward her. “Come back to me.”
Emily’s eyes stayed cold. “Lucas, there’s nothing for you to pacify. No fight to fix. No misunderstanding to smooth over. Our relationship died long before I lay on that operating table and you told me you didn’t care whether I lived or died. That was when you became nothing to me. If you expect me to come back after that…” Her words hardened into ice. “…I’d rather be dead.”
Sebastian froze. His head snapped toward Emily, stunned.
Leon had reported what little he could about Emily’s past with Lucas, but never had Sebastian imagined hearing this. ‘She… died?’ His chest tightened violently, and a faint ringing filled his ears.
Lucas’s face went slack with shock, then scrambled for recovery. He stumbled through apologies and promises, voice fraying.
“I know I ignored you. I treated you wrong. I didn’t listen when it mattered. I can change. Emily, please, give me another chance.” His voice trembled at the end, softer than a whisper, shaking as his hand reached for her once more.
Emily didn’t move.
Taylor, who had stood silently at Lucas’s side until now, finally stepped forward. His voice was calm and pleading as he tried to salvage whatever remained.
