Chapter 7

"And if I don't leave?" Sebastian hissed, his eyes blazing as he glared at Ava, the bitterness in his voice sharp enough to cut glass.

Ava’s lips curled into a smirk, daring him. "Then you’ll regret it. But that’s not my concern, is it?"

Footsteps echoed outside the room, followed by a soft but urgent voice. "Sebastian, where are you?" Alexandra called out, her tone a mixture of curiosity and impatience. She moved room to room, her steps growing quicker as she searched for him.

The sound of her voice sent a jolt through Sebastian. Without another word, he shot Ava one last scowl, then slipped out of her room like a shadow. Ava watched him go, an icy satisfaction glinting in her eyes. As the door clicked shut, her expression hardened. "You can run to her all you want," she muttered to herself, venom dripping from every word. "But you’ll pay, Sebastian. Six years of my life rotted in that prison cell because of you. And now it’s your turn."

Meanwhile, Sebastian’s face softened as he approached Alexandra, who spotted him down the hallway and broke into a smile, relieved. "Sebastian! There you are," she said, reaching out to him. "I’ve been looking for you everywhere."

"I was just… around," he replied, his tone forced into calmness as he composed himself.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, oblivious to the storm raging inside him. "The event planner is here! Come on, let’s go downstairs and map out every detail for our big day."

She took his hand, her grip warm and affectionate, guiding him down the stairs. Her innocent joy tugged at him, intensifying the knot of guilt and turmoil in his chest. In the back of his mind, Ava’s cold laughter lingered, like a ghost that refused to let him go.

As they descended the grand staircase, Alexandra’s voice bubbled with excitement. She was describing her vision for the wedding—lavender centerpieces, soft candlelight, a string quartet playing their favorite song as she walked down the aisle. But Sebastian barely heard her; his thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in memories of Ava and the darkness they shared.

He could still hear her words ringing in his mind. "You’ll regret it." They’d been in love once, but that was a different lifetime. Now, their love had curdled into something dangerous and twisted, a bond forged in secrets, betrayal, and rage.

"Sebastian?" Alexandra’s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. She was looking at him, her eyes full of anticipation. "Are you even listening?"

He forced a smile, nodding. "Of course, my love. The lavender sounds perfect."

She beamed, clearly reassured. "I’m so glad you agree. I want everything to be just… perfect." Her hand slipped around his arm, and she leaned into him. "It’s going to be the beginning of our forever."

But Sebastian couldn’t shake the dread lurking at the edges of his mind. Alexandra’s trust, her love—they weighed on him, pressing down with every step he took toward a future that, deep down, he wasn’t sure he deserved.

As they reached the living room, the event planner stood waiting, flipping through a book of designs and ideas. Alexandra dove eagerly into discussions about flowers and seating arrangements, her laughter lighting up the room. But Sebastian was barely present, his mind drifting back to Ava, back to the threat she’d left hanging in the air.

It hadn’t been easy to betray her, but he’d done it to save himself. She’d gone to prison, and he’d walked free, never looking back. He thought she’d stay in his past, buried like so many other things he wanted to forget. But now, with Ava back and vowing revenge, everything he had planned when he finally married Alexandra felt as fragile as glass.

A sharp laugh from Alexandra snapped Sabastian back to the present. She was standing beside him, appraising the different samples the event planner had laid out, and she flashed a bright, approving smile.

"This decor is perfect!" Sabastian said, selecting from the various designs the event planner presented, his fingers brushing over a lavish, deep-green tapestry.

Meanwhile, Ava was upstairs in her room, meticulously getting ready. Mr. George had told her earlier that they had plans for the evening, and she took her time with each detail, ensuring she looked flawless. In the living room, Alexandra and Sabastian continued their discussion with the event planner, only pausing when they heard footsteps descending the staircase.

Ava and Mr. George appeared, each impeccably dressed. Ava’s dress flowed elegantly around her as she walked, while Mr. George’s sharp suit seemed to underscore his dignified presence.

“We’re heading out, my dear,” Mr. George said to his daughter Alexandra, with a warm, reassuring smile.

But Alexandra’s expression hardened, and she crossed her arms with a dismissive scoff. "I don’t care, Dad. I don’t like her, and I don’t care where you two are going," she replied icily, barely masking her disdain.

Without hesitation, Ava leaned over and placed a soft, deliberate kiss on Mr. George's cheek, her eyes catching Sabastian’s as she did. There was a flicker of something mischievous in her gaze as she shot him a subtle, taunting smile, as if to say, Watch this.

Alexandra’s eyes widened with fury, and she sneered. "No shame at all, Ava. Kissing a man old enough to be your father? Disgusting."

Ava, unfazed, turned to her with a calm but steely gaze. "Age is just a number, my dear," she said with a quiet confidence. "I love your father, and that's the only thing that matters."

She then looked Sabastian straight in the eye, holding his gaze a beat too long, her expression unreadable but piercing. Sabastian felt a pang of something—jealousy, maybe, or a longing he thought he’d buried—spark up in his chest.

Mr. George, sensing the tension, slipped his hand into Ava's and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Shall we, my dear?” he said, his voice warm, pulling her attention back to him. Together, they turned and walked out, hand in hand, their steps echoing softly as they left the mansion.

Sabastian watched them leave, his eyes following Ava until she was out of sight, his mind swirling with a mix of confusion and nostalgia. He knew what she was doing, but somehow, it still hit him hard.

“Really?” Alexandra’s sharp voice cut through his thoughts, dragging him back to the present. She eyed him with an incredulous frown. “Are you actually staring at her? I need to know what you and that Ava girl had before. You’re not telling me everything.”

Sabastian sighed, his face tightening. "I’ve told you, my love. There was nothing between us." He hesitated, his jaw clenching. "She's just an ex-prisoner, Alexandra. She's only with your father for his money."

Alexandra scoffed, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Right. And that’s why she’s cozying up to my father, who could easily fund her new life. You think she’s genuinely interested in him?”

Sabastian opened his mouth to respond but found no words. There was a spark between them, something he couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard he tried.

“You’re falling for her charm, aren’t you?” Alexandra’s voice broke through his thoughts, sharper than before. “You’ve always had a weak spot for damsels in distress.”

“That's not true. Why would you say that?” Sabastian shot back, his frustration bubbling over. “Ava is just a gold digger, plain and simple. I have plans to make your father leave her.”

Alexandra’s eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and intrigue crossing her features. “Really? What’s that?” she asked, leaning in closer, her voice low and conspiratorial.

Noticing the event planner still busily jotting down notes in the corner of the room, Sabastian glanced around to ensure their discussion remained private. He stepped closer to Alexandra, lowering his voice to a whisper, but his heart raced with the thrill of plotting.

“Okay,” he began, eyes darting back to the planner to confirm she was preoccupied. “First, we need to expose her past. I mean, everyone must know she is an ex-prisoner. There must be something about her time in prison that will raise eyebrows—something your father doesn’t know.”

A flicker of excitement danced in Alexandra’s eyes. “That’s brilliant. But we need to be careful. If he finds out it was us…”

“Don’t worry,” Sabastian interrupted, a confident smirk on his face. “We’ll be discreet. We’ll make it seem like a friendly tip-off, someone looking out for his best interests. Your father wouldn’t want to be embarrassed, especially in front of his friends.”

As he spoke, he could see Alexandra warming to the plan, her initial reluctance fading into a sense of empowerment. “And what if we get someone to investigate her? A private investigator could unearth more dirt—maybe even catch her in a lie. We could feed that information to Dad to really turn the heat up.”

“Exactly!” Sabastian replied, feeling the adrenaline surge through him. “Once he sees her for what she really is, it won’t take much to convince him to end things. We can portray ourselves as the concerned children trying to protect him from a woman who only wants his money.”

Alexandra’s smile widened, the initial tension between them beginning to dissolve as they shared in this secretive plotting. “This could work, Sabastian. We have to make sure we don’t get caught, though. If Ava finds out…”

“We’ll be careful,” he assured her, though a small part of him felt a twinge of guilt. “We have to keep this between us for now. The longer we keep it under wraps, the better.”

“Agreed,” she said, her voice filled with determination. “Let’s start tonight. I’ll do some digging into her background while you handle the private investigator. We can present our findings as a ‘friendly warning’ to Dad. It’ll be perfect.”

Sabastian couldn’t help but feel a surge of exhilaration at the prospect of executing their plan. “Right. We’ll move quickly, but stealthily. If we act fast, we can drive a wedge between them before they grow too close.”

As they exchanged a conspiratorial glance, a sense of camaraderie filled the space between them. They were no longer just a daughter and her fiancé caught in a conflict; they were partners in a scheme, determined to protect their family, even if it meant resorting to underhanded tactics.

“But what if it backfires?” Alexandra asked, a shadow of doubt creeping into her voice. “What if it only brings them closer together?”

Sabastian reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We can’t think like that. We have to be confident in our strategy. If we stay one step ahead, there’s no way this can fail.”

With renewed determination, Alexandra nodded, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Let’s do it. Let’s protect our family and expose her for who she really is. No one messes with us.”

The event planner cleared her throat, breaking the intensity of their conversation. They both turned to her, the spell of their plotting momentarily lifted.

“Are you two ready to discuss the floral arrangements?” she asked, her tone professional, unaware of the scheming that had just taken place.

“Of course,” Sabastian replied, a smile plastered on his face as he and Alexandra exchanged knowing glances. “Let’s get back to work.”