Chapter 14
Elara's POV
The car ride back from the Devereux estate was the longest hour of my life.
I sat there, staring out the window, feeling like I needed to take a long, hot shower just to wash off the feeling of that house. His family… God, they are something else.
Every single person in that building looked at me like I was either a prize or a problem, and I don't know which one I hate more. Especially Dominic. Just thinking about his smile makes my skin crawl.
I never want to go back there again. Ever.
When we finally got home, I went straight to bed, but my brain wouldn't shut up. I eventually fell into a light, restless sleep, but I woke up around 2 AM feeling like my throat was made of sandpaper.
I reached across the bed to see if Sebastian was there, but the silk sheets were cold.
Empty.
He hadn't even come to bed yet. Part of me felt relieved, but another part—a part I'm starting to get annoyed with—felt a little lonely. I got up, drank a glass of water, and decided to go find him. I knew exactly where he'd be.
I found him in his study, the room dim and smelling of expensive oak and bourbon. He was sitting behind his desk, a glass in his hand, looking like a man who carried the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.
"It's late, Elara," he said without looking up. His voice was like low thunder. "And it's dark. You should be in bed."
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. "I'm 21 years old, Sebastian. I think I can handle a dark hallway. You're only 25, so let's stop acting like you're my grandfather, okay? Don't teach me too much."
I saw his jaw tighten. He finally looked at me, his eyes dark and piercing. "I'm not trying to be your teacher."
He was being rude. Again. The old Elara would have shrunk back, apologized, and ran to her room. But tonight? Tonight I felt a strange kind of fire in my chest.
"No," I said, walking closer until I was standing right in front of his desk. "I'm not going back until you come to sleep"
"You're becoming bold," he rasped, leaning forward into the light. "Are you forgetting who I am? Do you realize how dangerous it is to push a man like me?"
I looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Sebastian. You are my husband. Why would I be afraid of you ??"
He froze. He set his glass down slowly and stood up, walking around the desk until he was looming over me. The air between us suddenly felt like it was vibrating. The tension was so thick I could practically feel it on my skin.
"And why is that?" he whispered, his voice dangerously low as he stepped into my personal space. "I could break you with one hand. I've killed men for less than the tone you're using with me right now."
I didn't blink. I didn't move.
"Because I know you won't," I said, my voice steady despite the way my heart was screaming. "No matter how much you yell or how cold you act, I know you won't hurt me. Out of everyone in that horrible family, you're the only person I actually trust. And I know you also trusts me and even if you don't accept that I know it."
His expression shifted. For a second, the mask of the cold mafia capo cracked, and I saw something raw and vulnerable underneath. He looked at me like I was a puzzle he couldn't solve, and for the first time, he seemed speechless.
"You think you are supposed to trust me?" he asked, his voice sounding a little broken.
"I am because I am your wife. We may not have a normal marital life but still I am your wife " I said, reaching out and gently touching his sleeve.
"So stop drinking and come to sleep. Because if you don't go to bed, then I'm staying right here. I won't sleep if you don't."
We stood there for a long time, just breathing in the same air, his eyes searching mine for any sign of a lie. But I wasn't lying. I was stuck with him, and somehow, his darkness had started to feel like the only safe place I had left.