Chapter 5
The car ride was silent at first. Tension floated between them like mist—thick, heavy, but not quite unbearable.
Sebastian didn’t drive far. Just a quiet rooftop lounge on the outskirts of the city. It was high enough that the city lights looked like stars had scattered across the ground instead of the sky.
They sat at a corner table, far from curious eyes.
The waiter brought two drinks. Elena barely touched hers. Sebastian, on the other hand, looked completely at ease—leaned back in his chair, swirling his glass like he was born in control.
“I didn’t come here to flirt,” Elena said, breaking the silence. “So if that’s what this is, you’ve wasted your time.”
Sebastian arched a brow. “Flirting? I haven’t even started.”
She rolled her eyes and looked away. “Why did you bring me here?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he studied her—the way she sat so straight, holding herself together like she was afraid she’d shatter if she let go.
“I brought you here,” he finally said, “because I thought you deserved one night of peace.”
She looked at him, surprised. “Peace?”
He nodded. “The storm you’re going through… I’ve seen it before. It’ll swallow you whole if you’re not careful.”
His words hit deeper than she expected.
Because he was right.
She had been drowning in heartbreak and betrayal for days. The anger kept her warm, but it was also eating her alive.
“You seem awfully calm for someone who just found out his brother’s a cheater,” she said softly.
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “Andrew has always been reckless. Selfish. He takes what he wants without thinking about the consequences.”
“And you’re different?”
“Very.”
There was a sharp confidence in his tone, but also something wounded behind it. Elena caught it, even if he tried to hide it.
“So this… thing… that happened between us,” she asked, her voice unsure, “was it just another way to get back at him?”
Sebastian shook his head slowly. “No. That night wasn’t about Andrew. It was about you.”
She frowned. “What does that even mean?”
“You looked like a woman who was done pretending. And I liked that,” he said simply. “I didn’t plan it, but I don’t regret it.”
Elena swallowed hard.
There was something dangerously honest about him. Like he had nothing to prove and no masks to wear.
It was nothing like Andrew, who always needed to be admired. Always needed to be in control.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” she whispered. “But I’m not ready for anything complicated.”
He leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. “Then don’t make it complicated. Let it be whatever it is.”
Elena looked down at her glass. She didn’t want to admit it, but being near him—this calm, unreadable man—gave her a strange kind of comfort. Like maybe not everything was broken.
They stayed for a while longer, mostly in silence, sipping their drinks and watching the night deepen.
When he drove her back to the apartment, he didn’t ask to come up. He simply parked, turned to her, and said, “If you need anything, call me.”
“I don’t even have your number,” she replied.
He reached into his jacket, pulled out a sleek black business card, and handed it to her.
“Now you do.”
She hesitated, then took it.
He looked at her one last time. “Get some rest, Elena. You’ve got a long fight ahead.”
And with that, he drove off into the night.
Elena stood there for a long while, watching the taillights fade.
She held the card in her hand like it weighed more than it should.
She didn’t know what Sebastian really wanted.
But for once, she didn’t feel like she had to figure it all out at once.
For tonight, it was enough to feel like someone saw her.
Not as Andrew’s wife.
Not as the heartbroken woman.
But just… Elena.
And maybe that was a good place to start.