SASHA’S POV
Early the next morning, my head felt heavy, as though the weight of yesterday’s discoveries was still pressing down on me.
I couldn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, those photos seemed to dance behind my eyelids.
The images of Sebastian, his arm around a woman whose face I barely recognized, haunted me.
As I made my way downstairs to meet Roland, I couldn’t shake the anxious twisting in my stomach.
I knew he was waiting for me, ready to help, but even his presence felt like a double-edged sword.
I didn’t know if I was ready for what he might tell me, yet at the same time, I couldn’t continue drowning in these questions without answers.
Roland looked up when he saw me approaching, his face softening in that familiar way that always made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this twisted situation.
I swallowed the tightness in my throat, forcing myself to reach for my phone.
I found the images, the ones that had been haunting me, and held the screen out to him.
“I got these last night, Roland,”
I said, voice strained. “Someone sent them to me, and I don’t even know what to think. I don’t know who she is… or why Sebastian would be with her. But I have to know.”
Roland took the phone, studying the photos with a frown, and after a long, tense silence, he looked up at me.
“Sasha, these could be misleading. People will go to great lengths to stir trouble, especially for someone like Sebastian.”
His tone was gentle but firm, as if he was trying to assure me of something he knew I needed to believe. “Trust me. If Sebastian were doing something like this, I would know.”
I let out a shaky breath. “I want to believe you, Roland. But seeing him with her like that… it’s hard to push those images out of my head. The timing, everything. It feels too real.”
Roland’s expression softened further, and he reached across the table, resting his hand over mine.
“I get it, Sasha. I do. But Sebastian called me just this morning. He’s been worried about you. And believe me, when he worries, he doesn’t take it lightly.”
“He asked me to check in on you, to make sure you were okay.” He paused, squeezing my hand.
“You know, if he were hiding something, if he was even capable of hurting you like that, he wouldn’t be calling me first thing in the morning, worried sick.”
I stared at him, my thoughts spinning in a tangled mess. It made sense, but at the same time, it didn’t completely quiet the doubts gnawing at me. “So you think… do you think this is all a setup? A way to make me think Sebastian’s cheating?”
“I do,” he said confidently. “Whoever sent these knows exactly what they’re doing. They know how to twist things to create chaos. And they’re hoping you’ll fall for it.” His eyes were intense, his gaze steady.
“You’re smart, Sasha. And you know Sebastian. Don’t let a few photos cloud everything you’ve built together.”
I took a deep, shuddering breath, nodding slowly. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m overthinking this. But… It’s hard, Roland. I feel like I can’t trust anything.”
He smiled slightly, giving my hand another reassuring squeeze before pulling back. “That’s understandable. But don’t give in to this. Trust Sebastian. Give him a call. Hear him out. He deserves that much, don’t you think?”
I managed a weak smile, the tightness in my chest loosening just a fraction. “Maybe I will. I think… I think you’re right.”
Roland rose from his chair, a look of satisfaction on his face. “Good. And don’t worry.
I’ll dig into this. I’ll find out where those photos came from and who’s behind them.” He nodded to me, a quiet reassurance in his eyes.
“You’ll get the answers you need.”
He took his leave, leaving me standing in the kitchen, my phone was still clenched in my hand.
I glanced down at it, Roland’s words echoing in my mind, telling me to call Sebastian, to trust him, to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I could feel the urge to dial his number, to reach out to him, rising within me. But as I lifted the phone, about to make the call, those images flashed through my mind again.
My hand froze, and the air felt thick around me as the doubt resurfaced, clouding my mind, gnawing at my already fragile confidence.
I could see it so vividly the way he was looking at her, the way he had his arm around her.
It felt too intimate, too familiar. And suddenly, that small bubble of hope Roland had managed to create in my chest burst, replaced by a surge of anger and hurt.
Before I knew what I was doing, a frustrated scream tore from my throat, echoing off the walls.
My grip on the phone tightened, the anger boiling over, and before I could stop myself, I hurled the phone across the room. It collided with the wall, shattering into pieces, a burst of raw emotion breaking free.
My breaths came in shallow, rapid bursts, my chest heaving as the silence settled around me.
I pressed my palms against the table, trying to steady myself, but the pain and confusion lingered, sinking deeper into my bones.