SEBASTIAN’S POV
The morning air was crisp, carrying with it the soft hum of life outside.
The city below buzzed faintly as I stood on the balcony, my phone in hand, and my thoughts a tangled mess.
Sasha was still asleep, her soft breaths the only thing grounding me in the moment. Last night had been both a relief and a whirlwind, but there were questions left unanswered.
I dialled Roland’s number, leaning against the railing. He picked up on the second ring, his tone sharp yet familiar.
“Sebastian, good morning. Is everything alright?”
“Morning, Roland,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I need to ask you something. Why didn’t you tell me about the text messages Sasha’s been receiving?”
There was a pause on his end, the kind that made you wonder if the person was choosing their words carefully or just caught off guard.
“I thought it would be better if Sasha told you herself,” he finally said.
“She needed to trust you enough to share it on her own. Besides, I figured I could handle the situation without alarming you.”
I clenched my jaw, holding back the urge to lash out. His reasoning wasn’t entirely off, but it didn’t sit right with me either.
“And how exactly were you planning to handle it?” I asked, keeping my tone steady but firm.
“I was keeping an eye on things, monitoring her movements when she was out, making sure she wasn’t alone for too long.
I also ran a trace on the number sending the texts. It’s unregistered and bounces through a series of virtual servers. Whoever this is, they’re good at covering their tracks.”
Roland’s voice was calm, as if this was just another day in his line of work.
“And you didn’t think I should know about any of this?” I pressed.
“Sebastian,” he said, his tone softening slightly. “I didn’t want to distract you while you were on your business trip. I thought it would be better to deal with it here, on the ground.”
“Besides, I assumed Sasha would talk to you before it got out of hand.”
I exhaled sharply, gripping the phone tighter.
“That wasn’t your call to make,” I said, my voice colder than I intended.
“I appreciate your loyalty, Roland, but keeping me in the dark isn’t the way to go about it.”
There was another pause before he spoke again, his voice tinged with regret.
“I understand. If I miscalculated, I apologise. I thought I was doing what was best for you both.”
For a moment, I didn’t say anything. The city noise below filled the silence, a reminder of the world moving on while we stood still.
“Just… don’t let it happen again,” I finally said.
“Understood,” Roland replied.
I leaned back, rubbing my temple. The last thing I needed was more secrecy, especially when it came to Sasha. The thought of her enduring this alone, without telling me, gnawed at me.
“How was the trip, by the way?” Roland asked, breaking the tension.
I let out a small laugh, though there was no humour in it.
“It was… eventful, to say the least,” I said. “We managed to close the deal, but not without a few complications.”
“The negotiations took longer than expected because one of the clients decided to change the terms at the last minute. I had to call in a few favours to smooth things over.”
Roland hummed in acknowledgment. “And the fallout?”
“Minimal, thankfully,” I replied. “But there’s still some cleanup to do on our end. I’ll need to meet with the team later this week to finalise everything.”
Before I could continue, Roland’s phone rang. He muttered a quick apology and stepped away to answer it.
I turned back to the cityscape, my mind wandering back to Sasha. Last night, she had finally opened up, albeit partially. But there was still so much she wasn’t saying.
Roland’s return was marked by a change in his demeanour. His usual calm was replaced with a serious expression, one that immediately put me on edge.
“What is it?” I asked, straightening up.
“The boss has summoned you,” Roland said, his voice low.
I felt a chill run down my spine. A summons from the boss was never casual. It wasn’t just a meeting or a briefing-it was serious, and it always meant something big was on the horizon.
“When?” I asked, my tone clipped.
“Immediately,” Roland replied. “I’ll have the car ready in twenty minutes.”
I nodded, already mentally preparing myself for whatever was coming. This wasn’t just about business. It never was.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll be ready.”
As Roland hung up, I glanced back into the room where Sasha still slept. Her hair was a mess of dark waves across the pillow, her expression peaceful.
I didn’t want to leave her, not after everything we’d just gone through. But this was something I couldn’t avoid.
Quietly, I stepped back into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. I brushed a strand of hair from her face, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
“I’ll be back soon,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I was making a promise to her or to myself.
As I stood, Sasha stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open.
“Sebastian?” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
“I have to step out for a bit,” I said, keeping my tone gentle. “Go back to sleep. I’ll explain everything later.”
She frowned, sitting up slightly. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” I lied. “Just a meeting I can’t miss. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded, lying back down.
“Be careful,” she whispered, her eyes already closing again.
“I will,” I said, though the words felt hollow.
As I left the room, my mind was already racing. Whatever was waiting for me, I had a feeling it was going to change everything.