SEBASTIAN’S POV
The light filtering through the curtains was soft, painting Sasha’s face with a warm glow as she lay beside me.
Her breathing was steady, peaceful, and for a moment, I just watched her. These quiet mornings were rare.
The kind where I didn’t have to rush off to meetings or take calls before breakfast. Today was ours.
“Good morning, love,” I said, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. She stirred, her lips curving into a lazy smile as her eyes fluttered open.
“Good morning,” she murmured, her voice laced with sleep. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have work?”
“Not today. The whole day is ours.” I propped myself up on one elbow, studying her reaction.
Her brows lifted slightly, and then she stretched, her smile widening. “That’s a surprise.”
“I figured we could use the time together,” I said. “Unless you have other plans for the day.”
She shook her head but hesitated before speaking again. “Actually, there is something I’ve been wanting to do. But I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested.”
“Try me,” I said, curious now.
“Well…” Sasha sat up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I was thinking we could work on setting up my online business today. I know it’s not your kind of thing, so if it sounds boring, don’t worry about it.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the way she downplayed it, like her ideas might somehow inconvenience me.
“Sasha, nothing about you could ever bore me. If this is what you want to do, I’m in.”
She studied me for a moment, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. Then, with a small nod, she smiled again. “Alright. Let me grab my laptop.”
By the time she returned, I was sitting at the kitchen table, ready to get started. She set the laptop down in front of me and gave me a quick overview of her plans.
As she talked, her excitement started to show, her hands gesturing animatedly while she explained the concept.
“I’ve been thinking about launching a curated line of products,
things I personally love and use. Skincare, lifestyle items, maybe even some home decor.”
” I want it to feel personal, like I’m sharing something meaningful with people.”
I nodded, impressed by how much thought she’d already put into it. “You’ve got a solid vision. What do you need help with?”
“Setting up the website, mainly. I’ve been researching platforms, but I don’t know which one’s best. And then there’s branding, marketing… I feel a little overwhelmed by all of it.”
“We’ll figure it out together,” I said. “First step: the website. Let’s see what you’ve got so far.”
While she opened her laptop and navigated to a few bookmarked pages, I couldn’t help but admire how focused she was.
Sasha had always been driven, but seeing her pour that energy into something she was passionate about made me feel even more drawn to her.
As I scrolled through her research, Sasha disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with a steaming cup of coffee, setting it down in front of me.
“For you,” she said, her tone light.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip. “Now I know why you married me. Free tech support and a taste-tester for your coffee.”
She laughed, nudging my shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re lucky you’re good at both.”
We spent the next hour working through the details. I helped her compare website templates, explaining the pros and cons of each.
She leaned in close as we browsed through design options, her enthusiasm contagious.
“What about this one?” she asked, pointing to a sleek, minimalist layout.
“It’s clean, user-friendly, and it’ll make your products stand out,” I said.
She nodded thoughtfully. “I like it. Let’s go with this one.”
I walked her through the setup process, letting her take the lead while I provided guidance.
By the time we were halfway through customising the site, it felt like we were a real team, partners in every sense of the word.
Just as we were fine-tuning the colour scheme, the sound of the front door opening shattered our focus. My head snapped up, instinctively alert.
“Were you expecting someone?” I asked, my voice low.
Sasha shook her head, her brow furrowing. “No. I thought you locked the door.”
I stood, moving toward the entryway. Whoever it was didn’t bother knocking, and that alone put me on edge.
As I turned the corner, I saw her-the woman from last night’s party. She stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable.
“Sebastian,” she said, her tone calm, almost casual.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice steady even though the tension in the air was palpable.
Sasha appeared behind me, her presence grounding me. Her hand lightly touched my arm, a silent question in her eyes.
“I need to talk to you,” the woman said, her gaze flicking briefly to Sasha before returning to me.
“This isn’t the time,” I said firmly.
She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s important.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait,” I said, stepping closer to the door. “You should leave.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t argue. Without another word, she turned and walked out, leaving a charged silence in her wake.
I closed the door, locking it this time, and turned back to Sasha. Her expression was a mix of confusion and concern.
“Who was that?” she asked softly.
“Just someone from the party,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “She had no reason to come here.”
Sasha’s eyes searched mine, and I could tell she wanted to ask more, but she held back. Instead, she simply nodded.
“Let’s get back to work,” she said, her tone neutral.
I could feel the shift in her mood, the way the interruption had unsettled her. As much as I wanted to reassure her, I knew this wasn’t the moment to push.
Returning to the table, we picked up where we left off, but the easy rhythm we’d had earlier was gone. Sasha was quieter now, her focus less sharp.
And as much as I hated it, the lingering presence of that woman hung over us like a shadow.