SEBASTIAN’S POV
I froze. The weight of my father’s words settled over me like a lead blanket, suffocating and relentless.
The room went silent, save for the ticking of the clock on the mantle. Sasha’s sharp intake of breath sliced through the quiet, and my gaze darted toward her.
Her wide eyes were pinned to my father, disbelief flickering across her delicate features.
“You didn’t tell her,” my father remarked casually, his tone laced with mockery.
He leaned back in the chair as though he were a guest instead of an intruder in my home.
“I find that quite surprising, son. You’re usually so meticulous about details. How did this one slip through the cracks?”
I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body taut. My voice came out low, strained. “Stop talking.”
He ignored me, his gaze fixated on Sasha. She looked at me, her lips parted, but no words came.
“He didn’t tell you, did he, Sasha?” My father’s voice oozed faux sympathy.
“Of course, he wouldn’t. Sebastian’s never been one to enjoy airing his dirty laundry. But someone ought to, don’t you think?”
“Enough,” I barked, stepping between them. My father raised a brow but otherwise
seemed unaffected by the venom in my tone.
Sasha’s voice finally emerged, barely above a whisper. “What is he talking about?”
Her question stabbed at me. This was not how I wanted her to find out, not with my father spinning the narrative to suit his agenda.
“Nothing that concerns you,” I bit out, glancing at her briefly before turning my glare back on him.
My father laughed, the sound cold and hollow. “Nothing that concerns her? You really believe that? Poor girl, sitting here in your gilded cage, blind to the man she’s married to.”
Sasha stepped closer, her voice trembling but firm. “Sebastian, tell me the truth. Were you… were you married before?”
I flinched. The way she said it, so tentative, as if she didn’t want to believe it but couldn’t ignore the possibility,
It killed me.
“I…” My throat constricted. I couldn’t lie to her. Not now. “Yes.”
The word fell from my lips like a stone, heavy and unrelenting. Sasha’s face paled, and she took a step back, as if the revelation physically pushed her away.
“Oh, come now,” my father interjected, his tone insufferably smug. “Don’t just leave it at that, Sebastian. She deserves the full story, doesn’t she?”
I turned on him, my patience snapped. “I said, stop talking!”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “And I said, someone should tell her. If not you, then I suppose it’s my duty as her loving father-in-law.”
My hand moved before I even registered the decision.
The gun I’d left on the table earlier was suddenly in my grip, the cold metal grounding me as I cocked it and aimed it directly at him.
“Leave. Now.”
The barrel of the gun didn’t waver. My father, to his credit, didn’t flinch.
He regarded me with the same detached amusement he always had, as though I were a child throwing a tantrum instead of a grown man with a weapon in his hands.
“Resorting to violence already?” he mused. “You’re proving my point, Sebastian. You can’t handle confrontation without threats. It’s no wonder your marriage is such a mess.”
“Get. Out,” I growled.
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re too much like your mother. All bark, no bite.”
Sasha stepped between us, her voice cutting through the tension.
“Stop it, both of you! This isn’t solving anything!”
My father looked at her, and for a brief moment, his expression softened. “You’re a good woman, Sasha. Far too good for my son. But you deserve to know who you’re married to.”
“Enough!” I barked, taking a step forward.
My father raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave. But before I go…” He stood, brushing nonexistent dust from his jacket. “Make things right with our business partner.
You know the one I mean. Or I’ll be back, and next time, I won’t be so polite about sharing your secrets.”
My jaw tightened, but I didn’t lower the gun. “If you come back, it’ll be the last time you walk into my house.”
He smirked, as though he didn’t believe me. “We’ll see about that.”
Without another word, he turned and strode toward the door, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence.
He didn’t look back as he left, and the door clicked shut behind him, leaving a deafening void in his wake.
I stood there for a moment, the gun still in my hand, until Sasha’s voice pulled me back to reality.
“Sebastian…”
I turned to her, my heart sinking at the sight of tears glistening in her eyes.
“Is it true?” she whispered. “What he said about… secrets?”
I exhaled slowly, setting the gun back on the table. “Sasha, I…”
Her expression crumpled, and she shook her head. “I need some time to think.”
Without waiting for my response, she walked out of the room. I didn’t try to stop her.
When I was finally alone, I sank into the chair, my head in my hands. My father’s words echoed in my mind, taunting me with their truth.
I had been married before. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
There were things Sasha didn’t know about me, things I had hoped she would never have to know.
But now, with my father threatening to bring it all to light, I knew those secrets wouldn’t stay buried for long.
I pushed myself to my feet and headed to the bedroom.
The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with their silence. I needed solitude, a moment to think, to plan my next move.
As I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, the weight of the day pressing down on me.
How much more could I risk before I lost Sasha for good?