Chapter twenty
Sebastian's footsteps echoed with deliberate weight as he closed the space between them, until there was nothing left but the wall at Kairen's back and the heat of his presence pressing in. Kairen whimpered under his breath, every part of him trembling, his lips shaping half-formed apologies that broke apart before reaching air.
Sebastian loomed close, his shadow swallowing him whole. "So…" his voice was low, dangerous, almost mocking, "you've grown courage now?"
Kairen tried to lift his chin but the effort collapsed midway. His body betrayed him, shrinking in on itself, his shoulders brushing the wall as if stone could swallow him. The words he wanted to say tangled on his tongue, dissolving into stammers.
Sebastian leaned in closer, so close their breaths mingled, and for a split second, he caught himself. The slope of Kairen's cheek, the flicker of fear in his wide eyes something about it twisted deep in his gut. Revulsion at himself sharpened the frown creasing his face. That unwanted pull, that spark he didn't understand and refused to name, burned hotter than his anger. He hated himself for it.
With a short, sharp exhale, Sebastian smirked not out of humor, but like a blade dragged across stone. He pushed back, retreating a step, then another, and finally turned his back to Kairen. The leather chair creaked as he dropped into it, sprawling with deliberate ease, trying to mask the fury that roiled inside him.
Kairen gasped softly, relief flooding him so quickly his knees nearly buckled. He wanted to vanish, to sink into the floor, but his body remained frozen where it stood. He dared not move, dared not even breathe too loudly.
Silence fell heavy over the office. The kind of silence that wasn't empty but sharpened, cutting into skin. Kairen fixed his gaze on the polished floor, refusing to lift his head.
Sebastian didn't look away. He sat back, expression carved from ice, his hazel eyes locked on the boy in front of him. Watching. Measuring. Pinning him to the spot without a word.
The seconds stretched, drawn out like a predator savoring the tremor of its prey.
Sebastian's voice cut through the silence like a whip.
"Get off that wall, Noel. Stand like a man."
Kairen flinched, then slowly peeled himself away from the wall. His spine felt weak, but he forced himself upright, palms slick against his trousers.
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, eyes raking him with the same disdain he always had, but something darker lingered beneath it. He laughed low and sharp.
"So that's what you've been doing, huh? Hiding in your office, memorizing the company rule book? You really thought you could use it against me?" His lips curled into a wicked grin. "Pathetic."
Kairen's throat tightened. He tried to steady his breathing, but the weight of those hazel eyes pinned him in place.
Sebastian's smirk deepened, though his jaw ticked in irritation.
"You're still the same stupid, naïve kid. Have you forgotten high school? Do you need a reminder?" He tilted his head, voice dripping with venom. "Do you want me to smash your head into a locker again? Use you like a rag doll? God, those were the best days of my life."
The words sliced straight through Kairen, unearthing scars he'd buried deep. His chest constricted, heart hammering like it had years ago in those hallways.
Sebastian rose slowly from his chair, each step deliberate, his smirk sharpening into something crueler. But behind his glare, fury churned fury not just at Kairen, but at himself. For the flicker of attraction he'd felt this morning, for daring to see beauty where he wanted only weakness. And so he pushed harder.
"Tell me, Noel," he snarled, now inches away, "do you want to feel that again?"
Kairen's lips parted, but no sound came. His head moved quickly, a silent shake, eyes wide.
"Motherfucker, answer me when I'm talking to you," Sebastian barked, voice booming in the office.
Kairen's gaze lifted, just barely, and he whispered, "No, boss."
The air hung heavy between them Sebastian's smirk brittle at the edges, Kairen's voice trembling but alive, the past and present crashing together in one cruel storm.
Sebastian tilted his head, eyes narrowing, the corner of his mouth lifting into something between a sneer and a smirk.
"So that's it, huh?" he drawled. "You've got yourself a girlfriend now, and suddenly you think you've grown some nerve?"
Kairen's brows pulled together. Girlfriend? The word sounded foreign, misplaced. He blinked once, lips parting as if to correct him, but nothing came out.
Sebastian leaned forward from his chair, elbows on his knees, voice dropping to a low, poisonous hum.
"Oh, don't play dumb with me. Embarrassed to admit it? You can't even say it in my presence because you know exactly who I am."
"I.." Kairen started, but the word barely escaped before Sebastian's voice cracked like a whip.
"Shut your damn mouth."
The silence after was suffocating. Kairen swallowed hard, pulse hammering in his throat, but he stayed rooted where he was.
Sebastian rose from his seat, every movement slow, deliberate. His eyes swept over Kairen with calculated disdain.
"Does your little girlfriend know what you really are?" His tone was mocking, each word dripping with venom. "Does she know you're a fag? That you bend over and spread like a bitch? That you're nothing but a coward who smells like ass, like dick, like semen?"
Kairen's jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides, but he didn't lift his eyes. He knew God, he knew that was exactly what Sebastian wanted.
Sebastian prowled closer, circling him like a predator that had already chosen where to sink its teeth.
"Does she know about Julian?" His voice curled into a snarl. "That you're flirting with him? That he chauffeurs you here like you're some damn princess in need of saving?"
Kairen's breath caught. His chest rose and fell, fury alive under his skin, but all he managed was a nod. Controlled. Contained. Because if he snapped now, he'd lose everything.
Sebastian halted in front of him, gaze like fire and ice at once. "Good. Because starting today, Noel… these next few days, while my father's away?" His lips parted into a cruel smile. "I'll make sure this place is purgatory for you."
Kairen's voice wavered but held firm as he whispered, "Yes, boss."
The words tasted like ash.
Sebastian leaned back again, unsatisfied, fury simmering hotter for the very reason that Kairen hadn't cracked the way he wanted. He wanted blood. He wanted an explosion. Instead, Kairen gave him nothing but restraint an answer too calm for the storm he deserved.
And that made Sebastian burn all the more.
Sebastian's gaze raked over him again, slow, deliberate, until it settled on the slim lines of Kairen's outfit—the tailored shirt clinging to his frame, the sharp cut of his trousers. That same damned outfit that had fooled him this morning, the one that made him lick his lips like a fool in the backseat of his car.
Heat flushed up the back of his neck, but he swallowed it down and let the anger rise instead. He leaned back in his chair, voice soft but biting.
"Who gave you the permission to dress like this to work?"
Kairen blinked, startled. His lips parted, then closed again. Slowly, he shook his head.
Sebastian's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth pulling into a grin that wasn't amusement but a sharpened blade. "Answer me properly."
Kairen's voice came low, careful. "No one."
Sebastian tapped his finger once against the desk, a steady, dangerous rhythm. Then his grin widened, wolfish. "Good. Then I suppose we'll start from there today."
The room seemed to shrink with his words, the air heavy with unspoken threat. Kairen's chest tightened, but he stood still, silent.
Sebastian leaned forward, hazel eyes glittering, like a predator finally choosing the spot to sink its teeth. "Let's see how long that smile of yours lasts."
*****
Hello, dear readers
I want to take a moment to thank you for being here and supporting my story. This journey of writing my first romance novel has been much harder than I expected, and it's honestly taking a lot out of me mentally and emotionally.
If you notice any mistakes in this chapter, please forgive me. I'm trying my best, and your understanding means the world. Your support, your collections, your comments they really keep me going.
Thank you for being patient and walking this journey with me. I truly hope this story continues to bring you some joy, even as I push through the challenges of creating it.