Chapter 36

Chapter 36

BLAIRE

Wife? He still had the audacity to call me his wife when he deliberately

ignored me for the past few days. I tried to act normal, pretending that

both of their presences didn’t bother me at all. He was coming here,

and he didn't bother informing me. Worse, he came here with Catherine

instead of his wife.

“Of course! Please, have a seat.” Alexander was the one who invited

them.

Sebastian takes the seat closer to me while Catherine sits beside him. I

noticed the mischievous smile playing on Alexander's lips, as if he's

enjoying this fiasco.

On the other hand, Sebastian seemed unfazed by Alexander's

presence. The air became charged with unspoken words and

unexplored emotions. Catherine, on the other hand, wore a smug

expression, reveling in the awkwardness she had orchestrated.

“I think Roman has already lost his magic. I'm disappointed that this is

the dress that he gave you,” Catherine remarked, her tone dripping with

condescension. “I must say, I expected something more impressive.”

I maintained my composure, refusing to let her provocations get under

my skin. “Well, the good thing is, I'm not here to impress anyone.”

Sebastian interjected, “Blaire, we need to talk.”

I've been waiting for him to tell me that, but I didn’t come here for that. I

came here to enjoy. “This isn’t the time or place for it.”

I glanced at Alexander, who observed the unfolding drama with a raised

eyebrow. “She's right,” Alexander suggested, attempting to diffuse the

tension. “Let's enjoy the evening and save the serious talks for another

time.” After a minute of silence, Alexander chose. to break it. “I don't

mean to intrude, but let me get this straight. This beautiful woman

beside me is your wife, yet...” he deliberately hung his words as he

looked at the woman. sitting beside Sebastian. He then offered his

hand and introduced himself. “I'm Alexander Williams.”

“Catherine Banks. I'm pleased to meet you,” she responded as she

extended her arm.

“Banks?” Alexander frowned as he looked at me. He's probably

wondering how we are connected since we share the same family

name.

“She's my stepsister,” I answered his unspoken question.

“Sister, Blaire. May I remind you that we already established that

before?” Catherine immediately butted in.

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“As an actual sister?” Alexander asked again, still confused about our

connection.

“Half-sister,” I corrected her. It still doesn't sit well with me, but there's

nothing I can do about that fact.

“And you're her husband, right?” Alexander then turned to Sebastian,

who was silently sipping his wine. “Then why..."

“That's none of your fcking business,” Sebastian cut him off with his

cold baritone voice, as if he's giving him a warning.

Alexander immediately raises both of his hands jokingly as if he were

surrending. He then turned toward me with a playful smile on his face.

“Your family is interesting,” he commented. He then looked at

Sebastian once again. “Since you already have a woman by your side,

you wouldn't mind if I was still Blaire, right?” he said. Sebastian was

about to open his mouth and object, but Alex quickly grabbed my hand

and pulled me up. “Great! See you later, guys!”

I was so ¢

confused about what was happening that I couldn't react immediately.

All 1 did was follow Alexander's lead until we reached the dance floor.

He then wrapped his arm around my waist as I put my arms on his

shoulder before starting to move to the rhythm of the song that's

currently playing.

“Now, I know why such a beautiful woman like you came to this party

alone,” he said as he started dancing.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said. Though I'm grateful for his

presence this evening, I don't think I'm comfortable enough to talk

about my life with someone who's practically a stranger to me.

“I'm sorry. I was out of line,” he apologized.

“Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to say thank you for saving me tonight. I

just don't feel. comfortable sharing my life with you since I just met

you,” I explained.

“I understand,” he answered. “But what do you mean by saving you

tonight? I don't remember doing anything,” he chuckled.

“Your invitation to join your table has spared me from further humiliation

courtesy of my estranged husband.”

“So, he’s truly your husband. And he’s with your sister,” he halted, likely

recalling my correction from earlier. “I mean your half-sister instead of

you. That's messed up. I don’t know what's going on inside his head,

but I'd say he’s foolish to let such a wonderful woman like you attend

alone,” he remarked.

I smiled, finding comfort in the flattering words from a handsome man

like him. It was

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Chapter 36

reassuring to discover that despite my husband's clear preference for

Catherine, there were still men who found me attractive.

Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

Alexander's charm seemed to be a breath of fresh air amidst the

brewing storm back at our table. “Well, if you ever need an escort to

events like this, I'd be more than happy to accompany you,” he offered

with a playful smile as we continued to dance.

But it hadn't been more than fifteen minutes since we hit the dance

floor when I heard that familiar baritone voice behind me.

“Mind if I steal my wife for a sec?” he asked..

We both turned to where the voice was coming from and found

Sebastian with unreadable emotions flashing on his face as he stood

behind us.

I hesitated, torn between the desire to avoid a scene and the need to

address the lingering questions. But it was Alexander who made the

decision for me. “I'm not sure if that’s a good idea given the fact that

you chose her sister over your wife,” he answered.

Sebastian clearly didn't like Alexander's answer. I saw him clench his

jaw, and he closed his hand into a tight fist. He looks like he was ready

for a fight. Afraid that it might cause a commotion, I decided to step in

between them.

“It's okay, Alex, I told him.

“Are you sure?” he asked worriedly..

“Yes, I'll be fine. Thank you.” I smiled as I gently tapped his shoulder to

assure him. That's the only time that he decided to step away and give

my hand to Sebastian.

Sebastian didn’t think twice. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away

from Alexander until we were finally a few feet away from him. He then

quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tightly

against his b*dy.

"Who is that man?” he asked in a cold baritone voice.

“He introduced himself a while ago, didn't he?” I answered sarcastically.

“Don’t start me with your smart mouth, Blaire. I don’t appreciate you

meddling with a stranger,” he said.

“I won't be. If only my husband wasn't too busy with my half sister,” I

replied.

Sebastian's grip tightened, his eyes reflecting a mix of anger and

frustration. This isn’t the time or place for this discussion, Blaire. We

have our own issues to address.”

Chapter 36

“It seems like you're doing just fine with Catherine,” I retorted, my tone

laced with. bitterness.

Before Sebastian could respond, Catherine joined our tense exchange,

her smile dripping with insincerity. “Oh, the estranged couple is having

a lover's spat. How entertaining.

Sebastian shot her a warning look, urging her to back off, but Catherine

reveled in the chaos she had ignited. “Sebastian, darling, let's not

waste our time on her. She's clearly trying to get attention.”

I scoffed, unable to contain my frustration. “Funny how the woman who

stole my husband accuses me of seeking attention.”

Sebastian’s expression hardened. “Enough, both of you. This isn't

helping anyone.”

Catherine, undeterred, added, “Sebastian, let's go. We have better

things to do than engage in a drama with

your soon-to-be ex-wife.”

It still caught me by surprise upon hearing Catherine say those words. I

was already. expecting that everything would eventually lead to that,

but it still caught me off guard.

Sebastian hesitated for a moment, torn between the conflicting

dynamics at play.

“I need to talk to Blaire, Catherine. Please wait for me at the table,” he

responded before pulling me away from the crowd.

As Sebastian led me away from the escalating tension, the echoes of

heated words lingered in the air. The once glamorous gala now felt like

a battleground where emotions clashed and alliances shifted.

Sebastian's grip on my hand remained firm, but the warmth that used to

accompany it felt replaced by a chilling tension. The unspoken turmoil

between us cast a shadow over the elegant surroundings, a stark

contrast to the festivities that continued around us.

In the dimly lit corner where Sebastian pulled me, he finally broke the

silence. “Blaire, we need to talk, but not here.”

I sighed, weary from the emotional rollercoaster. “It’s fine; let's talk

here. It doesn't matter where we are; it won't change anything.”

Sebastian nodded. The tension between us thickened.

“Sebastian, I can't pretend that everything is okay. You brought

Catherine here, flaunting her in front of everyone. What are you trying

to prove?” I confronted him, my voice a mix of frustration and hurt.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, a sign of his own inner

turmoil. “Blaire, this

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Chapter 36

isn't easy for me either. Catherine needed me. You know what her

condition is, right? I'm just trying to make amends for the time that we

weren't there for her while she’s struggling for her life.”

“Amends? That was her choice, Sebastian! She chose to leave and

fight her battle alone. Why should we be the ones to suffer the

aftereffects of the choices she made? May I Temind you that I'm: wife?

“The bitterness in my words hung in the air, a reflection.

of the wounds that were still raw.

Sebastian struggled to find the right words, his gaze shifting as he

grappled with the consequences of his choices. “I know I've made

mistakes, Blaire. But Catherine-needs me now. I couldn't be with her

when she’s fighting for her life. Now, I wanted to be with her

every step of the way. I can't leave her now,” he said.

His words feel like a sharp knife piercing through every fiber of my

being. How could he say that to my face when, not long ago, he was

telling me how much he loves me and how he chose me over Catherine

when she didn’t want to run away with another man?

"And now.... where does it leave me, Sebastian?” I confronted him.

“I don’t know. I'm sorry. Please give me some time to think.”

“If I asked you to choose now, Sebastian, who would choose?” I asked

him directly. “Please don't do this,” he pleaded.

As the weight of the unspoken question lingered in the air, Sebastian's

eyes reflected at conflict of emotions. He hesitated, the silence

stretching between us as the gravity of the choice hung in the balance.

“If I choose now, Blaire, it would tear me apart. I can't make that

decision on the spot,” he finally uttered, his voice strained with the

burden of uncertainty.

I took a step back, a mix of disappointment and resignation settling

within me. “Are you hearing yourself, Sebastian? You're telling me that

you can't choose between your wife and your ex?”

His eyes searched mine, a desperate plea for understanding. “I need

time to figure things out. Please, Blaire, give me that time.”

I scoff, the ache in my chest echoing the pain of unrequited love. I

thought we had made progress over the past few weeks, but I was

clearly wrong. I shouldn't have come back. “Take the time you need,

Sebastian. But I won't be waiting for you.” That's a lie. I'm not as brave

as I was a year ago, when I still had the courage to run away from him.

This time, I don't think I would be able to drop everything and leave him

like I did before.

With that, I turned away, leaving him standing there amidst the

shadows of indecision,

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Chapter 36

The gala, once a stage for my revenge, now mirrored the shattered

fragments of a life unraveling. The echoes of our strained conversation

mingled with the fading notes of music, creating a discordant symphony

of emotions.

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