Cecilia’s pov
"Cecilia!" Xavier snarled through clenched teeth.
"Shut up," I snapped, cutting him off before he could say sothing even dumber.
The last thing I needed was him yelling about pregnancies in a hallway.
Sebastian’s brows pulled together.
Yeah, he definitely hadn’t expected Xavier to be the reason I’d been dragging my feet.
Xavier watched for a second, then gave a slow, knowing smirk.
"I get it now."
Sebastian cut in, his tone sharp and low. "Get what, exactly?"
He shot a look, eyes narrowing.
I shook my head quickly.
I had no clue what Xavier thought he figured out.
Xavier gave a dry, humorless laugh.
Then, just like that, his tone turned calm. Professional.
"Cecilia, stop dodging . I’m not here about us. It’s about the Blood Moon project. We’ve hit so issues, and I need your input."
I didn’t care why the sudden tone shift.I just wanted out of this elevator nightmare.
"I’m not part of Blood Moon anymore," I said, calm and flat. "I handed everything off before I left. Talk to your new manager."
"They only want to deal with you."
"Yeah, well, that’s not my job anymore."I didn’t flinch.
Xavier’s jaw tightened. "After everything we’ve been through, don’t be like this. If not for us... then for the departnt you built."
"I said I can’t help you."
Sebastian’s eyes flicked between us, reading every shift in tone.
The conversation had turned from hostile to "corporate catch-up" way too smoothly.
His arm slid around my waist as he stepped inside the elevator with , pressing the button for the penthouse.
His gaze was ice. "Alpha Xavier, it’s late. Go get so rest.
Lurking in elevators like so creep might alarm the neighbors. Soone could report you."
Xavier scoffed. "Who would dare?"
Sebastian gave a cold, sharp smile. "I would."
Xavier fell silent.
Sebastian glanced at the panel. "No floor selected? Or were you hoping to co up to my place too?"
That extra "too" hit like a jab to the ribs.
To my surprise, Xavier didn’t explode.
Maybe he was finally starting to get it. I was done.
He scanned his fingerprint on the panel. The scanner beeped.
His jaw was tight, but at least he wasn’t causing a scene.
I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. Just a little.
Then Sebastian turned, almost casually. "By the way, Alpha Xavier. Has Mrs. Locke asked you to keep an eye on her daughter recently?"
Xavier froze for the briefest second.
"No," he said stiffly. "I haven’t seen either of them."
"I see." Sebastian nodded, not pushing further.
The elevator stopped at the 20th floor.
He stepped out and kept the door open with his foot. Classic Xavier.
He looked back at .
"Think about what I said. I’ll be around for a while. If you need anything, you know where to find ."
He looked back at .
"Think about what I said. I’ll be around for a while. If you need anything, you know where to find ."
"Cecilia."
His voice dropped into that low, fake-gentle tone he always used when he wanted to sound deep and soulful.
"I won’t hurt you. We had good tis too, rember?"
I gave him a sharp smile.
"You an the part where you made question my sanity, gaslit through every argunt, and called it love? Yeah. Real highlight reel."
He blinked.
"Don’t flatter yourself," I added, stepping into the elevator. "Just move your damn foot. I’m not here to relive your greatest hits."
He finally moved.
The doors slid shut, thank God.
It felt final.
Like finally deleting a number I should’ve blocked.
I glanced at Sebastian beside .
I really was moving upward, to a new beginning.
But the higher you climb, the colder the air gets.
With Xavier, I knew the worst-case scenario. Predictable pain.
With Sebastian? I had no idea what falling out with him would look like.
That was the truly terrifying part.
"Cece," Sebastian said softly. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if I should grab Korean barbecue with Harper tomorrow," I lied smoothly.
"She’s been craving it, but it’s so hot out, I’d sweat off all my makeup before the at hits the grill."
Sebastian blinked, caught off guard.
The elevator doors opened.I stepped out quickly.
The penthouse was quiet.
By now, Liam had gone to bed. Even Muffin was curled up in her cat bed, already asleep.
I dropped the stuffed wolf on the couch and headed to the kitchen for so water, grabbing a second bottle for Sebastian without thinking.
"My things are still downstairs," I said. "I should go pack tonight. Once I’m done, I’ll co back up."
Sebastian’s smile widened. "I’ll co help you pack."
"You’re coming with ?" I blinked.
"Of course," he said. "I need to protect you. What if those four ghostly faces crawl out of your phone in the middle of the night?"
I nearly choked on my water.
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