A dirty secret? Anna’s curiosity spiked, but before she could dwell on it, Susanne was already storming out of the lounge, stomping her heels against the polished floor like a furious giant.
Now, she might never find out what that secret was.
As the door slamd shut behind Susanne with a resounding thud, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The heavy tension lifted, replaced by the quiet hum of casual conversations picking up again around her. Bits and pieces of chatter floated back into Anna’s awareness.
It would probably look a little suspicious to leave now—too abrupt—but staying any longer felt pointless. So she reached for her purse, preparing to make a quiet exit.
But just as she turned, two arms suddenly caged her in from either side. A stifling stench of tobacco clung to her skin, dense and suffocating like a wet cobweb wrapping around her body.
"Leaving already?" Sebastian’s voice was a slow, singsong murmur as he leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her cheek. "And here I thought you might want to share your thoughts on the conversation I just had with my friend."
He pulled back smoothly, settling onto the barstool beside her. Propping his chin on his hand, he tilted his head, eyes—dark as ink—fixated on her with cold intensity.
"It’s not very nice to eavesdrop, Miss," he said, his tone calm, almost casual. "So information can turn out to be... quite dangerous for soone like you."
Anna’s breath caught in her throat. Her palms grew clammy, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She had been so careful—not even shifting in her seat while listening—so how the hell did he still know?
"Quiet? I like that in a woman," Sebastian drawled, his grin spreading wider with unsettling ease. "But you see, I’m feeling a little impatient today, so I don’t really have the ti to play gas." He leaned in, close enough for his breath to graze her skin, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Now tell —do you know the woman I ca here with?"
"Pardon?" Anna blinked, just barely managing to slip into her fake French accent in ti. She fluttered her lashes with practiced innocence, tilting her head in feigned confusion. "I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re talking about."
"It’s no use being coy," Sebastian said, the playful glint in his eyes vanishing as his grin faded. His tone turned colder, more calculating. "I saw the way you looked at us when we walked in. Then you just sat there—motionless, doing absolutely nothing."
He tapped the rim of her wine glass with his index finger, his gaze sharpened as it returned to her face. "Your glass was empty from the very beginning. I find that... incredibly odd. It’s not exactly natural to sit so still for that long unless you’re trying very hard to overhear soone else’s conversation."
For a brief second, Anna’s mind blanked. He wasn’t wrong—she had been frozen in place, ears straining for every word. But she hadn’t realized she’d been so obvious. Damn it.
Still, she knew better than to let panic show. If you could lie without blinking, with your body relaxed and your voice steady, most people would never doubt you. So she calmly removed her sunglasses, revealing her eyes, and adopted a tone as casual as it was possible.
"I don’t think I understand what you’re implying," she said, tilting her head slightly, letting her expression show only mild offense. "Yes, my glass was empty. I finished my wine earlier and didn’t want another one. What do you want to do—order more just to keep my hands busy? I’m not an alcoholic, you know."
"Co on now," Sebastian said coolly, clearly unimpressed. "Sunglasses, a headscarf... You even adjusted your little disguise the mont you saw us. So how about you just tell why you were eavesdropping, and we’ll figure out a way to resolve this... civilly."
Anna swallowed hard, her throat suddenly parched as if every drop of moisture had evaporated from her body. His tone was far from playful—it was the kind of low, nacing calm that clung to your spine like cold mist. There was sothing thuggish about it, sothing unrelenting.
Why is he pressing so hard?Could it be... he had recognized sothing about her?
Her thoughts spiraled into panic—but before she could fully drown in them, a firm arm wrapped around her waist from behind, and warm lips brushed against her cheek.
"I’m sorry, honey. I’m late again."
William!
Anna’s lips parted in astonishnt. What is he doing here?But before she could speak, he turned her toward him and kissed her fully, his lips soft but firm as they captured hers. One hand tugged her headscarf down in a single smooth motion, letting her long, wavy blonde hair tumble free over her shoulders. The subtle floral scent of the perfu she’d spritzed earlier rose into the air, surrounding them like a blooming shield.
"I’m sorry," William murmured again as he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "My eting ran late, and I made you wait. But... why are you sitting here? Did the host give away our reservation because I wasn’t on ti?"
Tears prickled at the corners of Anna’s eyes—relief crashing into her so hard she montarily forgot he wasn’t supposed to be there at all. For now, that didn’t matter.
Getting rid of Sebastian was all that mattered.
"Oh, William," she exclaid with a dramatic sigh, casting a wounded glance in Sebastian’s direction. "The attendant said they lost our reservation and couldn’t reach you to confirm it. My phone had died, too, so I just waited here... I knew you’d co and sort things out eventually. You know how hopeless I am with confrontation—especially when I have to speak a foreign language."
William’s brows lifted in surprise. Her performance was flawless. She looked every bit the distressed and helpless partner—soft, vulnerable, and just a touch clingy. Her voice trembled with just the right amount of frustration and trust, as if she truly believed every word she said.
He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead and brushing a thumb along her cheek as he smiled warmly.
"That’s alright, darling. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of it." Then, his expression shifted. He turned sharply toward Sebastian, his brown eyes narrowing with protective intent. "But was there a problem here? When I walked in, I didn’t like the way this gentleman was looking at you. Was he bothering you?"
Anna’s gaze flicked to Sebastian. The crooked smirk he’d been wearing had vanished. His jaw tightened, and the darkness in his eyes deepened as he stared at her flushed face.
She smiled—just faintly, but enough for him to catch the wicked gleam in her eyes.
"No," she said sweetly. "I think this man just mistook for soone else. Isn’t that right?"
She raised a single brow at him, her poise razor-sharp.
Sebastian gave a tense laugh, a defeated smile tugging at his lips. "Yes... I must’ve been mistaken. My apologies, Miss."
He dipped his head, then turned on his heel and walked out of the lounge without another word.
"That’s alright," Anna called after him with a singsong tone, her voice lodic with triumph.
As the door closed behind Sebastian, she let out a long, steadying breath and turned back to William—whose dark eyes stared down at her with cruel intensity.
"Let’s go to our table," he murmured, taking her hand. "We need to talk."
Reviews
All reviews (0)