Chapter 10
The grand living room, once filled with the chaotic energy of a child's birthday party, now felt like a sterile, high-end prison. Two of Sebastian's security men hauled Ethan out the door, while Marcus stood over Victor, gesturing firmly toward the exit. Natalie remained on the floor, her weeping having subsided into broken, hollow gasps. Another guard gently but firmly grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to stand.
"Sebastian, please," Natalie whispered one final time, her mascara running down her pale cheeks in dark, jagged streaks. She looked at her husband, searching for any trace of the man she thought she knew, any sliver of mercy.
She found none. Sebastian simply turned his back to her, walking over to the large windows to look out at the sprawling, perfectly manicured lawns of his estate.
"Take her," he commanded without looking back.
As the guards escorted the broken remnants of the Cole family out of the room, the heavy oak doors clicked shut, leaving Sebastian alone in the silence. The only evidence of the chaotic afternoon was the destroyed dessert cart and the smear of frosting on the floor. He let out a long, slow breath, running a hand through his dark hair. It was over. He had protected his daughter, excised the rot from his life, and secured his domain.
Suddenly, a sharp, unfamiliar ringing pierced the quiet room.
Sebastian frowned. The sound wasn't coming from his pockets. He reached into the inner lining of his suit jacket and pulled out Ethan’s phone—the device that had captured the entire incident on the livestream. The screen was illuminated, displaying an incoming video call.
The caller ID was restricted, showing only a string of encrypted numbers.
Curiosity mingling with caution, Sebastian swiped the screen to accept the call. The video fed into a dark, lavishly decorated office. Sitting behind a massive mahogany desk was an older man with silver hair, a sharp, aristocratic jawline, and a pair of eyes that mirrored Sebastian's own ruthless intelligence. The man was smoking a cigar, the thick gray smoke curling around his face.
"Well, well," the man rasped, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "That was quite the show you put on today, Sebastian. I always knew you had a flair for the dramatic, but humiliating your pregnant wife in front of ten thousand people? That’s cold, even for you."
Sebastian’s jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the phone. The air in the room suddenly felt incredibly thin. He recognized the man instantly. It was a face from his past, a ghost he thought he had buried long before he built his suburban empire.
"How did you get this number, Elias?" Sebastian demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
May you like
Elias chuckled, leaning forward into the light. "I have eyes everywhere, boy. You made a lot of noise today. Noise attracts wolves. And unfortunately for you, your little family drama just signaled to everyone in the underworld that the great Sebastian Whitmore is distracted."
Elias took a slow drag of his cigar, smiling wickedly. "I'm coming to town, Sebastian. And I'm not coming alone."
