The hotel ballroom sparkled with excess. Glittering chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen constellations, casting golden hues across polished marble floors. Laughter rose and fell like the rhythm of an orchestra, each note carefully tuned to social expectation. Yet amid all the opulence, Nina remained grounded by one simple truth—Sebastian was still holding her hand.
"Mrs. Blackwell," someone said behind her, drawing her attention.
She turned to find a woman in a silver gown smiling politely, her face vaguely familiar. "I'm sorry," Nina said. "Have we met?"
"We haven't. But your name has been on every whisper in this room." Her tone was pleasant, but the implication behind her words made Nina stiffen. "Don't worry, though. I find it quite refreshing. Sebastian's always been so…unreachable. I was beginning to think he didn't bleed like the rest of us."
Nina raised a brow. "He's human. He just doesn't show it to everyone."
"Clearly, you're not everyone." The woman took a sip of her champagne, then glanced toward Sebastian, who was now locked in conversation with a group of board members across the room. "I imagine it must be difficult, stepping into a world like this. You weren't raised in it, were you?"
"No, I wasn't," Nina said evenly. "But I've survived worse."
The woman smiled again, this time with genuine amusement. "I like you. I hope you last."
With that, she turned and drifted back into the crowd, leaving Nina feeling oddly unsettled. It wasn't the judgment that bothered her—she had expected that—but the fact that even compliments in this world carried veiled threats.
She moved toward the corner, away from the cluster of champagne flutes and designer gowns. Her eyes found Sebastian across the room, his face unreadable as he nodded at something one of the executives said. He was magnificent in a black tailored suit, but it wasn't the clothes that made him stand out. It was the way he owned the space, the way silence stretched around him with reverence.
And yet, even in his element, he seemed to search for her.
Their eyes met. His lips curved slightly. And just like that, her tension unraveled.
Minutes later, he was beside her again, slipping his hand onto her waist. "You okay?"
"I think I'm getting used to this," she murmured. "Sort of."
"I know it's not your world."
"No. But you are."
He looked at her then, eyes dark and filled with something deeper than affection. Possession, perhaps. Protection. "You're not just in my world, Nina. You're at the center of it."
Before she could respond, a tall man in a gray tuxedo stepped into their space. "Sebastian. Didn't think I'd see you tonight."
Nina sensed the tension immediately. Sebastian's grip on her waist tightened slightly.
"Elliot," he said with a nod. "Didn't think you were invited."
"I make my own invitations these days." Elliot's eyes flicked to Nina. "You must be the woman who tamed the beast."
Sebastian's voice was cool. "She didn't tame me. She reminded me I still had a heart."
Elliot chuckled. "That sounds dangerous. Hearts get people killed in our world."
"Maybe," Nina said calmly. "But living without one is worse."
Elliot studied her for a long moment, then offered a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I suppose we'll see, won't we?"
After he walked away, Nina turned to Sebastian. "Who was that?"
"An old rival," Sebastian said. "We were friends once. But Elliot doesn't like losing, and he's been on the losing side of every deal we've crossed paths on."
"And now he sees me as leverage?"
"Possibly. But he won't get close. I won't let him."
Nina nodded, but a chill settled into her chest. She knew now that being with Sebastian didn't just mean learning to live with his past—it meant becoming a target in his present.
They stayed at the gala a little longer, enough to show face and keep the rumors at bay. But by the time they left, Nina's head was spinning with names, faces, and unspoken warnings.
The drive home was quiet again, this time laced with exhaustion. When they reached the mansion, she kicked off her heels at the entrance and walked barefoot into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water.
Sebastian followed her in, loosening his tie. "Did I mention how beautiful you looked tonight?"
Nina leaned against the counter and smiled. "No, but I assumed it when you didn't take your eyes off me."
"I was worried," he admitted. "You were getting a lot of attention."
"I can handle attention. It's the intention behind it that unnerves me."
Sebastian crossed the room in three strides, cupping her cheek. "I won't let anyone touch you. Not Elliot. Not the press. Not even my board. You're mine, Nina. And no one gets to question that."
She placed her hand over his. "Then let me protect you too. You're not the only one in this relationship capable of shielding the other."
His brows lifted slightly, a slow smile tugging at his mouth. "You want to protect me?"
"I want to stand beside you. Not behind you."
He kissed her then—deep, steady, reverent. And when they broke apart, his voice was low. "Then I'll teach you how to fight in my world."
The next morning, Nina woke to find a file on her bedside table with a sticky note: "Start here. —S"
Inside were documents detailing the structure of Blackwell Industries—ownership charts, past acquisitions, public filings. It wasn't overwhelming. It was empowering.
She spent the day poring over it. And by the time Sebastian returned from the office, she was sitting in the library with a list of questions.
He looked surprised. "You read all that?"
"Twice. I want to know everything about the company, especially if it means people won't see me as a liability anymore."
His gaze lingered on her, full of something like admiration. "Careful, Nina. You're starting to sound like a CEO's wife."
"Maybe I am."
And for the first time, she didn't feel like she was just surviving in his world. She felt like she was beginning to belong.