I met Rebecca's expectant gaze, and a chill ran through me.
"Of course," I replied with a faint smile that never reached my eyes. "When the time comes, I'll make sure it's a surprise you'll never forget."
As expected, she broke into a smile.
Then, Rebecca leaned in and kissed my cheek. There was a hint of pride in her voice as she said, "I knew it. You've always spoiled me the most, Seb."
With that, she turned and walked away. Her steps were light, as though she already had the upper hand.
As I stared at her retreating figure, my smile slowly vanished.
"Rebecca, I'll make sure your surprise is ready," I thought.
My wedding to Victoria Tomlinson was scheduled for a month later, falling on Rebecca's birthday.
The marriage had been a carefully considered decision by my parents. The Tomlinsons were one of Axton's oldest and most influential families.
Most importantly, the Grant and Tomlinson families had been close for generations. We were familiar with one another.
As their only heir, Victoria was intelligent, decisive, and exuded effortless elegance.
Over the month, I found myself spending more time with her. She never overstepped her bounds, and everything she said and did showed poise and respect for me.
…
That day, I accompanied Victoria to entertain an important client.
The moment the private room door opened, I saw someone I hadn't expected—Tobias. Dressed impeccably, he stood beside Harriet Cox, a curvy woman. He was attentively pouring her wine.
His smile faltered as soon as he saw Victoria and me enter the room together. At the same time, panic and embarrassment flickered across his eyes.
Throughout the dinner, Tobias fidgeted nervously. He glanced at me again and again. His expression was unreadable.
Meanwhile, I kept up a polite smile as I chatted with Victoria and Ms. Cox. It was as if he didn't exist.
Halfway through, I excused myself to the restroom.
Sure enough, Tobias followed and blocked my path at the end of the hallway. Dropping the submissive act he had shown in front of Ms. Cox, he snapped, "Sebastian Grant! Feeling pretty pleased with yourself, huh?"
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Don't think getting close to Victoria changes anything," Tobias said, sneering. "Rebecca loves me. Being with you was nothing more than a bet. It was a joke we shared!"
As he spoke, he seemed to be looking for signs of jealousy or anger, hoping to feed his fragile ego.
"Oh? Is that so?" I replied evenly. "Does Rebecca know you're here, keeping Ms. Cox company?"
In an instant, Tobias' expression fell. "What are you talking about? I'm just Ms. Cox's assistant!"
"Assistant?" I chuckled. "I've never seen an assistant get that close to their boss before."
"Sebastian Grant! How dare you!"
My words set Tobias off. Humiliated and furious, he swung his fist at me, but I was ready.
I sidestepped, caught his wrist, and twisted it back.
Tobias staggered as he shot me a venomous glare.
At that moment, an angry voice rang out from behind me. "Sebastian Grant! What are you doing?"
I turned to see Rebecca striding toward us, and without hesitation, she shoved me aside.
Caught off guard, I stumbled back and slammed into the wall. A dull ache spread across my back.
Seeing that, Tobias immediately grabbed his wrist. He frowned in feigned pain, and his body swayed as if he might collapse.
Rebecca caught him swiftly, then shielded him before turning to glare at me. Her voice was sharp with accusation as she barked, "Sebastian! How dare you treat him like that! Apologize to him right now!"
I stared at her coldly. A beat later, I glanced at Tobias, who was pretending to be helpless behind her, and my stomach churned with disgust.
"Why should I apologize to him?"
Rebecca's brow knitted tightly. "You're still denying it, huh? I saw it all! You pushed Tobias and tried to hit him!"
"Rebecca Milton, what right do you have to demand I apologize to him?" I said each word slowly and deliberately.
