Chapter 115

Stella

Sebastian and I sit inside of his car. We stare at the family home, the dark wooden fortress staring back at us, leaving us feeling nothing but anxiety and helplessness. I fidget around in my seat and look down at my hands on my lap, playing with my own fingers to try and pass the time and get rid of as much nervous energy as possible.

Sebastian reaches over and places his hand on top of mine. His hand in Gulf mine and he gives it a gentle squeeze, our eyes meeting as I turned to look at him. He offers me a small smile. It is comforting and reassuring at the same time.

“Are you ready?” he asks me. I suck in a deep breath and nod.

Moments later, Sebastian and I walked towards the front door of the house, our hands connected as one, as we slowly approach the one thing that has made us so nervous all morning. Ever since Luca found out about Sebastian and I's secret relationship with one another, we have always been so scared that he was gonna go and tell my father about it.

Well, that fear came true. I received a call from my father last night and he asked for both Sebastian and I to come in to talk with him. There's only one thing that we could possibly talk about with just the three of us in the room.

I barely got any sleep last night, so did Sebastian. We kept each other company as we spoke about our future, and what may or may not lie ahead for us. Sebastian remained quiet throughout the night, as I voiced my fears, which only made me feel more uneasy, but I let it be, not wanting to push it with him.

Sebastian reaches out and opens up the door for me. He drops my hand as I slip inside, the familiar sight of the family home developing my vision. I placed my hands behind my back and look around.

The house is quiet. It is so unnerving to see and behold. Sebastian places his hand on the low of my back and he guides me towards my father's office, a familiar route that I never knew that I would hate taking.

We slowly push open the wooden doors to his office. Inside, my parents sit beside one another, sitting on one couch, while the other one across from them remains empty. My eyes meet my mothers, and she offers me a warm and gentle smile, which immediately helps calm and ease my nerves.

“Come in,” my father says, his voice low, and there is a hint of impatience in there as well.

Sebastian and I obey his command, sitting down on the couch across from them. I look up from my lap and stare at my father. He wears a serious expression on his face, one that I have never seen before, and it makes my whole body tense up.

The four of us remain silent for a few moments. I definitely will not be the one to break the silence, already knowing that I am the root of all of the problems that they are sure to bring up today. Maybe I am the problem in everybody's life, but I know that is not a healthy way to think in this given moment.

“So,” my father breathes out, gently slapping his hands onto his knees. His eyes moved between Sebastian, and I and our postures straighten, stiffening under his gaze. He wags the finger between us. “How long is his been going on?”

Oh. So we are getting straight to the point then. I suppose it is better than beating around the bush and leaving things left unsaid.

I look up at Sebastian. He does not look back at me, and I watch as his jaw tenses before relaxing, his mind’s wheels, moving as he forms a response.

My gay drops back to my mother. She holds my father's hand now, their fingers interlaced with one another. My father must feel so much better that she is at his side instead of being at odds with her like when I first came back into the picture.

“Stella and I have been dating for a few weeks now,” Sebastian cooly responds for the both of us.

My father nods and slowly ingest his words. Just like Sebastian, you can tell when my father is thinking. His browse slightly furrow, and he avoids everybody's gaze in the room, opting to look at a stationary point in the room that helps keep him grounded.

“You know,” my father begins, “I always saw you like a son. I have always seen you as family and not somebody who would marry into my family, especially through my daughter.”

Sebastian sucks in a sharp breath. I have to fight the urge to reach out and place my hand on his, to try and comfort him as my father begins his cold yet harsh interrogation of Sebastian.

“You were supposed to take over my role as the godfather once I retire,” my father, lets out a quiet sigh, leaning back into the couch. “did you think that you would officially get that role by getting into a relationship with my daughter?”

“No, sir,” Sebastian’s voice is formal and straightforward, “that is not the reason why your daughter and I are in a relationship.”

“Then why?” my father asks.

The room fall silent once again. It is so silent that you can hear a pin drop against the carpet floor.

Sebastian looks towards me and I look back at him. I slowly nod, trying to urge him forward to respond to my father. Sebastian turns his face away and looks at the burly man in front of us, slowly thinking of a response that would keep the situation as neutral and calm as possible because, well, that is just the type of man Sebastian is.

“Sir, to be quite frank, I have never seen myself as your son. While I am grateful for you providing me with a roof over my head and a life with your family, I have only ever seen myself as your apprentice, to make sure that your legacy moves towards greatness instead of succumb to failure,” Sebastian slowly speaks, the room digesting every single word that he says.

My father slowly nods his head. He looks to the side and looks at my mother, who returns his gaze. They were being quiet for a few moments. They speak through their gazes, the way their face is slightly move and twitch, as if they're having a silent conversation with one another.

In a matter of seconds, though, my father looks back at Sebastian and squeezes my mother's hand. It is such a nice site to see that their relationship has recovered after it was strained for so long.

“I will allow your relationship with my daughter,” my father begins, “only on one condition.”

“Name it,” Sebastian leans forward. He takes my hand in his own, our fingers lacing together.

“If you break up and if my daughter gets hurt because of you, you will leave our family and the Obsidian Pact for good,” my father states.

“What?” I murmur under my breath. I look up at Sebastian.

I have to speak up for him, to stop this crazed madness before it gets even worse. Sebastian’s life is revolved around the Obsidian Pact. This is his home! He can’t give it up for—

“I agree,” Sebastian states.