Page 16 of Ruthless Billionaire Daddy

With that, Sebastien turned and left as Lucy chatted excitedly about her doll. It left me wondering, if Sebastien was as nice as Lucy said and as caring as he acted towards her, why was he treating me this way?

Chapter 7 - Sebastien

I headed upstairs to my office, exhausted but satisfied with the flawless execution of the club’s grand opening. My brothers had disappeared, but I knew they’d resurface soon enough since they’d never leave without letting me know. Emily and Lucy, however, had left a few hours ago with Alec, Dominic’s driver. The rest of the staff had gone home, leaving the cleanup crew downstairs under Delilah’s supervision.

The month of planning, the late nights, and the intense arguments with Delilah had paid off, big time. She didn’t quit or walk away during the process, when things got tough; she’d stuck it out until the job was done.

Tonight, though, was the only time she threatened to leave, and I knew it was my fault. A blind man could see that the guy was flirting with her, and instead of letting it slide, I overreacted like I did with Daniel. Delilah may not have been mine to claim yet, but I’d be damned if another man would flirt with her under my nose and get away with it. I knew the opening would’ve turned out differently if it wasn’t for her, as much as I hated to admit it.

But the highlight of my night was walking into my office earlier and seeing Lucy and Delilah on the floor making those paper dolls together. Delilah didn’t hesitate to kick off her shoes and have sequins and glue stuck to her beautiful dress while entertaining Lucy. No woman I had ever been with would’ve sat on the floor in their designer dresses and manicured nails to entertain Lucy—not that I’d have trusted any of them with her, anyway.

When I stepped into my office, my brothers were scattered around the room, on chairs, pressed against the tableor leaning against the wall. They rose to their feet, smiles on their faces and glasses in their hands. The office felt too small for us six-foot-tall men, but no one seemed to care. Dominic held two glasses in his hand, walked over to me, handed me one and patted me on the back.

“To the man of the hour! I can’t speak for the others—” Dominic began.

Axel raised an eyebrow and interrupted, “Since when?”

Everyone chuckled.

“Fine,” Dominic smiled broadly. “I’ll say it. On behalf of all of us, this may not be your first grand opening, and knowing you, it won't be your last, but we're proud of you and this milestone that you’ve overcome. Cheers to more success. To Seb!”

The others cheered in unison. “To Seb!”

The glasses clinked, and then my brothers took turns shaking my hand. When the congratulations subsided, I turned to face them.

“You guys could’ve been anywhere else tonight, but you chose to be here, to support me. Thank you, I appreciate every one of you.”

“And we appreciate you too, for bringing those fine babes tonight,” Axel smirked, raising his glass again.

“Do you think of anything else besides your next lay?” Leo asked amused.

“Of course, I do, but tonight wasn’t about business for me. It was about pleasure, or at least it will be, once I leave here.” A wide grin spread across Axel’s face, and I shook my head.

“How many numbers did you get tonight?” I asked, curious.

“Fifteen,” Axel stated proudly.

Vincent scoffed, “Only?”

“Wait,” Axel, clearly shocked by Vincent’s response, demanded, “You were collecting numbers too?”

“Do ducks have feathers?” Vincent smirked.

Axel’s tone was dead serious. “Listen, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t have the same numbers for the same girls. Remember what happened last time.”

Nate looked between Axel and Vincent. “What happened last time?”

“Nothing,” Vincent and Axel stated in unison.

They huddled in a corner of the office and pulled napkins filled with numbers out of their pockets to compare them. The rest of us shook our heads and chuckled.

“Seb, you know, a few months ago when you told us about the protection fee and the threats to trash your clubs if you didn’t pay, I thought you’d delay the opening of this club. Being a business owner is risky, especially for someone as successful as you. But you didn’t give in to their demands, you stood your ground and kept your eye on the prize. I’m proud of the man you’ve become.”

Dominic’s approval had always mattered to me, and now was no different. But it also made me realize how important it was to handle the club’s issues alone. He was right; being a business owner came with risks, like having a target on your back, but that didn’t mean you should fold your business and give in.

Which made me wonder what made Dean give in.

Change is the only constant in life. You adapt, you learn, and you grow. Over the past few months, I revisited the drawing board more than once to protect what I’d built, and I’d continue to do so until the threat is eradicated.

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