Page 170 of The Bittersweet Bond

Her cheeks burned as shame spread through her, hot and suffocating.

What is he thinking about me now?

The anger he had aimed at Sergej just moments ago was gone, and somehow, that madeit worse. There was no judgment in his gaze, no disgust—only something she couldn’t bear: pity.

Her fingers dug into the doorframe as her breath quickened. This wasn’t his battle. It shouldn’t be anyone’s battle. Panic clawed its way up her throat. If Bas knew, how long would it take before everyone else knew too? Her parents. The school. Everyone will know. And then…

She forced herself to look away, her eyes stinging.I should have been stronger. I should have hidden it better!

Even as shame clawed up her throat and settled behind her ribs like a second heartbeat, something underneath it moved—slow, molten, dangerous.

A feeling she wasn’t supposed to have. A thought too heavy to face and too loud to silence.

She hadn’t stopped him.

And she could have. God, she could have.

She had seen the way Bas lunged. The way his fists found Sergej’s face like they’d been waiting for that moment forever. She’d heard the voices yelling, the panic, the shuffle of feet—and she hadn’t moved.

Not because she was frozen. Not because she was in shock.

But because, for a split second, she wanted it.

Fuck, she wanted Sergej to feel something.

Not the pain of fists, maybe. But something that broke. Something that left a mark. Because what he had taken from her had never bruised her skin—but it had hollowed her out from the inside, and no one had ever seen it.

She should have screamed, should have stopped him, should have done the right thing, the civil thing, the strong thing.

But she didn’t.

Because in some twisted corner of her heart, she was tired. Tired of pretending she was fine. Tired of carrying it all alone. Tired of letting people like Sergej walk away untouched.

And in that moment, Bas hadn’t just fought for her. He had done what she never let herself do.

And that...

That made her feel seen.

And guilty.

And ashamed.

And so, so fucking grateful.

I need to leave…Now.

__________

Sebastian

The room was still filled with uncertain glances, and the music had long since fallen silent. Bas stood at the center of the tent, the chaos of the past few minutes pressing on his chest like a heavy weight. Sergej was being led away by security, his face a mess of blood, yet the sarcastic smirk still clung to his lips.

Bas couldn’t shake the image. The guests’ gazes, ranging from shock to outright contempt, bore into him.

Before Bas could react, his father stepped forward. His posture was straight, his voice calm but firm as he addressed the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, scanning the room with a composed expression. “We apologize for the disturbance. This is a personal matter, and we will resolve it. Please, continue to enjoy the event.” He spoke with a quiet authority that left no room for dispute before turning to Bas’s mother.

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