Page 10 of Addicted To His Favorite
Sebastian stood on stage, his arm wrapped around Emily’s waist intimately.
The whispers around Amelia turned sharper, cutting through the thick air of the hall.
“This is the biggest project of the year. Every project under Mr. Sebastian or the Empire Group becomes an instant success, even before the official release.”
“Most of their collections are already sold out the day they’re announced.”
“The promotions, the hype… imagine the marketing budget for something worth one billion...”
“I thought they were going to bring in some renowned international designer for this project,” someone murmured. “Someone with a top-tier name, not… Emily. Wasn’t she the one removed from the last project because of the drama with Lucas and Amelia?”
“Yeah,” another person chimed in. “I was at that party. Emily claimed Amelia stole those designs, but Lucas didn’t believe her. He said she was lying. Emily was removed on the spot—publicly humiliated. It was awful.”
“But why would Sebastian pick someone like her now?” another woman questioned. “He’s not the type to take risks on someone with a tainted reputation.”
Another woman lowered her voice. “Mr. Graves would never hire a liar. Maybe… maybe she was telling the truth all along? Maybe those designs really were stolen by Amelia?”
Amelia shifted on her feet, tension creeping up her spine. The murmurs around her grew heavier, suffocating her with every breath.
Her fingers curled into her palms as she quietly backed away, desperate to melt into the crowd and disappear before anyone recognized her and started asking questions.
On the stage, the announcer was still firing questions at Sebastian.
Sebastian was answering every one, his voice calm and magnetic as ever.
As the final questions wrapped up and the spotlight faded, Emily quietly exited the hall.
Outside the grand hotel, the night air cooled her burning skin. She took out her phone and called Jeremy.
“Where are you? I’m waiting outside,” she asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Jacob said you’d be coming to the party tonight. I’m outside the hotel… Let’s go home together.”
The sudden deep purr of an engine made her look up.
A luxurious white Rolls-Royce glided to a stop in front of her.
It was a custom-built, maroon luxury model—sleek and traditional, but with a powerful, almost predatory edge. She recognized it instantly.
The black-tinted window lowered.
Sebastian’s eyes locked onto hers.
Emily straightened, shocked. She hadn’t expected him to come after her—certainly not so soon.
Without a word, he leaned forward, pushed the car door open from inside, and said, “Get in.”
Her heart raced. There was no one else around. The city lights shimmered far behind. A soft breeze stirred the hem of her dress.
Emily hesitated for just a moment… then taking a shaky breath, she walked to the car and slid inside.
The interior was dimly lit. The partition between driver and passenger was already up, cutting off the rest of the world.
As soon as she sat down, Sebastian reached for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her off the seat and pulled her onto his lap.
“I want to sit in the seat,” she said, startled, trying to move away.
But his grip only tightened. “No.”
She turned her head to face him. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear, cupped her face with his hand, and his voice dropped to a husky whisper, “How was my performance tonight? Did I make you happy, baby?”
