Chapter 9
Sebastian's POV
I have never felt this out of control in my entire life. Not even once
Not when I took over my father's empire. Not when I spilled blood for the first time. Not when men twice my size stood in front of me, waiting to see if I would hesitate. I never did. Control was the most important thing which my father taught not to loss.
Until now.
A quiet breath left me as I stood near the window of my study, my fingers curling slightly against the cold glass. My eyes were fixed on the garden below, but I wasn't seeing the guards, the structure, or the order I had built so carefully over the years.
I was looking at her. My wife
When my father told me I had to marry a Whitmore, I didn't question it. It was necessary. Strategic. A move to prevent a war that would've cost more than it was worth.
I expected a typical Whitmore woman.
Arrogant. Manipulative. Trained to smile in public and stab in private.
What I got instead was Elara. She was... unexpected
My jaw tightened slightly as my gaze followed her movements.
She was in the garden, kneeling on the ground like she belonged there, her hands buried in the soil, her dress stained with dirt like she didn't give a damn about how she looked. Mud clung to her fingers, her wrists, even the side of her cheek where she must have brushed it absentmindedly.
She looked… out of place.
And yet she fit there better than she did inside this house
I had already done a background check on her. Of course I had to.I don't let anyone into my life without knowing exactly who the fuck they are.
She didn't like her parents. That much was obvious from the reports. There were gaps things unsaid but enough to understand the dynamic. Control. Pressure. Expectations she never wanted.
She had a nursing degree. But she never went to work. She wanted to work but she was restricted. It was clear that no member of a mafia family can work like that.
My gaze dropped back to her.
She leaned forward slightly, brushing dirt away from a small plant, her lips moving as if she was talking to it. Actually talking. With a fucking plant.
A faint sound reached me even through the glass. Now she is laughing. A soft unguarded laugh. Her laugher didn't belong to this house. I have never seen her laughing with anyone.
She was laughing.
Around me, she was tense. Careful. Her body always slightly stiff, her eyes always watching, like she was waiting for something bad to happen.
But in the garden she was relaxed and free. She doesn't belong to this world maybe all she want is freedom and a normal life which I can never give her. The thought didn't sit right with me
A feeling surfaced sharp, unfamiliar, unwanted.
I ignored it.
My gaze lingered anyway.
She pushed a strand of hair away from her face, only to smear more dirt across her cheek. Her clothes were a mess, clinging slightly to her body in a way that didn't look intentional but still caught attention.
She was… attractive.
No. That wasn't enough.
She was fucking tempting.
Not in the polished, artificial way women usually tried to be around me. Not dressed up, not trying to impress, not trying to seduce.
This was different.
Raw.
Unaware.
The kind of beauty that didn't ask for attention but still dragged it in anyway.
My eyes moved over her slowly, taking in the way her body shifted as she moved, the curve of her waist beneath the ruined fabric, the way her lips parted slightly as she focused on whatever she was doing.
Fuck.
I shouldn't be noticing this. I never wanted to touch her without her consent and need
I shouldn't be standing here, watching her like I want to fuck her right now
And yet, I didn't look away.
"She's a problem," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than anything else.
Because she was, Not because she was dangerous but because she wasn't.
And in my world, that made her the easiest thing to break.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Come in."
Oliver walked in without waiting, as usual, his presence casual but his eyes sharp enough to catch everything.
"So," he started, glancing at me before following my line of sight, "this is why you didn't come to the office."
He stepped closer, standing beside me, his gaze dropping to the garden below.
"Yeah," he let out a low chuckle. "I get it now."
"Watch your mouth," I said calmly.
"That's your wife," he added, ignoring my warning, a smirk forming on his face. "Didn't expect you to get distracted this fast."
"I'm not distracted."
"Right," he muttered. "You're just standing here staring at her like you want to either lock her up or fuck her."
My eyes shifted to him slowly.
That was enough.
He raised his hands slightly, still smirking. "Relax. I'm just saying what it looks like."
I turned my gaze back to the garden.
"She's under my protection," I said flatly.
Oliver snorted lightly. "Yeah, I figured. Especially after that little scene yesterday. Word's already spreading."
My expression didn't change.
"Jessica?" I asked.
"Who else?" he replied. "Your former… whore seems pretty pissed. She's been talking. Trying to stir shit up."
"I'll deal with her."
"I know you will," he said easily. "But that's not the only problem."
I didn't respond.
"That girl down there," he continued, nodding toward Elara, "your people don't like her. She's a Whitmore. Doesn't matter if she's innocent or not. To them, she's still the enemy."
My gaze darkened slightly. I already knew that. That's why I didn't trust anyone around her. People still think she is a threat like her family.
"Keep an eye on them," I said.
"I already am."
"That's not enough," I replied, my voice colder now. "No one gets close to her without clearance. I don't care who the fuck they are."
Oliver went quiet for a second.
Then he nodded.
"Got it."
Silence settled between us again as I looked back at her. She was still there. Still kneeling in the dirt. Still smiling at something as stupid as a plant.
A faint, almost unnoticeable shift happened in my chest.
Annoying.
"She called me a perv," I said suddenly.
Oliver blinked, then let out a laugh. "She did what?"
"She called me a perv," I repeated, my tone flat.
"And you didn't kill her?" he asked, clearly amused.
Oliver shook his head slightly, still smiling. "You're losing your edge."
"Careful," I said quietly.
My gaze returned to her one last time.
She was still smiling. Still unaware of the effect she is causing on me. Still completely out of place in a world that would destroy her without hesitation.
"I don't trust anyone around her," I said finally.
Not my men. Not my allies. Not anyone. I need to keep her safe. I need to show people that she is no more a Whitemore. She is mine now
My wife