Just then, the sound of a car pulling up came, and Anastasia hung up the phone without another word. A few minutes later, Sebastian pushed the door open. His light footsteps drew closer until they stopped just behind her. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against him. "Anna..." His lips brushed tenderly against her hair, his voice low and husky. "I've missed you so much, honey." The cool night air clung to him, and the chill of his embrace made Anastasia shrink back. She stiffened, unmoving. "Still upset? I spent the whole day running around for you. I even went out to the suburbs looking for you, but you weren't there..." Instead of being angry that she had tricked him, Sebastian tapped her nose playfully. "Anna, don't pull stunts like this again." Her lips trembled. Yes, stunts that nearly got me killed. Thirty miles outside the city, a round trip barely takes an hour. And yet you spent an entire day and night. By the time you've got around to saving me, I'd already be six feet under! Swallowing down the bitterness, Anastasia asked, "Juliana was in a car accident? Was she badly hurt?" Sebastian froze for a moment before quickly answering, "Why bring up another woman when it's just the two of us?" His grip tightened, his arms lifting her as if she weighed nothing, seating her on his lap. One hand cupped the back of her head as he leaned in, desperate to kiss her lips. Anastasia paused, then turned her face away. "What's wrong?" he asked, confused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "First-time nerves? Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Countless times before, Anastasia had drowned in those eyes of his-eyes that seemed endlessly tender no matter who he looked at. And that night, they brimmed with nothing but frantic longing for her. If not for that faint, foreign scent clinging to him, she might have gladly given herself to him. But now, all she felt was revulsion. He had probably just come straight from Juliana's bed. How can he not feel filthy? The very air felt suffocating. Anastasia asked quietly, "Sebastian, did you ever love me?" "Of course," he said, his gaze soft and full of feeling. Anastasia pressed a pale fingertip against his chest, stabbing the spot over his heart. "Then, explain why you smell like Juliana." He froze, his expression stiffening as if caught. A moment later, he lifted his arm and sniffed his sleeve. "Do I? I took her to the hospital after the accident. Maybe I brushed against her by accident." C 1:58 pm DD DD. But she only smiled. Her smile was flawless, yet her gentle gaze carried an unshakable clarity that saw straight through him. That look made his heart falter. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed his pajamas and went into the bathroom. By the time he came back out. Anastasia was lying on her side, fast asleep. He crouched at her bedside, whispering softly, "Anna?" There was no reply. Sebastian sighed, helpless. Lighting a cigarette, he stepped out to the balcony, letting the smoke bleed off the heat still burning in him. Minutes later, he made a call. "Book two tickets for tomorrow morning to Meldiva. I'm taking Anna on a honeymoon. I was away for work the first week after our marriage-I need to make it up to her. And the birthday gift I left at the hospital, bring it over for me." For a moment, Anastasia faltered. She almost wondered if she had misunderstood him. Maybe she had only been overthinking, imagining the worst. Maybe there was really nothing between Sebastian and Juliana after all? But twenty minutes later, his phone rang again. "Are you mad?! Who told you to come here?" His voice dropped low as he glanced at the bed, then hurried toward the door. Outside the front gate, Juliana stood with a wounded, pitiful expression. "Sebastian, I overheard you talking to your assistant. I thought I'd help by bringing the gift over myself." He took the box from her and set it on the table. Juliana's eyes reddened as her lips quivered. "Sebastian, the pain in my arm keeps me from sleeping. She's already asleep anyway... Come back to the hospital with me, please?" Hearing the voices below, Anastasia couldn't help but laugh. "How exactly do you want him to keep you company, Juliana? By giving you a massage? By holding you to sleep? Why don't you just come upstairs, and I'll give you the bed so you can put on a show?" Her sudden words startled both of them. Sebastian whipped his head around, and the moment his eyes met Anastasia's, his expression darkened sharply. She turned and went back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Juliana was sent away. Sebastian stood outside the door, knocking. "Anna, there's really nothing between me and her. She only came to drop off your birthday gift." At the mention of "birthday gift," Anastasia's heart twisted. "My birthday passed a whole day ago. Do I really need the mistress to bring me gifts?" 1:58 pm D D D D When he failed to get the door open, he left. It figured-he was the heir of an elite family. Wherever he went, people lined up to flatter him. The honeymoon trip to Meldiva never happened for Anastasia, but someone else went in her place. The next afternoon, Claire Dempsey, her best friend, sent her a photo. "What the hell? Did Sebastian cheat on you? Why is he in Meldiva with Juliana?" In the photo, Juliana lounged in a bikini, a massive diamond ring glittering on her ring finger, blindingly bright. Anastasia recognized it immediately. That ring was a global limited edition-only one in existence- symbolizing the one true love of a lifetime. Just a few days ago, it had been auctioned off for a sky-high price by a mysterious billionaire. And now it sat on Juliana's finger. She was sitting waist-deep in the turquoise water, her skirt floating up to reveal long, toned legs curled beneath her, exuding a forbidden allure. Sebastian sat a few feet away under a parasol, coconut water in hand, his gaze soft and adoring as he watched her. To anyone looking, they were the picture of newlyweds on their honeymoon. Claire tried to comfort her. "Don't be upset, Anna. Juliana isn't from our circle. No background, no family. I'll help you tear her apart!" Anastasia only said, "If you go after Sebastian's new flame, he'll fight you to the end. Besides, I don't plan on keeping him anyway." Claire blinked in disbelief. "What did you just say? You don't want Sebastian? You'd really let him go? You'd really give up?" Everyone in their circle knew Anastasia had moved into the Kairos Residence when she was 16. After so many years under the same roof, even setting aside romance, Sebastian's parents had long become her own. No matter the quarrels, when she returned home, they would still be sitting around the same table. And there was more-an arranged marriage set for over twenty years, finally coming to fruition, with their families bound as lifelong friends. Their ties ran deep, too deep for anyone to believe they could be severed. But Anastasia didn't see it that way. That very afternoon, she went back to the Kairos Residence, determined to cut things off completely. When she walked in, Eva Tannen looked past her as if searching for someone. "Where's Sebastian? He didn't come with you?" "He's on a business trip," Anastasia replied. "Another trip? Didn't he just get back? You've only been married a few days, and he's already gone again. Anyone would think something was wrong between you two." Eva set down her scissors and made a move to call her son. "No, I have to say something to him. This is unacceptable." 3/4 1:58 pm DDDD "That's impossible!" Eva's voice rose, almost panicked. "I know my own son. He would never do something like that!" Then, her expression shifted, suspicion creeping in as she looked at Anastasia. "Sebastian has always cared only for you. When your father died in that car accident, he brought you home and protected you like a treasure. "All these years, aside from you, what other woman has there been? Anna, you can't be a backstabber. Don't slander him and ruin his reputation." A pang of disappointment flashed through Anastasia's eyes. Her fingers curled slightly, a coldness seeping into her back. Of course. Mother and son-without even asking for proof, she was already defending him. To be fair, Sebastian's parents had treated her kindly over the years, and she had long regarded them as her own. But when push came to shove, family would still protect family. The sadness only lasted a moment before Anastasia lifted her head again. After all, she didn't owe the Kairoses anything. She forwarded Claire's photo to Eva's phone. "Juliana Sage. You've met her before, haven't you?" Eva frowned as she opened it. "It's just a photo. There's nothing intimate here. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding?" "Meldiva. Do you know what kind of place that is? Sebastian took her there. A man and a woman, alone together, what sort of 'misunderstanding' could it be?" Anastasia's voice broke with exhaustion. "What, do I have to hire a private investigator and throw bed photos in your face-" B 4/4 1:58 pm DD The Rose Who Chose His Rival Over Him