Virtue & Vanity (53 page)

Sebastian. Love. Infinity.

Chapter Fifty

In the darkness of the night, they were looking at the stars, trying to guess the meaning of their ill-shaped patterns and sizes. She thought she saw the contours of a familiar face on the sky because it looked just like the one she had once imagined, but she wasn’t sure. He didn’t see it, but told her he did anyway because he knew it would draw a smile to her face. She knew he lied, but appreciated it all the same.

They looked at each other and she read the letters that were right there, written on his face. He loved her. He...loved her. And even though she thought she would never rise up from the pain; there she was loving him all the same.

And there they were...two missing pieces of the dusty, old, broken puzzle...mending their edges, finding a way to hold on without looking back...without thinking about the hurt and the pain.

He saw her. Not just her mesmerizing eyes, her smooth skin and curly, brown hair. He saw beyond that. Way beyond, inside her soul. Inside where he could reach and touch the pieces of the heart he had broken. Some of the pieces were so badly damaged that they could never be fixed again, but he didn’t care about that because they were his broken pieces—his to cherish, his to love, his to bring back to life.

And nobody could love her the way he did because he was the only one who knew. In a strange way, he was the only one who could understand and he recognized she was aware of that, but he didn’t dare to hope that she would ever...

And yet, when he looked at her, he saw it, right there, written on her face. She loved him. She...loved him.

At that moment, he finally acknowledged the existence of angels and heaven because they gave him this miracle. And he knew it would be okay. With the awakening of the first sparkle in those eyes that had appeared to be dead for so long, he knew they would survive this because they had the only thing that mattered.

He loved her.

She loved him.

Love would take away the pain.

The End

“Now will you let me read it?” Sebastian’s impatient voice startled me just as I was finishing the last words that marked the ending of the story I had been working on the past few months.

I took one last glance at my notebook and closed its covers before slowly turning to face him. The moment my eyes landed on his graceful shape, I couldn’t help but smile.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to see the two words I’ve been waiting for,” he said in a light voice and I narrowed my eyes, feigning confusion but he wouldn’t let me get away with it.

As he stared at me expectantly, I stole a moment for myself—a moment to reflect on what I had just written. The dark, sad story was over and now I was ready for a new one. It wouldn’t be about heartache though. I didn’t have an exact idea yet, but I knew I wanted to write about beauty, love and happiness.

My gaze roamed around the garden that was gradually surrendering its beauty to the approaching winter and I was surprised that Sebastian had come to look for me by the swing chair because he almost never went out into the garden. He must have known I was writing and he had to have been terribly eager to read the rest of the story.

“A promise is a promise, I guess.” I shrugged and reluctantly handed him the notebook, already feeling nervous that he would read it. He accepted the gift with a smile on his face.

“You’re right.” He sat down next to me and something flickered in his eyes when they landed on my engagement ring. “A promise is a promise,” he repeated, his eyes still frozen on my finger.

His eyes traveled to mine and they locked together in a tender gaze. I brushed my fingers along the surface of the ring, circling around that symbol that represented how special our bond was to him.
Infinity.
But that infinity had to have come with an expensive price and even though I had spent days wondering about it, I didn’t dare to ask. Sebastian filled our time with so much happiness and precious moments, almost as if he wanted to make sure to keep his sacrifice a secret, but I didn’t want secrets between us. I had to know.

“You never told me.” I started, taking the time to phrase my question.

“Told you what, sweet?”

“What did you have to sacrifice for all of this?”

He sighed. “Nothing important.”

“Sebastian, Goliath means the world to you. I would never forgive myself if—” I swallowed because the thought alone troubled me.

On the other hand, he wasn’t even mildly upset. “Designing buildings means the world to me, Isabelle. I don’t have to be the head of The Goliath Holdings to do that.”

“But what will happen to The Goliath if you leave?”

“Not if I leave, Isabelle. I have already left,” he revealed and continued when I urged him to answer my question. “The Goliath will be owned by my family for as long as my father is alive. Then, it goes in the hands of the city of Rosemont, just like the will of my demented great-grandfather predicted.”

“I feel so guilty. All those employees...”

“You don’t need to feel guilty. Most of my employees as well as clients have decided to follow me.”

“What do you mean?” I asked with a dose of fear.

He smirked. “I wasn’t about to jeopardize our future, Isabelle. I’ve started a new company,” he said calmly, as if opening a business was the easiest thing in the world.

“A new company?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“Yes. You’re going to love the name.” His face held a mysterious, teasing expression as he prolonged the anticipation and then revealed it at last.
“Paradise Constructions.”

I frowned when I heard the name. It was beautiful, but didn’t have a ring that could be associated with architecture like The Goliath.

“Why would you call it that?” I had to ask.

“Because it’s run by an angel,” he stated in a voice that rang with pride and I couldn’t make out if he was for real or joking.

“Wow, calling yourself an angel?” I laughed and proceeded teasing him. “Not at all conceited, Sebastian.”

He gazed at me, constantly smiling. “Who says I’m referring to myself?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. This was getting weird. “Didn’t you just say it was run by an angel and since you’re at the head of it—”

“I never said I was at the head of that company.”

I chuckled. “Then who is this mysterious angel of yours?” I asked and before he said anything it dawned on me.

He leaned really close and kissed my lips.
No, that couldn’t be.

“I’m glad you asked,” he said in a light whisper that teased my lips. “It’s you.”

I was sure he was playing tricks on me. “Sebastian, that’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking. I wouldn’t dare to get on the boss’s bad side.” He winked at me.

“I don’t believe you. One doesn’t just become a CEO over the night. I haven’t even signed anything.”

“Oh, but you have,
angel,
” he accentuated the word, visibly enjoying the look of horror that settled over my face.

“The divorce papers?” I mumbled in shock. “You wouldn’t...”

He shrugged. “I’m afraid I would.”

I was confused, surprised and furious... mostly furious. “But I know nothing about architecture and running companies, and—”

“Shh, shh.” He gently stopped my angry rumbling with a small kiss. “It’s okay, love. I’ll take care of that. You don’t have to do anything. You’re not the CEO of anything; you simply own a lot of shares. “

“Why did you do it?” I was more astonished than ever.

He took a deep breath. “It’s a gesture, Isabelle. I want you to know how much I cherish the gift of your light.” Bright, green eyes bored into mine as he whispered softly. “No amount of your purity will ever wash away my sin, but despite that, you chose to stay by my side. And for that, I am sharing with you everything I have—my business, my soul, my heart.”

“Sebastian, you don’t have to.”

“But I do, Isabelle.” He smiled sadly and ran his hand through my hair. “You don’t realize how special you are, do you angel?”

Our breaths collided and my throat squeezed into a heavy lump that was filled with sentiment.

“Of course you don’t,” he whispered, “but that makes you even more special.” He smiled and wrapped his arm around me protectively. “We should head back inside. It’s getting cold and dark out here.”

His impatient gaze told me he expected me to take his advice, but I remained sitting on the chair, getting lost in the sight of the transcending interlude of the dimming light and the approaching darkness on the sky. The round shape of the moon revealed itself behind the thick clouds and its companions, the shiny, glittered diamonds followed only moments after.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Sebastian pleaded. “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

I shook my head. “I want to stay here. I want to look at the stars.” I turned to him and smiled. “Besides, it’s never cold when you’re around.”

His arms embraced me even tighter, making me feel blessed and complete. Thank you, God, I thought to myself and looked towards the sky. Then, it appeared; the little fraction of blinding light, a shivering ornament of the black night. I had never seen anything like it.

“Sebastian, can you see it?”

“What?” he asked in a quiet, tender voice.

“That ball of light on the sky?”

For a long time, his eyes roamed along the darkness above, trying to catch a glimpse of the light I was talking about. I knew he wouldn’t be able to see it since it was already gone, but I was amused by his persistence to find it.

“Yes, I can see it. It’s beautiful, love,” he lied.

Smiling, I turned to face him and I saw it, right there written on his beautiful face. Behind all the murky clouds that hid him from me for so long, I saw a man who would do whatever it takes just to draw a smile to my face. And there was no greater gift than the emotion that blissfully reflected itself in those green eyes.
He loved me. He... loved me.

Chapter Fifty-One

Nearly two months after Sebastian’s proposal, we got married in a small chapel, in secrecy and away from all the prying eyes. The Everett’s knew about his actions and plans. Although they disagreed with everything and Theodore had even gone to great lengths to convince him to change his mind, Sebastian stood his ground and remained relentless in his decision to remarry me. The wedding took place in a very intimate atmosphere, in the presence of three people, two of which had been Jared and Helen who played their parts as best man and maid of honor. When compared to our first wedding, there hadn’t been tons of guests, a grandiose limousine ride or a fancy reception, but we had the one thing that had been missing that first time.
Love.
Love we expressed in the vows that were sprinkled with so many words of hope and affection. Once again, Sebastian swore that he would cherish me like his most prized possession until the end of our days. And I swore that I would always love him the same. When we said our ‘
I do’s’
, we couldn’t look away from each other and we smiled as if we had an inside joke nobody else could understand. In a moment when his hand brushed against mine and gently placed a ring on my finger, an uninvited, distant memory found its way in. But instead of evoking the feeling of sadness or doubt like before, it had only managed to pull me towards him even stronger. While leaving the dark tunnel of the past and entering the light of the new beginning, I knew we would be happy because we’d been through hell and made it out alive. And when I was putting the ring on his finger, I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I loved him.

“You may kiss your bride,” the marriage officiant said after proclaiming us husband and wife.

As a final act that erased the last remains of the painful memory, Sebastian removed my veil and just like it had back then, the scent of mint teased my senses. Only this time, instead of looking at me with cold contempt, there was nothing but warmth in his deep, mesmerizing emerald eyes. He leaned in for a kiss without breaking the gaze we shared and as he was about to lower his lips on mine, something flickered in his eyes and he smiled a wide smile.

“My beautiful bride,” he whispered in a hot breath and finally sealed the beautiful moment with a passionate kiss that literally swept me off my feet.

We got completely carried away with each other and only when Helen cleared her throat, reminding us that we weren’t alone, did he reluctantly break the kiss.

“There’ll be plenty of time for this, love birds. Now it’s time to celebrate,” she teased us and then hugged me tightly. “Congratulations, sweetie. I’m so happy for you!”

She was on the verge of crying and she tried to camouflage it, but by the time she got to Sebastian she was drowning in tears. Sebastian glanced towards me and we both chuckled at the fact that Helen was so deeply moved. She was truly an angel and without her, I certainly wouldn’t have gotten as far as I had.

After Jared and Amelia wished us nothing but happiness, we headed to a small restaurant where we had dinner and though both Helen and Jared tried to convince us to prolong the evening, Sebastian seemed so impatient and eager to leave that he simply ignored their request and told them we had to take care of something important. As we were walking outside, I caught a glimpse of Helen who was smirking and winking at me. I blushed, but I had no time to contemplate on Sebastian’s words because before apprehension could get the best of me, he reassured me by treating me like a true gentleman, with so much affection that defeated the slightest thought that there was anything for me to be nervous about. When we got to the car, he wouldn’t stop smiling and he pulled something out of his pocket. When I realized it was a blindfold, I looked at him in confusion.

He shook his head. “I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking,” he said in a light, teasing voice and smiled with reassuring tenderness. “I have something to show you and I want to make sure you don’t see it before I ask you to.”

I chuckled at his blunt demand and reminded him that he was supposed to trust me in all matters, but he wouldn’t give in and I ended up sitting in the car with the blindfold tightly pressed against my eyes. I tried to get him to reveal something, but he silenced me with a light kiss and started the engine, letting me know that he couldn’t be manipulated into giving away his little secret.

During the ride to the mysterious place, he gently held my hand and I was getting more excited as the time went on. I wondered where he was taking me and it was hard to resist the urge to peek through the blindfold. Sebastian had to warn me several times to keep it on my eyes. Even though I couldn’t see him, I sensed that he constantly smiled at me and I could picture the glowing warmth that radiated from his mesmerizing green eyes. Suddenly, the road changed and it felt as though we were driving on gravel and not asphalt. The car came to a halt and Sebastian warned that I wasn’t allowed to take off the blindfold yet. He opened the door of the car for me and led me outside. I had to hold his hand and let him lead me. Even though he held my hand firmly and tried to warn me about my steps and direction, I was still staggering along the way like I was drunk. Both of us were laughing at my desperate loss of orientation. He held me by my shoulders to steady me and he told me that I could open my eyes now. When the soft fabric of the blindfold slipped from my face, I found myself standing in front of one of the most beautiful houses I’d ever seen. Taken aback by the breathtaking sight in front of me, I looked around in awe and then settled my curious eyes on Sebastian.

“Do you like it?” he asked like he was dying to hear my answer.

“I love it. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of a fairytale castle.” I smiled.

“It’s yours, princess.” He smiled back at me.

“What do you mean?”

“This is our new home. I hope you like it.”

“New home?” I was confused. “But...but we already have a home.”

“No, Isabelle. We have a house that’s filled with bad memories. That place cannot be a home to us and I don’t even want to think about trying to turn it into that. This is our home and safe haven. This is where we’ll build our lives based on love, respect and care for one another.” He looked towards the magnificent building in front of us and then settled his eyes on me.

“Thank you,” I whispered to show my gratitude for everything he had just said.

A long, warm smile grazed his lips as he picked me up into his arms.

“What are you doing?” I started giggling as I put my arms around his neck.

He gently kissed the bridge of my nose and continued gazing and smiling at me. After a while, he gave up and told me about his plan. “I’m carrying my beautiful bride over the threshold.”

I didn’t need to say anything. Immense happiness was visible on my face and I closed my eyes, enjoying being held tightly in his arms. When unlocking the door turned out to be a big struggle for him, I slowly slipped from his arms and he lowered me back to the ground. He unlocked the door and I wanted to step inside, but he stopped me and picked me into his arms again. When we entered the house, he put me down gently and I gazed at the general splendor that surrounded me. It was breathtaking, so warm and inviting. I couldn’t believe that the house was actually ours.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Everett,” he murmured.

“It’s so beautiful.” I breathed.

He cupped my face and gazed at me. “Nothing is more beautiful than you, princess.”

“If Prince Charming says so, then who am I to disagree?” I teased him.

“Am I your Prince Charming?” he asked with a trace of curiosity in his voice.

I closed my eyes and savored the beauty of the moment. “Yes, you are. I waited for a long time to meet you, but now you’re finally here. And I was even lucky enough to have you come with a full package. You know—beautiful castle, white horse and all.” I smiled at him.

“Well, it’s more of a black jaguar.” At first, I didn’t know what he meant, but when it finally dawned on me, we both burst into laughter.

As the laughing subsided, we remained gazing at each other and Sebastian brushed his knuckles along my cheek. That simple action made my entire body shiver and I blushed because of the reaction he evoked in me.

“I love to see you laugh...and blush,” he said softly and continued watching me in amazement. “Come, I want to show you around.” He took hold of my hand and I happily followed his lead.

The house was wonderful, just as I thought it would be. Sebastian really did his homework and he told me all about the history of the place. There were so many facts he shared with enthusiasm that I pretended to yawn a few times to let him know he could get on with the tour. We laughed at that and it felt wonderful. It was like magic in the air that made me careless and happy. When we arrived in front of the last doors on the ground floor I wanted to open it, but Sebastian’s hand stopped me.

“I want you to close your eyes again.”

“Why?” I pouted and then chuckled at my ridiculous reaction.

“I have another surprise for you, beautiful.” He winked at me.

“Another surprise? What could possibly surprise me more than this?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” He smiled mysteriously.

I closed my eyes and he placed his hands over them and leaned over to me. “I want to make sure you don’t cheat.” His breath traveled to the nape of my neck and it spread fire over my body. The smell of his cologne claimed the space around me and I felt my knees becoming weak from the powerful sensation that took hold of me.

Since I could barely move, he had to gently push me towards the door and lead me into the room. I loved letting myself go into the safety of his arms. I knew he’d always catch me if I fall. When he finally removed his hands from my face and told me to open my eyes, my reaction didn’t fell short and I squeaked when I discovered the space around me. We were in a beautiful library. Everything looked exactly the same like in our old house. My eyes sent him a thrilled as well as a puzzled look and he knew what I was wondering about.

“I had all of the books transferred here and I decorated it exactly the same like the old library. I knew you loved that place so I thought you might like to take it with you,” he explained warmly.

“I must be dreaming. This can’t be possible, can it?” I raised the obvious question since it had been only two days since my last visit to the library.

“You’re not dreaming, Isabelle.” He chuckled. “Would you like to look around?”

I nodded and walked around, admiring the fact that every book stood in its old place. Without a doubt, that library was the biggest proof of Sebastian’s perfectionism yet. As I took in the huge space around me, I noticed a nice reading corner with beautiful leather sofas and a large table in the middle. When I took a closer look on the table, I noticed there was a book laying on it. Already from afar, I observed the beautiful picture of the kissing couple that graced its covers. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked towards the table and took the book with the beautiful covers in my hand. The title of the book said
Virtue & Vanity
. As I lowered my gaze I was suddenly speechless, paralyzed as I read the name of the author.
Written by Isabelle Everett.
Shocked and with tears of joy in my eyes, I turned towards Sebastian who was smiling at me.

“I forgot to tell you that there was one more surprise lying around” he whispered.

“How? How did you...?” I was at loss of words as I skimmed the pages that had every word I had written printed on them.

“It’s a long story. One day I will tell you, but for now, I’d like to keep it a secret. I hope you don’t mind the title. They thought it would fit.”

I loved the title. I loved what he did for me. I loved him.

“I like it. But the book. I don’t understand.” I was stunned.

“It has been edited and published by one of the most prominent publishing companies. They love your work and this copy is one of the few they printed to give you an impression of what it would look like when it reached the bookstore shelves. The final decision about the publishing depends on you, of course.”

“Sebastian...I...I...” I felt a lump forming in my throat. “Thank you.” I was so touched by his gesture that I started crying.

The sound of Sebastian’s light laughter filled the room as he pulled me close and kissed away my tears.

“They loved your book, honey. All I had to do was send them a copy and that was enough for them to decide they wanted to publish it. So you see, it was you, Isabelle. Not me.” His soft whisper made me look up to him and smile in appreciation for his encouraging words.

He placed his hand on the small of my back and we continued our tour around the house. We climbed the stairs in silence because my thoughts were consumed by Sebastian’s wonderful gesture. Nobody had ever done something so beautiful for me. It meant the world. The world he created for us. The world I would cherish with everything I was until I took my last breath.

After we walked through numerous rooms on the first floor, there was only one room left and I knew what it was. It was our second wedding night and it felt so much different than the first one. That dreadful night had been miles away, almost entirely faded from our lives. Tonight would be different. Whatever happened, I trusted Sebastian, I had faith in the man I loved and there was no fear or doubt in my mind. Still, I was getting a bit nervous because I was so inexperienced and the only experience I’d had... No. I wouldn’t think about that night. I wouldn’t let it continue ruining my life.