Chapter 18 Chapter Seventeen

"You looking for me, sir?" Evie came to the desk where Sebastian was sitting in the small office.A servant was ordered to take her downstairs and escort her through the club's barely manageable chaotic crowd. Today is the first night that Jane's reopened, and it seems like every member or would-be member has decided to stop by and get admission.A pile of application forms was lined up on Sebastian's desk, while at least a dozen men waited impatiently in the foyer to get through.The air was filled with the humming of people, the clink of glasses, and the sound of an orchestra playing on the balcony on the second floor.In honor of Ever Jenner, free-flowing champagne added to the unrestrained conviviality.The clubs are reopening, and everything is so to the liking of London gentlemen.

"I'm looking for you." Sebastian answered Evie's question. "Why the hell are you still here? You should have left almost eight hours ago." She stared at his expressionless face without flinching. "I'm still packing." "You've been packing for three days, and you don't have half a dozen long dresses. You only need a travel bag to hold all your luggage. You're stalling, Evie." "Does that make a difference to you?" she pushed back. "You've been acting like I don't exist for the past two days, and I'm almost sure you haven't even noticed that I'm here."

Sebastian stared at her sharply, trying to control his boiling temper.Didn't notice her?Heck, he'd be willing to trade a fortune to make it happen.He was tortured to perceive her every word, every gesture, and was always eager to take a quick peek at her. Now he just looked at her slim and slim figure wrapped in a black velvet dress elegantly, It was enough to drive him crazy.The sombreness of mourning should make a woman look mediocre, but on the contrary, the black set off her skin like cream, and her hair flowed like fire.He wanted to take her to bed and make love to her until the intricacies of seduction ran out in frenzy.He felt something was troubling him, some feverish restlessness, like a sickness...something that made him wander from room to room without knowing exactly what he wanted.He had never been so... troubled, impatient, wracked with longing.

He had to send her away, and Evie should be protected from the dangers and depravities of the club, and from him at the same time.If he could manage to keep her safe, visit her in some limited way... that was the only solution. "I want you to leave," he said. "Everything is prepared for you at the house, you will be more comfortable there, and I don't have to worry about you getting into any trouble." He stood up and walked to the door, carefully paying attention to maintaining the physical distance between the two. "I'm going to get someone to prepare the carriage, and I want you to get in the carriage within a quarter of an hour."

"I haven't had dinner yet, would it be too much to ask you to allow me to have one last meal?" Sebastian didn't look at her, but he could hear a hint of childlike anger in her voice, and it made his heart twist painfully... and he had always believed that the heart was nothing but a few effective muscles. Nothing else. He could no longer remember if he had asked her to stay for supper, because at that moment he saw Cam coming towards the office ... and beside him was the unmistakable figure of the Lord Westcliff.Turning around, Sebastian ran his long fingers through his hair. "What the hell," he muttered.

Evie walked over to him in an instant. "What's wrong?" Sebastian wiped the expression off his face. "You'd better go," he said sternly. "Westcliff is here." "I'm not going anywhere," she said immediately. "Westcliff is too gentlemanly to fight in front of a lady." He let out a mocking laugh. "I don't have to hide behind your skirts, kitten, and I suspect he came here to fight too—it was over the night I kidnapped Miss Bowman." "Then what does he want to do?" "Either to warn me, or to see if you need to be rescued. Or both."

Westcliff walked into the office, Evie still standing beside her husband. Cam spoke first. "My lord," he said to Sebastian. "I told the Earl to wait for the communication, but he—" "No one can 'tell' Westcliff to do anything," Sebastian said dryly. "Never mind, Cam, go back to the dice table, or it's going to be a mess. Let Mrs. St. Vincent go with you." "No," Evie said quickly, her concerned eyes shifting from Sebastian's sneering face to Westcliff's granite-hard features. "I will stay." She turned to Lord Westcliff, holding out her hand. "My lord, I miss Lillian very much... Is she all right, I hope?"

Westcliff kissed her hand and said in a characteristically serious voice, "Very well. If she insists, she would like you to come and live with us." Even though Sebastian had been pushing her out of the club just a few minutes ago, sudden anger filled him.The defiant bastard, if he thought he could snatch Evie from right under his nose by coming here— "Thank you, my lord." Evie replied softly, watching Westcliff's sharp-edged face.The Earl had black hair and eyes so dark it was almost impossible to distinguish the iris from the pupil. "You are very kind, and I very much hope to visit as soon as possible. But I don't need your hospitality just yet."

"Very well, this offer will stand. Allow me to offer my condolences for your recent loss." "Thank you." She smiled back as Sebastian watched with a sting of jealousy. As owner of one of the oldest and most powerful titles in England, Max, Lord Westcliff, had the air of having his claims heeded and heeded.He wasn't conventionally handsome, but his rugged masculine vigor made him stand out everywhere.Westcliff was an athlete, an avid rider, known for pushing and pushing his physical limits.In fact, he approached everything in his life in such a way that no matter what he chose to do, he would not allow himself to accept any results other than excellence.

Westcliff and Sebastian had been friends since the age of ten and spent most of their childhood and teenage years together in boarding school.As children, their friendship was a little strange: Westcliff was born with absolute moral values ​​and had no difficulty in distinguishing right from wrong, while Sebastian preferred to use the simplest way to reverse it. convoluted, becoming exasperatingly complicated, as merely an exercise in his own ingenuity; Westcliff always takes the most efficient and direct approach, whereas Sebastian takes the treacherous and unpredictable route, People always fall into all kinds of troubles before finally reaching their goals. (Tangled...Tangled...)

But they both grew up in the shadow of an authoritarian and indifferent father, and the two friends know each other well.They share the same unromantic worldview and understand that there are very few people they can trust.But now, Sebastian thought gloomily, he had betrayed Westcliff's trust, and there was no hope of repairing it.For the first time in his life, he felt a sickening pang of what he could only call regret. Why the hell was he focusing on Lillian Bowman?Why didn't he bother to marry another heiress when he knew Westcliff had been captured by the girl?He'd be a fool to ignore Evie.In retrospect, it wasn't really worth ruining the friendship for Lillian's sake.In private, Sebastian had to admit that Westcliff's absence from his life was a bit like blisters on his feet, always aching and never healing. (This metaphor...orz for a moment...) Sebastian waited until the door closed behind Cam before raising his arms possessively around Evie's slender shoulders and greeting his former friend mockingly. "How was the honeymoon?" Westcliff ignored him. "As it stands," he said to Evie. "I have to ask—were you forced into marriage?" "No." Evie said firmly, moving closer to Sebastian, as if trying to protect him. "Really, my lord, that was my idea. I went to Lord St. Vincent's house and asked him to help me, and he helped me." Uncompromising, Westcliff said curtly, "You obviously have other effective avenues." "That was the only way I could think of at that time." She wrapped her slender arms around Sebastian's waist, and he suddenly stopped breathing in surprise. "I don't regret my decision," he heard Evie tell Westcliff firmly. "If it happened again, I would do it again without hesitation. Sir St. Vincent treated me very kindly, and there was nothing wrong with it." "She's lying, of course." Sebastian sneered, but the pulses in his veins began to beat wildly.Evie's delicate body was nestled next to him, he could feel her warmth, smell the fragrance of her skin, and he couldn't understand why she was defending him. "I'm an asshole to her," he said flatly to Westcliff. "And luckily for me, Lady St. Vincent has been abused by her family for so long that she has no idea what kindness is." "That's not true," Evie said to Westcliff, and neither of them looked at Sebastian, leaving him exasperated to feel excluded from the conversation. "As you can imagine it was a very difficult time and I would not have survived without my husband's support. He took care of my health and sheltered me in every way possible, he worked very hard to maintain my father's business, my He also protected me when my uncles tried to kidnap me by force—" "You're taking it too far, honey," Sebastian said to her, vindictively. "Westcliff knows me well enough that he knows I would never work, or protect anyone. For that matter, I'm just looking out for myself." To his annoyance, no one seemed Pay attention to his explanation. "My lord," Evie said to the Count. "From what I know of my husband, I don't believe he would have done it if he knew you were in love with Lillian. It's not an excuse for his behaviour, it's just—" "He doesn't love her!" Sebastian growled, pushing Evie away.The room seemed to shrink in an instant, and the walls gathered around him like a deadly anvil, crushing him to pieces.Damn her, she actually tried to apologize to him!Damn her, she actually tried to put a false excuse in the name of love between them! "He doesn't believe in love any more than I do," he glanced at Westcliff. "How many times have you told me that love is just an illusion of a man who wants to make real marriage tastier?" "I was wrong," said Westcliff. "Why are you so angry?" "I didn't—" Sebastian stopped short, suddenly realizing.He looked at Evie and saw their situation turned upside down in shock...she, the stuttering little wallflower, was serene and calm now...and he, who was always so cool and confident, was now manic idiot.All this was unfolding before Westcliff, and he was watching them carefully and keenly. "How can I get rid of you?" Sebastian asked Evie roughly. "If you don't want to go to my house, go with Westcliff. I don't care if you get out of my sight." Her eyes widened, and she flinched, as if hit by a sharp arrow.She didn't move, took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.Sebastian could hardly contain the urge to kneel before her and beg for forgiveness, but he just stood stiffly watching her walk towards the door. "Evie—" he murmured. She ignored him, straightened her shoulders and left the office. Following her eyes, Sebastian clenched his fists so painfully.After a few seconds, he forced himself to turn to Westcliff.His old friend was staring at him with a gaze that wasn't hateful enough to barely be called sympathy. "I didn't expect to find this," said Westcliff quietly. "You're not yourself anymore, Sebastian." It had been years since Westcliff last called him by his Christian name.Even among brothers or close friends, men only called each other by their first names or titles. "Go to hell," Sebastian muttered. "You came here tonight to tell me this? If that's the case, you're already a month late." "That was indeed my purpose," admitted Westcliff. "But now I've decided to stay and have a small brandy, and then you tell me, for God's sake, what the hell you're doing. You can start by explaining why you're taking on the business of running the casino." It might suck to sit and chat when the club is so crowded and busy - but Sebastian suddenly doesn't care.It seems like an eternity has passed since he talked with a certain close friend.While Sebastian has no illusions about their former friendship other than chaos, the prospect of being able to discuss things with Westcliff—even an unsympathetic Westcliff—seems It is also an indescribable comfort. "Okay," he murmured. "Okay, let's talk. Don't go away, I'll be right back - I can't allow my wife to walk through the club without an escort." He strode out of the office and into the foyer.Not seeing Evie in her black dress, he guessed she had gone the other way, probably through the central hall.He stopped in front of an archway and scanned the crowd, and Evie's bright hair color made it easy for him to spot her quickly.She was walking towards the corner where Cam sat, and as she went, many members of the club stood up to make way for her. Sebastian followed her slowly at first, then more and more eagerly.He was in a strange situation, trying to figure himself out.He had always been so good at manipulating women, so why had it become impossible to remain detached when it came to Evie?Only, not real distance, but the stain of past debauchery that separates him from what he most desires.Allow yourself to develop a relationship with her... no, that's not possible.His wickedness would overwhelm her like black ink spreading over pristine white parchment, until every clean inch was stained.She'll become cynical, resentful...and when she gets to know him, she'll look down on him. Cam was sitting on a high stool looking down at the dice table, and noticing Evie approaching, he turned the stool to face her and planted his foot on the ground.Hei's head was raised, and he quickly scanned the hall, paying attention to the surrounding situation vigilantly.Catching Sebastian's gaze, Cam nodded curtly, indicating that he would watch Evie until Sebastian came over. Cam looked around the hall again, wrinkles appearing between his dark brows, his shoulders tensed slightly, as if his hair was stabbing his neck uncomfortably.He turned to look behind him, but no one was standing there.He began to sit back on the high stool, but there seemed to be a lingering instinct that made him carefully examine the crowd, as if a magnet was pulling his eyes... He inadvertently raised his head and glanced at the building on the second floor. Man... Then Sebastian found the boy frozen, suddenly becoming extremely focused. Breaking free from the crowd, Sebastian followed Cam's shocked gaze and saw a dark and stocky man standing on the east balcony overlooking the hall.He was scruffy and dirty, with black hair stuck to his strange bullet-shaped head.Joss Bullard.Sebastian recognized it immediately...but how did he slip into the club?It must be some secret entrance, the club has more entrances and passages than rabbit kennels, and no one knows the place better than Brad or Cam, who've both lived here since they were kids— Sebastian's thoughts were interrupted when he saw the reflection of the barrel of the pistol Brad was holding.Even from this angle, it was clear what he was aiming at.It was Evie, and she was about six yards away from Cam. Relying on instinct, Sebastian jumped up like lightning and rushed forward, terrible fear burned through his body.In his panicked eyes, Evie's figure became so clear and distinct that even the fine velvet hair on her long skirt could be seen clearly.Every nerve, every muscle struggled to reach her, every pounding of his heart sent blood to his fast-moving limbs.Frantic hands grabbed her, Sebastian blocked her with his body, and the two of them fell to the floor by the inertia of running over. A shot echoed through the cavernous hall.Sebastian felt a jerk from his side, as if someone punched a hole in him, a buckshot ripped through his muscles and soft tissue, severing his network of arteries along the way, Then a burst of burning pain exploded, and the force of the fall to the floor nearly knocked him out.He half-pressed Evie, trying to hide her head in his arms, but she struggled beneath him. "Don't move," he gasped, pinning her to the floor, afraid Brad would shoot again. "Wait a minute, Evie." She submissively fell silent.Countless noises filled the air... shouts, cries... rumbling footsteps. Lifting up from Evie's prone body, Sebastian ventured to look up the balcony on the second floor, but Brad was gone.Grunting in pain, Sebastian rolled over to the side, searching for his wife's wounds, afraid that the bullets would also hit her. "Evie... sweetheart... are you hurt?" "Why did you push me like that?" she asked muffled. "No, I'm not hurt. What was that noise?" His trembling hands brushed across her face, brushing back a lock of hair that fell in front of her eyes. Confused, Evie wriggled out from under him and sat up.Sebastian remained motionless, out of breath, feeling hot blood run down his chest and waist. People swarmed to flee the house, nearly stomping on the pair on the ground.Suddenly a man came over to cover them and cut a way through the scattered crowd. His solid body blocked the rush of people like a city wall.Sebastian blinked, recognized Westcliff, and reached out dazedly to grab his coat. "He shot Evie," Sebastian hissed.His lips became so stiff, he moistened his lips before continuing: "Keep her safe... protect her..." Evie let out a shaky scream and realized Sebastian was hurt when she saw the front of Sebastian's shirt slowly staining crimson.In a sudden frenzy, she unbuttoned his coat and vest, tearing the pockets.Westcliff took off his coat wordlessly, wrapped his vest inside and tucked it into a tight ball.Evie lifted Sebastian's blood-soaked shirt and found the bleeding wound on his side.Her face turned pale in an instant, and tears began to glisten in her eyes, but she tried her best to suppress her panic, took the temporary cushion from Westcliff's hand, and pressed it firmly on the wound to stop the bleeding. The pain from the pressure made Sebastian unable to hold back a low moan.His hands were hanging in the air, fingers half-curved.The fresh smell of blood was in the air.Westcliff leaned over to examine the wound. "It's double-crossing," Sebastian heard him say to Evie. "It doesn't appear to have damaged the major arteries." Evie hugged Sebastian's head against her thigh as Westcliff switched hands to press on the wound, in the soft black velvet fabric.Picking up his hand, she held his fingers tightly, her strength seemed to soothe him and balance the bone-wrenching pain in his weakening body.Sebastian stared at her downcast face, unable to read her expression.There was a strange, inexplicable light in her eyes, something like tenderness or sadness...precious but endless...he didn't know what it was, no one had ever looked at him like that before. Under her gaze, he struggled to say something, so as to shake off his commotion. "That's the attempt..." A shiver of pain took his breath away, and he was forced to pause. "...the result of trying to be a hero," he went on. "I think I'll be messing with crime from now on. It's more...safe." Hearing this bad joke, Westcliff's black eyes flickered briefly. "The bullet came from above," he said. "Previous employee...Brad...just fired." "Are you sure his target is Mrs. St. Vincent?" "yes." "Maybe he felt that hurting her was the best way to get revenge on you." Sebastian's head was getting heavier, and it was becoming difficult to think clearly. "Impossible..." he murmured. "Unless...he thinks I care about her...but everyone knows...marriage of convenience..." Westcliff looked at him strangely, but refrained from answering.Sebastian had no idea what he and Evie looked like at this moment, and he held her hand tightly, letting her hold him tenderly, like a mother tending to a wounded child.The only thing he felt now was the unbearable pain from the wound on his side, which made his whole body tremble ruthlessly, and his teeth began to chatter.He was vaguely aware that Westcliff had left for a while, giving orders majestically, and then returned with an armful of coats, not sure if their owners had donated them willingly.Putting the clothes over him, Westcliff continued to press on the wound. Sebastian was unconscious for a moment, and when he awoke, he felt Evie's warm hand caressing his cold, sweaty face. "Here comes the doctor," she said softly. "As soon as the bleeding stops, we'll take you upstairs." His breath hissed through clenched teeth. "Where's Rohan?" "As soon as the pistol fired, I saw the pursuit of Brad," replied Westcliff. "Actually, Luo Han climbed up to the second floor from the pillar." "If he doesn't catch the bastard," Sebastian muttered. "I will. Then—" "Shh..." Evie soothed, slipping her free hand into the covered coat and touching his bare chest.Her palm rested on his feeble heartbeat, and her fingertips touched a pure gold chain that hung around his neck. Following the necklace, she found that the Scottish gold wedding ring was hanging at the end of it. Sebastian didn't want her to find out that he was wearing a ring under his clothes, and whispered uneasily, "Don't get it wrong. Just... just want to make sure it doesn't get lost..." "I understand," Evie said softly, putting her hands back on his chest again.He felt her lips brushing his forehead and the soft breath brushing against him.She smiled down at him. "Obviously you'll learn," she said. "You gave me the perfect excuse to stay. I'll take care of you until you're well enough to throw me out yourself." Sebastian couldn't smile back.Evie wouldn't be safe anywhere until Brad was caught. "Westcliff," he said hoarsely. "There must be someone...to protect my wife..." "Nothing will happen to her," Westcliff assured him. Sebastian looked at his former friend, the only noble man he had ever known, and he saw Westcliff discreetly discreet.But they all understood that Evie was too inexperienced to understand... Although the bullet did not hurt the vitals, the wound might fester.Sebastian would not have died from blood loss, but he could have died from a fatal high fever.If so, Evie will be alone in this world surrounded by wolves, unable to protect herself. Men like themselves. Shivering from the cold and shock, Sebastian squeezed out a few desperate words, only to find it sounded like a hissing breath. "Westcliff...what I did...I'm sorry. Forgive...forgive..." He felt his eyelids start to close, but he still struggled to stay awake. "Evie... protect her, please..." He fell into a sea of ​​bright fire, sinking deeper and deeper, until the flickering light faded and he was plunged into darkness. "Sebastian," Evie murmured, pressing his limp hand to her cheek.She kissed the knuckles on the back of his hand, tears rolling down her face. "It's all right," Westcliff reassured her. "He just passed out, and he will wake up in a short time." She let out a small, choked whimper, then regained control. "He stood in front of me on purpose," she said after a while. "He got shot for me." "It seems so." Westcliff looked at her thoughtfully, thinking of some interesting changes in both Sebastian and his surprising bride since his elopement. When Lillian learned that St. Vincent had married Evangeline Jenner, she was furious, yet fearful of the harm that might befall her friend. "The villain!" Lillian snarled as they returned to London from Italy. "Of all the people, that's what he does to Evie... oh, you don't know how vulnerable she is. He'll be cruel to her...she can't defend herself, and she's so innocent...God, I'm going to kill killed him!" "Your sister says she doesn't look like she's been abused," Westcliff pointed out sensibly, though he was also fascinated by the idea that someone as helpless as Evangeline was at the mercy of St. Vincent. Worrying. "She's probably too scared to admit anything," Lillian said, pacing back and forth, her dark eyes narrowed. "He probably raped her, threatened her, maybe even beat her—" "No, no," Westcliff reassured, taking her stiff form into his arms. "From Daisy and Annabelle's point of view, she had ample opportunity to tell them if she was being abused, but she didn't. If that would assuage your concerns, I'd go to the club and offer her asylum if she wanted to." , she can stay with us in Hampshire." "How long?" Lillian murmured, sinking deeper into his arms. "Indefinitely, of course." "Oh, Max..." Her brown eyes glistened, suddenly clouded with mist. "Would you do that for me?" "Anything, dear," he told her tenderly. "Anything that makes you happy." So Westcliff came to Jane's tonight to see if Evangeline was an unwilling prisoner.It turned out that, contrary to all speculation, he found only one woman who seemed eager to stay, one who clearly had a heart for St. Vincent. As for St. Vincent, always so distant and indifferent... It's hard to believe that a man who was casual and ruthless in his treatment of women just risked his life to save someone.To receive an apology from a man who never expressed the slightest regret for anything, and then to hear him practically beg to protect his wife, leads to the inevitable conclusion: against all odds, St. Vincent learned to care care more than yourself. The situation is really special.How someone like Evangeline Jenner could bring about change in St. Vincent, the most worldly of men, is hard to fathom.Westcliff, however, has been able to understand the mystery of attraction that cannot be explained logically.Sometimes the rift between two lonely souls becomes the bond that binds them together. "Ma'am—" he said softly. "Evie," she said, still holding her husband's hand to her cheek. "Evie, I have to ask...Among all the men, why did you choose St. Vincent to propose marriage?" Gently lowering St. Vincent's, Evie smiled wryly. "I must flee my family legally and permanently. Marriage is the only answer. You know, no doubt, that there will be no line of suitors in Hampshire seeking my favor. When I know St. Vincent's love for Lillian When something was done, I felt horrible...but it also made me think...he seemed like the only person I'd ever heard of who was as cornered as I was, desperate enough to agree to anything." "Is it part of your plan to have him manage your father's club?" "No, it was his decision, which surprised me a lot. In fact, he has surprised me a lot since we got married." "How to say?" "He took care of me in every possible way - every time he could show his indifference." She stared at her husband's unconscious face. "He's not heartless, even though he pretends he is." "Indeed," agreed Westcliff. "He's not heartless—though I didn't believe it until tonight."