Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 89

Sebastian didn't answer immediately.

He picked up his glass and took a slow, deliberate sip. Sparing Audrina a fleeting glance, he pulled his gaze away.

His lips parted. "She's currently mad at me. I'll bring her around once I've coaxed her out of it."

Audrina poked at her bowl with her fork, not actually eating anything.

She was starting to feel restless. She didn't know exactly what the two of them had discussed on the cruise.

But after she and Sebastian parted on terrible terms at Vantachi, it was glaringly obvious he was throwing thinly veiled hints at her right now.

Was there something seriously wrong with him today? Was this his twisted way of getting back at her for rejecting him and bruising his ego that night?

Besides, who wanted his coaxing anyway.

Zachary's smile didn't falter as he leaned back casually.

He draped his arm effortlessly over the back of Audrina's chair. "Now you've got me really curious. Is this one actually serious?"

The man sitting across from them stared down at his phone, swiping aimlessly as he hummed an affirmation.

He locked the screen and raised his eyes. "Very serious."

The simple words immediately saturated the small room with a sharp, suffocating pressure of absolute determination.

The atmosphere in the private dining room instantly turned bizarre.

For a moment, no one said a word.

What the hell did 'very serious' mean?

It was true what they said—the things you couldn't have were always the ones that drove you mad.

Audrina felt a suffocating tightness in her chest. She was just about to excuse herself for some fresh air when Zachary's phone buzzed. The caller ID showed a major business partner.

He stood up and looked at the two of them. "Sit tight for a second, I need to take this."

Sebastian gave a curt nod.

The moment the door clicked shut, the rigid tension in Audrina's spine collapsed.

She grabbed her wine glass, tipped her head back, and downed the whole thing in one go.

She had actually been enjoying a rare streak of peace lately.

Sticking to her simple, predictable routine had convinced her that she had fully processed and purged all her messy feelings regarding Sebastian.

But the second he had walked through that door tonight, she realized she was nowhere near as unaffected as she had thought.

With her eyes wide and her defenses entirely up, she looked exactly like a feral, cornered cat.

So furious, so compliant, and under his relentless pressure, so pitifully trapped.

Over the past few weeks, this exact face had haunted his dreams on repeat.

Every time, she wore a different mask, pushing him closer and closer to the edge of insanity.

And now, that flawless mask was finally showing vibrant, real cracks.

"He's not coming back that quickly." His thumb pressed hard against her pulse point, feeling the frantic, chaotic beat jumping against her thin skin. "Do you care about him that much? Don't want to break up with him?"

Audrina recoiled at his last sentence, fighting against his grip even harder. "Whether we break up or not is none of your business!"

Sebastian stared at her intensely for two long seconds before suddenly dropping her wrist.

"Fine, none of my business."

He took a half-step back, putting a fraction of distance between them. His voice dropped to a freezing calm.

"You don't want to investigate the Monroe family anymore? You don't want to know the real reason he won't dare break up with you?"

Audrina rubbed her reddened wrist, her head snapping up. "What did you find out?"