Sebastian moved his injured arm slightly, his tone flat. "I don't do things to force her into tears of gratitude."
Julian pondered this. "True. You don't want anything from her, so there's no need to claim credit."
It wasn't about love.
It was just the lingering, faint traces of a long-dead marriage.
"But does Raelynn even know what you went through to pull this off?"
Sebastian remained silent, appearing entirely indifferent.
"And what if she doesn't? What if Ian completely scrubs your name from the narrative and takes all the credit?"
Julian still believed it.
Raelynn wasn't an unreasonable person.
If she knew the lengths Sebastian had gone to save her, she would have at least offered a polite thank you instead of completely icing him out.
Sebastian pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"It doesn't matter."
The blunt response choked Julian up.
If the man himself didn't care, why was he stressing over it?
But the image of Ian and Raelynn walking away with Lily lingered in Julian's mind. He couldn't help but sigh, "If the two of you had managed to build some real feelings for each other back in the day, your own kid would probably be that age by now."
That single remark.
Made Sebastian pause mid-strike on his lighter.
He lowered his lashes, his thoughts entirely unreadable.
The heavy silence was broken by the sudden vibration of his phone.
Sebastian pulled it out to check the screen.
It was a call from Seraphina.
Catching a glimpse of the caller ID, Julian immediately scowled.
The DNA Test Results would likely be out tomorrow.
If she truly turned out to be his sister, he was absolutely going to put an end to this twisted romance.
Without avoiding Julian, Sebastian answered the call right there.
"Sebastian? Why didn't you pick up earlier?"
Seraphina asked softly.
"I don't have time."
Sebastian's pitch didn't fluctuate an inch. It remained unnervingly smooth, yet the sharp finality of his rejection cut right through the line.
It instantly shattered Seraphina's sense of entitlement.
She froze, the smile vanishing from her lips. "What?"
She thought she had misheard him.
Even Julian looked surprised.
Sebastian wasn't displaying any outward emotion, but maintaining that same detached attitude while delivering such a brutal shut-down was jarring.
Sebastian offered no explanation.
He simply hung up.
On the other end.
Seraphina stared blankly at the 'Call Ended' screen.
Her heart pounded as an uncontrollable panic began to tear through her.
Sebastian had... rejected her?

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding
I think for as slow as the beginning was, their turning point is just so fast... really hope we actually get to read about R and S and their rekindle.... we did not read 950 pages for their story to be sidelined. Im for this sideline story, but it if it's to separate from the main characters and their story, please make it separate book....
Author please update more chapters...
I really like Zella, she is becoming a good friend to Raelynn. Ian needs to go. The relationship with Chloe is confusing. Some chapters they are cousins, sometimes they're sibling. A little confusing....
Julians role as big brother- I feel comes from a genuine place, but in a relationship thats is just as stained as Raelynns and Sebastians. It hard for me to connect to his big brother role as he too was such a problem before. And while they talked a little bit, the conversation did not give me the believe there was resolution between Raelynn and Julian. For a brute, he should make his feelings clear about the situation to Raelynn and then step back, until there is more foundation for him to stand on....
Knife in my heart. I hurt for Raelynn. She has made it this far, but how much does she have in her, everyone has a breaking point. Some back of me hopes the author is joking to lighten the mood after so many intense chapters, but thats not this kind of story or couple....
My heart cannot take this. This, cannot be how it ends with these too. They need resolution with each other. Raelynn needs to be more humanize with Sebastian. We know she is hurt, but this is the branch. She needs all these answers, if not for them to be together, then for Lily to have both her parents. Stop with the mind games Raelynn!...
Its like the story is just repeating itself...
Timeline is getting lost for me. So many treasured little memories Raelynn has but yet, he was gone for years ? Anyways... still rooting for them! These two need a heart to heart. Lily "forgetting" someone, not possible in this day and age and I hope thats not their storyline....
Sebastian, the man of few words.... needs to find all the words! Needs to fight for her! On note, seven years seems like a long time for this master plan (which I am sure goes back much farther). Rereading this novel, and it seems like everything has played out in a 5-8 month time span. And I feel like all Sebastian's doings/ plan have not been revealed. I hope we get to see the whole picture and have the resolutions we hope. But seven years of mistreatment, I just don't see Raelynn fully coming back. If these was 2-3 years, maybe, and I know it changes some characters around, but it would still work. Rooting for them!...
Literally on edge!...