He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 556

Just as they passed the fourteenth floor, the elevator jolted violently. A second later, the overhead lights flickered and completely died, plunging the enclosed cabin into pitch blackness.

Helena suffered from severe claustrophobia. She didn't scream, but her body instantly curled into a defensive, tight ball. In the dark, one might assume she was staying perfectly calm, but stepping just an inch closer would reveal her violently trembling frame. Sebastian noticed it immediately, his expression shifting in the dark.

He hadn't expected the elevator to malfunction. He had initially intended to go straight to his suite to avoid an escalating argument with Janetta downstairs. But when the doors had opened on the twenty-eighth floor to reveal Helena, he had impulsively changed his mind and stayed inside.

Getting trapped, however, was definitely not part of the plan.

"Helena," he said sharply, closing the distance between them. The elevator remained suspended in the shaft. Helena's legs were shaking so badly she couldn't support her own weight. Giving in, she sank to the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees.

"It's just a malfunction. I'll get them to send help immediately," Sebastian stated calmly.

Helena didn't respond.

He quickly pressed the emergency call button, but nothing happened. It was completely dead. Scowling, he pulled out his phone, only to find zero service bars. There was no way to dial for help.

Pocketing his phone, he immediately crouched down beside her.

"Don't panic. The hotel's monitoring system will flag the outage right away," he murmured, trying to soothe her rising terror.

Helena remained mute, hugging herself so tightly her knuckles ached.

Helena was too far gone to speak, her gaze unfocused and glassy from pure terror. But beneath the panic, her body instinctively rejected his proximity.

She began to struggle against his hold. To Sebastian, her frantic thrashing looked like sheer panic from the environment. Flooded by memories and entirely consumed by the moment, his control finally snapped. He dragged her closer, dipped his head, and crashed his lips against hers.

Helena's eyes flew wide in absolute shock, entirely unprepared for the assault. The paralyzing fear shattered, replaced by burning clarity. She clawed at his chest, trying to tear herself away, but her fragile strength was no match for his physical dominance.

She was forced to endure his punishing, desperate kiss, trapped between the crushing walls of her claustrophobia and his inescapable grip. Her chest tightened, breath hitching as sheer suffocation set in.

"Lena..." Sebastian murmured hoarsely against her lips, absolutely intoxicated.