Chapter 5 Is That the Male Escort?

His words landed with steady force. Combined with the tablet data Sophie had discreetly passed to the partner representative, the tide turned completely.

The doubt in the partner representative's eyes gradually dissolved, replaced by a smile. He stepped forward onto the stage, extending his hand to Sebastian for the signing.

Applause erupted through the venue, more sustained and enthusiastic than any before.

Crisis averted.

Sophie stood below the stage, watching Sebastian command the spotlight, and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

She knew that this time, she hadn't just saved her job—she'd proven her worth to Sebastian in a way he couldn't ignore.

The launch concluded successfully, and that evening the company reserved a bar for celebration.

When Sophie followed her colleagues into the dimly lit establishment, she stopped short.

This place… wasn't this where she'd celebrated her birthday with friends? Where everything absurd had begun?

"Sophie, what's wrong?" Emma walked beside her, following her gaze before her expression cleared. "Oh, this is the place! I thought it looked familiar. Did you suggest it to Mr. Carter? To commemorate our birthday celebration here?"

Sophie's chest tightened. She shook her head quickly. "How could I? I wouldn't dare. The managers probably just picked it at random."

She said the words, but a prickle of unease crawled under her skin.

The coincidence felt too deliberate.

Her gaze drifted toward the VIP section, where Sebastian sat surrounded by senior executives, a glass of whiskey in hand. His expression stayed detached as he listened to the conversation around him, seemingly indifferent to the celebration swirling through the bar.

The festive atmosphere built as everyone toasted the project's success.

Emma seized an opening, straightening her outfit and taking a steadying breath before approaching Sebastian with a drink.

"Mr. Carter, today's success was all thanks to your brilliant strategy. Let me toast you." Her voice carried practiced sweetness, her eyes reflecting carefully measured admiration and shyness.

Sebastian barely glanced at her, making no move to accept the glass. He offered the barest nod. "Mm."

One syllable. Nothing more.

Emma's hand froze mid-air, her smile threatening to crack.

Undeterred, she tried again with more flattery, but Sebastian remained glacial, his gaze never lingering on her for more than a heartbeat.

His attention moved past the crowd and clinking glasses, settling on Sophie across the room.

Sophie sat quietly, head down as she scrolled through her phone, deliberately avoiding the festivities.

She'd never enjoyed these kinds of gatherings, and Sebastian's presence made relaxation impossible.

She was contemplating an early exit when someone slapped her shoulder.

"Sophie! It really is you!"

Sophie turned to find Mireille, one of her friends from that birthday celebration. Delight flooded through her. "What are you doing here?"

"Out with friends!" Mireille's laugh was bright and unguarded as she looked Sophie up and down. "Look at you all professional—I almost didn't recognize you. Company party?"

Sophie smiled. "Yeah."

Her colleagues greeted Mireille warmly as she joined them.

Mireille responded with easy charm, her gaze sweeping across the VIP section until it landed on the coldly elegant man in the center seat. Her eyes went wide.

She grabbed Sophie's arm like she'd uncovered buried treasure, pointing directly at Sebastian, her voice loud enough to cut through the music and chatter. "Oh my God! Sophie, you actually brought that male escort from your birthday!"

The words detonated like a bomb.

The air seemed to freeze.

Her colleagues' smiles froze. Every conversation died mid-sentence. Shocked eyes ping-ponged between Sophie and Sebastian.

Male escort? Who? Sebastian?

Sophie felt blood rush to her head before draining away entirely, leaving her cold and hollow.

Her mind went blank. She could only watch helplessly as Mireille opened her mouth to continue, but no sound would come from Sophie's own throat.

The silence became suffocating.

Into that terrible quiet, Sebastian slowly set down his whiskey glass.

The base met the table with a soft clink that somehow rang like a gavel strike in the stillness.

He rose, unfolding to his full height, and crossed the distance to Sophie under the weight of every stare in the room.

He loomed over her, radiating controlled menace.

Sebastian leaned down, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath, his ice-blue eyes locking onto her panicked gaze. His voice dropped low enough that only she could hear, each word precisely enunciated.

"Explain."

No emotion colored his tone. Only cold, measured inquiry.

"When exactly did I moonlight as your male escort?"