Chapter 3: Serving Her Fiancé's Scandal to the Paparazzi

Madeline lowered her eyes and sat calmly in the passenger seat. As usual, she pulled up the restaurant's menu to look over the signature dishes. The whole drive, Sebastian was distracted. He checked his watch again and again. At every red light, he fidgeted with his tie. As if he were afraid someone in that restaurant might vanish. Madeline knew she was nothing more than a tool, a way for Sebastian to provoke his first love. But... Who said she was the only one being used? She smiled faintly, logged into her secondary account, and sent a private message to the DC gossip photographer who loved stirring up drama more than anyone. [Big surprise at The Chesapeake Room tonight. Come quick!] "Who are you texting? You look like you're having fun." Sebastian was smiling as he asked. Madeline closed the chat. Her tone was breezy. "A classmate." When the restaurant's sign came into view, she told Sebastian to let her out first while he parked. As he backed the car into its space, she snapped another photo, this time of the license plate, and sent it to the photographer. The CEO of Prescott Group drove a custom Rolls-Royce, one of only ten in the world. Everyone in the city knew that car. The chat box finally showed typing... The reply came instantly. [Thanks. On my way.] Madeline slipped her phone into her pocket. When she looked up, Sebastian was standing beside the car, staring into the restaurant without moving. She followed his gaze and finally saw the woman from the legend. Isabelle Montgomery. She had a sweet face. If not for her more mature clothes and poise, she could have passed for someone in her early twenties. She sat alone by the window, eating with graceful, unhurried movements. Sebastian stared at her. His eyes were full of resentment and anger, but underneath it all was longing and possessiveness. For years, Madeline had seen only his gentle, tender side. She had believed he was a polite, considerate, honorable man. Now she watched him in front of the woman he truly wanted, and she saw how fake and hypocritical he had always been. With the one he loved, he was an untamed wolf. While he plotted to swallow the Hartwell empire, he had been scheming, step by step, to use Madeline as bait to lure his first love back into his trap. It was disgusting. Madeline curled her red lips into a smile. "Seb, what are you looking at? Aren't we going in?" Sebastian snapped out of it. He took her hand in a tight grip and led her inside. When the door opened, the brass wind chimes rattled. At her table, Isabelle turned her head, and her eyes locked onto him. She set down her knife and fork. Looking heartbroken, she took a few steps forward. "Seb... Sebastian!" He paused. He turned toward her voice, and his expression went cold and distant. "Miss Montgomery. It's been a long time." His grip on Madeline's hand was so tight she nearly cried out. She pinched the back of his hand. He loosened his hold. Isabelle's eyes shimmered with tears. She looked at Madeline. "Is she the one you're about to marry?" Madeline feigned confusion. "And you are...?" Sebastian's face tightened. "A stranger." Isabelle looked as though she might collapse. He squeezed Madeline's hand again. "Come on. Let's go eat." "Seb!" Isabelle lost her composure and caught his sleeve. "We haven't seen each other in so long. Are you really going to be this cruel? You won't even let us catch up?" The other diners had already turned to look, their eyes bright with curiosity. Madeline didn't want to be dragged into the scene. She pulled her hand free. "It seems you two need to talk alone. I'll go up first." She turned and walked away. Sebastian frowned. He couldn't stop himself from watching her back. Even now, with his mind consumed by how to take out his anger on Isabelle, his foot still lifted to follow Madeline. Three years of pretending to be devoted had become an unconscious habit. He clenched his fists in restraint and gave Isabelle a cold look. "Don't bother me. You were the one who walked away first. Who are you trying to fool with this pitiful act?" He didn't look at her again. He went upstairs after Madeline. Isabelle stood frozen, her face pale, biting her lip. Humiliation burned in her chest, and a flicker of jealousy crossed her eyes. No. If Sebastian was still this angry that she had left without a word, then he still had feelings for her. She wouldn't lose. Isabelle picked up her untouched glass of wine and followed. In the private dining room, Madeline sat at the table scrolling through her phone. She didn't even look up when she heard footsteps. "Finished catching up with your ex?" Sebastian froze. He hadn't expected her to know Isabelle existed. But then, he'd only ever had one real relationship. He smiled, leaned down, and rubbed his chin gently against the top of her head. "Don't be upset. Isabelle and I are nothing. That's all in the past." Madeline glanced at the figure standing outside the private room and pushed him away. "That's the way it should be." Sebastian saw Isabelle and straightened up. "Why did you follow me up here?" There was a flicker of pleasure in his voice that he couldn't quite hide. Isabelle smiled bitterly, her eyes red. "It's been three years. We're old friends, after all. Seeing you and Miss Hartwell so happy, and with good news on the horizon, I'm glad for you. I came to offer a toast." His expression slowly darkened. "You mean that?" She forced a smile. "What else would I mean?" "Fine." Sebastian smiled and poured himself a glass. "Thank you for the kind words." Isabelle turned to Madeline. "Miss Hartwell, won't you join us?" Sebastian said nothing, which meant he agreed. Madeline had no choice. She picked up her wine and raised her glass toward Isabelle's. Just as the two glasses were about to touch, Isabelle's hand tilted ever so slightly. Splash! The wine poured over Isabelle's dress, and some splashed onto Madeline too. Isabelle gasped. Her white dress was soaked through and clung to her, barely leaving anything to the imagination. Sebastian's breath caught. Without a second's thought, he whipped off his coat and wrapped it around her. "Come on. I'll take you to clean up." He rushed out with Isabelle as if he had forgotten Madeline was there at all. Madeline stayed calm until the door closed behind them. Then she leisurely went downstairs to her car to find tissues. Down in the lobby, the photographer was looking around, unable to spot Sebastian anywhere. Madeline sent a quick text: [Powder room. Upstairs.] The photographer bolted up the stairs while she strolled out to the car and settled into the seat. After a while, Sebastian and Isabelle came out. They stopped a short distance from the car. Behind them, a camera lens peeked from the restaurant's doorway. Isabelle caught a glimpse of someone in the car. Her eyes flickered. She grabbed Sebastian's sleeve. He hesitated, then pushed her hand away. "Let's exchange numbers. Send me the receipt when you buy a new dress and I'll cover it. My fiancée spilled the wine on you, so I should make it right." Isabelle's eyes reddened. "Seb, do you really love her?" "Of course," he said without pause. "You're lying! If you loved her, you wouldn't have been so focused on me when we saw the wine all over our clothes." Her voice broke. "You clearly care about me more." Sebastian paused. Then he frowned. Madeline's clothes were wet too, weren't they? He hadn't even noticed. Isabelle wiped her tears. "You don't even realize you only had eyes for me, and you still say you don't love me?" Madeline listened quietly from the car, her eyes full of mockery and ice. Keep talking. The more you say, the more you'll expose. Cracks were already spreading across Sebastian's image as a devoted, perfect man. All he could think about now was Madeline's wet clothes, and she was nowhere to be seen. Irritation climbed in his chest. He shoved Isabelle away again. "Enough! You've been gone three years. Don't think you can just pick up where we left off. Isabelle, I want you to regret what you did, and I want you to beg me to take you back!" He turned and strode toward the car. Madeline sank lower in her seat, turned her face toward the window, and prepared to pretend she was asleep. But when she squinted through the glass, she saw something she hadn't expected. Someone else was enjoying the same show. A black Bentley sat with its window half down. The man behind the wheel wore a black shirt. He lounged in the driver's seat, his deep-set eyes sharp, with an untamed edge to them. If Sebastian was a wolf, then this man was a lion. He watched the tangled drama between a man and two women without a single flicker of expression. As if he could feel her gaze, he glanced at her. Then he slowly raised the window, gripped the steering wheel with long, well-defined knuckles, and pulled away. Madeline's heart tightened. She had been watching her fiancé's scandal with cold eyes. If someone had seen her doing it, that could be trouble. She scrambled to memorize the Bentley's license plate. Then, without warning, her car door was yanked open.