Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable-Chapter 239 The Storm Descends 2
Ceciliaโs pov
I watched as Evelyn and Vance approached, and to my surprise, I felt myself tense up a little.
Evelyn always had this unsettling grace--like she knew everyoneโs secrets and kept them in alphabetical order. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ธ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ต.๐ฌ๐ค๐ข
Evelyn didnโt hesitate. She walked straight up and said, "Sebastian, Iโm so sorry. That was my fault. I let it slip. But Cece was really worried when she heard you might be in danger. She insisted on coming. She was genuinely concerned."
She sold it well--calm, sincere, and deliberate. But I knew exactly what she was doing: trying to keep Sebastian from shutting down and to salvage whatever spark might still exist between us.
Sebastianโs shoulders relaxed. The anger in his face eased.
He looked at me. "Really?"
"Umm..." I faltered.
Which was ridiculous. I was normally pretty good at lying.
I could fake enthusiasm for budget meetings. I could charm intel out of enemy agents.
But now, with something that was... sort of true? I choked.
After a few painful seconds, I finally offered, "Everyone was worried."
And yeah, that was the safest sentence I could come up with that didnโt include the words "I missed you" or "Please donโt die again."
I glanced at Tang like a drowning person looking for a life raft.
Tang didnโt miss a beat. "Thatโs right. It wasnโt just Cecilia--Sawyer and I were both worried too, Alpha."
He shot a meaningful look at Sawyer, who looked like heโd rather be anywhere else.
Sawyer sighed, the picture of reluctant solidarity. "I was... concerned."
Sebastianโs expression froze over again.
His smile vanished like a light switch flipped off.
"Ah. So this is theโWho Cares Most About Sebastianโ competition. Great."
I puffed out my cheeks slightly, resisting the urge to groan out loud.
Inside, I was mentally kicking myself.
Seriously? You can sell lies in five languages, but you canโt manage one decent sentence when it actually matters? Say something nice, genius! Itโs free!
I opened my mouth to say something--anything--but my brain was buffering like a slow Wi-Fi connection.
The air thickened with awkward silence.
Across from me, Vance shot me a look colder than a January wind in Chicago.
"Darling, smile," Evelyn said sweetly, pinching Vanceโs side hard enough to make him twitch.
Vanceโs posture deflated under her grip.
To break the awkward silence, Tang jumped in. "Isnโt the gala starting soon? Wasnโt it supposed to begin at seven?"
Sebastian replied, "Theyโre probably waiting for everyone to arrive."
"I hope they donโt wait too long. Iโm starving." Tang eyed the massive banquet table in the center of the hall like a kid at Thanksgiving.
Sawyer shot him a look. "You do realize this isnโt a dinner party, right? Weโre not here for turkey and mashed potatoes."
Sebastian lightly tapped the back of Tangโs head. "Go check the kitchen. See if thereโs anything to eat--and keep your eyes open."
"Yes, Alpha." Tang caught the subtext immediately and disappeared into the crowd.
The grand hall stayed in a state of casual motion.
It wasnโt clear whether all the guests had arrived yet, and the organizer of this so-called "exchange event" was still nowhere to be seen.
The room had the air of a luxury mixer--except no one seemed relaxed. People clustered in tight-knit groups or stood alone like wary predators.
Looking around, I spotted guests of every background and nationality--a truly global guest list, like something out of a G20 afterparty.
Sebastian didnโt bother circulating like the others. Whoever needed to speak with him would come. He had no reason to chase anyone down.
But our stillness didnโt stop others from approaching.
The elegant middle-aged woman from earlier returned, speaking with the same polished charm.
She turned out to be the wife of a Japanese business mogul.
She said sheโd come to England at a friendโs invitation and had no idea what this "exchange meeting" was--just that it was supposed to be a gala.
Sebastian kept the conversation light and vague. We revealed nothing.
Her friend called her away soon after, and as she left, another group approached--one man, two women.
The man looked to be in his forties, radiating the kind of self-importance born from money and power. The women beside him wore nearly identical dresses to mine--low-cut, high-slit, and clearly meant to impress.
He leaned in like we were old friends sharing secrets. "I heard the organizer of this whole thing is actually the owner of the island and castle."
Sebastian offered a polite, shallow smile. He wasnโt buying any of it.
Sensing his disinterest, I stepped in smoothly. "Really? Iโd heard it was being hosted by a business consortium--that they owned the island. I expected to see their representatives tonight. But your versionโs interesting."
The man gave a shrug. "Who knows? All I know is this thingโs really just a meet-and-greet. Think of it like house-hunting--weโre still in the browsing phase."
"Except this isnโt real estate. This goes both ways."
And if theyโre the ones doing the choosing, you might not get a say.
The man chuckled. "Touchรฉ. Mutual pursuit, then!"
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He was charming in that overly slick, yacht-club kind of way.
After some more small talk, I learned his name was Dick--an Australian business magnate with a net worth that probably needed its own accountant.
No one here was ordinary.
:30 PM.
Tang returned just as the room shifted. The organizer had finally arrived.
She entered through the main doors, flanked by several attendants.
She wore a sapphire blue gown that shimmered under the chandeliers, with golden-brown hair, fair skin and razor-sharp cheekbones.
Textbook European elegance.
What caught me off guard wasnโt her beauty--but her age.
She was young. Much younger than Iโd expected for someone who supposedly owned a castle and hosted international power players.
And the longer I looked at her, the more something felt... off.
