Chapter 287
Chapter 287:
Dominic turned slowly to face her. His face was a mask of fury. “Careful,” he hissed. “Defamation is expensive p>
“So is a lawsuit,” Skye countered, raising an eyebrow. “And I have excellent lawyers p>
Dominic stepped into her personal space. He was large, imposing, using his size to intimidate.
Skye didn’t back down, but her heart hammered against her ribs.
Suddenly, a blur of motion came from her right.
Sebastian moved. He didn’t just step in; he shoved. He planted both hands on Dominic’s chest and pushed him back hard.
“Back off,” Sebastian growled. His voice was rough, unused, but dangerous.
Dominic stumbled back a step, shocked. He looked at his chest where Sebastian had touched him, then up at his brother.
“You touched me,” Dominic whispered, as if it were sacrilege.
“Don’t touch her,” Sebastian said. He stood in front of Skye, a human shield. His shoulders were tense, his breathing heavy.
Dominic laughed. He dusted off his lapel with exaggerated care. “Touching. Very touching. The reject defending the whore. It’s almost poetic p>
He turned to Manager Grace, who was cowering in the corner. He pulled a checkbook from his inner pocket, scribbled a signature, and tore the page out. He threw it at her. It fluttered to the floor.
“Make them suffer,” Dominic murmured to Grace, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Break them p>
He turned on his heel and stormed out of the studio. The heavy doors slammed shut behind him, the echo vibrating through the floorboards.
The room exhaled.
The trainees started whispering immediately. Whitney was glaring at Skye, her eyes filled with venom. She had wanted Dominic’s attention, and Skye had stolen it, even if it was negative.
Sebastian didn’t move until the room started to clear out. Then he turned to Skye. His eyes were dark, intense, and filled with confusion.
“Why did you do that?” he asked. “He’ll destroy you p>
Skye shrugged, adjusting her tank top. “He can try. He already has p>
She walked over to her bag and pulled out a bottle of water. She handed it to him. His hands were shaking slightly as he took it.
іf 𝘺𝗼u 𝘀𝘦𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝘪𝘀 𝗇𝗈vе𝗹 о𝘯 aոy 𝗌𝘪𝗍𝗲 𝗈𝘁𝗁𝖾𝘳 𝘁𝗵а𝘯 𝗯𝗲.𝖼𝗈𝗺 𝗶t iѕ 𝗮 cо𝗽у
“Thanks,” he muttered.
Skye looked around. Whitney was watching them from the doorway, her jealousy practically radiating off her skin. Skye felt the gaze but ignored it.
She leaned in close to Sebastian, rising onto her tiptoes so only he could hear.
“Meet me on the roof at midnight,” she whispered. “Don’t be late p>
She pulled back, gave him a cryptic smile, and walked away, leaving him standing there with the water bottle, looking like he’d just been handed a live grenade.
The wind on the roof of the Vance Media building was biting. It whipped Skye’s hair across her face as she leaned against the concrete parapet, looking out at the city lights. Below her, the city was alive—cars moving like blood cells through arteries, lights flickering in high-rises. It was a city of power, and she was finally claiming her piece of it.
The heavy metal door to the roof creaked open.
Skye didn’t turn around immediately. She waited until the footsteps stopped a few feet behind her.
“You came,” she said.
“Curiosity is a dangerous thing,” Sebastian’s voice replied.
Skye turned. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, his hands shoved deep into the pockets. He looked wary, ready to bolt.
“Sebastian Thorne,” Skye said, testing the name.