Chapter 8: The Debut
The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of glittering silk, champagne flutes, and blinding camera flashes. It was the annual Autumn Charity Gala, an event where the city’s billionaires gathered to pretend they cared about the less fortunate while subtly stabbing each other in the back.
Tonight, however, charity was the last thing on anyone's mind. The room was buzzing with a singular, intoxicating rumor: Sebastian Vance had gotten married.
Natalie stood just outside the grand double doors, adjusting the fit of her dress. For the gala, the stylists had selected an emerald-green silk gown that clung to her curves before draping elegantly to the floor. It was a bold color that demanded attention, perfectly complementing her dark waves and pale skin.
"Anxious?"
Sebastian’s voice sounded next to her ear. He looked impeccable in a sharp, tailored midnight-blue tuxedo, his presence commanding the hallway without him even trying.
"Not at all," Natalie lied smoothly, turning her icy gaze to him. "I'm just preparing myself to play the doting wife to a tyrant. It takes a bit of mental acting."
A sharp, amused glint flashed in Sebastian’s blue eyes. He extended his arm to her. "Then let the curtains rise, Mrs. Vance."
Natalie rested her hand on his forearm, feeling the hard muscle beneath the expensive fabric. The heavy doors swung open, and the moment they stepped into the ballroom, a collective hush fell over the crowd, followed immediately by the rapid clicking of paparazzi lenses.
Sebastian didn't slow his pace. He walked into the room with the absolute confidence of a king inspecting his domain, pulling Natalie along with him. Necks craned, whispers rippled through the crowd, and eyes widened as the elite realized the identity of the woman on his arm. She wasn't Melanie Lopez, the blonde heiress everyone expected Sebastian to marry. She was the hidden, adopted sister.
"Keep smiling, Natalie," Sebastian murmured under his breath, his face a mask of polite indifference as he nodded to a passing city councilman. "They are looking for a crack in the armor. Don't give them one."
"I'm not the one you need to worry about," Natalie whispered back, her smile perfectly intact. "Look ahead."
Standing near the grand ice sculpture in the center of the room was the Lopez family.
Her adoptive father, Arthur, looked older, his face pale and drawn. Victoria was draped in diamonds, her eyes darting nervously around the room. And Melanie—Melanie looked absolutely furious, her knuckles white as she gripped her champagne glass, staring at Natalie’s emerald gown with pure envy.
As Sebastian and Natalie approached, the crowd around the Lopez family naturally parted, eager to watch the drama unfold.
"Sebastian," Arthur Lopez stammered, stepping forward and offering a trembling hand. "We... we didn't expect to see you here tonight. Or Natalie."
Sebastian ignored Arthur's hand, staring down at the older man with cold disdain. "When I make an agreement, Mr. Lopez, I expect it to be finalized. My wife and I are here to celebrate that finalization."
Victoria swallowed hard, forcing a fake, plastic smile onto her face. "Of course! Natalie, darling, you look... well, you look surprisingly well-kept. We were so worried about how you would adjust to such a change."
The underlying insult wasn't lost on Natalie. Victoria was trying to remind everyone that Natalie was just the discarded charity case.
Natalie leaned in closer to Sebastian, squeezing his arm affectionately while looking directly at Victoria. "There's no need to worry, Victoria. Sebastian has been incredibly... attentive. It turns out, leaving a house where I was merely tolerated for a palace where I am truly valued was the easiest adjustment I’ve ever made."
Melanie couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward, her voice dripping with venom. "Don't get too comfortable, Natalie. Everyone knows you're just a replacement. A placeholder because the real prize was out of reach."
The ballroom seemed to drop ten degrees. The surrounding guests held their breath, waiting to see how the ruthless CEO would react to his wife being publicly insulted.
Sebastian turned his gaze slowly to Melanie. The sheer, suffocating aura of power he projected made the young heiress take a subconscious step back.
"Miss Lopez," Sebastian said, his deep voice carrying clearly to every listening ear in the vicinity. "Let me make one thing entirely clear to you and your family. I do not deal in replacements. I took exactly what I wanted from the Lopez family. And looking at you now, I am reminded of how exceptionally correct my judgment always is."
Melanie’s face flushed a deep, humiliating red. Victoria gasped, quickly grabbing her daughter’s arm to pull her back before she ruined whatever standing they had left.
"If you'll excuse us," Sebastian continued coldly, not giving them another second of his time. "My wife and I have actual partners to mingle with."
He led Natalie away, leaving the Lopez family standing in the wake of their own public humiliation. As they walked toward the VIP lounge, Natalie looked up at Sebastian, a genuine, albeit surprised, smile on her face.
"That was quite a performance," she admitted softly. "I almost believed you actually care about me."
Sebastian stopped near the entrance of the lounge, turning to look down at her. His hand moved to the small of her back, the heat of his palm burning through the silk of her dress.
"Don't mistake protection for affection, Natalie," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You belong to the Vance name now. Insulting you is an insult to me. And I never allow anyone to disrespect what is mine."
To be continued...
