The next morning began quietly too quietly.
Sunlight spilled through the curtains, gilding the marble floor, but the mansion felt tense.
Isabelle woke to a strange feeling in her chest, a heaviness she couldn't name. She hadn't seen Sebastian since their late-night conversation. He had walked away from her then, leaving her shaken but oddly safe.
Now, as she walked down the grand staircase, she noticed the shift. The staff spoke in low voices, eyes darting toward the windows. Security men moved through the halls with discreet urgency.
Something was wrong.
She found Sebastian in the study, his back to her, sleeves rolled, tie loose. He was on the phone, voice sharp and cold.
"I don't care what it takes, I want the footage traced. License plate, location, time stamp everything. I want to know who sent them."
His tone sent a chill through her.
When he hung up, she spoke softly. "Sebastian?"
He turned sharply. For a moment, the ruthless businessman vanished, replaced by the man who had held her as she cried two nights ago. His gaze softened instantly.
"You shouldn't be up yet," he said, crossing the room.
She frowned. "What's going on?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
Her stomach twisted. "That's not an answer."
He hesitated, then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Someone was outside the property last night. Watching the house."
Her heart stopped. "What?"
"Security spotted a car parked down the hill. They had a camera with a long-range lens."
Isabelle's blood ran cold. "A paparazzi?"
"Maybe," he said darkly. "Or someone sent by your ex."
Daniel. The name was like poison. She hadn't thought about him in weeks hadn't wanted to but now his sneering face flashed in her mind.
Her hands trembled. "Sebastian, I can't go through that again. I can't have the world watching me judging me"
"Hey." He reached for her, his voice low and steady. "You're safe here. I've increased security. No one gets within a mile of this house without me knowing."
"That's not the point!" she snapped, tears welling up. "They already have photos, don't they? They'll twist everything again! They'll say I ran to you after Daniel left me that I was with you all along"
He caught her shoulders gently but firmly. "Look at me."
She tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. His grip wasn't cruel just grounding, strong enough to keep her from spiraling.
"Look at me, Isabelle," he repeated, softer this time.
She met his gaze through tears.
"You're not that girl anymore. You're not the one they can break with headlines and whispers. You're stronger now."
Her voice cracked. "I don't feel strong."
"That's because you don't see yourself the way I do."
Something inside her cracked open at his words. The vulnerability, the fierce protectiveness it was too much.
"I hate that you make me feel safe," she whispered.
He brushed a thumb across her cheek, wiping away a tear. "Then hate me all you want. I'll still keep you safe."
Her breath hitched. "You can't control everything, Sebastian. You can't fight every shadow."
"Maybe not," he said, his tone darkening. "But I can damn well try when it comes to you."
Hours later, Sebastian sat in his office, fury simmering beneath the surface.
The security footage played again on the monitor: a black SUV idling outside the property at midnight. A man with a camera. The flash of a lens through the trees.
He clenched his jaw. "Find him."
The head of security, Grant, nodded. "Already tracing the plates. My guess? It's not paparazzi. This is professional."
"Meaning?"
"Someone wanted more than photos. They wanted proof."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Proof of what?"
Grant hesitated. "Of who she's with. Of her being here."
Sebastian's fists curled. "Daniel."
"I'd put money on it."
Sebastian's silence was worse than rage. His voice, when it came, was ice. "If he wants a war, he'll get one. But not near her. Not near my family."
That evening, Isabelle tried to eat dinner, but the anxiety twisted in her chest. Every sound outside made her jump. Every shadow near the window felt like an eye watching her.
She finally gave up and walked out to the garden, needing air.
The roses were in bloom, pale and fragrant in the dusk. She trailed her fingers along the petals, trying to quiet her thoughts.
But when she turned, she froze.
Sebastian stood by the fountain, half in shadow, his phone pressed to his ear. He was angry again she could see it in the tight set of his jaw, the way his other hand clenched.
"Keep a team on standby," he was saying. "If Daniel makes another move, I want it handled quietly."
Isabelle stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Handled?"
He turned sharply, caught off guard.
"Isabelle"
"What does that mean?" she demanded. "You're not seriously thinking of hurting someone over me, are you?"
He sighed, lowering the phone. "You shouldn't have heard that."
"But I did!" Her voice trembled. "This isn't how I want to live locked away, guarded, watched! I thought you said this wasn't a prison!"
"It's not," he said, moving toward her.
"Then why does it feel like one?"
He stopped just in front of her, his expression unreadable. "Because I can't lose you."
The words hit her like a physical blow. "You don't even have me."
Something flickered in his eyes pain, then determination.
He took another step closer. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I'll let anyone else take you from me."
She swallowed hard. "You can't protect me from everything, Sebastian."
He reached up slowly, his hand brushing her hair back. "Maybe not. But I can damn sure try to protect you from everyone."
The tenderness in his touch undid her. The anger melted into something softer, more dangerous.
"You scare me sometimes," she whispered.
He smiled faintly. "Good. Fear keeps you alert."
"That's not what I meant," she said. Her voice broke. "You scare me because I'm starting to need you."
For a heartbeat, everything stopped. His expression changed the steel in his eyes turned to something raw and hungry.
He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her temple. "Then don't fight it."
Her heart pounded. "Sebastian"
He drew back just enough to look into her eyes. "Let me take care of you, Isabelle. Just this once. You've spent your whole life fighting the world. Let someone fight for you."
Her resistance crumbled. Tears filled her eyes again, but this time she didn't turn away.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She let her head rest against his chest, feeling the solid beat of his heart.
For the first time, she didn't feel trapped she felt anchored.
Across the street, hidden behind the trees, the same black SUV idled again.
A camera lens focused, the shutter clicked framing Sebastian and Isabelle locked in that intimate embrace.
This time, the photos wouldn't just be gossip.
They would be a weapon.