Three years ago...
Narrator
It was already past midnight, and Sebastian hadn't slept.
He stood alone on the balcony, a cigarette between his lips, exhaling smoke into the wind like it might carry away his pain.
His white shirt—sleeves rolled and collar unbuttoned—flared slightly in the breeze, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes weren't on the skyline. They were somewhere distant.
Lost.
He stared ahead, glass of half-finished whiskey in one hand, the weight of sleeplessness pressing into his bones.
No one would guess that behind the intimidating charm and iron command, Sebastian Jakub was a man haunted by silence. A man suffocating inside his own skin.
Because when everything quieted, when no one was watching—that's when his demons crawled out.
And tonight, they were everywhere.
He took another drag, holding the smoke in his lungs, as if hoping it could numb the ache rooted deep in him.
It didn't.
Nothing did.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and scrolled to the message he'd received from her a few days ago.
Elizabeth.
Her message was short. Simple. Yet it had lived in his head like a ghost.
Reading it again felt like her voice had returned to him, soft and unwavering.
And for a moment—a brief, bitter moment—he didn't feel so alone.
There was something about the way she wrote.
About the way she simply was.
He stared at the screen like it held salvation, then slowly tucked the phone back into his pocket.
But quiet didn't last long.
Dark, seductive images began to cloud his mind—the kind he hated himself for entertaining. He took another hard pull from his cigarette, jaw tight.
That was when Bruce stepped onto the balcony.
Sebastian didn't turn. He didn't need to.
He could identify people by scent, by stride, by the cadence of their breath.
"What do you have, Bruce?" he said quietly, eyes still on the skyline.
"Boss," Bruce began, hands in his coat pockets. "I had my men investigate. Everything checks out."
Sebastian exhaled smoke slowly, lips pursed. "Let's hear it."
"Her full name is Elizabeth Serena Rodrigues Barros. Twenty-three. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Speaks both Portuguese and English. She lives with her extended family—fifty-eight in total. Twelve male cousins, ten female cousins, eight grandparents, thirteen aunts, fifteen uncles. A huge family. They own farmland behind their ancestral mansion—raise animals, grow crops. She's a fashion designer, like her mother. No college education. She came to Poland to expand her skills."
Sebastian let out a low breath and sipped his whiskey.
"She's three years younger than my sister Sharon," he muttered. "I thought she was a nun. Why doesn't she live in a convent?"
Bruce nodded. "She wanted to. But her father wouldn't allow it. Said she's their only child—he wanted her to live more, not hide behind walls. From what I gathered, she's had no romantic relationships. No male friends. Rumor says… she's celibate."
Sebastian flicked ash into the tray, then nodded once. "I could tell. I saw it in her eyes that day."
Bruce hesitated, then added, "And speaking of Sharon... Elizabeth is her chauffeur."
Sebastian's head snapped to the side.
"What?"
"For three years," Bruce confirmed. "She's been under disguise—posing as a man. That's how your sister never knew."
The thought of Elizabeth dressed in men's clothes, driving his sister around, infiltrating his family—it made his fists clench.
"She even drove your mother. Twice, I think. Took her to the spa. They all had tea together once. Your mom, Sharon, and Elizabeth—they were... friends. Until recently."
Sebastian's brows furrowed, jaw locked. "What changed?"
"A few days before the Luca incident, Sharon returned early from her trip to Taiwan. She found Elizabeth's national ID—realized the truth. She didn't say anything. But she's made her decision. When she gets back, she plans to fire Elizabeth."
Sebastian stared into the night.
He felt... betrayed.
Not just confused—angry.
Not because she was dangerous. But because she lied. And she wasn't supposed to.
He hates lies.
He tightened his grip around the whiskey glass.
"So she was the pretty boy I called Raven at the airport pickup…" he growled. "Damn it!"
He slammed his fist against the silver handrail with a metallic clang.
Bruce remained still but finally said, "Boss... maybe she had her reasons." He wanted to tell Sebastian that one of Elizabeth's reasons was because men chases after her beauty but Sebastian was not on the verge to listen.
Sebastian shook his head violently.
"There are no 'reasons' on a plate full of lies, Bruce. Not for someone like her. Not when I—"
He stopped.
His rage wasn't just about the disguise. It was about trust.
He hated liars. And from her—a woman who spoke of God and grace—it cut too deep.
"She fooled my family. She lied to my mother. My sister. Me. What else is she hiding? Is she working as somewhat spy for some hungry Mafia cult tasty for blood and just try to disguise like a man and preach the gospel? What is she scheming, Bruce?"
Bruce raised his hands slightly. "Maybe she isn't scheming anything. Maybe she was just... surviving."
Silence.
Sebastian turned back to the skyline, running a hand down his face. His pulse thundered behind his eyes.
"What did my mom say?"
"You know your mother, boss. Soft-hearted. Forgiving. She didn't say much."
Sebastian nodded slowly, pain dulling the edge of his anger.
"She always was..." he murmured. "Gentle. Too gentle."
There was a long pause. Then Bruce noticed the way Sebastian was rubbing his temples—slow, harsh circles like he was trying to erase a migraine.
"Boss," Bruce said gently, "maybe you should get some sleep. It's late."
"Can't," Sebastian groaned, teeth clenched. "The insomnia's getting worse."
Bruce stepped forward. "Should I bring the pills?"
Sebastian raised a hand, signaling no. "I'll be fine. You can go."
Bruce nodded once, then quietly left.
Sebastian stood there a while longer.
Then drained the last of his whiskey and walked toward his bedroom.
His footsteps were heavy.
The air around him—heavier.
And somewhere in the silence, one truth echoed back at him:
She lied.
And that changed everything.