Page 63 of Worth Every Moment (Hawkston Billionaires #4)

“That’s so lovely,” says Diana, giving me a melancholy smile, but her expression makes no sense to me, so I make no comment.

“That she has sad eyes?” Arthur asks her, his tone teasing.

“No, it’s lovely that he noticed, and that he cared enough to do something like that,” Diana corrects him and focuses back on me. “How long ago was that?”

“Seven years,” I say, but it’s barely a whisper.

“It is rather romantic, isn’t it?” Arthur says with a glance at Diana.

“He also said he’d found the woman he was going to marry.

Knew it in his bones. I remember laughing because I couldn’t understand why anyone would choose a woman who looked like she had sad eyes.

But he was adamant that there was something special about you.

I’ve never seen someone so awestruck by a photograph.

He was possessed by it. Turns out, he was right. You were— you are —something special.”

I'm not sure how I'm still standing, because my world is spinning. “Thank you.”

“It’s not me you have to thank. It’s Seb. He’s been your biggest fan from before you were famous. It’s lovely to see the two of you together after all this time.”

“Oh,” I say, but it’s hollow, and I sound distracted. I don’t know what else to say, because all of this has come as such a shock. All this time, I’ve felt indebted to this man, who’s standing here telling me I was wrong. It was Seb, and he never said a thing about it.

“Thank you,” I say to Arthur. I glance at Diana, whose sad smile has transformed to a perplexed frown. I have no idea what she's thinking. “I’m sorry I interrupted your conversation. I just really wanted to say thank you, and now… I’m a bit confused… I didn’t know…”

“You didn’t know he was responsible for your big break?

That all this time he had your back in such a huge, momentous way?

” Diana fills in, her frown fading away as she clasps my hand in both hers.

“That's pretty amazing. You're very lucky, but I'm not surprised you're a bit confused, especially if he never told you.” The full warmth of her personality filters into my blood with her touch and her words, and the gratitude that washes through me is nearly overwhelming. To be understood by a complete stranger is a delight I hadn’t expected to experience.

“I really hope you and Seb get your happy ending.”

Before I can wonder exactly what she means, the MC’s microphone-loud voice crashes through our conversation, calling us all to take our seats, which we obediently do after checking out the elaborate seating plan.

Seb is sitting up on the top table as part of the bridal party.

With him are Nico and Kate as well as Matt and their parents.

Kate’s mother, who has what looks like an extremely phoney smile on her face, is chatting to Nico’s mum.

Jack, as Nico’s best man, is also up there with Elly, the maid of honour.

I’m sitting at a circular table with Marie and Aries, and Matt’s eldest son, Charlie, as well as a few other guests I haven’t met before. Lucie, Matt’s daughter, was running around dressed like an angel in her flower girl outfit, but she’s disappeared now. Perhaps the nanny took her off for a nap.

Everyone around me seems happy after the reception drinks, their smiles and conversation well lubricated with champagne.

I feel so sober . I wish Amy was here, but she’s arriving at the last minute, in true Amy fashion.

Straight off the boat and onto the stage.

Hopefully, I’ll see her after her performance.

I glance over at Seb. He’s only a few seats down from his father. I have no idea how he can sit up there with such a monster. This family is fucked . Maybe more than mine. Seb catches my eye and winks, his little dimple gracing his cheek for a second.

I smile back, but I don’t think he sees because his father passes him a note and Seb glances at the tiny piece of paper, unfolding it slowly.

As he reads, the amusement on his face vanishes; the colour drains from his cheeks, and a cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.

Beside him, Matt, who sits between his father and Seb, looks between the two of them, his brow pinched.

Seb raises his head again, looking as though someone has died. I want to jump up and go to him, but I can’t move because old Mr Hawkston stands up, and one of the staff passes him the microphone.

He clears his throat and begins welcoming people, but I’m hardly listening because I am looking at Seb, who’s sitting still, brows drawn together, head tilted towards the table. This is his brother’s wedding, but he looks like he’s just been given a death sentence.

“We’re all here to celebrate Nico and Kate.

But before we focus on them, I have some other news to share, which we as a family are all overjoyed about.

” A chill runs over my skin, and Nico and Matt share a subtle glance, but it’s obvious they have no idea what he’s about to say.

Kate looks confused too. Seb’s jaw flexes, and he refuses to look at any of them.

“My youngest son, Sebastian, is engaged to be married.”

The room spins, sickness rising in my stomach. I can’t breathe. Seb, engaged? My mind races, searching for some key memory, some piece of information that would make this make sense.

Aries smiles, leaning across to rub the back of my hand. “Congratulations.”

I pull my hand away. “No… no.”

What the fuck is happening?

“Please raise a toast with me to Sebastian and Diana,” Mr Hawkston says, directing the attention of the room to Diana and Seb with a sweeping hand gesture. “Antonio and I are greatly excited by this union of our two families, and we foresee great things for the future.”

Aries catches her gasp with one hand.

“Oh, my God.” Marie whispers, her mouth hanging open as she stares at me.

“Here, here,” Antonio booms, raising his glass without standing from his chair. Behind him, his two bodyguards loom, dressed in black. Huge monoliths of men.

“To Sebastian and Diana,” Mr Hawkston announces, and everyone is on their feet, champagne glasses raised.

My heart races, my limbs prickly and weak.

“What? Noooooo,” Aries says. “Oh, holy hell, that can’t be right.”

I say nothing. I’m the only one still sitting down.

“Are you okay?” Aries hisses in my ear, her hand on my elbow as if urging me to stand.

I’m making myself conspicuous. Humiliation drips through the numb fog of shock, like acid burning through everything in its path.

They all know I came here with Seb, as his girlfriend.

They all know. This is horrendous. I need to get out of here.

How could Seb do this to me? There must be some mistake.

I can’t make it make sense. It feels like Mr Hawkston’s speech removed half my brain. I can’t process.

I rise to my feet, one hand on the back of my chair. I glance at Seb, willing him to look at me. To give me something to explain this. Some acknowledgment that this news affects me too. That I’m not some random person in the audience who can watch the family drama unfold and remain unmoved.

But Seb doesn’t look up.

His father says a few more words about Nico and Kate, and then the servers arrive with the food, weaving between the tables.

Everyone else sits down, but I don’t move.

Can’t move. Marie takes one look at me, tops up her empty wine glass from a bottle on the centre of the table, and pushes it in my direction.

She knows I don’t drink, but when I look at her in question, she gives me the smallest of nods and shoves the wine closer.

As if that would make it better.

“Drink,” she orders.

“I don’t dr—”

“Tonight, you do.”

I reach for it, but s he pulls it back towards her. “Wait. Are you an alcoholic? Is that why you don’t drink?”

Aries and Elly share a glance, and Charlie leans back in his chair, watching this play out.

“No,” I respond, and even that one word wavers. I can’t focus, but somehow I catch sight of Mr Hawkston and, like he senses my weakness, a cruel slash of a smile carves his face as he raises his glass in my direction.

Marie nudges her wine glass closer to me, and, unwise as it may be, I take it and tip the entire thing down my throat in one.

The tannin of the red wine hits my teeth, my tongue, drying out my mouth.

The alcohol rushes straight into my bloodstream, warm and dizzying.

A sensation I haven’t felt since I was a teenager.

Marie nods to herself, takes the empty glass, fills it up, and shoves it back towards me.

“Aren’t you a doctor?” I mutter, although I’m not fully with it.

“Yeah. And this is my medical advice. Get drunk and forget about him. And then get on the first boat out of here tomorrow and never look back.” She hands me a third glass she got from I don’t know where and forces it on me.

I swallow it quickly, even though I know it’s a bad idea.

“What an arsehole. Men are always more trouble than they’re worth. ”

“Hey,” Aries bleats. “That’s not fair. Matt is—”

“Now is not the moment to start talking about how great your fiancé is,” Marie snaps, and Aries mimes zipping her mouth shut.

The staff surround us, placing the starters down. There’s an awkward silence as the food arrives. I can’t eat. I can’t stay here when I want to throw up. Or scream. Or better yet, run into the sea and drown.

Over at the bridal table, Mr Hawkston stands and puts an arm around Seb’s shoulders.

Even from here, I can see how rigid Seb’s body becomes.

He wants to shrug him off, but he can’t do it publicly.

Seb keeps his head down, but when the old man moves away, Seb closes his eyes, his jaw hardening as he clenches that tiny fragment of paper in his hand.

His shoulders curl inwards like there’s a pain in his chest he doesn’t want anyone to know about, but he still doesn’t search for me in the crowd.

I can’t stay here and wait. I need to leave.

My head spins. I’m drunk. “I can’t do this.”

Marie and Aries go very still.

“Do you want me to take you to your room?” Aries whispers.

“No.” Leaning over the table, I fill the wine glass one last time and drink it all. I slam the glass down so hard that Aries winces. “I’m okay. I can get there alone.”