He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 212

Irony directed at herself, at Sebastian, and at the entire pathetic situation. But she had no reason to explain any of that.

And yet, despite the public spectacle, Janetta had seemingly vanished from the media altogether. There wasn't a single whisper of her whereabouts. This sudden radio silence didn't bring Helena peace. Instead, it filled her with a creeping dread. It felt like the eerie calm before a devastating hurricane, a heavy pressure that made it hard to breathe.

"What are you thinking about?" Sebastian asked smoothly.

His deep voice snapped Helena back to reality. Masking her emotions, she replied evenly, "Nothing. I've just been spacing out a lot lately."

Sebastian gave her a brief glance but didn't push it.

He helped her into the passenger seat, shut the door, and walked around to the driver's side. Helena's gaze drifted toward him instinctively. As Sebastian settled in, he noticed she hadn't buckled up yet, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Seatbelt," he reminded her.

He fired up the engine. Helena leaned over, tugging at the strap. But no matter how hard she pulled, the seatbelt stubbornly refused to budge. A flush of frustration crept up her neck.

Suddenly, Sebastian leaned into her space, causing Helena to stiffen. The sheer proximity of his broad shoulders made her tense up instantly.

"Stuck?" he asked, his voice low and raspy.

"I think it's jammed," she murmured.

Without another word, he ducked his head to inspect it. Under his deft touch, the belt magically surrendered, clicking smoothly into place across her lap. The motion brought them entirely too close. Helena went rigid.

Her slender fingers gripped the edge of the leather seat, her palms growing clammy. Her senses were flooded with his scent—a crisp, masculine aftershave carrying notes of the ocean, clean and intoxicatingly sharp.

"You're squishing him," Helena protested, biting her lip.

"So?" Sebastian replied smoothly. "He'll just have to deal with it. If he gives you a hard time, a little squishing will be the least of his worries."

He said it so casually. But those offhand remarks only fueled her dangerous delusions. Delusions that maybe, just maybe, she meant something special to him.

It took a sharp jolt of reality for Helena to snap out of it. She pushed against his chest. "Sebastian, we're at the estate. In the car. The Press aren't here to take pictures. You can drop the act."

Her words caused his gaze to darken instantly. He stared at her, his expression chillingly blank, but he didn't say a word.

"Let's go. The Doctor is waiting," she deflected smoothly. With that, she turned her face toward the passenger window, entirely dismissing him.