He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 811

A laugh of sheer disbelief escaped her lips.

"Don't you think you're overstepping your bounds, Sebastian?" she scoffed.

He met her glare with absolute arrogance. "I'm your man. Why shouldn't I dictate what you wear?"

"At best, you're my affair partner. Let's not inflate your importance," she shot back venomously.

He didn't rise to the bait, merely watching her with a dark, calculated intensity.

They stared each other down, the air crackling with hostility.

The designer had wisely vanished from the room at some point during the exchange.

The suffocating tension was more than enough to drive any sane person away.

"Affair partner?" he repeated softly, leaning closer.

"What else would you call it?" she challenged, refusing to back down.

A dark chuckle rumbled in his chest. "You know exactly what I want, and it's far more than a cheap thrill."

The absolute certainty in his voice left no room for misinterpretation.

She bit her tongue, choosing silence over a losing battle.

With terrifying ease, his hand slid around her waist, pulling her flush against his solid frame.

The warmth of his palm seared directly into the bare skin of her lower back.

"Never wear a dress like this again, understood?" his voice dropped into a dangerous, gravelly register.

She offered a sarcastic shrug. "What a shame. Backless gowns are my absolute favorite."

It was a blatant, deliberate provocation.

He didn't lose his temper.

Instead, his gaze sharpened, pinning her in place.

Underneath his hand, he could feel the rigid tension humming through her muscles.

Yet he refused to let her go.

His fingers began a slow, agonizingly deliberate caress along her spine.

Dipping his head, he brushed his lips agonizingly close to her ear.

"Wear it again, and I'll take you right here, right now," he promised in a lethal whisper. "I'll do it until the mere thought of wearing one makes you tremble."

The raw, unfiltered possessiveness sent a shockwave straight to her core.

A flush of absolute fury burned through her, ignited by his shameless audacity.

Shoving her hands against his chest, she broke free from his hold.

He allowed her to retreat, seemingly satisfied that his point had been made.

She spent the first half of the ride answering calls from her assistant, rapidly delegating last-minute corporate tasks.

Eventually, her responses dwindled to tired, monosyllabic hums.

Exhausted, she leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

As the car idled at a red light, he reached over and plucked the phone straight from her hand.

"She's unwell. Call back tomorrow," he barked into the receiver.

The sheer intimidation of his voice sent her assistant into an immediate panic.

"Y-yes, Mr. Hayes! Understood!" the poor woman stammered.

He ended the call without another word.

Helena snapped her eyes open, glaring at him. "Do you enjoy crossing boundaries, or is stealing my property just a hobby?"

"Your assistant couldn't hear that you were practically passing out?" he retorted sharply. "If she's that oblivious, fire her."

She let out an exasperated breath.

"You're crossing the line, Sebastian," she warned icily after a long pause.

He didn't apologize.

The limousine slowed to a halt at the final intersection before the gala venue.