Page 26 of Brutal Heir

I raised my hand to shield my mouth. Sebastian was already watching me. “You put a ten-million-euro diamond on me?”

Of course I knew it was an enormous diamond, but I just assumed it was fake.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry. Next time I drape you in diamonds, I won’t do it so cheaply.”

Cheap? He thought this was cheap?

Yelena Ivanova was right. I was in way over my head.

In a display of perfect timing, a server walked by holding a tray of champagne.

I snatched a glass. Despite the bubbles tickling my nose, I drained it in one gulp.

I then grabbed a second glass.

Before I could take a sip, warm fingers covered mine.

I looked up to meet Sebastian’s dark gaze as he pulled the glass from my grasp. “And that’s enough champagne for you, little one. I have plans for you later, and they will require you to be sober.”

Why did that sound like a threat?

I tried to swallow as my throat closed.

The next hour went by in a blur of faces and the din of animated conversations as Sebastian worked the crowd of influential designers, buyers, and celebrities. The entire time, he kept his arm tightly around my waist.

Repeatedly, he introduced me as a talented, up-and-coming fashion stylist.

The first time someone asked me for my business card, I floundered. Before I could give them my social media info, Sebastian interjected.

“You can reach Sabrina through the House of Diamanti.”

I bristled at the presumption. “I have cards with me. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I can go grab them.”

Knowing what an opportunity Paris would be, I’d ordered glossy, heavy stock business cards with silver foil that had links to my social media portfolios. I’d wanted to be prepared just in case I had an opportunity to network.

Sebastian’s arm shifted to caress up my back before he fisted my hair.

I stilled.

Keeping a smile for the guests standing before us, he tightened his grasp on my curls and whispered for my ears only. “If they want to talk to you, they go through me.”

Alarm bells rang in my head. I quieted them by reasoning that he must have assumed they would inquire about the diamond, which was fair.

Still, it seemed a shame to waste this opportunity. “For the diamond, yes, but some might want to hire me for⁠—”

“You’re not available for hire.”

My shoulders tensed, my spine stiffening at the audacity of his possessiveness as it sank in. “But⁠—”

He turned us to face another photographer. “Smile for the cameras, sweetheart.”

Several reporters exchanged looks at Sebastian’s endearment.

Uh-oh.

I tugged on the lapel of his suit jacket to get his attention. “Maybe don’t call me that in front of the press?”

He ignored me as he continued to work the crowd with me glued to his side.