SCARRED HEARTS

CHAPTER 6: BOUNDARIES BLURRED

The days seemed to blur together, each one a repetition of the last. Lila's life had become a cycle of early mornings, late nights, and never-ending demands. The work was hard, the pressure relentless, but it was Sebastian's constant presence that made it all feel suffocating. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape him. Not physically, and certainly not mentally.

He had a way of appearing at the most unexpected moments. It wasn't just the late-night check-ins or the terse comments. It was the way he seemed to read her, to see the cracks before she even noticed them. She had begun to feel like a puppet, every move guided by his invisible strings.

Lila was at her desk one Friday evening, furiously typing out a report she knew Sebastian would review within the hour. The clock on the wall ticked away the minutes, but she wasn't watching it. Her thoughts were elsewhere—lost somewhere between the sheer exhaustion of the week and the nagging feeling that she was losing herself in this world.

She rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the headache that was building. The office was almost empty, the hum of the fluorescent lights the only sound in the otherwise quiet space. She had been so focused on getting everything done that she hadn't even realized how much time had passed.

You'll do better next time, Sebastian's words echoed in her mind. He'd said them so casually the last time he'd been in her office, but they had stuck with her, gnawing at her every second.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the exhaustion was starting to cloud her focus. The screen in front of her was a blur of words, none of which made sense anymore. She couldn't keep up with this pace. But she couldn't stop, either.

I have to finish this. I have to keep going.

Just then, the door to her office swung open. Lila didn't need to look up to know who it was. She could feel it in the air—the tension that always seemed to follow him. Sebastian stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a storm waiting to break.

He didn't speak right away. Instead, he walked over to her desk, leaning down to look at the screen in front of her. Lila stiffened, but kept her eyes on the report in front of her, hoping he wouldn't notice her nerves.

"Still not done?" His voice was low, almost teasing, but there was an edge to it that sent a shiver down her spine.

Lila finally met his gaze, forcing herself to stay calm despite the way his presence made her heart race. "I'm almost finished," she said, trying to sound confident.

Sebastian tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. There was something in his expression that made her feel both exposed and strangely... challenged.

"You've been working late every night this week," he said, his voice quieter now, almost thoughtful. "How much longer do you plan on burning yourself out, Lila?"

Her throat tightened at the question. She didn't have a good answer, but she wasn't about to admit how close she was to breaking. "I'll manage," she replied stiffly, trying to push back against the guilt creeping into her chest.

Sebastian stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. The air between them seemed to thicken, the space around them charged with something she couldn't quite name. He was so close now, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him.

"You always think you can handle it," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "But the truth is, you're already past your limit."

Lila's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to argue, to say that she was fine, that she didn't need his judgment. But something about the way he said it made her question her own certainty.

Sebastian was too perceptive. Too powerful. He saw her weaknesses before she even realized they were there.

"I'm fine," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't respond at first. He just stood there, watching her with that intense, almost predatory look. Then, in a move that left her breathless, he reached down and closed her laptop with a soft snap.

Lila's eyes widened. "What are you—"

"No more work tonight," he interrupted smoothly. "You've pushed yourself enough." He walked around her desk and sat down in the chair across from her, making himself comfortable as if he had all the time in the world.

Lila's pulse quickened, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say. There was something unsettling about the way he was taking control, something that felt both like a reprieve and a threat.

"I don't need a break," she said, her voice sharper than she intended. "I just need to get this done."

Sebastian looked at her with a mixture of amusement and something else—something more dangerous, like he was enjoying watching her struggle. "You think you're the only one who's ever been pushed to the limit, Lila?" He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. "Do you think I got where I am by being weak? By giving up?"

Her heart was racing now, and for a second, she couldn't look away from him. His gaze felt like a force pulling her under, and she hated how easy it was to fall into it.

"No," she whispered, her voice betraying her. She couldn't deny the truth of his words. She knew he was right. He didn't give up. He never showed weakness.

"Exactly," he said, his voice dropping lower. "So why are you trying to convince yourself that you can't do this? That you can't handle it?"

Lila opened her mouth to respond, but the words didn't come. He was right. She couldn't explain why she was falling apart when she had always prided herself on being strong.

Sebastian leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them until he was so close that she could feel the heat of his breath. "You're just as capable as I am, Lila," he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "But you have to stop pretending you're not."

Her breath hitched as his words seemed to cut straight through her defenses. Just as capable as he was? She didn't know whether to be insulted or intrigued.

Before she could respond, Sebastian straightened up and stood, taking a step back as if he'd been teasing her with the closeness on purpose.

"You need to get some rest," he said simply, his voice suddenly businesslike. "You'll do better tomorrow."

Lila just stared at him, her mind racing with confusion and something else she couldn't place. Was he being kind? Or was this just another way for him to assert his dominance over her?

"I'll be back in the morning," he said, turning on his heel. "Have everything ready."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Lila alone in the quiet office, her heart still hammering in her chest.

The next day, Lila couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between her and Sebastian. His words from the night before echoed in her mind, and she couldn't quite decide whether they made her feel empowered or uneasy. She was used to working for him, but now it felt different. More personal. And that terrified her.

She had seen glimpses of his softer side, the side that wasn't just about control and power, but the side that made her feel like maybe—just maybe—he actually cared.

But then, she remembered the way he had made her feel small, his presence overwhelming, his gaze cutting through her like a knife. She didn't know what to make of it, but she couldn't ignore the stirring inside her.

Was she just another one of his projects?

Or was something more dangerous at play?