Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
Birthday parties, scraped knees, family fights-Aunt Louisa had been there for all of it.
She was probably calling because she’d heard about the mess at the party. Everyone else had.
And I had nothing for her. I didn’t want to lie to her. And it wasn’t my job to cover for her son’s dumpster-fire love life.
The screen went dark. Straight to voicemail.
Sebastian shifted next to me, looking like he wanted to say something.
His phone went off before he could. He picked up.
“Got it,” he said after a minute, then hung up and looked at me. frowned.
“What?”
“That was my assistant. Louisa Granger just collapsed at the hospital. They’re trying to bring her round.”I was on my feet before he finished. I looked at the door, then back at him, frozen for half a beat.
Sebastian didn’t miss a thing.
“Let’s go.”
“But the party-“
“The guests can entertain themselves. They’re grown-ups.”I didn’t argue. Just threw him a quick, grateful smile and we were off.
Eldergrove Private loomed up like a ghost I really didn’t want to meet again.
Last time I’d been here… yeah, not the best memory.
I shoved it down and stormed inside, zeroing in on the nurses” station.
A couple of barked directions later, I found Louisa’s room.
Willow Granger stood posted like a bouncer at the door, arms folded.
Her dad, Clive Granger, was slumped on a chair to the side, staring at the floor.
I walked straight up.
“Aunt Louisa, how is she?”Willow turned. The second she clocked my face, her expression twisted like she’d swallowed battery acid.
She didn’t say a word. She just swung.
The slap came fast and ugly, but not fast enough.
I blocked it with my forearm, easy.
Willow staggered back a step, surprised.
I thought about slapping her back. I really did.
But punching Aunt Louisa’s daughter right outside her hospital roon felt like a touch too much, even for me.
Willow hissed, voice shaking, “You’ve got some bloody nerve showing up here. What, trying to finish the job? Want to kill her for good this time?”I folded my arms and stared her down.
“I’m not here to swap insul. I asked a simple question.”She wasn’t listening.
You trashed the Laurent party tonight so bad the videos are blowing up all over group chats. Everyone’s laughing at us, at the Grangers! And you’re telling me you didn’t mean it?” Her voice cracked sharp with fury.
“My mum treated you better than she treats me sometimes-hell, she pretty much raised you like her own-and this is how you pay her back?”Classic Willow. She’d hated my guts from day one. Thought I wasn’t good enough for her big brother Daniel. Not rich enough. Not posh enough. Not educated enough.
According to her, the only thing I brought to the table was my looks.
In her head, I was the stray puppy Daniel was too soft to kick. The hanger-on. The charity case.
But Louisa had made her choice. She liked me. Loved me, even. Treated me like the daughter she probably wished Willow had been.
And now Willow had all the ammo she needed to blame me for Louisa’s condition.
She wasn’t done, either.
The first slap had failed, so she reared back for a second.
I didn’t even move. Something told me I didn’t need to.
Before her palm could come down, a hand shot past my shoulder and clamped down on her wrist, shoved her backwards.
Willow stumbled, arms flailing for balance.
Her head whipped up, ready to mouth off, but the second she clocked Sebastian’s face, she faltered.
Hard to keep swinging when the guy pinning your arm looked like he could snap you in half for blinking wrong.
She yanked her hand free with a pathetic little noise.
“And who the hell are you?” she barked.
“Why’re you getting in the way?
You…
Her voice got quieter the longer Sebastian stared her down.
Willow shifted from foot to foot, tried to size him up, and then her eyes flicked to me, and to the jacket hanging off my shoulders.
“That’s his coat, right? Your new boyfriend?”She folded her arms, sneering.
“When did you start sneaking around behind my brother’s back, huh? You bang on about Daniel cheating, but look at you! Wearing some random guy’s jacket like a badge of honour.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Willow. You know damn well Daniel and I are over.”She flapped a hand at me like I was a bad smell.
“Save it. Get out.”I planted my feet.
“I’m staying till Aunt Louisa wakes up.”Willow’s face twisted.
“You’re not wanted here!”From the corner of my eye, I caught Clive Granger standing up from his chair. He took his sweet time covering the short distance between us.
He was pissed too. No surprise there. In his head, I’d practically murdered his wife.
But at least he kept his loathing on a leash, unlike Willow.
Clive stopped a few feet from me and said, all fake-polite, “Louisa’s sick because of you. You breaking off the engagement has really hurt her. Shocked her into a heart attack. I don’t think she wants to see you when she wakes up. Best you leave now.”I kept my chin up.
“Uncle Clive, whether she wants to see me or not is her decision. Not yours.”His jaw twitched, just a little. Before he could spit something back, Sebastian cut in, “Eleanor staying won’t disturb anyone. She’s worried about Mrs Granger’s health. Let her stay till Mrs Granger wakes up.”Clive’s eyes sharpened.
“And you are?”Sebastian reached out, offering his hand.
“Sebastian Laurent. Nice to meet you, Mr Granger.”For a second, Clive just stared at Sebastian’s hand like it was a snake about to bite him. Then he shook it hesitatingly.
“Mr… Mr Laurent….Um, thank you for coming. I appreciate your concern, but…” He glanced at me.
“You may now know the full story here. It’s complicated. Eleanor-“
“I know enough,” Sebastian cut him off.
“I was at the party too. I saw everything. Eleanor and Daniel Granger have been done for a while. Besides, Daniel showed up tonight flashing a new girlfriend like a trophy. Eleanor asking to end the engagement was the polite part. She didn’t even say half of what she could’ve. Honestly, she gave Daniel and the whole Granger family a hell of a lot more dignity than they deserved.”Clive looked like he was about to argue, but Sebastian just kept going “It’s the twenty-first century. Are the Grangers still playing medieval lord and vassal? Treating Eleanor like she’s some mail- order bride? Or maybe Daniel thinks he’s got royal blood, getting engaged to Elean while juggling a side chick? What’s next, a crown and a serpstre?
I could’ve ldssed Sebastian right there. Maybe even married him.
Clive’s face went from tired to full-on corpse grey.
“It’s not that she can’t break it off,” he mumbled.
“But Daniel he’s just made a mistake, is all. But that doesn’t mean Eleanor should’ve broke off the engagement so rashly. Especially not in public like that. Marriage isn’t a joke. Louisa was he glanced at me with something halfway between guilt and accusation shocked. And sad.”I took a step forward, but Sebastian gave my arm a soothing pat. very “You’re right. Marriage isn’t a joke. That’s exactly why Eleanor ended it when she realised Daniel wasn’t taking it seriously. He violated the whole point of it by parading around another woman while he claimed to be still engaged to Eleanor”Clive’s mouth opened, but Sebastian continued before he could get a word in “If infidelity isn’t a strong enough reason to call off an engagement, what is?”The room felt like it was holding its breath.
“And what are you suggesting, Mr Granger? That Eleanor should’ve smiled, swallowed it, and walked down the aisle anyway? Sacrificed her happiness just to keep you and your wife from losing face? What do you take her for-a tool to polish up your family image?”Chive flinched, but Sebastian wasn’t done.
And blaming your wife’s heart attack on her? That’s low. Guilt-tripping her into resuming the engagement? Even lower.”Clive’s mouth worked soundlessly for a second. He looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor.
“L… You’re right,” he finally muttered.
“It’s not Eleanor’s fault.”
“Then maybe ease up on your attitude. From where I’m standing, you lot are coming off petty and downright unreasonable.”Clive nodded lamely.
“Yes, yes, we were… too hasty. If Eleanor wants to stay and wait for Louisa to wake up, she’s welcome to Just like that, the tension cracked and fizzled out.
We ended up sitting around outside the operating theatre, all awkward and chilly.
I sat on one end, Willow and Clive huddled at the other, the gap between us wider than a four-lane.
I owed Sebastian a lot. Words like “thank you” felt lame and plastic, so I swallowed them down.
Sebastian hadn’t been gone five minutes before he came striding back, a paper bag dangling from his hand.
He stopped in front of me, pulled out a cup of coffee, and handed it over.
“It’s cold tonight. Better to have something warm to hold onto.”I took it, the heat seeping into my frozen fingers.
“Thanks.”Then he bent down and fished out a pair of fluffy slippers from the same bag, dropping them neatly at my feet.
He nodded at me, like, go on then.
Iblinked at him, completely thrown off my game for a second, they kicked off my heels and shoved my feet into the slippers ! didn’t even realise my feet were hurting fill then The soft fleece wrapped around my toes, warmth creeping up my legs and coiling somewhere stupid in my chest. My heart was punching against my ribs like it was trying to make a jailbreak.
Sebastian tossed a massive blanket over my lap, covering my flimsy dress.
He leaned in slightly. If you need anything, shout. I’m just taking a call over there.”Then he disappeared towards the stairwell.
Willow and Clive Granger kept throwing side-eyes my way, their faces flickering between curiosity, doubt, and full-blown suspicion like a glitchy mood carousel.
I ignored them and watched Sebastian through the glass as he leaned against the stairwell wall, lighting a cigarette while he talked on the phone.
Every few seconds, he’d tilt his head and glance my way. Like he was making sure I was still breathing. Like he was staying put for me.