Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
I glanced sharply at Sebastian.
“You planted a bug somewhere?”
“The next room.” He nodded.
“Sort of. Signal’s dodgy, but it works.”
I nodded and leaned in, trying to catch every word.
Rowan’s voice was clearer now, sharp and nasal.
“Why are you in hospital?”
Through the muffled feed, I could hear movement-fabric rustling, a dull creak, someone breathing through their nose.
Gwendolyn sounded faint.
“Sebastian froze all my cards. Let the house staff go. I’ve got nothing left. Here at least I get meals and a clean bed.” She paused.
“And no Bills.”
“You seem surprisingly chill for someone who just got financially castrated,” Rowan said lightly, then added, “Did he find out?”
“About the photos of Eleanor and Prescott? Yeah. He knows.”
Rowan’s voice shot up an octave.
“The only copies were with us. How the hell does he know?”
“I showed him.”
“We agreed to hold onto them! For leverage later. What was the point in giving them to Sebastian now?”
Gwendolyn’s voice was equally resentful.
“You’re pissed I gave him the pictures? Then explain why the paparazzo you hired blamed me for it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He told the cops I put him up to it. I didn’t even know his name. But he said it was me. Convenient.”
Rowan let out a nervous laugh.
“He probably got mixed up. I had nothing to do with that.”
I imagined Gwendolyn glaring at Rowan with her beautiful but mean eyes.
“I took the fall for you. That’s why Sebastian cut off my cards and dumped his dad in bloody Africa. And you show up just to scream at me?”
“I wasn’t-” Rowan cut herself off. She lowered her voice.
“I just overreacted. Sorry. But it wasn’t me.”
She paused, then switched tone, softer, trying to sound helpful.
“So what now? You’re just going to camp out here forever?”
Gwendolyn sounded suddenly exhausted.
“It’s quiet here. No one asks questions. Sebastian said if I pull any more stunts, his father’s stuck in Africa for good. So, for now, I’m done.”
The room fell quiet for a long minute.
Sebastian took my hand and played with my fingers, apparently finding them much more interesting than the conversation going on next door.
Rowan spoke in a coaxing voice.
“You remember what we agreed. I’d drive a wedge between Sebastian and Eleanor, and you’d help me marry him. Once he’s in our pocket, the whole Laurent family bends to you, Right now “
Gwendolyn cut her off.
“I don’t need you to remind me what we agreed.”
I glanced at Sebastian, cocked an eyebrow, pointed to the wall separating us from the next room, and mouthed the words “your admirer.”
He shook his head gravely as if denying such a serious accusation.
Next door, Rowan continued, “I know. Just hear me out Right now, he’s pissed, you’re broke, and every single one of you is hanging off his mood swings. When Ede “So what’s your plan?” Gwendolyn asked reluctantly.
“I don’t have one.”
“What?”
Rowan sounded equally surprised.
“You are the one who dr I wouldn’t have come if you hadn’t insisted on it. I hate ho all I hear from you is complaints and more complaints. Yo “What the hell are you talking about? You texted me, said happened.”
“Me? You’re the one who asked to talk. I only came becaus A moment of tense silence later, Rowan said, “This, look, bugged, you had to switch numbers. You also gave me the I imagined Rowan shoving her phone in Gwendolyn’s face Gwendolyn: “What? Me? No! You said it was urgent, had t texted me first. Let me see that… Wait. That’s the same m meet in person.”
Rowan swore.
“Shit. Someone’s screwing with us.”
The door handle turned.
Both their heads whipped round.
Sebastian stepped in first.
“Well. Cozy. You two know each I walked in after him.
Rowan tried to smile.
“Sebastian! What a surprise.”
“To you, maybe,” he said coolly.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“Well, um… your mum was my sponsor back in school. She helped me a lot. When I heard she wasn’t well, I came to visit.” Rowan hastened to add, “I only just found out she’s your stepmother. Total coincidence.”
“Right. She came to see me,” Gwendolyn added quickly. I just found out you two went to school together in Wessexia. What are the odds, huh? Small world.”
Sebastian looked pointedly at the empty bedside table.
“You come to visit a patient and show up empty- handed?”
Rowan hesitated.
“I left in a rush. I forgot.”
“We’re close. There’s no need for gifts,” Gwendolyn muttered.
“Stop bullshitting,” Sebastian cut her off.
He raised his phone and hit play.
The audio poured out, tinny but clear.
Their voices filled the room, every word from the earlier argument.
Gwendolyn went rigid.
Rowan looked at the floor.
Sebastian let it run a few more seconds, then stopped the recording.
“Still sticking with the hospital visit excuse?”
Rowan recovered first.
“It wasn’t me, Sebastian. Your mu made me do it. She paid for my tuition, I owed her. She told me to come here. She said I had to mess with you two. She planned everything! Gwendolyn came up with the photos. I just… followed instructions. She told me exactly what to do.”
“You lying bitch!” Gwendolyn tore the blanket off, climbed out of bed, and slapped Rowan hard across the face.
“You begged me to help you. Every part of it was your idea. Don’t you dare dump it on me.”
Rowan clutched her cheek, which was rapidly turning rel. Tears streamed down on command.
“It’s not true! You used me-“
“Bullshit!”
Their voices clashed.
I stuck close to the door and wished I had popcorn in hand.
Sebastian’s voice cut through the overlapping accusations “Guess my father’s extending his safari. You’ll have plenty of time to explain all this when he gets back Gwendolyn stopped mid-shout and turned to him.
“It wasn’t me! You heard what I said. Itold her to stop. I didn’t want any of this. I’ve been trying to fix things so your father can come home-“
“That’s not what happened!” Rowan burst out between obs.
“She told me what to do They both kept talking over each other, each louder than the last.
My head ping-ponged back and forth between them, and I could barely track who was accusing who of what anymore.
Sebastian raised a hand, silencing them.
“Don’t repeat yourselves. I don’t give a damn which one of you came up with it. You both did it.”
His gaze landed on Gwendolyn.
“You want to keep lying? Fine. Then your husband can rot in Africa for another three years.”