Divorced Heiress
I am Not A Contract Chapter 13

Abby looked at Bastian with an arched eyebrow, thinking he was going crazy with the way he smiled in solitude at his table, lost in his thoughts. It seemed like he was remembering a joke, or maybe a really good moment that was hard to forget. It wasn't until he realized her presence that he seemed to snap out of it, smelling his wine glass. Suddenly, the brunette wondered for the umpteenth time why she had agreed to have lunch with a Lefebvre.

For some inexplicable reason, she regretted standing him up at the last minute and came to the location he had sent her by message.

I hope I don't regret this, Abby thought, placing her hand on the chair.

When she saw Bastian almost empty his wine glass on the table to get up, she raised her hand in the air to stop him.

There was no need for chivalrous gestures.

"It's not necessary for you to get up and pull out my chair for me, I can do it myself," Abby said immediately, dragging the chair to sit in front of Bastian, leaving him stunned in his place.

He didn't expect her first words to be so harsh, but he quickly cleared his throat and complied with her request.

Bastian knew perfectly well that it wouldn't be easy to make Abby be kind to him, all because he was a Lefebvre.

So, he had to be careful with every word he said.

The last thing he wanted was to take two steps back after finally taking one forward.

"Of course, you can do it on your own," Bastian responded, settling into his chair and discreetly rubbing his hands together in an attempt to calm his nerves that were starting to bubble up.

"I'thought you wouldn't come," he added, taking what remained of his wine with an almost nonexistent smile.

Abby locked eyes with Bastian, and he felt a shiver run down his spine upon seeing the smile that adorned her face, even though he knew it wasn't a sincere smile.

"It wasn't in my plans to come," Abby clarified, looking away from Bastian to see the menu and decide what she would order.

"But there was nothing else worth my time." She spoke as if she disliked being in that place, sitting at the same table as him.

She was being so disrespectful that even she noticed, but the idea crossed her mind that Bastian was colluding with Vincent to get close to her and convince her to interrupt the pregnancy.Suddenly, it didn't seem like she had been too harsh. "Have you already ordered?" Abby asked.

Bastian felt frustrated because nothing was going as he had imagined. In fact, everything was more difficult than he had anticipated. Abby was very reluctant, and she had just arrived

Patience, Bastian, a lot of patience. She's worth it, Bastian thought, finding it unfair for her to treat him that way and not even use the familiar form of address after all, as if he were a new acquaintance.

"T'didn't order. I was waiting for you," he answered her question, swallowing everything inside and motioned the waitress to order after nearly an hour waiting for Abby.

"Uh, you are very confident, as confident as your brother." Abby's comment hit him like a kick. She was comparing him to his older brother as if she didn't notice that the difference between the two was abysmal.

Bastian opened his mouth to refute and tell her that she was wrong, that she was being very cruel for no reason, but the waitress came so he swallowed every word.

"Are you ready to order, Mr. Lefebvre?" the blonde's voice caught the attention of Abby, who put the menu aside to stare at her.

"Have I become invisible?" asked Abby, as if it had offended her that the waitress only referred to Bastian.

The young woman felt ashamed and her cheeks flushed when she understood the sudden question of Bastian's companion. The latter looked at Abby astonished, for she was already overdoing herself. "Sorry, Rosalie. She's my guest."Bastian apologized for Abby's discourtesy and to ease the tension that had formed he proceeded to place his order.

"Cote de boeuf, you know how I like it."

Abby raised an eyebrow as she heard every word directed at the waitress with such confidence, as if he had known her for a long time, and she looked at him for a few seconds.

Suddenly, she realized that she was being very rude.

She cursed Vincent in her mind for planting the seed of bitterness in her. At a certain point, she felt like a stranger to herself.

"I'll order the same as Mr. Lefebvre. Thank you, Rosalie," Abby said, this time being kinder.

The blonde, in the midst of her perplexity, took the order and disappeared, fearing that the brunette might change her mood at any moment.

What a taste Bastian Lefebvre has! Rosalie thought halfway down the path before releasing the breath she had been holding since that woman spoke.

At the table, Abby remained silent. She was no longer as sure as she was in the beginning that it was worth spending energy reproaching him, as if he were her worst enemy or even Vincent himself.

On the other hand, Bastian took a deep breath and prepared himself to receive any hurtful words from her, as he understood that she was not going through the best of times.

Pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend, betrayed and mocked by her family, he knew perfectly well that it would be a very long and complicated process.

"Abby, I don't find any reason for you to act so thoughtlessly. Don't you know who I am? Hi, I'm Bastian, do you remember me?" Bastian made his first attempt to calm the situation, letting her know that he was the same person she has known since they were children, the same Bastian she helped posing as his girlfriend in front of his ex-girlfriend. It was him.

Although Bastian spoke to her in a soft voice, not showing any disgust at how she had been treating him since she arrived.

Abby remained defensive. As much as she wanted to, she found it difficult to trust the brother of the man who left her devastated and with a broken heart.

"Look, don't take it personally, but it's just that I can't get it out of my head that you are here because of him, you're his brother. And do you want to know what I see? That he left you in charge of the company's shares, ordered you to watch over me, to approach me, to convince me to interrupt the pregnancy, or am I wrong?"

Bastian couldn't help but gaze at her without hiding his surprise at her erroneous conclusion. It was difficult for him to believe that she was deliberately pointing fingers at him with such certainty that anyone could believe her.

Bastian couldn't contain himself any longer and in the next second, he burst out laughing, catching the attention of some nearby diners.

Abby looked at him with a displeased face, feeling indignant because he was mocking her to her face.

Abby rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat to leave the table. She wasn't going to tolerate being ridiculed, but Bastian quickly grabbed her hand, preventing her from taking a step, and was forced to stop laughing. "Don't go, I haven't answered your question yet," Bastian said, looking intensely at Abby.

She tried to ignore the way he looked at her, as if he could see into her soul, but it was impossible.

No one had ever looked at her that way, not even Vincent.

"No, you don't need to answer," Abby's voice sounded softer despite her reluctance. At this point, she didn't know if she wanted to leave because he was a Lefebvre or because of the way his eyes were connected to her. "Do I not have the right to defend myself against your false accusations?" Bastian asked in a low voice, but Abby heard it as if he had whispered it in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Abby remained silent for a few seconds, staring intently into the hazel eyes of the dark-haired man. His intense gaze filled with tenderness and his calm voice made her feel guilty for being so unfair to Bastian.

She realized that he had endured her mistreatment since she arrived, and she was about to leave simply because Bastian laughed.

Abby's eyes shifted to the hand of the dark-haired man that was holding hers, and Bastian let go of it immediately.

The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

If she preferred to leave, he wouldn't force her to stay.

When Bastian thought that Abby would leave the restaurant, he was surprised when the brunette returned to sit in front of him.

"I will listen to you, Bas, if what you have to say is not convincing, then I will know that you are on Vincent's side," said Abby, feeling inexplicably calm, and Bastian nodded his head, giving a faint smile, as it seemed that the brunette was starting to put aside her distrust, he noticed it when she started to address him informally.

"I am not a monster, I am not inhuman, I have not agreed with Vincent, I do not agree with him wanting to interrupt your pregnancy out of fear, and that, since he did not succeed, he abandoned everything and hid somewhere in the world."

Abby felt a pang in her chest upon hearing Bastian, not only because of remembering Vincent's cruel words, but also due to the sincerity on the man's face in front of her, who had so many things to say, but it was not the right time to let them out, he just had to convince her.

"Abby, I am not the bad guy, I am on your side and if I am here it is for you to know that you have my unconditional support, we have known each other since we can remember, I care about you, your well-being and...for that baby, it is a Lefebvre after all." "Do not say that ever again, my baby will not carry the last name of that miserable dog," Abby pointed her finger at him as a threat and Bastian raised his hands showing himself innocent.

He will still be a Lefebvre if you accept me.

Bastian couldn't help but think that in any case that child would carry his last name, but he wasn't going to take it for granted until he healed Abby's wounds and won her heart. "Difficult, but not impossible."

"Okay, as you say. Abby, you did me a great favor by pretending to be my girlfriend, let me return the favor, let me be close to you, don't push me away, I swear on the most sacred thing that I am not doing this for Vincent, he can go to hell, I am doing it for you, because you matter to me." Bastian stopped speaking when he realized he said too much, now he was praying that Abby wouldn't realize the true meaning in which he said it.

"Do I matter to you?" was the first thing Abby asked, Bastian wanted the earth to open up and swallow him, but even so, he nodded his head. "Don't get me wrong, you matter to me just as much as Sarah and Britney do, but your case is..."

Abby interrupted what the dark-haired man was explaining.

"You pity me, of course, who doesn't? My case is pitiful."

Bastian scratched the back of his head with exasperation and put his hands on the table to look at her intently before speaking.

"No, Abby, I don't pity you, at least not to you, do you know what I think? That you are the strongest and most capable woman I have ever met, you are worthy of admiration. If we talk about pity, I pity Vincent, he had everything any man would want in the palm of his hand and because of cowardice, he lost it, in contrast, you, Abby, despite losing everything that life has taken from you, have gained so much, you have saved yourself from a criminal family and you have saved yourself from spending the rest of your life with a man who only thinks of himself."

Bastians words touched Abby's heart, many had given her words of encouragement that she had not asked for, but Bastian's words were so sincere, so full of admiration, that they touched the most sensitive fiber of her being. Bastian's words made her feel fortunate for each of the tragedies in her life, as if all the bad had been necessary to become the strong woman she now was.

She was fortunate, because even though her circle was diminishing, the people who really loved her and would be there for her unconditionally were staying.

There, sitting at that table, she realized that Bastian was one of those people, he was one of the few she wanted to keep in her circle, despite him being Vincent's brother, she understood it perfectly.

Paul Dubois is my brother and I have never been nor will I ever be on his side, Abby thought, relating her situation to Bastian's, and although they were very different cases, she could see in those hazel eyes that this man was telling the truth.

"You sounded very convincing," admitted the brunette, feeling more peaceful and comfortable with Bastian's company, she was sure he was not a traitor and that he genuinely supported her.

"I believe in you."