Chapter 82
Even if Sebastian was usually cold and distant toward Hannah, if the two of them ended up in the same bed, even if nothing actually happened, the Grant family would have to make him marry her. That was just how things worked.
She’d heard he was recently being set up with the Lawson family’s heiress. The two families were considering marriage. So, why couldn’t she be the one?
Sebastian was drunk tonight. His mind was hazy, his body sluggish. And the last few days in Amstead hadn’t helped. He always had a hard time getting used to new places. Every time he left Slate City, his body needed time to catch up.
His head already felt swollen and foggy from the alcohol. Then Hannah suddenly leaned in close, her face just inches away. The strong scent of her perfume hit him-a rich, heady rose that seemed to ignite the air around them.
That wasn’t Valeria’s scent. Hers was clean, light, and understated.
Sebastian suddenly snapped a bit more awake. He raised his hand and gently covered Hannah’s approaching lips, giving her a subtle push back.
“Sebastian…” She froze, caught off guard. There was a flicker of hurt in her expression. But when she saw the clarity returning to his gaze, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Still, she wasn’t ready to give up.
“Sebastian, we’ve known each other since we were kids. I was five when I stayed at the Grant residence with my mom for two weeks. If the Grants ever considered marriage alliances… Why not me?”
“Hannah, you grew up with Gabriella. She’s my niece, and I’ve always seen you as part of that younger generation too. Back then, you used to treat me like Gabriella’s uncle.”
“You took me as your niece…” Hannah’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Sebastian pulled out his phone, brows slightly furrowed as he ordered her a ride. “I don’t see you that way. I was drunk just now-that’s all.”
In his haze, he’d thought he saw Valeria. He thought it was a drunken dream and nothing
more.
“Why, Sebastian? I don’t want you to see me as your niece. I’m only two years younger than you. Can’t you just take a good look at me and consider me?”
As Hannah spoke, she bit down hard, steeling herself. Then, with trembling hands, she reached behind her and pulled down the zipper of her blue knit dress. The soft fabric slipped
Chapter 82
past her shoulders, revealing her smooth, glowing skin beneath.
“Hannah.” His voice came sharp and cold. That tone and that look in his eyes were distant and disapproving.
Those dark eyes stared at her not with desire, but with restraint. Like an elder warning a younger family member on the brink of a mistake. Or like a professor sternly admonishing a student.
Hannah froze, then trembled. And suddenly, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She hurriedly pulled her dress back on, face burning with shame and frustration. Covering her face with both hands, she turned and ran out of the room.
Sebastian sat up slowly, bracing himself with both hands against the bed, then leaned back against the headboard. His temples throbbed. The bedside lamp was far too bright-its light sharp and blinding.
He got up, walked over to the coffee table, and pulled a cigarette from the box. Lighting it, he took two deep drags, the smoke harsh in his lungs.
He’d thought that getting away from Slate City for a while might help clear his mind and help him shake off certain reckless thoughts. But at that moment, it didn’t feel like anything had really changed.
He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression cold and unreadable. Outside, the evening breeze lifted the pale blue curtains, and for a moment, they looked like the hem of a blue dress swaying as a woman walked-soft ripples trailing behind her.
If it had been Valeria who leaned in to kiss him just now, would he have stopped her?
He only thought about it for a second and deep down, he already knew the answer.
No. He wouldn’t stop her from kissing him. He would’ve pulled her into his arms, pressed her down against the bed.
He would have maybe even thought she was taking too long to slip out of that dress. How could he have such urges for a woman who was married and had a child?
Sebastian knew these thoughts were wrong. It was a line that should never be crossed, as such thoughts went against morality.
