Chapter 83
Sebastian couldn’t find the answer.
Was it love at first sight or lust at first glance? He scoffed under his breath, lips pulling into a thin, cynical smile. He didn’t believe in that kind of crap.
After all, he’d seen all kinds of beautiful women.
Wasn’t Hannah beautiful? She was young, graceful, well-connected. So, why didn’t she move him? Was it because he still hadn’t let go of Jane?
Back when he wanted nothing more than to see Jane again, someone with just a hint of her showed up instead.
Jane disappeared without a word, returned everything from their relationship like she was clearing a debt, and left him behind, stuck in place. She’d been the one to threaten him first. So, why did she get to be the one who walked away so cleanly?
And then came someone who reminded him of her-not in looks, but in the way that woman felt and the softness in her voice when she spoke. It was the way her eyes turned red when she was upset, that faint smile, the way she moved, and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear. Every gesture, every little nuance was close enough to stir something in him.
Sebastian stood in front of the window, his reflection etched into the glass. On the surface, he looked calm, detached. But only he knew what kind of beast he was trying to cage inside his
chest.
Three cigarettes later, the blue curtain by the window billowed from the wind. It looked like a dress hem catching the breeze, fluttering with every shift of the air. The fabric brushed lightly against his leg like a fleeting touch. It was soft and barely there. But maddening all the same.
He narrowed his eyes, pulled out his phone. It had two SIM cards. Both were his private contact numbers. One was his backup, just for work.
This time, he used a completely private number as he typed a message to Valeria. “You look good in that blue dress. Don’t wear it for anyone else. And don’t smile at other men.”
Because men were all trouble-himself included.
Right before bed, Valeria got the text. It startled her so badly she nearly threw her phone across the room. It was from a number she didn’t recognize,
And judging from the tone, it sounded like a man.
Barefoot, she got out of bed, yanked the curtains shut, then checked the hallway monitor. But there was no one outside.
Clutching her chest, Valeria quickly locked the door again.
The neighborhood mostly housed older residents, and the building management was decent. There had never really been any incidents before.
Still, that creepy text message had rattled her. She blocked the number right away.
The following day at work, during lunch, she and Lindsey had a meal together at the staff cafeteria on the 22nd floor of the Golden Lux Building.
While they ate, Lindsey brought up something that had happened the night before-she was in the shower when her roommate’s boyfriend suddenly showed up. She came out in a bathrobe and ran right into him. It was super awkward, and she ended up getting into a fight
with her roommate.
Bringing a guy over late at night like that made her feel completely unsafe.
Lindsey said she was planning to move out by the end of the week.
Valeria then opened a few property portals. Anything that was even slightly closer to work or made commuting easier was ridiculously expensive.
Queenie chimed in, “Then this Saturday, Valeria and I will help you move.”
Valeria had time that weekend too, so she nodded in agreement. That was when she brought up the creepy text she’d gotten the night before. She even dug it out from her trash folder to
show them.
Queenie said, “Hey, my cousin’s husband is a beat cop in our neighborhood. If you give me the number, he might be able to trace it and find out who sent it!”
