Chapter 39
Sebastian was never the reserved and refined person that people imagined him to be.
Valeria first saw him back in her freshman year of high school. He stepped out of an internet cafe with a cigarette between his lips. Standing in the evening breeze, he flicked the ash off casually. He was wearing a crisp white school uniform, buttoned all the way up, making him look like he was about to walk on stage for an award.
Behind him trailed a group of spoiled, troublemaking rich kids, arms slung over each other’s shoulders. “Sebastian, are you pulling another all-nighter?”
Beneath his cool, well-behaved exterior, he carried a kind of reckless arrogance that didn’t care about rules. He could silence every critic by staying at the top of his class. No one would’ve ever connected him to a student who smoked, skipped class, and played games in the
internet cafes all night.
To all the teachers, he was the model student.
Valeria leaned back in the seat, trying to relax. The chocolate on her tongue had completely
melted.
However, in the confined space of the car, even though her dizziness had mostly passed, a queasy tightness lingered in her chest. The air smelled faintly of a high-end men’s cologne,
mixed with the scent of leather seats.
She frowned slightly.
Then, all of a sudden, the window beside her cracked open just a bit. A cool breeze swept in, clearing her head and easing the discomfort in her stomach. She couldn’t help glancing his
way.
Sebastian kept his eyes on the road, driving with one hand on the wheel. On his wrist was the same niche luxury watch brand he always favored, the one he had gifted her seven years ago.
In the back seat, Leo was chatting nonstop, the kind of kid who could light up any room. The world of children was simple and happy.
Valeria glanced at his mushroom cut hairstyle, his round, chubby cheeks, and wide eyes. He looked incredibly adorable.
If her son, Selena’s brother, had survived, he would’ve been about the same age.
However, he hadn’t made it. He died of oxygen deprivation shortly after birth, despite
resuscitation efforts.
For six years, Valeria had buried herself in work and life, pretending to move on. However,
deep down, she knew that kind of pain never truly went away. No one could forget the child they carried for nine months.
She had never even seen his face. By the time she woke up, she was told she had given birth to twins, and the boy had survived for just 26 minutes before passing away.
Sebastian noticed through the rearview mirror how her expression suddenly dimmed. He reached out and gently patted the talkative little guy in the passenger seat.
Leo had always been a natural optimist. In his world, the worst part of today probably wasn’t getting clawed at by a girl. It was that Sebastian drank the orange juice meant for him.
Sebastian assumed Leo was playing on his phone and being too loud, disturbing Valeria, so he told Leo to keep it down.
When they reached Wentram Road, Valeria got out and thanked Sebastian.
The car pulled up to her apartment building. Leo pointed at a small shop along the street. Uncle Sebastian, is that place good? It smells amazing!” He couldn’t read the sign yet, but the delicious scent lit up his entire face.
Selena chimed in, “That’s the ravioli shop. It’s delicious! Mommy and I eat there all the time.”
“Uncle Sebastian, you haven’t had dinner yet, right? Grandma says your eating habits are all over the place. If you skip dinner, your stomach’s going to hurt,” Leo reminded.
“Were you not full enough from the pizza and fried chicken?” Sebastian looked at Leo’s round belly and saw right through him.
Ignoring him, Leo turned to Valeria, grabbing her hand. His eyes sparkled. “Ms. Neal, the ravioli at your doorstep smells so, so good. You eat here all the time, right? This definitely isn’t junk food, huh?”
Valeria laughed at his greedy expression. She really liked this kid and couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. “Yep, they’re healthy food.”
Leo then held out his hand toward Sebastian, signaling for him to lean down. Leaning lazily against the car, Sebastian glanced at Leo but didn’t bend down.
So, Leo started throwing a fit. “Uncle Sebastian…”
“Yeah?” Sebastian responded.
Leo blushed and lowered his voice. “Can you lend me some money?”
“Do you not have any left in your Smart Watch?” Sebastian asked.
“Uncle Sebastian! Keep your voice down,” Leo whispered, afraid of being embarrassed.
