Chapter 40
Leo clutched the leg of Sebastian’s dress pants. Valeria had overheard everything. How could a man not have money?
Worse still, a beautiful woman had heard it too. It was humiliating.
However, Mallory had transferred all the money out of Leo’s account to stop him from buying junk food after school.
Valeria offered to buy him dinner. It was getting late anyway, and although Selena had eaten a little earlier, she still needed something more substantial.
Plus, Sebastian had driven them here. She figured covering the meal was a small way to repay him.
With his face flushed, Leo defended his dignity. “Ms. Neal, I do have money. Uncle Sebastian’s just holding onto it for me.”
Sebastian didn’t tease him this time. He simply tilted his chin slightly, and Leo immediately grabbed Valeria’s hand and dashed toward the ravioli shop.
Sebastian glanced at Valeria, his gaze falling to her pale lips. He frowned slightly. “You’ve got low blood sugar. Make sure you eat on time and have a balanced diet. Don’t delay breakfast, and don’t avoid the main courses.
“Got it,” she responded softly.
He turned and walked toward the shop, and Valeria followed behind. She told the shop owner she would pay for the meal. That way, it didn’t feel like she owed anything.
She was always looking for some sense of balance in this unexpected reunion with Sebastian. Since he gave her a ride, she figured this dinner was the least she could do.
Leo was absolutely thrilled with the food. As he ate the ravioli, he declared it the best meal he
had ever had.
With his chubby cheeks and picture-perfect smile, the shop owner was completely taken with him. She ended up giving them an extra plate of seasonal dishes and two eggs on the house.
After they finished eating, Leo leaned across the table and discreetly stretched a hand toward Sebastian. “Uncle Sebastian, please. Just transfer 100 dollars to me. I’ll pay you back double.”
He couldn’t let his pride suffer like this.
Sebastian gave a faint smirk and sent him 100 dollars.
Leo hopped off the chair and rushed over to pay the bill, only to be told that Valeria had
already settled it.
He frowned. “Ms. Neal, I wanted to treat you. You’re not supposed to pay.”
“What’s wrong with letting me treat you?” Valeria asked gently, avoiding Sebastian, who was standing behind Leo. “It’s to thank Sebastian for giving us a ride.”
“Then… Then, you can treat us next time. Just not this time.” He had been taught to always pick up the tab when taking a woman out for a meal. “Ms. Neal, let’s add each other on WhatsApp. I’ll transfer the money to you, and next time you can treat me again, okay?”
“Alright.” Valeria pulled out her phone and scanned the QR code from his smartwatch. His profile popped up with a flashy username: The Prince of Love.
She couldn’t help but wonder if kids these days were all this bold. It was rather dramatic.
Sebastian was driving Leo back home. The boy was busy sending voice messages to Valeria on WhatsApp. “Ms. Neal, you’re so pretty. You’re the prettiest woman I’ve seen, besides my mom and Grandma.”
Sebastian’s lips twitched at the overly sweet compliment. He was definitely going to mock Leo for this. Was that how he talked to Mallory at home? No wonder this little guy turned out like
this.
“Uncle Sebastian, you nearly ruined my reputation today.” Leo put down his phone and turned
to Sebastian with a serious face.
Sebastian kept his eyes on the road and said nothing.
“I don’t have money. Ms. Grant drained my entire New Year stash, but I can’t chase girls
without
money. Can you lend me 2,000 dollars? When Ms. Neal handed me the pizza slice with the most toppings today, I fell for her. It was love at first sight.”
The tires let out a sharp squeal as Sebastian slammed the brakes. He rubbed his brow, veins pulsing at his temple. “Leo!”
“Uncle Sebastian, I know you’re not a shallow man. You get me, right?” Leo asked.
Sebastian didn’t respond. He just kept driving, completely ignoring the nonsense pouring out of Leo’s mouth for the rest of the journey.
