Chapter 48
Rain had fallen on Slate City a few days ago, and the old aluminum window still showed winding marks of water on the outside, which had dried into dusty stains under the sun.
Valeria looked out the window.
Sebastian was standing outside, smoking. His tall frame was wrapped in a thin, dark gray sweater, accentuating his broad shoulders and slim waist.
The late autumn wind scattered the smoke the moment it left his lips. It lifted his short hair, brushing it lightly across his forehead. He squinted and finished two cigarettes in no time.
Valeria observed in silence, thinking how different they had become over the last seven years.
Sebastian hadn’t smoked like that in the past. He wasn’t the type to step out for a cigarette just after a meal.
Valeria realized it had already been seven years. Time had passed quickly, and somehow, it hadn’t left much of a mark on him. He only looked more handsome and mature.
Valeria turned her eyes to the window and caught sight of her slim silhouette in the glass. She thought that it’d be nice if she could remain in that identity as a stranger-like friend to him.
After all, they lived in the same city. Maybe they’d bump into each other now and then, or perhaps have a casual meal together, just like the most ordinary kind of friends.
With that thought in mind, Valeria looked at Sebastian’s silhouette.
He was on the phone, saying something she couldn’t hear. His fingers hung loosely at his side, holding a cigarette.
Through the dim, dust-covered window, Valeria could see him casually flick his fingers.
A second later, the cigarette ember glowed a deep red and then flickered out again.
When Sebastian wasn’t smiling or speaking, his face looked cold. That coldness wasn’t just in his expression. It came from deep within.
November in Slate City brought a real chill to the nights.
Putting out his cigarette, Sebastian said calmly, “I’ve sent you a license plate number on WhatsApp. Look into it. That driver is probably a repeat offender. He has been using the ride- hailing service to harass female passengers. I want you to teach him a lesson.”
“Got it, Sebastian. By the way, Mark’s wedding is next Saturday. He asked me to pass along
that he’d like you to be his groomsman,” said the person on the other end.
Sebastian had grown up with Mark Davidson, Gavin Jackman, and Simon Hill. Their families had long-standing business ties. Since childhood, Sebastian had always been the one calling
the shots.
Clenching the cigarette between his teeth, he said, “Send Mark a wedding gift. I’m not doing the groomsman thing.”
Simon hesitated for a moment. “I already talked to Mark. Making you a groomsman will shift the entire focus of the wedding. But Mark’s fiancée is close friends with Sabrina. They invited Sabrina to be a bridesmaid because they wanted to pair her with you and… Hey, Mark! Why are you taking my phone?”
“Sebastian, it’s Mark. Look. It was Jen who asked me to invite you to be a groomsman. You know how close she is to Sabrina. She asked me to help her out with this,” Mark said.
It was a friend’s request, and it was his wedding.
Sebastian gave in. “Fine. You’re the groom. I’ll do as you say.”
“Thanks, Sebastian,” Mark replied.
900
Sebastian took the seat across from Valeria, bringing in a slight breeze as he sat. There was no trace of cigarette smoke on him as he had stayed outside a while to let the scent fade before coming back in.
Valeria had already finished her bowl of ravioli.
At 10:10 pm, Sebastian got up to pay, but Beatrice smiled and told him Valeria had already
taken care of it:
The wind on the street lifted Valeria’s hair, and she reached up to tuck it back. As she walked him to the black car, she softly said, “Thank you for today.”
Sebastian hummed in response and looked at her. “Has your husband been overseas all this
time?”
“Oh?” Valeria understood that when Sebastian mentioned her husband, he meant Shane.
During the time Lucy was hospitalized, everyone in the ward had assumed she was Lucy’s daughter-in-law.
Valeria gave a vague reply. “Yeah.”
“Don’t you guys get along?” he asked.
Valeria responded quickly, “No, we’re fine.”
