Chapter 56
In the photo, Sebastian even cracked a little smile.
They had dated for three years at university, but Valeria didn’t recall ever taking a single photo
with him.
As Valeria looked at the photo, Sebastian walked over. She quickly put down her phone and clenched her fingers tightly around it.
She then took Selena’s hand. “Lenny, how about we check out the back? I think there’s a flower exhibit there.”
“Okay,” Selena replied.
Girls usually loved anything with flowers and plants. She waved at Leo before Valeria led her
away.
“Uncle Sebastian, let’s go see the flowers too,” Leo suggested.
Sebastian’s gaze followed Valeria’s figure as she all but ran away. A deep frown formed between his brows. Suppressing the restlessness building inside him, he replied, “No.”
“But Uncle Sebastian, I want to see,” Leo said.
Sebastian placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder and gently turned him around. “Didn’t you say you wanted snacks from Hall 2? They have all the snacks there.”
Leo licked his lips and eventually gave in to temptation. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Sebastian figured that since Valeria wanted to draw a clear line between them, he should respect that. After all, there wasn’t really anything between them to begin with, just a doctor and his patient. They had run into each other a few times, and that was all.
In fact, he had been somewhat interested in her before. There was something familiar about her, and she was quite appealing. But she had a husband and a child, and she was clearly keeping her distance.
There was no reason for him to insist. They were, after all, practically strangers.
When they arrived at Hall 2, it was a snack haven. There were hundreds of small booths selling all kinds of snacks and local treats. Prices were at least twice as high as those outside, but most parents gave in to their kids’ cravings.
After all, most modern-day parents didn’t want to be the killjoy.
Sebastian transferred Leo a thousand dollars so that he could scan and buy whatever he wanted with his smartwatch.
“Uncle Sebastian, I want ice cream,” Leo said.
Sebastian frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, Leo dramatically wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Uncle Sebastian, it’s so hot today. Look, I’m sweating. I need ice
cream.”
Only after seeing Sebastian give a small nod did Leo look up, standing on tiptoe to order. ” Ma’am, I’d like four ice creams. I want strawberry flavor.”
“Uncle Sebastian, what about you?” Leo tilted his head toward him.
“I don’t eat ice cream,” Sebastian replied. “Three is enough.”
“I can help you finish yours,” Leo said as he called Valeria using his smartwatch.
Selena picked up the call, and he eagerly asked what flavor she wanted.
“Ma’am, we’ll take two more pistachio-flavored ice creams,” he told the shop staff.
The young lady behind the counter smiled, clearly finding Leo adorable. She stole a glance at Sebastian standing beside Leo and whispered to her coworker, “He’s so handsome.”
“Little one,” she said to Leo, “our ice creams are self-serve. You can add your favorite toppings. We’re known for our peanut-chocolate sauce. Once it sets, it turns into a crisp
chocolate shell.”
Leo licked his lips. “Let’s just get one. Ms. Neal and Selena are allergic to peanuts.”
Meanwhile, Sebastian cast an indifferent glance around the area.
Most people there were part of the school group, though there were a few other visitors. Some kids who knew Leo waved at him from afar. Their parents, seeing Sebastian, nodded politely in
greeting.
Sebastian gave a slight nod in return out of courtesy.
When he suddenly heard the word “allergic”, his expression shifted. “Leo, what did you just say?”
Leo was short, so he had to tilt his head up to see how the ice cream was being made. He gave a sweet smile as he requested, “Could you add a bit more chocolate sauce to mine? I really like chocolate. Thank you.”
“Sure. I’ll give you a double scoop,” the staff member said, clearly won over by his charm.
Leo took his treats very seriously. He was a devoted little foodie. To him, the place was a dream come true. He was so focused on the ice cream that he didn’t even hear Sebastian’s question.
3/3
Sebastian’s voice grew deeper. “Leo, what did you just say Ms. Neal is allergic to?”
Leo looked up at Sebastian in confusion. He didn’t understand why the latter suddenly looked
so serious.
