Chapter 87
Leo turned all that frustration into an appetite. After days of seriously cutting back to lose weight, he finally gave in. He devoured the entire serving of ravioli and wiped his mouth, mumbling, “Uncle Sebastian, what are you doing here?”
Mallory looked at him, too. “Yeah, what brings you here?”
“What, do you own this place? I can’t show up if I want to?” Sebastian frowned, his sharp features focused on picking out bits of cilantro and dried shrimp from the plate with his cutlery. When his gaze dipped slightly, he caught a glimpse of Valeria’s legs out of the corner
of his eye.
She was wearing black jeans. Even with layers for winter, her legs were still long, straight, and slender. His eyes slowly traveled upward until they locked with hers-clear, calm eyes that
didn’t waver.
She wasn’t wearing makeup, not even lipstick. The last bit of color from dinner had faded from her lips. A small mole on the bridge of her nose gave her face a mischievous charm, something vibrant and effortlessly pretty.
Usually, when she wore makeup, that tiny mole was hidden, and it softened her whole look. But now, it made her look even more distinct.
Sebastian frowned slightly, still staring at that tiny mole.
Valeria met his eyes, then looked away after a few seconds.
Sebastian didn’t say anything. He looked down and took a bite of his ravioli, seeming distracted. The first mouthful had shrimp, which deepened the crease between his brows, but he swallowed it anyway.
And he hated that when things started slipping out of his control. Like tonight. When Mallory mentioned she was bringing Valeria here for dinner, he’d just landed back in town. And for some reason, he had come straight here.
The Grant family didn’t have any strict dinner table rules. They talked while eating. Nobody waited for the elders to finish before standing. At any family meal, the ones who talked the most were always Martha and Mallory, just like now.
“Ms. Neal, I happen to have a few extra tickets to a violin concert next month. My niece is on tour and performing here in the city. You should bring your daughter-she’d love it.”
Valeria hadn’t expected the invite and froze for a second. To Mallory, this was just a warm, well -meaning gesture, She had no idea about the tension between Valeria and Gabriella.
“Um… Okay, sure. I’ll come if I’m free that day,” Valeria replied.
Deep down, she wanted to turn it down. But the moment someone showed her kindness, she always felt the need to respond in kind. She cherished that warmth-too much, maybe. Even if she knew, deep down, it might wear her out.
After dinner, Valeria waved goodbye to Mallory and Leo, promising to meet again soon. Then she took Selena’s hand and headed toward their apartment.
Sebastian leaned against his car, a cigarette between his fingers. His eyes were dark as he watched from a distance.
Leo sat in the backseat, face pressed to the window. “Uncle Sebastian, did you hear that? Val said she wants to go on a date with me next week! Do you think it’ll be cold? I wanna wear the hoodie she gave me… Do you think that’s dressy enough?”
He kept rambling, lips moving a mile a minute. But Sebastian didn’t even glance at him. Sebastian’s eyes were locked on something else.
