“Forgive me,” Sebastian murmured softly as he hugged Thea, who was crying silently. His hands reached behind her knees and slowly lifted her body so that Thea was now sitting right on his lap. Sebastian cradled her as if she were a little child. He didn’t know how long she had been crying, until she finally drifted off to sleep.
With slow steps, Sebastian carried her to the bedroom. He laid Thea on the bed, took off her rubber shoes, and then covered her small frame with a thick blanket.
Damn… Sebastian cursed silently in his mind. Could he change the situation? Could he fix all the mistakes he had made? But how?
“For now, even if you tell her that you love her, I don’t think she’ll believe you,” said Aaron, his doctor and friend. “Her trust is already at its lowest point. Considering how her family has treated her all this time, and how you’ve treated her as well, it
“Forgive me,” Sebastian murmured softly as he hugged Thea, who was crying silently. His hands reached behind her knees and slowly lifted her body so that Thea was now sitting right on his lap. Sebastian cradled her as if she were a little child. He didn’t know how long she had been crying, until she finally drifted off to sleep.With slow steps, Sebastian carried her to the bedroom. He laid Thea on the bed, took off her rubber shoes, and then covered her small frame with a thick blanket.Damn… Sebastian cursed silently in his mind. Could he change the situation? Could he fix all the mistakes he had made? But how?“For now, even if you tell her that you love her, I don’t think she’ll believe you,” said Aaron, his doctor and friend. “Her trust is already at its lowest point. Considering how her family has treated her all this time, and how you’ve treated her as well, it
“I mean, what is it that you want to buy—something you’ve never had before?” Sebastian quickly corrected himself, worried that Thea’s sharp mind might interpret his question the wrong way.“I don’t know. Many things,” Thea replied flatly.“Name one of them,” Sebastian urged. But Thea remained silent. Were her desires so many that she couldn’t even mention a single one? Sebastian wondered silently.“Why are you quiet?” he asked, surprised.“I don’t know,” Thea answered hesitantly. “Every time someone asks me what I want, that’s precisely when I get confused.” She gave a faint, wistful smile that somehow made Sebastian’s chest ache.“Tell me about your parents,” Sebastian requested, his eyes still fixed on Thea. Yet his gaze went blank as Thea turned to look at him.&
There wasn’t much Thea could do after finishing the dishes. There was no Shareeza to play with, and being around Sebastian still made her feel uneasy. In the end, Thea chose to sit at the back area of the villa and idly play with the water in the swimming pool.“Thea?” Sebastian’s voice made Thea turn. She saw the man walking while glancing around, as if searching for her.“I’m here, Sir,” Thea replied, rising from her seat and approaching Sebastian. “Do you need anything, Sir?” she asked once she was close enough.“No,” Sebastian answered honestly. “I was just looking for you because you didn’t come back,” he continued, his tone sounding slightly irritated. Thea chose to remain silent.“What were you doing?” Sebastian asked curiously.“Nothing, Sir. I was just feeling a bit bored,” Thea answered. At
Sebastian stepped out of his room and walked toward the kitchen. He still didn’t know what to do, considering he had deliberately postponed all his work until he felt ready to start again.The delicious aroma of cooking greeted him and drew his attention. There, Thea stood with her back to him, looking busy preparing something. Sebastian grew curious, as the fragrance was truly appetizing.“What are you cooking?” he asked, startling Thea, who turned with an annoyed look in her eyes.So that’s her annoyed expression? Why does it look so adorable instead? Sebastian thought, trying to hide a faint smile.“I’m cooking instant noodles, Sir,” Thea replied, turning her attention back to the knife in her hand, seemingly slicing something.“Instant noodles? But why does it smell this good?” asked Sebastian, who hadn’t eaten such simple food in a long time. “Would you be willing to share with me?”He then sat down on the barstool, quietly watching Thea as she carefully sliced chili peppers.“Wi
Thea woke up when the sun was already high in the sky. Her whole body felt exhausted and drained of energy. As she got out of bed, pain spread through every muscle, making her wince softly. She wanted to stretch or groan, but embarrassment held her back.Thea’s gaze fell on Sebastian’s clothes, neatly folded on the chair in the corner of the room. Her brow furrowed. She slowly crawled toward them and saw a note tucked on top of the clothes."I’ve taken your clothes. Wear these instead. For lunch, just reheat the food. Mr. Pierre and I are going to visit a place nearby, and we’ll probably be back only at night. So, just prepare dinner for yourself and Mr. Sebastian. No need to wait for us. – Helen."Thea let out a deep breath and followed the instructions in the note. She put on her underwear, then slipped into Sebastian’s oversized T-shirt that hung loosely on her body, paired with his boxer shorts that barely covered half of her thighs.Why didn’t she just take some clothes from my r
Sebastian let out a low groan. The sunlight streaming into his room felt too bright, too blinding. He wasn’t ready to get up—sleep still weighed heavily on him, and his body felt far too exhausted to move.“Close the curtains again. I’m not ready to get up,” he ordered curtly, not caring who had disturbed his sleep.“It’s already quite late, and Mr. Pierre said you should have breakfast soon,” replied a girl’s voice from inside the room.That voice… that flat tone…Sebastian’s eyes flew open. A young woman stood with her back to him, dressed in a soft pink uniform. Her long hair was neatly tied up and tucked into a black net, clipped with a matching ribbon-shaped accessory. She wasn’t too tall, nor too short—and her figure was perfectly proportioned.Turn around.The command echoed in Sebastian’s mind. And sure enough, the girl turned to face him. Her gaze was calm—expressionless, giving very little away.She was beautiful. Incredibly beautiful in Sebastian’s eyes, even though he had