Chapter 28: The Morning After and The Black Box

 

The next morning, the atmosphere in the Sterling Villa had completely changed. The air felt sweeter. The sunlight felt warmer. Even the birds outside seemed to be singing love songs.

Harper was in the kitchen, humming as she flipped pancakes. Her face was still burning from the memory of yesterday’s kiss in the rehab room. Every time she thought about it, her spatula trembled.

Whirrr. The sound of the wheelchair approaching made her jump. She nearly dropped a pancake onto the floor.

"Morning, Happy Puppy," a low, husky voice came from behind her.

Harper spun around, clutching the spatula to her chest like a shield. "M-Morning, Boss!"

Sebastian sat there, freshly showered, wearing a crisp navy shirt. His hair was styled back perfectly. He looked unfairly handsome. But unlike his usual grumpy morning self, today his eyes were crinkling with a lazy, satisfied smile.

He rolled closer, trapping her between his chair and the kitchen counter. "Is that how you greet your boyfriend?" he murmured, tilting his head.

Harper blinked. "Boyfriend?"

"We kissed," Sebastian stated matter-of-factly. "You are mine now. That makes me your boyfriend."

He pointed to his cheek. "Morning kiss. Now."

Harper turned fifty shades of red. "Liam might come downstairs!"

"Let him come," Sebastian didn't move. He just waited, looking at her with those deep, expectant eyes.

Harper bit her lip. She quickly leaned down, pecked his cheek at the speed of light, and immediately turned back to the stove. "Pancakes are burning!"

Sebastian chuckled, a low vibration in his chest. He didn't move away. Instead, he rested his hand on her waist as she cooked, his thumb absently stroking the fabric of her apron. He was clingy. Like a giant, possessive cat that had finally caught its favorite toy.

"You're coming with me today," Sebastian said suddenly.

"To the hospital?"

"No. To the office."

Harper paused. "But I turned down the job offer."

"I know," Sebastian rested his chin on her shoulder from behind, watching the pancakes bubble. "But I'm the CEO. I need my personal caretaker with me. My legs might cramp. I might need coffee. I might need to look at your face to calm down during a boring meeting."

Harper giggled. "You just want to show off your trophy."

"Exactly," Sebastian kissed her earlobe, making her shiver. "Go get changed. Wear something professional. But not too pretty. I don't want Liam staring at you."

---

[The Power Couple]

When Sebastian rolled into the lobby of Sterling Headquarters with Harper walking beside him, the entire building seemed to hold its breath.

Gone were the pitying looks. The staff remembered the engagement party photos. They remembered the viral tweet. This wasn't a cripple and his maid. This was the King and his chosen Queen.

Employees bowed respectfully as they passed. "Good morning, Mr. Sterling. Good morning, Miss Evans."

Harper stood tall, wearing a simple but elegant blazer Sebastian had bought for her. She smiled politely, playing the part of the capable assistant perfectly.

They took the private elevator to the top floor.

Liam was already in the CEO's office, buried under paperwork. When he saw them enter, he groaned. "Great. The lovebirds are here. The air suddenly smells like sugar and bad decisions."

Sebastian ignored him, rolling to his massive mahogany desk. "Get to work, Liam."

Harper sat on a small sofa near Sebastian’s desk, pretending to read a magazine. But she couldn't concentrate.

Every few minutes, Sebastian would look up from his documents. His cold corporate eyes would soften instantly when they landed on her. Once, when Liam turned around to grab a file, Sebastian quickly rolled over, grabbed Harper’s hand, kissed her palm, and then rolled back to his desk as if nothing happened.

Harper tried hard not to giggle. This secret office romance felt thrilling.

[The Delivery]

Around 11:00 AM, the internal phone rang.

Liam answered. "Yes? A package? For who? Harper?"

He frowned. "Okay, send it up."

Liam hung up. "Harper, reception says a courier dropped off a package for you. Marked urgent."

Harper was surprised. "For me? I didn't order anything."

A receptionist brought in a sleek black box tied with a white ribbon. It looked expensive, like it might contain jewelry or high-end chocolates. There was no return address.

Harper took the box. "Maybe it's a late gift from my parents?"

Sebastian stopped working. He watched her, a strange feeling of unease settling in his gut. "Be careful opening it," he said sharply.

Harper untied the ribbon. She lifted the lid.

Her smile instantly vanished. A cold gasp escaped her lips. She dropped the box onto the coffee table, backing away in horror.

"What is it?" Liam jumped up.

Sebastian rolled over instantly, positioning himself between Harper and the box. He looked inside.

His blood ran cold.

Inside the beautiful box was a mess of flowers. They were jasmine and roses—the same flowers Harper loved, the same ones she had planted in his garden. But they were destroyed. The petals were shredded, torn apart violently. They were covered in thick, red paint that looked disturbingly like blood.

Nestled in the middle of the ruined flowers was a photo. It was a candid photo of Harper gardening in the villa yesterday. It was taken from a distance, through a telephoto lens. Someone had been watching her.

On the photo, her face was violently scratched out with a red marker.

A small note lay beside it, typed in plain font: [ Flowers wither so easily. Enjoy your bloom while it lasts. Leave him, or you will end up like these roses. ]

The office went deathly silent. The sweet, romantic atmosphere from seconds ago evaporated, replaced by a chilling terror.

Harper stood behind Sebastian’s chair, trembling. Her hands gripped his shoulders for support. "Someone... someone was watching me at the house."

Sebastian didn't speak. He stared at the box. The "Golden Cat" was gone. His eyes were pitch black, a storm raging inside them. The air around him seemed to freeze.

He slowly reached out and picked up the threatening note. His fingers crumpled the paper.

"Liam," Sebastian’s voice was so low it was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of a death sentence. "Lock down the building. Call the head of security." "Nobody leaves until we find who delivered this."

He reached up and covered Harper’s trembling hand with his own. His grip was iron-tight.

"Don't be scared, Happy Puppy," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "They just made the biggest mistake of their lives."