Chapter 4: The Expired Lollipop

 

Sebastian Sterling had skipped breakfast.

By 1:00 PM, his hunger had turned into a physical ache. He sat in the dining room, waiting. Surely, the new caretaker would try to impress him with a lavish lunch.

Harper walked in carrying a plate.Pan-Seared Steak. It was perfectly cooked—crispy brown on the outside, tender pink on the inside, juices sizzling. The aroma of rosemary and butter filled the room.

Sebastian swallowed hard. He picked up his fork, ready to eat. But then his pride kicked in. He couldn't just give in so easily.

"The plating is messy," Sebastian critiqued, poking the steak. "But... I suppose I can tolerate it."

"Oh," Harper said cheerfully. "If it's just 'tolerable,' then don't force yourself."

Swish. Before Sebastian could blink, Harper snatched the plate away.

"I'll eat it myself. I hate wasting food."

She turned and marched back into the kitchen.

Sebastian sat there, fork hovering in mid-air, stunned.She... she took it away?Just like that?

His stomach let out a roar of protest that vibrated through his ribs. He was starving.

He rolled his wheelchair to the kitchen door. Harper was humming, scrubbing the counters.

"You're scrubbing?" Sebastian asked awkwardly.

"Hygiene is important!" Harper chirped, popping a piece of steak into her mouth. "Mmm! So juicy!"

Sebastian watched her eat. He felt like a beggar looking through a restaurant window.

"I..." Sebastian cleared his throat. "I don't need a complex lunch. Just... something simple. A snack."

Harper looked around. "A snack? Oh! I found this while cleaning the freezer."

She pulled a lollipop out of her pocket and handed it to him. It was wrapped in a crinkly, faded orange wrapper.

Sebastian looked at the candy. He hadn't eaten candy since he was a child. But he was desperate. "Fine," he grumbled.

He unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.Orange flavor. Sweet, tangy, and comforting. The sugar rush hit his brain instantly, soothing his trembling hands.

"It's... acceptable," Sebastian muttered, rolling the candy around his tongue.

"Glad you like it," Harper said, scrubbing the sink. "I found a whole bucket of them way in the back of the freezer. Hidden behind the ice trays. Someone must have hidden them there ages ago."

Sebastian paused. Hidden? He searched his memory. He didn't eat sweets. His parents didn't eat sweets. The only person who would hide candy... Was Liam.

"Wait," Sebastian took the lollipop out of his mouth. He stared at the wrapper. The logo looked retro. "When did Liam hide candy here?"

"I don't know," Harper shrugged. "Liam said he used to hide snacks here when he was fifteen. Before he went to boarding school."

Sebastian froze. "Fifteen?"

"Yeah. How old is he now?"

"Twenty-five."

Silence descended upon the kitchen.

Harper stopped scrubbing. She slowly turned around to look at Sebastian. Sebastian looked at the half-eaten lollipop in his hand.

15 to 25.Ten years.

"Spit it out!" Harper screamed, rushing over.

Sebastian spat the candy into the trash can. He quickly grabbed a glass of water Harper offered and rinsed his mouth, spitting again and again.

"Oh my god," Harper looked terrified. "I just fed the billionaire a ten-year-old lollipop. Is it poisonous? Should I call 911?"

Sebastian wiped his mouth, his face pale. But then he looked at Harper’s panicked face and felt a strange urge to reassure her.

"Calm down," he rasped. "Sugar is a preservative. It... probably doesn't expire in the freezer."

"Are you sure?" Harper checked his temperature with her hand. "You have a weak immune system! If you get food poisoning, Liam will kill me!"

"I'm fine," Sebastian swatted her hand away, though his ears turned slightly pink. "It was... sweet."

---

[The Midnight Crime]

That evening, Sebastian refused dinner again. (Partly out of pride, partly out of fear that Harper might poison him again).

But by 2:00 AM, he couldn't sleep. Hunger was no longer an ache; it was a beast clawing at his insides.

The mansion was silent. Moonlight spilled across the floors. Sebastian quietly maneuvered his wheelchair out of his bedroom. The wheels rolled silently on the carpet.

He took the elevator down to the kitchen.Just a glass of water, he told himself. I'm just getting water.

He opened the massive refrigerator. The cold light illuminated his face. Inside, sitting right in the center shelf, was a glass bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Golden Egg Fried Rice.

It was simple—just rice, eggs, ham cubes, and green onions. But under the fridge light, it looked like the most delicious thing on earth.

Stuck to the bowl was a yellow sticky note. Harper’s handwriting was neat and curvy:

"Mr. Sterling, in case you get hungry. (Made with fresh ingredients, I promise! No 10-year-old candy!) - Harper"

Sebastian stared at the note. He scoffed softly. "Ridiculous woman."

He took the bowl out. He didn't heat it up. He didn't even sit at the table. He grabbed a spoon and took a bite standing right there in the fridge light.

Cold fried rice shouldn't taste good. But the rice was chewy, the eggs were savory, and the ham added a perfect saltiness.

Sebastian closed his eyes.Delicious.

One bite turned into two. Then three. Before he knew it, the bowl was empty. Not a single grain of rice was left.

He felt full. For the first time in months, the cold, hollow feeling in his stomach was gone.

Sebastian washed the bowl and placed it in the dishwasher. He felt... content. He looked at the sticky note again. He took a pen from the counter and wrote one word under Harper’s message:

"Edible."

Then, he rolled his wheelchair back to the elevator, feeling like a sleek, well-fed cat returning to its lair.

---

[The Next Morning - Security Room]

Liam was rewinding the CCTV footage. His eyes were glued to the screen.

He watched his brother—the cold, untouchable Sebastian Sterling—sneaking into the kitchen at 2 AM. He watched him eating cold fried rice straight from the bowl. He watched him lick the spoon.

"He ate..." Liam whispered, his voice trembling. "He actually finished the whole bowl!"

Liam grabbed a tissue and wiped his eyes. "First the massage... now the food... Harper is a miracle worker."

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Harper.

"Liam, I found an empty bowl in the dishwasher this morning. And a note that says 'Edible.' Does that mean he liked it?"