Page 83 of Sebastian.

I turn to Andries and Roxanne, who are now close enough to chat. “You two certainly know how to make a surprise entrance,” I tease, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Andries chuckles, his eyes warm with sincerity. “Well, we couldn't resist Dad’s invitation. Especially now that we’re back from our trip. I figured he had either finally lost his mind or was sincerely wanting to reconcile. I’m glad to see it’s the latter.”

Roxanne chimes in with a grin. “And it's about time we put the past behind us. Not that I was the one holding out…”

Andries gives his wife an exasperated look just as Sebastian joins in, his arms wrapping around my waist. “Let's toast to new beginnings.”

Waving Elise and Dan over, we all raise our glasses, the clinking of crystal echoing through the room. The painful tension of the past has been replaced by a sense of belonging and acceptance, and I can't help but feel this is the start of something beautiful.

I catch our butler's eye and gesture to him. “Hey, Edward, would you mind taking a photo to capture the moment?”

With a nod and a knowing smile, he steps forward, and I hand him my iPhone. “Of course, ma’am.”

As the camera clicks and flashes, our smiles and laughter freeze in time, forever capturing the joy of this remarkable, healing evening. It's a new chapter in our lives, filled with love, laughter, and the promise of a brighter future for all of us.

ONE WEEK LATER…

26

Hannah

I slouchin the plush backseat of the family car, pulling at the hem of my henley shirt and looking out the window. I can’t deny that I feel stupid about being nervous, but there’s nothing I can do to change it. There's this buzz of excitement zipping through my veins because today, yes today, finally, I'm going to England to watch the Horse Show with none other than Johan Bentinck himself. I can barely sit still thinking about it.

While I don’t want to admit it to my parents, the past few days have been quite nice. After all, having them living under the same roof again is such a big relief, even if the lovesick looks they keep giving each other make me want to gag. It’s a return to normalcy, and for me, that’s enough.

Now, it’s just me and the family driver, on my way to fly out to meet Johan. At first I wasn’t expecting that Mom and Pops would let me go on my own, but I guess sixteen is sort of a milestone age, so I’m glad they did. Plus, they don’t have any reason not to trust me. It’s not like they know about my stash of precious things, or Johan's and my little moment at my brother’s wedding…

Someone knows about that moment, though, and she’s calling me right now. My heartbeat kicks up into overdrive.

Oma Margaret’s contact flashes across the screen as it rings, and there’s nothing else for me to do but answer it, even if I don’t want to. My voice is loaded with fake enthusiasm when I finally pick up. “Hi Oma, what a pleasant surprise.”

“I’m sure it is,” she drawls. No pleasantries here. Oma dives right in, her voice as crisp and commanding as ever. “I assume you're on your way to the airport?”

“Yeah, I am…” I mutter, the anticipation of the trip still lingering in my voice.

“Great, a trusted chauffeur will meet you on the tarmac once you land and will drive you to the address,” she informs me, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Groaning, I can't help but muster a bit of defiance. “Do Ireallyhave to do this?”

Without missing a beat, she shoots back, “It costs you nothing to go there on my behalf. I kept my mouth shut about that little incident of yours, Ms. Hannah, so now you get to pay me back.”

I heave a dramatic sigh, shoulders slumping with the weight of her expectation. “Yes, Oma. I know.”

“Good. Keep me updated once you're done with it,” she chirps with finality and ends the call.

The line is dead when I utter my next sentence. “Alright, I will.”

So here I am, a week into being sixteen, and it turns out, I'm still fated to be the unwilling pawn in Oma's mysterious games. Life just keeps getting better and better. But hey, at least I've got the horse show to look forward to with Johan once my little errand is done.

Not that I even care about horses. But I do care about him.

A deep, mortifying sigh escapes me as I replay that cringe-worthy moment that Oma just had to bring up in my mind. How did I even end up in that situation? Oh yeah, by being the world’s best tour guide of Oma’s mansion. It wasn't just an excuse to be alone with Johan. Or maybe it was…but no one needs to know that.

We were having a blast, just joking around as I showed him the ins and outs of the place. Then things took an unexpected turn when we were in Oma’s office. Amidst our usual banter, Johan swiped my phone and held it high above his head, trying to show off our height difference.

There I was, hopping and jumping, making the most ridiculous attempts to snatch my phone back. We were both laughing so hard that I thought my ribs would ache the next day. And then, for a split second, I let my guard down. There was this…moment when I thought maybe, just maybe, Johan might actually feel something for me.

Not just that. It was a moment when he had been just about to kiss me. I wasn’t sure at first, but now I’m certain that kissing was his intention. Even considering it makes me flush hot.

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