Page 73 of Sebastian.

“You’d know if you were here,” Hannah grumbles, pulling her sunglasses down just enough to see me.

“You’re welcome to come and stay at your Oma’s estate too, you know,” I remind her, my tone mirroring hers. “It’d be a bit of a drive to school, but I’m sure her driver doesn’t mind.”

She snorts, settling back to her lounging position and raising her phone again. “Oh yeah, because leaving all my belongings behind to come hang out with you sounds like the best time ever.”

I hide a smirk, knowing that beneath her typical teenage attitude, my daughter really does miss me. This is just her way of letting me know. I return to speaking with Arthur, letting him tell me everything he can about his game, his day, and anything else on his little mind. Gosh, I miss being here so much. He already looks bigger, and I’ve only been gone for a few weeks. How much of my children’s lives will I miss if I force a divorce and have to co-parent with Sebastian? The thought makes my stomach roll, and I really do have a belly ache now.

“Where’s your father?” I ask Hannah out of nowhere, and my daughter shrugs.

“No clue.”

Sighing, I lean back and close my eyes. “I was sure he was going to be here.”

Hannah hums but doesn’t say anything, typing something on her phone and pretty much ignoring me. I can’t help but want to pry more, but it is a waste of time. My two oldest kids are already deep in the web of drama that Sebastian has forced us into…there’s no reason to get Hannah stuck as well.

Five or so minutes later, I hear the sound of the glass door opening and the click of the butler’s heels on the stone. He approaches and clears his throat, getting my full attention before speaking. “Ma’am, Mr. Van den Bosch would like to invite you to stay for dinner.”

I narrow my eyes, annoyed. “Invite me for dinner in my own home?”

The butler’s face pales, clearly panicked at my indignation. “I do not think he meant any ill will, ma’am. He simply said he’d like to have dinner together, and that he’d like to share some news with you if you are available.”

Some news, huh? That certainly piques my interest. It’s not like I have anything to do tonight, and that part of me that wanted so much to see Seb is jumping with joy. “Ah…okay. Yes, I will stay for dinner, then.”

He bows slightly. “Very well. Ms. Hannah, will you–?”

“I will be out,” she says quickly, before standing up and going back inside. “Don’t set a place for me. I’m going to study with some friends.”

So it will just be me and my husband, and the younger kids. This will be…interesting. My mouth goes dry, and I swallow to ease it. It’s just dinner. Not a date or some occasion for Sebastian to win me over, but just a family dinner to share some news with me.

Still, my anticipation is fierce, and I stand to make my way out into the gardens to play with Joris and Aleida. Maybe running with them, laughing and fooling around, will help the time pass quicker.

Soon enough, I hear the faint sound of a car arriving at the front of the estate, and my pulse kicks up. The nanny comes out now to collect the kids for their own dinner rituals and to help with any homework they may have. She leaves with Arthur on her hip, but not before I give him a kiss on his round cheek and hug the two older kids. I miss them so much that I feel physically pained.

And then Sebastian is here, dressed casually in jeans and a button up white shirt––three of the buttons undone at his neck. His sleeves are rolled up, the summer tan on his skin only just starting to fade, and when I raise my eyes to his face, my heart squeezes in my chest. I’ve missed him so much, and from the look on his face, he’s affected by the distance between us just as powerfully. I think back to letting him embrace me by the lake, and how letting him wrap me in my arms felt like coming home.

God, I’m so ready for this separation to end. Please, please let my husband do the right thing, so we can finally go back to normal.

“Julia…” his voice is thick with emotion, his gaze piercing through mine. “It’s nice to see you. Thank you for staying.”

“It’s fine, it’s just dinner, after all.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince…him, or me.

“Indeed…,” Sebastian looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Eh…would you join me in the library? Dinner isn’t quite ready and I really need to talk to you. It’s important.”

I agree, and follow my husband through our home to the library. Once we get there, the reminder that this room is where we first met two decades ago brings back a sense of nostalgia that I wasn’t expecting. I sink down onto the couch in front of the fireplace, and after a breath of hesitation, Sebastian sits next to me. We aren’t touching, but besides the hug, this is the closest we’ve been in so long.

“So…” I start, my pulse steadily rising as I turn my body towards him. “I heard Mom came here to see you?”

Sebastian raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t seem overly surprised that my mother has kept me in the loop. We share nearly everything, after all, and I’m living with her. It’s not a difficult connection to make. “Yes, she did. We had quite a few things to talk about.”

Crossing my legs, I nod, my focus on him. “Okay…and I’m assuming it’s related to whatever it is you want to share with me?”

Sebastian exhales slowly, closing his eyes for a long moment, and I start to feel a tiny spark of concern. Whatever he wants to tell me is difficult for him to say, and Sebastian and I, up until a few months ago, didn’t really keep secrets from one another.

“Seb?” I prompt, and he opens his eyes, meeting mine with a stony expression.

“Your mother and I came to a rare agreement. We believe that it was Karl who hired someone to put the bomb in my car twenty-two years ago. With your mom’s help, I put all the pieces together, and it just makes sense. Karl killed my mother and siblings.”

The words hang in the air, heavier than any statement I might have imagined him making. I was so sure Sebastian wanted me to stay for dinner so we could discuss our marriage more…but this? This is something else entirely. This is world changing for all of us.

---