Page 105 of The Bourbon Bet
“Why is he doing all this anonymously?” I ask, though I think I know.
Part of me wants to be furious that Sebastian is inserting himself into my life after everything that happened. But another part—the traitorous part that still misses him—is touched that he’s supporting me without expecting credit or thanks.
Or is this some angle he’s working?
Daniel holds up his fingers, counting off the reasons. “One, he’s afraid you won’t accept if you know it’s from him, and he truly believes in your programs. Two, he doesn’t want you to think he’s trying to buy your forgiveness.”
I raise an eyebrow. “He’s not?”
“Did you miss the part about him not wanting you to know?” He asks gently.
I’m torn in two directions. There’s a softness and ache for the man I’d been falling for, but also a heavy dose of unease. I’d learned the hard way that accepting help from the Blackstones comes at a steep price.
As if reading my thoughts, Daniel says, “He’s not some evil villain twirling his mustache.”
I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “He doesn’t even have a mustache.”
Daniel grins, holding a hand palm up. “See, that proves he’s not an evil villain.”
“Yeah, just your typical arrogant rich jerk,” I grouse, my tone lacking true venom.
“I get that what he agreed to was dumb, but the bet wasn’t his idea. He was manipulated into agreeing.” He rests his elbows on his knees and interlaces his fingers. “Sebastian isn’t a bad guy.”
“Says the guy who merrily wrote up the bet contract.”
Daniel scowls. “There was nothing merry about that shit.” His expression softens. “Look, I agree that the bet was a terrible idea, but he was manipulated into agreeing.”
I blink. Sebastian? “I find that hard to believe. He’s a shrewd businessman who seems highly intelligent, not someone who’s easily manipulated.”
“I agree. He isn’t, but Thorne knows him. Knows his weakness.”
“Which is?” I ask.
“You.”
“Me,” I point at myself and scoff. “He runs Blackstone Bourbon. If he cared about me so much, he could have renewed my lease. Instead, he sat back and let it happen.”
“Sebastian has a lot of responsibilities within the company, but property management isn’t one of them,” Daniel explains. “He wasn’t involved in the lease decisions.”
I raise an eyebrow. “He’s the head of the company.”
“Yes, but Blackstone is bigger than most people realize.” Daniel pauses, clearly weighing how much to share. “Look, I shouldn’t be the one telling you all the details. There’s a lot about what happened between Sebastian and Thorne that should come from him.”
“Yet you’re here to defend him?” I cross my arms.
“I’m here because I think you deserve to know that things weren’t as simple as they might have seemed. The bet was... complicated. And yes, what Sebastian did was wrong, but there were factors you don’t know about.”
My gaze falls to my lap. Part of me wants to hear everything now, but another part knows Daniel is right. If I’m going to listen to the full story, it should come from Sebastian.
“Thorne and Sebastian have a complex relationship,” Daniel continues. “Family businesses can bring out the worst in people, especially with their father’s influence looming over everything.”
“You’re being vague,” I huff.
“Intentionally,” he admits. “This isn’t my story to tell. All I can say is that Sebastian had reasons for what he did, and they weren’t as selfish as you might think.”
“You know, I had initially refused Thorne’s help. Then suddenly, no bank would give me a loan or even return my calls.” I pause. “It’s all connected, isn’t it? He orchestrated everything from the beginning.”
“I don’t know for certain, but I suspect you’re right,” he admits.
