Page 44 of Overnight Inheritance

What would that life even look like now? And, more importantly,who was hewithout his grandfather’s company? He’d lived and breathed Bellavista Holdings since he was old enough to say the words. And he had no idea where to even start finding those answers.

The only thing he knew for sure was his devotion to Alfie.

“That would probably be best,” he said, still not looking up as she slipped out the door.

Eleven

That night, Mae sat at the marble-topped table Sebastian had reserved at a chic SoHo rooftop restaurant and straightened her napkin and cutlery again. He’d booked this place a couple of weeks ago, when things had been bright and sparkly between them. Now the timing seemed excruciating. In fact, she wasn’t even certain that he was coming. She’d sent him several texts to confirm and he hadn’t replied. She took a mouthful of the wine she’d ordered when she’d arrived.

She glanced past the lush greenery that spilled from pots and climbed posts, looking for a familiar tall frame. The sounds of glasses clinking and laughter from other tables blended with the soft bubbling from the water fountains, and all of it made the wriggling bundle of nerves in her stomach ratchet up several notches. Where was he?

Something had changed between them in his office today. She knew the moment it had happened—his features had morphed from confusion to granite, hard and cold. It had been more than cutting himself off from his father, something that they would have discussed and she could have comforted him about only yesterday. No, this was something concerning Sebastian and her, and she couldn’t remember being this agonizingly worried about anything before, which, given her childhood, was saying something.

Movement in her peripheral vision snagged her attention, and then Sebastian was there, devastating in a charcoal jacket over a deep green shirt that set off his tan skin, his dark wavy hair sitting formally in place. His expression was troubled, and as their gazes met, he smiled with exquisite politeness.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he said as he took his seat.

Nothing about his approach or lack of greeting eased her nerves. “Did you get Alfie to bed okay?”

Seb nodded. “He had a big day at a baby gym with Emily, so he crashed pretty quickly.”

“Oh, good.” So it wasn’t Alfie that had held him up. “Do you want to order dinner or start with a cocktail?”

“We may as well jump straight to dinner,” he said and picked up the menu.

It didn’t appear that they were going to linger over their night. She’d already scanned the menu several times, so she used the time to surreptitiously observe him. Ocean-blue eyes flickering back and forth as he read the options, that beautiful mouth, which she’d felt all over her body, now tense and unyielding.

The waiter came and they placed their orders, and he filled Sebastian’s glass from the bottle Mae had ordered. She sipped her wine, wondering how to break the tension.

“Mae,” he said, looking at her properly for the first time. “I apologize for my father. Yelling at you like that was inexcusable.”

“I appreciate you saying that, but it’s not your responsibility to apologize for him.” She ran her finger through the condensation on the side of her wineglass. “I liked your defense of me.” It had been worth having someone yell at her to hear his words.

She’s one hundred times the person you are.

“It was true,” he said and shifted his weight in his seat.

“Have you heard from your father since...”The dumpster fire that I triggered in your office...

He gave a curt shake of his head. “And I don’t expect to. He’s probably still in shock that I rejected the most important thing in his life.” His broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Plus, he has nothing to hold over my head anymore, and he doesn’t like any conversation where he’s not automatically on top.”

“Do you really think he’ll cut you out of his will?” She’d been shocked at how quickly and easily that had happened.

“I’m certain of it. I’m literally no use to him anymore.”

He didn’t seem particularly worried. Six months ago, she’d been a teacher with no savings to speak of, and Sebastian had been the classic rich guy who’d inherit even more wealth, and now she was the one who’d inherited money beyond her dreams, and Sebastian was about to lose most of his. Sometimes the world was unpredictable.

There had been something else unexpected in that conversation. “You know, Christopher reacted weirdly to Sarah.”

“That caught me by surprise,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “The only thing I can think of is that he’s still in love with her after all these years.”

The first time she’d met Christopher, he’d talked of Sarah. “He told me that when they were younger, he was conning her, and then he decided to tell her everything, and that’s when she dumped him. So maybe it started as a con but he fell for his mark.”

He took a sip of his wine and put the glass back on the table before replying, “Makes sense.”

“Do you know what you’ll do now?” she asked, wishing she could cross this divide of polite conversation.

“No idea, to be honest. I’ll take some time and think it through.” He looked at her and there was finally a glimmer of the real him showing, sharing something real, so she took a deep breath and forged ahead.

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