Chapter 185
Iris's POV
I watched Noah walk away, his shoulders slightly slumped, a defeated look crossing his face as he glanced back at Sebastien one last time before disappearing into the darkness. The warm, reassuring presence that had accompanied me through dinner was gone, leaving me alone with the man I'd been trying so hard to avoid.
As soon as Noah was out of earshot, I dropped the gentle expression I'd maintained during our goodbyes. My eyes turned cold as I faced Sebastien.
"What's this important matter?" I asked, my voice carrying all the frost I felt toward him.
Sebastien didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned away and began walking, expecting me to follow like I always used to. The arrogance of it made my jaw clench.
I hesitated, watching his retreating figure. Part of me wanted to turn around and walk in the opposite direction, call a rideshare, and leave him standing there. But curiosity—that damnable curiosity—won out. What could be so important that he'd interrupt my dinner with Noah? With a resigned sigh, I forced my feet forward, keeping a deliberate distance between us.
We walked toward the parking lot in silence. The night air felt heavy around us, each step punctuated by the click of my heels against the pavement. The quiet was suffocating, filled with unspoken accusations and painful memories.
The parking lot was dimly lit, with several flickering lights that looked like they hadn't been maintained in years. The unreliable illumination cast strange shadows across the concrete, making me feel uneasy. I reached for my phone, intending to turn on the flashlight, when a beam of light suddenly cut through the darkness ahead of me.
Looking up, I saw Sebastien standing by his car, headlights on, waiting for me to approach. The consideration surprised me—it wasn't like him to think of such things. I quietly slipped my phone back into my pocket and continued walking toward him.
Once inside his car, we sat in silence for a moment. I could feel his eyes on me, dark and intense, studying my profile as if searching for something. The scrutiny made my skin prickle.
"So, are you going to tell me what this is about?" I finally asked, my tone deliberately flat. "Or did you just want to stare at me all night?"
Sebastien shifted in his seat before speaking. "Grandfather hasn't been well lately," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. "He's been asking about you. He misses you."
My fingers twitched involuntarily at the mention of William. Despite everything that had happened between Sebastien and me, William had always been kind to me. Genuine. The thought of him being unwell sent a small pang through my chest.
"I see," I replied quietly. The words "I miss him too" hovered on my lips, but I swallowed them. Instead, I simply said, "I'll make time to visit him soon."
It was the most I could offer, and even that was for William's sake, not Sebastien's.
I thought our conversation was over and reached for the door handle, ready to leave. But before I could open it, Sebastien's hand shot out, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, feeling the pressure of his fingers through my sleeve.
As he pulled me back into the seat, I noticed how carefully he moved, making sure not to press against my stomach. Our faces ended up unexpectedly close, our noses almost touching. I jerked backward immediately, pressing myself against the car door to create distance.
My heart was racing, and I hated myself for it. Why did my body still react to him this way? After all his lies, after all the pain, my traitorous pulse still quickened at his proximity.
"There's something else," Sebastien said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out what looked like a folded paper. "I've had my people keeping an eye on auctions related to your father's estate for a while. This just came up."
I took the paper from him warily, scanning the contents. My eyes widened as I spotted an item halfway down the list—a key-shaped pendant that looked exactly like the one that might open my father's mysterious box.
I quickly pulled out my phone, comparing the image I had saved of the keyhole to the pendant in the listing. The intricate pattern of ridges and curves matched perfectly. My breath caught as realization dawned—this could be it. This could be the key to unlocking my father's final secret.
"This is..." I couldn't finish the sentence, too absorbed in examining the details.
"So I was right," Sebastien commented, a hint of his old smugness returning. "This counts as helping you, doesn't it?"
The question pulled me from my thoughts. It sounded strange, almost like he was fishing for approval or gratitude. I studied him for a moment, trying to understand his angle.
"If I manage to get this pendant, then yes, I'll consider it helpful," I finally said, choosing my words carefully. "I can pay you for the information."
Sebastien shook his head. "I don't want your money. Just visit Grandfather more often. That's all."
There was something in his voice—a restrained quality that made me look at him more closely. Before I could analyze it further, he was already out of the car, moving to the driver's side.
"Come on," he said as he got in. "I'll take you home."
I nodded, suddenly too tired to argue. The car filled with silence as we drove through the night, broken only by the soft hum of the engine. I stared out the window, my mind racing with possibilities about the pendant and what secrets it might unlock.
When we reached the Blue Harbor parking lot, I unfastened my seatbelt and got out. To my mild surprise, Sebastien did the same, falling into step behind me. I didn't acknowledge him or ask why he was following me. Part of me didn't care enough to question it.
Our shadows stretched long under the parking lot lights, two silhouettes moving in tandem yet worlds apart.