Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Fathia squirmed slightly, breaking Sebastian's reverie. He still didn't want his girl to wake up. The occasional furrow on her forehead and the soft sighs escaping Fathia's lips occasionally raised questions in Sebastian's mind. All he could do was hold her tight again. Gently stroke her back and give a tender kiss on her forehead. Hoping that what he was doing could alleviate whatever Fathia was experiencing in her sleep.

Truly, it made Sebastian curious. Was Fathia having a nightmare? About what? Was she still afraid of loud thunderstorms? Or...

"I don't know what happened back then. All I remember is that I was in a hospital bed. And, well... you're right. Clara was there."

The flashes of memories Sebastian had kept close in his mind for not even 24 hours started to play again.

"She said she saved me from an incident. I didn't know what the incident was at first, but eventually I found out that there was sabotage on campus." Fathia sighed softly. Her eyes seemed to gaze far away, as if they were pulled into a memory, she wanted to push away but couldn't.

For some reason, Fathia no longer wanted to look at him. Sebastian was sure there was something she was hiding. Fathia wasn't a skilled liar. Her body language couldn't deceive Sebastian. The interlocked fingers, the eyes darting everywhere, and the repeated sighs as if she was gathering strength.

Sebastian still remembers Fathia's habits to this day.

"So...?" Sebastian couldn't wait any longer. This time, Fathia chose to get off his lap. Clearly, Sebastian disapproved of it, but she wouldn't give up easily against Sebastian's grip. "Sit here, Fathia." Sebastian finally let her get off him, but he didn't allow himself to move away. Sitting beside him was something Fathia eventually accepted, albeit with a little resistance.

"And, well... I chose to step aside."

"Why?"

"Well?"

"Why did you choose to step aside? And you knew about your fake funeral?" Sebastian presses impatiently. He wants to corner Fathia mercilessly, but not forcefully. If he pushes too hard, Fathia might not be willing to reveal the whole truth.

"Uh... rather than you being curious about that, why don't you ask about the documents I needed?" Fathia truly feels like she's playing her own cards here. She's trying desperately to divert Sebastian's attention and focus away from the reasons she stepped aside.

Sebastian, the stoic man, won't stop pressing Fathia until he finds the most reasonable answer she can provide. Even though Fathia doesn't know what motive Clara Jasson is currently playing, a promise is a promise. Ah, speaking of promises, she shouldn't be here, should she?

But what could she do?

When she's so longing for the man who, in recent days, has been giving very strong signals that he knows who Fathia is. Not to mention, Fathia hardly dares to resist his grasp, a grasp that's similar to a strong pull, leading her to end up here.

All the feelings she neatly folded, in the end, know where they need to be poured out. They remind her vividly of the touches they—especially Sebastian—shared. This immediately makes Fathia blush and the warmth rushes back, no longer using polite words.

Meanwhile, Sebastian opts to let out a slow sigh. What Fathia said is right. What is he really searching for with those documents? "So... what do you need those documents for?"

"Mr. Vino,"

"Vino," Sebastian quickly interjects, causing Fathia to purse her lips.

"Yep, Vino." Fathia quickly corrected herself. "When is he coming?"

Sebastian glanced at his wristwatch. "Probably in ten minutes."

Even before Sebastian could shift his gaze from his wrist, the apartment doorbell rang. He got up to welcome the guest, Vino. Glancing briefly from behind the door, Sebastian opened it for his assistant. Normally, Sebastian never did this, and he was used to leaving his main door unlocked because the special elevator wouldn't open without his access as the owner.

However, since Clara had intervened in his life, requesting access as a sign of his commitment to a more serious relationship, Sebastian's life had changed. Marriage. Also, Clara often visited without Sebastian's consent. To minimize that, he started peeking and leaving messages with the receptionist in case Clara showed up, so he could be informed immediately. Sebastian chose to avoid her as much as possible. He didn't want to encounter Clara unless it was for important events like dinner parties, whether they were related to business or Clara's world of modeling.

"Hey," Vino greeted softly, then imitated Sebastian's stride as he walked in. In the room that Vino normally used to discuss work with his boss, he found the graceful girl he knew, the legitimate heir of Group Azure. She was alive, but something was slightly different. The beautiful girl who gave off an icy aura because she rarely spoke, but now, the strong avoidance was evident in her presence.

Except for, "Take a seat, Fathia. Where are you headed?"

"Uh," Fathia averted her eyes elsewhere. She didn't want anyone else, especially not Vino, to know about her situation. Even though she felt it would be suspicious if she was here. "I'm going to make some coffee. Yeah, that's right. Coffee. Do you want some more? Or maybe, Vino?"

Sebastian shook his head gently. "Sit down, Fathia," he repeated. "Where are the documents you asked for earlier, Vin?"

Resigned, Fathia abandoned her intention to leave.

"Interested in sitting next to me again?"

Fathia pouted, and Sebastian chuckled.

For all the ups and downs Vino had experienced in the past year and a half, only now did brightness return to his boss's face. And it was all because of the graceful girl sitting beside him. Even Vino could see clearly how immense his boss's love was. Without words, Vino could feel it.

"Vin, where are you? Fathia's waiting."

Clearly, Sebastian's voice caught Vino off guard. Hurriedly, he produced a slightly hard-to-find document. Vino didn't want any help, nor did he want anyone to suspect him, so he searched for it himself. To Vino, Jess was really nosy. As soon as Fathia's whereabouts were mentioned, Vino was bombarded with questions. When Vino said Fathia was safe with her boss, Jess's tone changed from interrogative to bright and sunny.

"Mr. Vino, you could have told me that my friend, Fathia, was safe with Mr. Sebastian. Do you know how worried I was? If anything happened to Fathia, are you willing to take responsibility?"

She said this with a grin on her face.

"Here it is, sir. Please." Vino handed over a document along with Fathia's bag, which had been tidied up and checked by Jess before being handed to her.

Quickly, Fathia took the document and placed her bag right on the table. Her eyes moved back and forth, focusing on the sequence of numbers she remembered, where those scribbles were placed. Beside her, Sebastian observed Fathia with a mix of curiosity and wonder. He shook his head slightly, then chose to accept the report that needed to be studied but had been delayed because he went home with Fathia.

They had a lengthy discussion between the two of them, leaving Fathia alone to deal with the documents she desired. Suddenly, Fathia said something that made Sebastian pause for a moment.

"Sebastian, the latest company document. Fathia wants to see it."

Sebastian furrowed his brow. It wasn't like her to be interested in Group Azure. There had to be a fundamental reason for this. "For what?"

"I want to see it," she said firmly.

"For what purpose?"

Fathia sighed softly. "I can't tell you."

"Sure. Group Azure is yours, after all. Who's stopping you? It's just... it's kind of weird. You're not usually interested in business, right? Why suddenly want to know?" Fathia had prepared herself for Sebastian's question like this.

"There's something I need to find out, Sebastian."

Sebastian felt increasingly puzzled. "Vin, I've already checked everything. Before it's shared with each division, especially finance, please email me the revisions first."

"Sure, Sir."

"And you can head home soon."

Vino felt like chiming in that the two people in front of him didn't want further disturbance.

"And please leave a message with the receptionist. I won't be around. You're the one who's making excuses."

Ah, Vino could already guess. "Sure, Sir." There was nothing Vino could do except obey his boss's orders, right?

As soon as Vino moved away and the door closed again, Sebastian immediately focused on Fathia, who was busy scribbling on the papers that Vino had brought earlier.

"So... what are you really looking for, hm?"

In front of him now was the person his father trusted to manage Group Azure. The one who should have been his son-in-law and brother-in-law. If his family were intact, Fathia was a thousand percent sure they would be on a vacation together. Every year, the family vacation was a tradition.

Throughout the time Fathia had known the man in front of her, who was now staring at her so intensely, as if she were his prey that he didn't want to let go of, and the eerie calm that had settled in the living room of the apartment, Fathia had gotten used to the intimidation that Sebastian presented. In Fathia's eyes, a Sebastian Sachdev was not just a temporary substitute before he took over Group Azure as her father requested.

He was her brother, her friend, her protector, the most annoying yet strangely the closest person to her heart. Also... the one she trusted the most.

There's no way Alvin Mehram would entrust the massive Group Azure to her rather than to his own family. Especially considering the things she had learned just a few days ago.

Taking a deep breath, Fathia finally spoke. "The story is long, but I have plenty of time to tell it."

Sebastian continued to gaze at the girl. The girl who now looked even more mature in his eyes. Calmer and more calculated in every move she made. Even though with every glance, Sebastian noticed how real the wounds on her face were, wounds that made him feel even guiltier for not being able to protect her. Despite it all, almost a year of not seeing her, not hearing her voice, and observing her every movement, made Sebastian incredibly relieved.

He was still given the chance to see her, sitting there calmly.

"Before I start, do you not want me to make coffee again?"

Sebastian chuckled finally. "Why does that offer always come up?"

"During my 'exile'," Fathia hesitated. She didn't want to share what she'd been up to with Sebastian, even though her lips were dying to tell him how exciting her struggles with soil and fertilizer were. "I learned to make good coffee for you, Sebastian."

"And you succeeded."

That smile, the curve that Fathia drew on her thin lips, had quite an effect on Sebastian's conviction. If it was true, Felice had shifted far away, perfectly replaced by Fathia.

Even though that height difference existed, Sebastian would break it down. Especially... he still vividly remembered how the kiss was reciprocated. There was nervousness, hesitation, trembling, and fear that Sebastian felt when his lips met Fathia's sweet lips again. Instead of rejecting him, Fathia seemed to be trying earnestly to match him.

"Do you want me to make it or not?"

Sebastian nodded. This was met with an adorable cheer from Fathia. Swiftly, she got up and headed towards the kitchen, where Sebastian's coffee maker was located. But her steps halted when, in one swift motion, Sebastian pulled her back. Until Fathia was pressed against Sebastian's chest, which towered in front of her. She looked up, ready to protest with a surprised expression.

But...

Once again, he brought his lips to Fathia's, who had been pouting a moment ago. Turning those kisses into slow, rhythmic exchanges. Reciprocated. And what pleased Sebastian was how quickly Fathia learned to follow the rhythm he created.