Chapter 255
Cecilia’s pov
The next evening, our plane touched down in Denver.
After customs, two sleek sedans waited for us.
Sebastian quietly sent Mrs. Dahlia and guards off in one of them.
I didn’t ask where they were going.It wasn’t my business.
We got into the second car and headed back to the apartment.
Inside the elevator, Liam gave me a concerned once-over. “Miss Moore, you’ve lost weight. I bet you didn’t eat properly while you were away. I’ve cooked all your favorites. Come up later and let me feed you properly p>
“I will,” I replied without hesitation, cutting him off before he could finish.
Sebastian glanced sideways at me, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Behind us, Tang and Sawyer each clung to one of Liam’s arms, whispering frantic questions about dinner. They had been surviving on bland island food for two days, and it showed.
Liam chuckled. “What happened, did England run out of food p>
After dropping off my luggage in my apartment, I made a direct beeline for the penthouse kitchen.
The moment I stepped in, the warm aroma of herbs, spices, and slow-roasted meat wrapped around me like a hug. My eyes lit up at the sight of the spread—steaming soup, glossy vegetables, and glistening cherry-glazed pork. My stomach growled in approval.
Liam handed me a bowl of soup. “Come try this p>
“Gladly,” I said, taking the bowl with two hands. One sip was all it took—pure heaven.
Liam watched with a puzzled frown. “I thought Linda’s cooking was decent. “
I paused between sips. “We spent the last two days stranded on an island, eating what I can only describe as culinary nightmares. Sawyer threw up more than he swallowed p>
“That bad?” Liam raised a brow. “What did they serve, raw sea snails on toast p>
I described the dishes in grim detail. Liam winced, then laughed. “Those are local delicacies, actually. But clearly, not everyone’s palate is that adventurous p>
Our conversation drifted from food to their life in England, and eventually, to Amara. Sebastian had only ever given me the broad strokes, but I remained curious about the details.
Liam didn’t hesitate to fill in the gaps as he stirred a pot on the stove.
“If you ask me, Luna Regina started this mess,” he said. “She sent York and Amara to school in England and put Alpha Sebastian in charge of them. He was older, responsible, and protective—naturally, he helped them with homework, made sure they adapted. All pretty standard older-brother stuff p>
“But he forgot one thing,” Liam continued. “Teenagers don’t view the world the way adults do. Amara misread everything p>
“At first, Sebastian didn’t think much of it.
Then Amara started clinging to him after school, pouting whenever he talked to other girls.
That’s when he knew something was off p>
“York found out and confronted him. He was furious. Turns out, York and Amara had been in the early stages of a relationship before they came to England. But once they arrived, Amara’s attention shifted. She became obsessed with Alpha Sebastian. York felt betrayed p>
“They fought constantly. York ran away to France. Alpha Sebastian tracked him down and tried to smooth things over, but the damage was done. She kept saying Sebastian loved her too, just couldn’t say it with York around p>
I blinked. “That’s… insane p>
Liam nodded grimly. “She tried everything to prove her theory. The more she acted out, the more York withdrew. Eventually, they both spiraled. Amara once threatened to slit her wrists. York overdosed on sleeping pills p>
“Eventually, Alpha Sebastian moved out to campus housing and arranged for York and Amara to attend separate schools. Things calmed down after that, though the damage lingered. Whenever they crossed paths, Amara looked at him like he’d betrayed her. I don’t know what lies she told their parents, but somehow the rumor spread that she and Sebastian had dated p>
“But from what I saw, nothing ever happened. He treated her the same way he treated York—equal parts distant and dutiful. He wouldn’t even smile at her, afraid it might give her false hope p>
I sat there, taking it all in. It felt like some messy high school drama that got scrapped before airing.
But it was real.And Sebastian had been right in the middle of it.
“Does York still have feelings for her?” I asked.
“Not that I’ve seen,” Liam replied. “He went to study in Italy; she stayed in England. They barely spoke. “
“Good,” I said, exhaling.
It was hard to imagine anyone living through that kind of emotional chaos and turning out as composed as Sebastian.
Just then, Sawyer appeared in the doorway, eyes scanning the table like a starving man. His gaze landed on the seafood soup, and he visibly swallowed. “Liam, when do we eat? Please tell me that’s ready p>
Liam smiled like a patient host watching children at a slee pover. “Two more dishes. Almost done p>
Dinner was finally served.
We were seated around the table when Sebastian entered, his hair damp from a shower and the clean scent of soap clinging to him.
He took his seat with quiet confidence and gestured casually. “Go ahead p>
The moment permission was granted, the table descended into chaos. Forks clashed. Chopsticks flew. Plates rotated like roulette wheels.
Sebastian, ever the picture of restraint, reached for the soup.
Without thinking, I grabbed the mug of hot cocoa in front of him.
“If you’re not drinking this, I am p>
“Be my guest,” Sebastian said, amused.
He reached for the roasted chicken, but Tang slid the tray away with a smirk.
Sebastian paused, sighed, then looked over at Sawyer, who was switching between ribs and mac and cheese like it was some kind of eating competition.
I reached for a cornbread muffin, only to clash forks with Tang and Sawyer at the same time.
Sebastian finally set down his fork and gave them both a look.”What’s the rush? Ever heard of’ladies first p>
Tang and Sawyer exchanged a glance.
Favoritism. Obvious. Blatant.
Trying not to grin, I took the muffin.
Sebastian pushed the whole basket toward me.
“Eat slow. No one’s stealing your food p>
Tang and Sawyer silently mouthed: Is this’ladies first’ or’Queen gets everything p>
Liam called from the kitchen, happily watching the chaos unfold like a dad at Thanksgiving.
“There’s more chicken. I’ll slice it p>
“I’ll go!” Tang bolted like someone rang the dinner bell.
Then, things went very still.
Sebastian leaned in, brushing a bit of BBQ sauce from the corner of my mouth with a napkin.
“You’re all so hungry, it’s like you’re ready to eat a p>
One second he was wiping sauce from my mouth, the next I bit his finger.
Yep. That happened.
He froze.
I let go, mortified.
He lifted his hand, inspecting the faint bite mark, then looked at me with a spark in his eyes.
“Apparently,” he said, “I taste better than fried chicken p>