Chapter 3

On New Year's Eve, the hotel entrance was littered with confetti from the party.

Sebastian handed me a new dress. "Put this on. The event tonight matters."

I looked at the tag. Violeta's studio logo stared back at me. "No, I won't wear this," I said.

"Sue," he frowned, "Violeta designed it specially. She's the featured guest tonight. Don't make this awkward."

I laughed. Who was making this awkward?

Violeta stood on stage in that elegant dress, talking about traditional embroidery techniques.

Sebastian sat at the main table. His eyes never left her.

During the interactive segment, Violeta's heel caught as she stepped off the stage. Sebastian was on his feet instantly, crossing the room in seconds to catch her.

"Are you okay?" He bent to check her ankle, moving like he'd practiced it a hundred times.

Everyone was watching. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Mr. Zayas really looks out for Ms. Wilkerson."

Last year, we were at the same kind of event, a folk art exhibition. I was the featured speaker, presenting traditional woodblock printing. Sebastian sat in the audience, recording the whole thing on his phone.

Afterward, he pulled me close. "Ms. Tucker, you stole the show tonight. Those guys couldn't take their eyes off you."

Now he was helping Violeta back to her seat, leaning down to whisper something in her ear.

I stood up and walked out. Sebastian caught up. "Sue, where are you going?"

"Gross, I need some air," I said.

He grabbed my arm. "What now? Violeta twisted her ankle. I'm hosting this thing. I'm supposed to help her, right?"

I pulled away from him and headed straight for the parking lot.

There was a strange perfume lingering in the car. I rolled down the window for some air. A handkerchief caught my eye in the seat gap.

It was made of pure white silk, with the delicate rose vine embroidered in a corner. What really grabbed my attention was the tiny name stitched right in the center: Seb.

Sebastian followed me over, and when he saw what I was holding, his face shifted.

"It's just a sample Violeta left behind," he said, reaching out to take it.

I pulled back. "Rose vines mean eternal love, two souls intertwined forever. Sebastian, you know what it means when she stitches your name in there, right?"

He froze. "It's just a pattern. It doesn't mean anything."

"Sure. Take me home." I tossed the handkerchief out the window.

He hesitated but didn't pick it up. We pulled up to the apartment building. "Drop me here. I'll walk in."

His phone buzzed again. Violeta's tearful voice filled the speaker. "Mr. Zayas... my ankle's really swelling up..."

"I'm on my way." He turned to me. "Sue, go ahead. I..."

I got out and slammed the door. Then I saw Sebastian's assistant, Derek Swanson, walking out of my apartment building with two workers, carrying several large boxes.

They were my collection of folklore archives. Some were rare, even out of print.

"What are you doing?" I snapped.

Derek wiped his forehead. "Ms. Tucker, Mr. Zayas asked us to bring these to the old estate for Ms. Wilkerson's research."

My blood pressure spiked. "Who said you could touch my things?"

Derek hesitated. "Mr. Zayas said... you'd agreed."

I grabbed a box. "Put them back now."

"But Mr. Zayas told us to..." Derek protested.

I shouted, "These are my books! My apartment! He doesn't get to decide!"

Headlights swept in. Sebastian's car pulled up. He got out, took in the scene, his face dark. "Susanna, what now?"

I pointed at the boxes. "Who gave you permission to take my stuff without asking me first?"

"Violeta needs these for her research. She's just borrowing them for a while. Is it really worth all this drama?" he said.

"Borrowing? You just barged into my place and took my collection without even asking me! That's theft!" I shouted.

"Your place?" His voice rose. "I bought this apartment."

I stood there, stunned. He was right. The deed was in his name. Back then, he wanted to put my name on it to make me feel secure, but I was too naive to accept.

"So, what, you're kicking me out now?" I asked.

"That's not what I meant," Sebastian said, rubbing his temples. "But Sue, can you be reasonable? Violeta's project is about preserving cultural heritage. It's something that benefits everyone, not just us!"

"Benefit everyone?" I scoffed. "Sebastian, when did you get so noble? You're the one who told me folklore research was a dead end, who pushed me to switch careers.

"But now, for Violeta, you're bending over backwards, even handing over my personal collection without a second thought?"

Sebastian lost it. "Susanna, you're impossible! They're just junk books. You're putting them above Violeta's project on cultural preservation?"

"Junk books." I nodded. "Right. Everything I have is nothing. My work, my research, and my feelings are nothing compared to Violeta."

I turned, walked inside, and locked the door behind me.