Chapter 12: Secret Crush

As a woman, I knew exactly what was happening.

She was likely suffering a miscarriage.

To be honest, I felt no sympathy for Lydia whatsoever. But an unborn child is innocent. Thinking of the friendship we once shared and the good memories we had, I walked over to her and leaned down to help her up.

But Lydia wanted none of it.

She seemed to loathe me with every fiber of her being now. She shoved me away with a sudden, violent force. Caught off guard, I fell straight onto the ground. For some unknown reason, a sharp, searing pain shot through my abdomen, making me wince.

Sebastian rushed over and supported me, his voice tight with anxiety. "Are you alright?"

No, I wasn't.

I felt a sudden warmth flowing from between my legs. Panic-stricken, I looked down and saw that my legs, too, were stained with blood...

Julian ran over as well, kneeling on my other side. "Honey, what’s wrong?"

I looked at him and smiled, my voice airy and detached. "I’m pregnant, too. But it looks like I’m losing it now. Just as well... now I can divorce you without a single string attached."

Julian stared at me with terror in his eyes. He was clearly stunned by the news; the shock on his face was as if he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning.

"No, don't divorce me. I won't do it. I'll take you to the hospital..." He reached out to pick me up, but Sebastian had already beaten him to it, lifting me into his arms.

I was startled.

No man had ever carried me in a bridal style before, yet Sebastian did it with such ease and natural grace.

He spoke in a tone that made me feel incredibly safe: "I'm taking you to the hospital."

As we passed Lydia, Sebastian spared her a single, icy glance. "We are finished. I will notify everyone that the wedding is canceled and we are breaking up. You can inform your own relatives yourself."

He was cold—so cold that it was hard to believe he was the same man who was supposedly willing to overlook Lydia’s infidelity and abortion to marry her.

Julian was even more dazed than before.

He looked at Lydia, who was lying in a pool of blood, in utter disbelief. "You were engaged?! You were about to have a wedding? Why?! Why did you lie and tell me you were single?!"

I leaned against Sebastian’s chest and closed my eyes. Regarding Julian’s hysterics, there was only one word to describe my feelings—disgust.

I was hospitalized and underwent a procedure. Julian tried to harass me every other day, but Sebastian blocked him every time. I began to wonder when a lawyer’s job description started including "guarding clients from harassment."

It wasn't that I was being narcissistic, but I truly suspected Sebastian had feelings for me.

Once I had recovered, I divorced Julian.

Thanks to Sebastian, I wasn't just awarded custody of my daughter; I also received eighty percent of our marital assets. At first, Daisy couldn't understand why her parents had to separate, but after a lot of psychological counseling, she eventually accepted it.

Children may be small, but they see everything and are very bright.

After the dust had settled, I moved out of the home I shared with Julian and into a new house. Once I was settled, I invited Sebastian to dinner. Aside from wanting to pay his legal fees in person, I wanted to thank him.

In a high-end restaurant, Sebastian and I sat across from each other.

I pushed an envelope filled with money toward him and smiled. "Mr. Sebastian, thank you so much for all your hard work on my case. These are the legal fees. Today’s dinner is on me as a token of my gratitude."

Sebastian said out of the blue, "You look very beautiful today."

I felt a sudden wave of shyness but tried to act casual. "Really? Maybe it's just the post-divorce glow."

He continued, "Everyone Lydia knows found out about what happened. Her entire village is gossiping behind her back. Her parents kicked her out, and it seems she’s moved to another city. Also, I heard from a doctor that after two miscarriages, she’ll likely suffer from habitual miscarriages and may find it very difficult to conceive again."

Hearing this news, I wasn't sure how to feel.

Perhaps everyone has to pay the price for the things they’ve done.

Halfway through the meal, I remembered to ask him, "By the way, did you know all along that Lydia was with my ex-husband? You didn't seem surprised at all when we found them in the park."

"Yes. I knew very early on."

"How early?"

Sebastian looked at me, his gaze incredibly serious. "I knew the moment you sought me out to be your lawyer."

"What? That early?" I was completely blindsided.

Sebastian smiled. "Yes. I knew your ex-husband was cheating, so I returned from abroad specifically to appear when you were looking for a lawyer, to help you get a smooth divorce."

I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly. "What... what did you say?"

Sebastian didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Sienna, you studied law in university too, didn't you?"

"Yes." A strange premonition began to surface.

"I was your junior. I fell in love with you at first sight. Unfortunately, you liked Julian. After graduation, you married him and became a housewife, so I went abroad."

This news was more shocking than finding out Julian had cheated with Lydia.

Fortunately, I still had some sanity left. "Then what about you and Lydia?!"

"I truly intended to be with her at first. But later, I accidentally discovered her contacting Julian and began to suspect her. She didn't disappoint me; she really did destroy your family..."

I was certain now that as Sebastian said this, he was secretly gloating. Don't let his calm, professional exterior fool you; he was the definition of a "closet romantic" with a hidden streak of mischief.

He actually had a crush on me...

That such an outstanding man had a secret crush on me and went to such lengths to help me after learning of my husband’s betrayal—it would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.

Amidst my shock, I heard Sebastian ask, "If it's possible, Sienna, would you be my girlfriend?"

Girlfriend?!

I had only been divorced for a short while...

And while Sebastian was handsome and brilliant, was I even worthy of him now?

I was a single mother; I had to consider my daughter’s feelings.

Seeing that I hadn't responded, Sebastian added thoughtfully, "It's okay. You don't have to be nervous. We can start as friends."

How could I bear to refuse a man who was this good to me, this careful with my heart?

I smiled at him. "Alright. Let's start as friends."

After dinner, when I went to pay the bill, the server told me that the gentleman had already settled it.

I looked at him, remembering that he had also paid for the coffee during our first meeting.

I couldn't help but ask, "Do you pay the bill every time you have coffee with a client?"

Sebastian looked at me, his eyes shining like stars, his lips curving into a smile. "No. I only pay when I’m having coffee with

this

particular client. My legal fees are hard-earned; I don't waste them easily."

I lowered my head and smiled shyly.

Outside the restaurant, the sky was blue with white clouds. The weather was perfect—just like my mood.