Two days later, Sovereign finally felt normal again.
Or at least, normal on the surface.
Employees moved quickly through the executive floor carrying files and tablets. Phones rang softly in the background. Meetings started and ended behind glass walls.
Everything looked the same.
But Sebastian's office remained empty.
And everyone noticed it.
Lillian sat at her desk outside the office, focused on the documents spread in front of her.
Her laptop screen reflected faintly in her tired eyes as she reviewed another contract revision.
She hadn't slept properly.
Not because Sebastian kept her awake.
Because every night now—
he had nightmares.
Every single night.
Some worse than others.
Sometimes he only stirred slightly in his sleep.
Other nights he woke up frightened and disoriented, clinging to her warmth like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.
Lillian looked down at the email in front of her again.
Read the same sentence twice.
Then sighed quietly.
"Okay, you're definitely distracted."
Lillian looked up.
Chloe stood beside her desk holding a coffee.
Lillian leaned back slightly in her chair.
"…Am I that obvious?"
"A little."
Chloe handed her the coffee before sitting against the edge of the desk.
"How's Sebastian?"
Lillian's expression softened immediately at his name.
"He's physically better."
Chloe nodded.
"That's good."
"He still coughs sometimes, but the fever's mostly gone now."
"That's very good."
Lillian looked down at the coffee cup in her hands.
Then quieter—
"But every night he's having nightmares."
Chloe's expression changed immediately.
The teasing disappeared.
"…Still?"
Lillian nodded slowly.
"He barely sleeps through the night anymore."
Chloe frowned softly.
"What kind of nightmares?"
Lillian hesitated briefly.
"About the estate."
That alone explained enough.
Chloe went quiet for a moment.
Because after seeing Sebastian in that room—
cold, terrified, sick—
she understood just how badly the past had affected him.
Lillian stared down at her coffee silently.
Chloe studied her carefully.
Then narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…There's more."
Lillian looked up immediately.
"What?"
"You have that face."
"What face?"
"The face where you're pretending you're fine while clearly thinking too much."
Lillian gave her a flat look.
"…That's not a real face."
"It absolutely is."
Despite herself, Lillian smiled faintly.
Only for it to disappear a few seconds later.
Chloe noticed immediately.
"There it is again," she said softly.
"What's wrong?"
Lillian looked away briefly.
Then back down at the coffee in her hands.
For once, she didn't answer immediately.
That alone told Chloe this was serious.
Chloe straightened slightly.
"…Lillian."
Lillian exhaled quietly.
Then after another long pause—
"…Do you think Sebastian loves me?"
Chloe blinked.
Actually blinked.
"…What?"
Lillian looked uncomfortable immediately after saying it aloud.
"I know how that sounds."
"No, I'm just…" Chloe stared at her in disbelief.
"…Why are you even asking me that?"
Lillian stayed quiet for a moment.
Then finally admitted softly—
"Because he never says it."
Chloe frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"He never says he loves me."
Silence.
Lillian looked down again.
"I tell him all the time."
Her voice stayed calm.
But quieter now.
"And every time he just…" She paused slightly.
"…looks at me."
Chloe stared at her for a few seconds.
Then let out a small breath of disbelief.
"Lillian."
"What?"
"Sebastian Wolfe is painfully in love with you."
Lillian gave her a look.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Chloe shook her head slightly.
"I have worked with that man for years. Years. And I have never seen him act the way he acts around you."
Lillian stayed quiet.
Chloe continued immediately.
"He trusts you with Sovereign."
"He sleeps beside you."
"He actually listens to you."
Lillian tried to interrupt.
"Chloe—."
"No, let me finish."
Chloe pointed toward Sebastian's empty office.
"That man would rather collapse from illness than miss work. But somehow you got him to stay home for an entire week."
Lillian couldn't argue with that.
Chloe folded her arms.
"And don't even get me started on the way he looks at you."
Lillian blinked slightly.
"What?"
Chloe stared at her like the answer was obvious.
"Like you hung the moon."
Lillian looked away immediately after that.
Cheeks warming faintly.
But the uncertainty still remained.
Chloe noticed.
Her expression softened slightly.
"Lillian," she said more gently this time.
"Sebastian isn't good with words."
Lillian looked back at her quietly.
Chloe continued softly.
"I genuinely think he just… doesn't know how to say things properly."
Lillian's fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup.
"But what if—."
"He loves you."
Chloe didn't even hesitate.
"I promise you he does."
Lillian stayed quiet.
And Chloe understood immediately that this wasn't fully fixing the problem.
Because hearing:
He shows it
wasn't the same as hearing:
I love you.
Chloe softened further.
"People like Sebastian…" she said quietly.
"They usually express things through actions first."
Lillian frowned slightly.
"Why?"
Chloe gave a small shrug.
"Probably because actions feel safer."
That sentence lingered in Lillian's mind.
Because somehow—
it sounded painfully true.
Sebastian showed love constantly.
Protectiveness.
Trust.
Gentleness.
Dependency.
But the actual words?
Never.
Lillian opened her mouth to speak again—
when suddenly her phone rang.
She looked down at the screen.
Mom Calling.
Lillian blinked softly.
"…Oh."
Chloe smiled slightly.
"You're in trouble."
Lillian sighed quietly before answering.
"Hi, Mom."
Caroline's voice came immediately through the phone.
"Lillian Parker, where have you been?"
Lillian leaned back slightly in her chair.
"I've been busy."
"You usually call every Friday."
Lillian froze faintly.
Friday.
Last Friday.
Washington.
The estate.
The locked room.
Sebastian trembling in fear on the floor.
Lillian's expression softened immediately at the memory.
Caroline noticed the silence instantly.
"…Lillian?"
"I'm here."
"What happened?"
Lillian glanced briefly toward Sebastian's empty office.
Then answered quietly—
"Something happened to Sebastian."
Immediately Caroline's tone changed completely.
Concern replacing teasing instantly.
"What happened? Is he alright?"
"He's okay now."
Now.
Not before.
Lillian swallowed slightly.
"He got sick."
"That's not all."
Mothers always knew.
Lillian sighed softly.
"…It was serious."
Caroline went quiet for a second.
Then softer—
"Are you okay?"
That question almost caught Lillian off guard.
Because over the last week she'd focused so much on Sebastian that she hadn't really stopped to think about herself.
"…I think so."
"You think so?"
Lillian smiled faintly despite herself.
"I'm just tired."
"Have you been taking care of yourself too?"
Lillian hesitated.
Chloe snorted quietly beside her.
Caroline immediately caught it.
"…You haven't."
"I'm fine."
"Mhm."
Lillian could practically hear the look her mother was giving her through the phone.
Caroline softened slightly after a moment.
"How's Sebastian now?"
"Better."
Lillian's expression softened unconsciously again.
"He's resting at home."
"Good."
A small silence followed.
Then Caroline spoke gently.
"You love him very much, don't you?"
The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
"Yes."
No pause.
No uncertainty.
Just truth.
Chloe glanced at her quietly after hearing that.
Caroline's voice softened warmly.
"I thought so."
Lillian looked down at her desk silently.
Because saying it herself had always been easy.
Natural.
Simple.
But hearing it back?
That was the part that never came.
After a few more minutes, the call ended.
Lillian slowly lowered her phone.
The office noise continued quietly around them.
Chloe watched her carefully.
"…You okay?"
Lillian stared at her phone for another second before answering softly.
"…Yeah."
But her eyes drifted toward Sebastian's empty glass office again.
And despite everything Chloe said—
despite knowing how much Sebastian cared—
one quiet thought still lingered painfully in the back of her mind.
Why couldn't he say it?