Two months passed quietly.
Not peacefully.
Not perfectly.
But steadily.
Life slowly returned to normal after what happened at the Wolfe estate.
Sebastian recovered physically first.
The chest infection disappeared.
The coughing stopped.
The nightmares became less frequent, though they never fully vanished.
Some nights he still woke suddenly, breathing unevenly, reaching for Lillian before he was fully awake.
And every single time—
she was there.
Holding him.
Grounding him.
Loving him without hesitation.
Now it was November.
Early winter sunlight spilled across New York in warm gold tones, the city bright beneath clear skies.
Sovereign was thriving again.
Meetings resumed.
Deals closed.
Investors returned.
And Sebastian Wolfe looked untouchable once more to everyone outside his private life.
Cold.
Precise.
Controlled.
But Lillian knew better.
Because over the last two months something subtle had changed in him.
Sebastian stayed closer now.
Always.
A hand against her back while walking.
Fingers brushing against hers during meetings.
Standing too close while she worked.
Watching her quietly when he thought she wasn't looking.
It wasn't suffocating.
Not yet.
But there was a quiet intensity beneath it now.
Like he was constantly trying to reassure himself that she was still there.
Still his.
Still staying.
And Lillian let him.
Because she understood him better than anyone.
Even when he struggled to explain himself.
One week before Lillian's birthday, Sebastian sat alone in his office at Sovereign long after most employees had gone home.
The executive floor was quiet now.
Dark glass windows reflected the city lights outside while files and reports remained forgotten on his desk.
Instead, Sebastian was staring at something entirely different.
A document titled:
November 18th.
Lillian's birthday.
His gaze moved carefully across the page.
Reservations.
Locations.
Times.
Security arrangements.
Private transportation.
Every detail meticulously organized.
Because Sebastian planned everything seriously.
Especially things connected to Lillian.
A soft knock interrupted the silence.
"Come in."
Chloe stepped inside holding a tablet.
"I finished the projections for Henderson."
Sebastian nodded once.
"Leave them there."
Chloe moved toward the desk.
Then paused.
Because the papers spread across his desk definitely were not business related.
Her eyes moved slowly over:
restaurant reservations
handwritten notes
jewelry sketches
a private rooftop venue booking
floral arrangements
Chloe blinked.
Then looked at Sebastian.
"…What is all this?"
Sebastian didn't look remotely embarrassed.
"Preparations."
"For?"
Sebastian finally looked up.
"Lillian's birthday."
Silence.
Chloe stared at him.
Then slowly looked back at the desk again.
"…You did all this?"
"Yes."
"You planned all this yourself?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then Chloe said carefully:
"You know rich people usually just buy one expensive thing and call it romance, right?"
Sebastian looked genuinely confused.
"That seems lazy."
Chloe almost laughed.
Instead she shook her head slowly.
"You're terrifying when you care about someone."
Sebastian ignored that entirely.
His attention returned to the papers.
"I need the rooftop cleared completely that evening."
Chloe immediately switched into work mode.
"I'll handle it."
"No press."
"Obviously."
"No staff interruptions either."
"Mr. Wolfe."
He looked up.
Chloe crossed her arms slightly.
"She's going to cry."
Sebastian frowned faintly.
"That isn't the goal."
"I know."
And somehow that made it worse.
Because Chloe had never seen Sebastian put this much thought into anything personal before.
Not once.
Everything was precise.
Intentional.
Deeply tailored to Lillian specifically.
The flowers she liked.
The pianist she once casually mentioned enjoying.
Her favorite desserts.
A private observatory booking because Lillian once told him she loved stars as a child.
None of this was random.
Sebastian remembered everything about her.
Even things she forgot saying herself.
Chloe looked at him carefully for a moment longer.
Then finally asked quietly:
"…Why are you really doing all this?"
Sebastian went still briefly.
Then answered without hesitation.
"Because she deserves it."
That wasn't the full truth though.
And Chloe could tell.
But she didn't push further.
Later that night, Sebastian returned home unusually late.
The mansion was quiet.
Most lights dimmed.
He loosened his tie slightly as he walked upstairs toward the bedroom.
When he entered, Lillian was sitting against the headboard reading.
She looked up immediately.
"There you are."
Sebastian's expression softened automatically the second he saw her.
"You're still awake."
"You're late."
"I was working."
That technically wasn't a lie.
Lillian closed her book slowly.
"You've been suspicious lately."
Sebastian paused halfway through removing his watch.
"…Suspicious?"
"Mhm."
Lillian narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You keep disappearing for calls."
"Business."
"You hide papers when I walk into rooms."
"Confidential."
"You whispered to one of the staff yesterday."
Sebastian looked completely calm.
"They work here."
Lillian stared at him for a long moment.
Then finally laughed softly.
"You're a terrible liar."
A very small pause followed that.
Then unexpectedly—
Sebastian walked toward the bed.
Lillian watched him carefully.
He stopped beside her.
Then gently rested his hand against the side of her face.
Soft.
Careful.
Like touching something precious.
"You'll understand soon," he said quietly.
Lillian blinked softly at the rare sincerity in his tone.
Then suspiciousness returned immediately.
"…Sebastian Wolfe."
He almost smiled slightly.
Almost.
Then leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
Lillian grabbed his sleeve before he could move away.
"You're definitely hiding something."
Sebastian looked down at her hand gripping him.
Then at her.
And for one brief second—
something vulnerable crossed his face.
Gone almost instantly.
But there.
"…Maybe," he admitted quietly.
Lillian smiled triumphantly.
"I knew it."
Sebastian shook his head faintly before finally getting changed.
But later that night, after Lillian fell asleep beside him—
Sebastian remained awake.
Sitting alone near the bedroom window.
The city lights glowed softly outside.
Silent.
Distant.
His gaze lowered toward the small black box in his hands.
Inside rested a delicate silver necklace.
Elegant.
Minimal.
On the back, engraved so subtly it was almost hidden, were the words:
Always yours.
Sebastian stared at the engraving silently.
His thumb brushed lightly over the letters.
Because this—
this was easier.
Gifts were easier.
Actions were easier.
Protection was easier.
He could buy buildings.
Fix companies.
Control negotiations.
Protect people.
But three simple words?
Those still felt impossible sometimes.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Then slowly, quietly—
he spoke into the empty room.
"I love you."
The words sounded unfamiliar aloud.
Not wrong.
Just… fragile.
Exposed.
Sebastian lowered his eyes briefly.
Then tried again.
Softer this time.
"I love you."
His chest tightened strangely.
Like vulnerability physically hurt.
He looked back toward the bed.
Toward Lillian sleeping peacefully beneath the blankets.
And suddenly all he could think was:
What if this still isn't enough?
Because no matter how much he gave her—
time
attention
protection
touch
devotion
—it still didn't replace hearing the words.
Sebastian knew that now.
And it terrified him more than he wanted to admit.
Behind him, Lillian stirred faintly in her sleep.
Sebastian immediately stood and walked back toward the bed.
The second he laid down beside her again, she instinctively moved closer.
Half asleep.
One hand lightly resting against his chest.
Trusting him completely without even being awake.
Sebastian wrapped an arm carefully around her.
Holding her close against him.
His chin resting lightly against the top of her head.
And quietly, where only the darkness could hear him—
Sebastian whispered:
"I'm trying."
Even if he still didn't know how to say everything she deserved to hear.