[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260313F01E2B-68":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},68,9,"Chapter 9: The Unwelcome Stowaway","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The entire Walker Group was in utter pandemonium, all because Sebastian decided to play hooky from the office and camp out at my place daily.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His mom was fuming, and naturally, I was instantly branded the ultimate femme fatale in her eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Valentina made it her mission to drag Sebastian away, but he wouldn't even spare her a glance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With no other tricks up her sleeve, Valentina marched into my wellness clinic, ready to throw down. She demanded to know how long I intended to keep Sebastian under my thumb.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm not tormenting anyone. He's doing this to himself,\" I stated calmly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was the same old story. Back then, his indifference was crystal clear, yet I stuck around, a total simp hoping he'd change his mind.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My stance now is just as firm. If he wants to play the tragic hero, that's on him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Valentina lost it. She started shrieking, flinging insults, and tried to lunge at me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I had security escort her out. Honestly, I couldn't be bothered with her usual rant about how I deserved Sebastian's affection and why she was a total washout.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What's it to me?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Who needs this dramatic, eleventh-hour love fest?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With Valentina out of the picture, peace finally descended.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The sky outside turned a moody gray, the air heavy with the promise of rain.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">By the time I got home, the heavens had opened. Sebastian, looking like a drowned cat, was slumped on my doorstep, begging to be let in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing his soaked hair, I knew his eye condition was about to act up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I ignored him and told him to beat it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Opening the door, I found Selena peeking out from behind it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sebastian, unable to break me, had switched to playing the dad card with our daughter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">No matter how much Selena had disliked him before, she was still a kid, and Sebastian’s kid at that.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His persistent efforts had finally started to chip away at her dislike.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I couldn’t just kick him out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I knew Sebastian was playing the guilt trip, using this whole self-destructive act to manipulate me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But leaving him out in the rain all night? Not happening. If Selena heard her dad crying outside, she'd have nightmares.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sebastian won. I let him in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I dug out his eye drops, gave him a quick shoulder rub, and let him crash on the couch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Meanwhile, I started packing. My daughter and I were going on a trip.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I immediately looped in Aurora and Benjamin. They got it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Being ambushed by Sebastian at my door daily, plus his emotional warfare, had made the peaceful life I craved way too stressful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A getaway sounded like a solid plan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were both super supportive, brainstorming ideas.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next morning, without a word to Sebastian snoring on the couch, I left with Selena.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With just a small bag, I headed downstairs and hopped into Aurora's car.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She insisted on driving us to the airport, playfully teasing me the whole way about whether Benjamin was green with envy for not getting to send us off.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I just smiled, figuring it was probably for the best. Maybe it would help him move on and find his own happiness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Aurora saw us off at the airport, her eyes holding a knowing glint I couldn't quite decipher.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It wasn't until I was on the plane that it hit me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sitting in the row ahead was Benjamin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Aurora had been in on it the whole time, keeping it a surprise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Selena was over the moon, and I felt a little spark of excitement myself. The journey suddenly felt more appealing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But just twenty minutes later, my mood took a sharp turn.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At the eleventh hour, just before takeoff, one last passenger boarded.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was Sebastian. He slid into the seat directly behind me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A headache started thrumming at my temples. This trip was guaranteed to be anything but peaceful.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272925273]