When fate plays its hand

“It’s me,” Sebastian said.

Madison froze upon hearing his voice. She wondered if she was too on edge and thought she might be hearing things.

But then he spoke again. “Don’t be scared, Madison. It’s me, Sebastian. Open the door.”

When she realized it was him, she flung the door open. Their eyes met–her tear–filled gaze and his travel–weary one. noveldrama

Sebastian’s heart tightened. “You…” He wondered what had happened to her.

Before he could say anything else, Madison threw herself into his arms. The impact made him grunt, but he held her tight. “Seb, it’s really you… I thought I was hearing things…” she sobbed.

He gently patted her back. “I’m here. Don’t cry.”

She held on a little longer before finally letting go. Wiping her tears, she remembered to invite him inside. Once he stepped in, she instinctively locked the door behind him.

Sebastian tensed at the small, unconscious action. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Madison hesitated before explaining.

That morning, as she was still figuring out how to respond to his sudden confession, she got a call from a crying Audrey.

She explained that Mason had suffered a stroke. When he was rushed to the hospital, half his body was paralyzed, and he could barely speak.

Madison immediately booked the next flight back to Graneda and went straight to the hospital. She stayed there until her father’s condition was stable, then returned home to grab some clothes and essentials for her mother, who was staying behind to look after her father.

When Madison got home, she found several relatives who were supposed to be in Lakersville, asking about Mason’s condition.

She said, “I didn’t think they had good intentions, so I lied and told them my dad just had a cold. But they asked for his room number, and they’ll probably visit him tomorrow. What should I do? I can’t keep it from them…”

She was worried they might bring up the inheritance issue in front of Mason.

She paused and added, “The doctor said he can’t handle any more stress, or his condition could get worse. Did I mess up?”

Seeing her panic, Sebastian placed his hands on her shoulders. “Calm down and listen to me.

Her anxiety eased as she locked eyes with him.

He spoke slowly and deliberately. “First, you did the right thing. Don’t doubt yourself. If you hadn’t acted quickly and kept them calm, they could’ve gone straight to the hospital–tonight and caused all the problems you’re worried about.

“Second, the extra time you bought us tonight is enough to come up with a plan and put it into action. So, don’t blame yourself. You’ve already done everything you could.”

“Really?” She sniffled.

“Yeah.”

“You’re amazing, Seb.” She started to sob again.

Sebastian smiled and handed her a tissue. “Alright. Stop crying, or your eyes will swell up.‘

Madison wiped her face and thanked him. After a moment, she seemed to realize something.‘ Why are you here all of a sudden?”

His expression softened with a hint of exasperation. “What do you think? Who leaves without a word, takes time off, and sneaks home like this? I thought you’d gone to Graneda to avoid me

Madison’s eyes darted around guiltily.

Truth be told, she had thought about it.

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