Sebastian's jaw tightened as he watched Amari still trying to stubbornly resist him. His voice dropped, low and clipped with irritation.
"Grandma said if I don't bring you back, she won't continue her birthday celebration. Amari, you know she means it."
Those words made Amari freeze for a moment.
Her mind raced. Of course Grandma Josefina would say something like that—her greatest wish had always been to reconcile them, to force fate into giving them another chance. Amari knew the old woman's heart. And Sebastian…
Why would he lie about something like this? Why would a man as proud as him lower himself enough to fetch her, if not for Grandma?
Her lips parted, but no words came out. The silence between them felt heavier than the night.
And then—before she could even blink—Sebastian bent forward and scooped her into his arms, carrying her horizontally like she weighed nothing.
"Sebastian!" Amari cried out, her voice a mixture of shock and indignation.
