Chapter 123
She wasn’t.
A few strands of hair had fallen across her forehead, disturbing her sleep.
He reached out to brush them aside.
Then—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Someone was pounding urgently on the car window.
Lexi startled awake.
She opened her eyes and found Sebastian only inches away from her.
Sleep vanished instantly.
She blinked several times, rubbed her tired eyes, unfastened her seat belt, and hurried out of the car.
Someone was standing directly in front of them.
Dominic.
His hands were buried deep in the pockets of his suit.
His brows were tightly furrowed.
His expression was grim.
Something was wrong.
“Big brother, what are you doing here p>
Lexi yawned, still groggy from her nap.
The moment Dominic saw her, the gloom on his face disappeared.
He forced a smile.
“I passed a dessert shop on my way home from work. I remembered how much you like sweets, so I bought you something p>
He lifted the box in his hand.
“I came to drop it off, but you weren’t here.
So I waited p>
“Mr. Dominic certainly has a lot of free time p>
Sebastian slowly stepped out of the car, his voice lazy and teasing.
“Doesn’t he know eating sweets this late at night makes people gain weight? Lexi’s an actress. If she gains weight, her career might be over p>
Although Dominic had grown up with Lexi and their bond ran deep, seeing the two of them together always put Sebastian in a foul mood.
He knew Lexi had no romantic feelings for Dominic.
But that didn’t mean Dominic didn’t have his own intentions.
Sebastian had even begun to suspect something darker.
What if Dominic had been behind Julian’s revious injuries and poisoning attempts?
“I bought them because Lexi hasn’t been in a good mood lately,” Dominic replied calmly.
“Sweets make people happy p>
His smile gradually faded.
“And my little sister has always been blessed with a metabolism that doesn’t let her gain weight. Besides, I can afford to buy her as many desserts as she wants p>
His gaze settled on Sebastian.
There was a cold, murderous edge behind it.
Dominic had thought Sebastian and Lexi had finally severed ties.
Apparently not.
Seeing Sebastian personally drive Lexi home—and realizing the two of them had been sitting together in the car so intimately—was enough to ignite his anger.
“Is that so p>
Sebastian lifted an eyebrow.
He looked toward Lexi.
“I never knew you had such a miraculous talent p>
Lexi immediately felt a headache coming on.
The two men were throwing subtle jabs at each other, each sentence more sarcastic than the last.
She looked at Sebastian.
“Mr. Blackwood, it’s late. You should go home p>
Sebastian’s lips curved.
“All right, Lexi p>
His eyes narrowed slightly with amusement.
“I’ll go for now p>
Then, with a deliberately suggestive smile, he added,
“I’ll come pick you up after work tomorrow night p>
Before Lexi could respond, he turned and walked back toward his car.
The headlights flicked on, briefly illuminating her face.
She watched him drive away.
Only after his car disappeared into the distance did Dominic finally speak.
“Lexi, didn’t you tell me you were done with Sebastian?
Why are you two still tangled up like this p>
“Big brother, there are some things I can’t explain in just a few words p>
Lexi gave him a small smile.
“But don’t worry. My heart has always been with you. We’re closer than family p>
Dominic’s heart sank.
That was exactly the problem.
He didn’t want to be her family.
He wanted to be her man.
The only man in her heart.
But Dominic was already locked in a power struggle with both Julian and Sebastian.
If Lexi became involved in that conflict, he would have to hold back.
And he couldn’t afford to let anything interfere with his plans.
“Lexi p>
Dominic hesitated.
Then he asked quietly, “Do you still have feelings for Julian p>
The question pulled Lexi’s memories backward.
Things she thought she had forgotten.
Things she had buried.
They all resurfaced.
Technically, Simone was gone.
Julian had finally let go.
There was nothing standing between them anymore.
If she wanted to, she could still be with him.
But whenever Lexi closed her eyes now, all she saw was Sebastian.
She couldn’t even tell which man had truly captured her heart.
The gentle, refined Julain…
Or the cold, domineering Sebastian.
“I don’t know p>
After a long silence, she finally answered.
Her brows knitted together as if she had fallen into a maze she couldn’t escape.
Dominic studied her carefully.
“Lexi, whether the man you love is Sebastian orJulian, don’t hide it from me p>
His voice was low but sincere.
“I want to be the first person to bless you when you finally make your choice p>
As long as he knew which man Lexi loved, he could decide what to do next.
Lexi nodded.
She had always regarded Dominic as family.
His place in her heart was precious.
If she ever figured out what she truly wanted, she would tell him.
And if he could sincerely bless her, she would be grateful.
The next morning, Lexi received a call from Lila while she was working.
“I have a new filming opportunity for you,” Lila said.
“Come see me as soon as you can p>
The restaurant was in the middle of its busiest period.
Lexi thought about it for a while before deciding to ask Paige for permission to leave.
She had expected Paige to explode.
At the very least, she thought she’d be subjected to a few sarcastic remarks.
Instead, Paige agreed without hesitation.
“Lexi, I knew from the beginning that you didn’t belong here p>
Paige gave her a knowing look.
“If you want to leave, then go p>
She placed a hand on Lexi’s shoulder.
“Thanks to Logan, the door will always be open for you here. But you need to seize this opportunity p>
Her expression turned serious.
“Remember, the entertainment industry doesn’t wait for anyone p>
Lexi nodded, genuinely touched.
She had worked at the restaurant for quite some time now.
Paige could be strict, sometimes brutally so, but she had always left Lexi a little room to breathe.
Lexi changed out of her uniform and stepped outside.
Warm sunlight spilled across her face.
For the first time in a while, everything felt full of possibility.
“What kind of project is it p>
The moment Lexi arrived, she asked Lila without hesitation.