Chapter 134
“Lexi p>
“I came here today because there’s something you need to know p>
She looked at him.
“Be careful around Dominic p>
Lexi’s fingers tightened around her cup.
Julian continued.
“When Dominic left the Reed organization, he took a large number of our technical specialists with him p>
“Since then, he’s been aggressively undermining us p>
“He hasn’t shown any loyalty to the people who once helped him p>
“But what worries me most is how suddenly he changed p>
“It seemed to begin around the time of his car accident p>
“And then there were the poisoning attempts p>
Julian’s aw tightened.
“Someone willing to poison people to get what they want is capable of almost anything p>
“Dominic may have grown up with you, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hurt you p>
Lexi lowered her eyes.
His warning immediately reminded her of the private room.
Dominic.
Lauren.
Together.
She still had no idea why they had met.
But she couldn’t ignore what she’d seen.
“Julian p>
Her voice was low.
“I heard you p>
“I’ll be careful p>
Just then, a bright voice rang out.
“Lexi p>
“Lexi p>
Lexi looked up.
A young girl was running toward her.
It was Lily.
She had clearly been running too fast; tiny beads of sweat covered her bright face.
“Slow down p>
Lexi immediately stood and caught her by the arm before she could trip.
Lily peeked around Lexi.
Her eyes landed on Julian.
Another handsome man.
She couldn’t help thinking that all the gorgeous men somehow gathered around Lexi.
Meanwhile, every man around her looked like he’d lost a fight with a lawn mower.
But there was one thing Lily knew for sure.
Lexi belonged with Sebastian.
No one was going to steal Sebastian from her.
Lexi and Julian had no idea what was going through the girl’s head.
To them, Lily was simply an innocent—and perhaps slightly too perceptive—kid.
“Julian, I have somewhere to be p>
Lexi smiled.
“I’ll see you later p>
She took Lily’s hand and left the swimming center.
After Happy Moments wrapped, Lexi didn’t accept any new projects immediately.
For the first time in a while, she had some free time.
She used it wisely.
She signed up for swimming lessons.
Then she enrolled in a self-defense class.
If she couldn’t overpower an attacker, she at least wanted to buy herself enough time to escape—or survive until help arrived.
Since she was a complete beginner, she ended up training alongside students around Lily’s age.
After an exhausting session, the instructor blew the whistle.
“That’s it for today p>
Lexi changed clothes and walked outside with Lily.
Then both girls stopped.
Rain was pouring from the sky.
They looked at each other.
Neither had brought an umbrella.
Everyone else had already left.
The two of them were stranded on the steps, staring helplessly at the rain.
Then a familiar voice cut through the downpour.
“Lexi p>
She looked up.
Sebastian stood only a few steps away.
A black umbrella was open above his head.
“Sebastian p>
Lily immediately ran toward him.
Sebastian bent down and scooped her into his arms.
Then he walked toward Lexi.
He shifted the umbrella to cover all three of them.
His free arm bent slightly.
His eyes silently invited Lexi to take it.
Lexi hesitated.
Her lingering jealousy over him visiting Lauren earlier still hadn’t completely disappeared.
But she pushed it aside.
She slipped her arm through his.
The three of them walked beneath one umbrella through the soft rain.
For a moment, they looked almost like a family heading home after a long day.
Lexi glanced up.
At that exact moment, Sebastian turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
The rain continued falling around them.
But beneath the umbrella, the air suddenly felt charged.
One look.
One heartbeat.
And sparks seemed to fly between them.
“After what happened, why didn’t you tell me? You even went to another man to vent. If it weren’t for Lila, how long were you planning to keep it from me p>
Sebastian’s gaze was gentle, his voice carrying a faint note of reproach.
But beneath it was unmistakable tenderness.
Lexi’s heart fluttered.
She quickly looked away and said softly, “You can protect me for a moment, but you can’t protect me for the rest of my life. I still have to learn how to walk my own path. Besides, you should go take care of Lauren. Anorexia may not always be life-threatening, but it’s serious enough that she shouldn’t be left alone p>
Sebastian’s lips curved.
“Lexi, are you jealous p>
Lexi rolled her eyes at him, but a strange sense of panic rose inside her.
She didn’t know what frightened her more—whether Sebastian had actually seen through her thoughts or whether she was finally admitting them to herself.
Maybe because she had begun to see him differently, she was developing a possessiveness she had never expected.
“Sebastian, Lexi, I’m hungry p>
Lily, who had been resting against Sebastian’s shoulder, suddenly turned around and complained.
Her voice broke the tension between them.
Sebastian looked at her warmly.
“What do you want to eat p>
“Can I have KFC p>
Lily asked cautiously, her dark eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Mr. Joe considered fast food like KFC and McDonald’s junk food and rarely let Lily eat it.
But Lily was still a child, and children had a particular weakness for forbidden food.
With Mr. Joe nowhere around and Sebastian almost incapable of saying no to her, she intended to take full advantage.
“Sure. I’ll take you p>
Sebastian set Lily carefully on the ground and told her to wait in the car.
He closed the umbrella and turned toward Lexi.
Rain still fell in fine sheets around them, blurring her vision.
Under his unwavering gaze, heat crept into her cheeks.
She immediately turned around and slipped into the car, taking the seat beside Lily.
“Don’t look at me like that again p>
Lexi tried to suppress the frantic beating of her heart.
Why was it always her heart that raced whenever their eyes met?
It was completely unfair.
Next time she got the chance, she was determined to make him the one who lost his composure.
From the driver’s seat, Sebastian looked at her through the rearview mirror.
“Lexi, you’re allowed to have weaknesses p>
His voice was calm, but every word carried weight.
“And I can promise you this—I have more than enough power to protect you. You don’t have to carry everything alone. All I want is for you to live freely and easily p>
Lexi’s heart skipped.
Warmth spread through her chest, shutting out the cold rain and everything beyond the car.
Live freely and easily.
Such simple words.
Yet they made her eyes sting.
Perhaps no one had ever said something like that to her.
Even the strongest person eventually reaches a point where they need somewhere to lean.
Sebastian lifted a hand, as though he wanted to brush the loose strands of hair from her forehead.
But he stopped himself.