The busy day did not change the usual routine of the multibillionaire CEO of the Salazar Empire. Sebastian loses the tie around his neck as he steps into the car and removes it before unbuttoning two buttons of his suit.
He was relaxing in the backseat of the car when his driver-bodyguard. "Where to, Boss?"
Sebastian thought of a moment when he felt some hunger around his stomach. "LM Diner." He coldly answered as he checked his phone.
They drove to the local diner to buy some snacks and to check them as well. He didn't want anything bad to happen again to that small business that belongs to his property.
Arriving at the area, the door of the backseat of his car opened, and he was greeted by the same man whom he assigned to watch the diner. "Good evening, Boss."
With his usual cold facade, Sebastian only nodded to his man before speaking. "I'm not the Boss but the CEO tonight," he informed making his man nod in understanding and went inside.
Sebastian waltzed inside the diner like a boss but instead of heading to his usual booth in the diner, something caught his attention before smirking. His men working in the diner were confused by the sudden gesture of their boss since Sebastian just went to another side of the booth which was already occupied by another customer. A lady customer that he knew.
Sebastian's alluring tone suddenly said a pickup line. "Should I thank the fate leading me here tonight and meet the enchantress of my life?" The lady in the booth gave him a look before sighing.
"Don't ruin my mood, Sebastian. I want to eat at peace." Veronica still ate her food even though Sebastian already joined her booth.
Sebastian smirked. "Oh c'mon, Veronica, don't you like my pickup line?" he asked teasingly.
Veronica gave him a sternly before countering. "If I'm easy to get kind of lady, I would squeal already." She bluntly told him but Sebastian was grinning. "But sadly, I'm not the kind of girl."
"But you're the type of girl that I want in my life." Sebastian winked but was full of seriousness and Veronica felt them.
"Sebastian." She sighed at the persistent tone that he was using to her.
Sebastian's grin turned to a genuine smile. "I am serious about what I offer and I'm willing to give everything that you want." he was persuading Veronica to say 'yes' to his offer.
"I don't need it." She directly responded.
"But you want something." Sebastian quickly countered making Veronica sternly look at him. She was battling something in her mind. "Hit the nerve?" he slightly smirked when he noticed her quiet reaction.
Veronica sighed in defeat. "What do you want, Sebastian?" she wanted to know what made him so persistent.
"You." Sebastian bluntly responded. "I want you to marry me and I will give everything that you ask." there was no lie in his eyes and the offer that he was insisting was real. "I will do everything in my power to get what you need to be done." he was sincere to her and Veronica's strong wall was slowly melting around him.
Veronica did not want that. "Sebastian..." she doesn't know what to say.
Sebastian didn't want to lose the fight. "For the heads up, Veronica, you'll be seeing me even more if you don't say yes to me." he bluntly told her making Veronica sigh.
Veronica rolled her eyes in disbelief while shaking her head. "You getting into my nerve." she could not believe that the cold and firm multibillionaire CEO of Salazar Empire had this kind of side. Annoying.
Sebastian smirked like he was winning. "Just say yes and all of your desires even blood, I will give them to you."
"I'm not a vampire." She glared.
"I know. I'm just saying." He chuckled slightly.
Veronica seriously told him. "Then again don't say it lightly. I might take it seriously."
"Then take it seriously." He countered with his serious tone again.
She stopped eating her meal. "Sebastian, you're making me lose my appetite." She sternly looked at him as she drank her tea.
Sebastian chuckled. "Says the one who already finished eating without knowing." he teased.
Veronica warned. "Sebastian!" But honestly, she felt warm and happy with their mixed-up banter.
He controlled his teasing. "Well, business aside. I like you, Veronica. I feel at ease around you that's why I offered it." he went into his serious voice but soft expression as he admitted what made him choose her. "I just felt like you're the right person for it that's why..."
Veronica looked at Sebastian. She was quiet as she watched him eat his light food. There was something about Sebastian that made her want to know more even though there were times that she felt annoyed around him. But the fact that there's a familiarity around them, she could not help but melt a little for him.
She sighed before putting down the cup. "Feeling at ease with a stranger is easy. But giving a kind of lifetime trust has to be built yet, you can never tell when jealousy and betrayal will occur along the way." Veronica suddenly spoke something from the experience making Sebastian listen attentively. "It will slap you harder than you expect yet only accepting the pain can get you through it all."
"Have you tried to let it go?" Sebastian wondered making Veronica smile sadly at him.
"I can't. Not yet at least." She told him.
"Then marry me." He insisted again.
"Sebastian." She sighed as she didn't know what to do over his annoying persistent side.
"Hear me out again." Sebastian raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "I can tell that you are carrying something like what you told me once before and I offered this to help you as you help me." He continued with sincerity in his voice making Veronica think things carefully. "I don't want to see that force or sad smile on your lips. I want to see those bright smiles when you see simple things before your eyes," he admitted catching Veronica off guard and looking confused at him. "I wish to see them again and I hope I'm the person who will put those smiles on you again." He genuinely smiled as he caressed delicately Veronica's hands on the table.
From that simple gesture, Veronica felt warm and safe haven with that simple contact. The security that she never felt before was now hitting her through Sebastian's presence. She doesn't want to be weak but Sebastian is making her. Her eyes started to glisten with threatening tears as her heart started to beat in pain and longing.
"Let's have a night walk." Sebastian changed the subject and pulled her out of the diner.
There was silence in their walk down the street while their bodyguards shadowed them. On their silent evening stroll, Veronica just glanced at their entwined hands as she felt the safety and security that she had been longing for. She likes them and she doesn't want the night to end even though she knows it will later.
Sebastian halted into a certain place that had a nice view of city lights. "I'm not going to ask what's going into your life or what you have been through if you're not ready to share them with me." He cut the silence between them. "But as a friend, I want you to know that I'm here."
Veronica looked at him. "Why? Why me, Sebastian?" she wondered. "Is it because I'm wearing a mask that you want to uncover?" she was indeed puzzled over his unpredictable gesture around her. "Am I that mysterious enchantress that you want to use and leave afterward?"
Sebastian faced her and his eyes held anger and coldness making Veronica flinched a little. "Don't even say that I'm using you. In a personal matter, I am. But whenever I say and decide on something even if it's a mistake or regrettable one, I'm holding on to it. I rather see the end of it and not repeat it." He coldly gave an answer making Veronica nod. "So don't say that again. I'm not leaving you."
"Then why it has to be me when there are a lot of ladies out there willing to grab this opportunity to be with you." She almost sounded broken.
With honesty, "Simple, they are not you." Sebastian simply answered.
Veronica's threatening tears finally fall from her face making Sebastian smile as he wiped them away. "Don't get too close. You won't like what I'm hiding inside."
"Do you ever think or even cross your mind that I also had a monster that I'm afraid that you'll be scared of when you learn about it?" he wondered and it made Veronica's mouth open as she tried to say something but nothing was coming out. "All I'm saying is that every person in this world has their monsters or baggage to carry and only a few people or maybe just one percent will dare to uncover them." he continued.
Veronica admitted to him. "Sebastian, I don't want to be weak and it scares me whenever we're like this." She'd been feeling them around him as she honestly shared with Sebastian what was making her cry.
"I am too, Veronica. I'm scared too." He caressed her cheeks. "I'm not asking you to be my wife as soon as we got married. I can be your friend and if we develop feelings we can just revoke the contract. And if we don't, we can divorce a year or two." He made it clear to her again about their contract marriage.
Veronica chuckled slightly as her tears subsided. "You consider things before offering them to me."
"You're worthy of it. You deserve this kind of treatment from me." Sebastian winked.
"Don't wink, you're ruining our moment." Veronica playfully slapped Sebastian's shoulder.
"Well, it's getting heavy that's why." He said while giggling. "Is it working?" he grinned.
Veronica arched her left eyebrow. "Annoying me? Totally." She chuckled.
"Then I'll keep annoying you. Except on working hours." He chuckled as well.
"Very funny." She sighed but there was a visible smile that Sebastian loved to see in her. "Let's go home."
"My home or yours?" he smirked while wiggling his eyebrows.
"Don't flirt with me." She chuckled as she walked ahead of him.
Sebastian quickly followed. "I'm teasing. Not flirting." he chuckled as he kept up with her.
"Sounds the same when you deliver it." She countered.
"Vero!" He playfully whined.
"Seb!" She did the same thing making themselves laugh like they were old-time friends. So familiar with each other.
With their familiar bond, they held hands as they headed back to their respective cars where the driver-bodyguard waited for them. Both of them thanked each other for a nice evening stroll.
"Thanks for the evening stroll, Sebastian. I appreciated it." Veronica thanked him first.
"Likewise. I didn't know that we both needed it until it happened." Sebastian smiled.
"True. Take care and be careful on your way." She genuinely wished.
Sebastian was indeed grateful for the evening stroll that he shared with her. "Same goes for you." but what surprised him was when Veronica gave him an unexpected hug.
"Bye." She kissed his cheeks before getting into the car and left him stunned.