After Daniel left the room with Sebastian's schedule, the penthouse fell quiet again. The silence here was fundamentally different from the silence in Willowbrook. Back home, quiet meant the soft, rhythmic turning of book pages downstairs or the gentle clinking of ceramic cups while her grandmother brewed tea in the kitchen. Here, the silence felt larger, more pressurized—as if the space itself was holding its breath.
Sebastian glanced down at the tablet Daniel had handed him, his eyes scanning the information with a speed that spoke of years of practice.
"Looks like your day is already busy," Selena said, her voice sounding small in the vast living area.
"It usually is." He placed the tablet back on the marble counter and picked up his coffee again.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Selena was still trying to adapt to the sheer scale of everything around her—the polished counters, the tall windows stretching across the room, the view of Aurelia City spreading endlessly below like a map made of glass. It felt like she had stepped through a mirror into another universe.
"There's something I should mention," Sebastian said after a quiet moment.
Selena looked up. "Yes?"
"There's a dinner tonight."
"A dinner?"
"A business one. Investors, board members… people I can't ignore forever." He studied her expression carefully, his gaze lingering on her face. "You're welcome to come with me."
The offer caught her off guard. For a second, Selena imagined walking into a room full of people like Sebastian—people who lived in towers and spoke in the shorthand of numbers and deals. People whose companies earned more in a single afternoon than her bookstore had in a decade. Her stomach tightened instinctively.
"I think…" she hesitated, searching for the right words. "I think I should stay here tonight."
Sebastian didn't look offended. Instead, he nodded calmly, as if he had already anticipated her answer. "That's perfectly fine."
"I just arrived," Selena added quickly, feeling the need to justify the sudden spark of nerves. "Everything still feels… very new."
"It is new."
"And I don't want to embarrass you in front of your business partners. I don't exactly know the protocol for billionaire board meetings."
A faint, genuine smile appeared on his lips. "You won't embarrass me, Selena. You couldn't if you tried."
"I still think I should wait."
He studied her for a moment longer, his eyes softening. "Take all the time you need."
Something about that simple sentence made the tightness in her chest ease. There was no pressure, no expectation for her to perform. Just time.
Sebastian finished his coffee and set the cup down. "I'll be out most of the afternoon," he said. "But you're free to explore the penthouse. The building staff already know you're here."
That sentence alone made her heart skip. The idea that an entire network of people in this skyscraper was aware of her presence made the situation feel suddenly, sharply real.
"And Selena?"
"Yes?"
"If you need anything at all, Daniel can arrange it."
Before she could ask what exactly "anything" entailed, Sebastian's phone vibrated again. He glanced at the screen and sighed softly, the weight of his world pulling at him. "Work never waits."
Selena smiled slightly. "I figured."
A few minutes later, he was preparing to leave. Watching him shrug into his tailored jacket and walk toward the private elevator made the penthouse feel suddenly, dauntingly larger. He paused before stepping inside the wood-paneled lift.
"I'll be back later tonight."
"Good luck at your dinner," she said.
The elevator doors slid closed, and he was gone. For several minutes, Selena simply stood in the center of the room. She slowly walked back toward the windows. The city below was a hive of movement—cars flowing like blood through wide metallic veins, sunlight reflecting off a thousand different towers.
A soft chime suddenly echoed through the penthouse. Selena turned in surprise as the elevator doors opened again. Daniel stepped out, still holding the same sleek tablet. For a moment, he seemed unsure whether to approach, then he walked forward with professional politeness.
"Miss Selena."
"Hello again, Daniel."
His posture was rigid, but the surprise from their first meeting had softened into something more functional. "Mr. McGrey asked me to ensure you're comfortable while you're staying here."
"That's very thoughtful of him."
Daniel nodded. "He also asked me to make a few arrangements for your afternoon."
"Arrangements?"
"Yes." He tapped the tablet quickly. "A driver will be available if you'd like to explore the city from a distance. I've also arranged a private appointment at a nearby spa for two o'clock."
"A spa?" Selena blinked. "I've never actually been to a spa."
"And afterward," Daniel continued as if she hadn't spoken, "a stylist will meet you at a boutique. Discreetly, of course."
"That sounds… like a lot for one afternoon."
Daniel allowed himself the faintest hint of a smile. "Mr. McGrey prefers preparation. He wants you to feel at home in this city, and in Aurelia, that often starts with the right resources."
"I don't even know what I would wear to half the places in this city," Selena admitted.
"That's precisely why the stylist will assist you. They understand the nuances of the social landscape here." His tone remained calm and efficient, but there was something reassuring about the way he spoke. He wasn't being condescending; he was simply presenting a menu of the life Sebastian lived.
"And no one will know?" Selena asked quietly, thinking of the reporters in Willowbrook.
Daniel understood her immediately. "No one outside this building will be informed of your presence," he said smoothly. "Mr. McGrey values discretion above all else. Your privacy is part of the service."
That single sentence told her everything she needed to know about the world she had entered. It was a world where privacy had to be guarded like a fortress.
"Thank you, Daniel," she said softly.
Daniel nodded. "The car will be ready in thirty minutes." He paused before adding one more thing, his expression turning a fraction more human. "And Miss Selena?"
"Yes?"
"Welcome to Aurelia City."
For the first time since she had crossed the city limits, Selena smiled. Because somehow, that simple welcome made the steel and glass feel just a little bit more like home.