CHAPTER 3 — Three Cards
2041 Words
Lydia's POV
I didn’t breathe. I couldn’t.
I just stood there on the sidewalk, staring at my phone screen like it had just grown teeth and bitten me.
Every single bill was paid.
Not a payment pending notice. Not a late fee adjustment. Just… zeroed out.
My fingers shook as I hit the refresh button. “It has to be a glitch. Some banking error that’s going to ruin my life tomorrow morning.“
The numbers didn’t move. The weight on my chest, which should have evaporated, actually felt heavier. Because money like that didn't just fall from the sky. It came from people. And there were only three people tonight with the kind of capital, and the sheer audacity, to do something like this.
“Don’t panic, Lydia. Do not panic,” I whispered.
I was already panicking.
I spun around and marched back toward the hospital entrance. The heels were killing me, but the adrenaline was doing a decent job of masking the pain.
The warmth of the gala hit me again, but the magic was dead. Now, the chandeliers looked like surveillance eyes and the laughter sounded like a taunt. I scanned the room, my eyes landing on the center of the floor.
Sebastian was right where I’d left him. He looked like the eye of a storm, perfectly calm while the rest of the high-society crowd swirled around him in a blur of silk and champagne.
I didn't give him a chance to greet me. I walked straight into his space, my phone clutched in my hand like a weapon.
“Did you do this?”
My voice was too loud. A woman in a nearby pearl necklace glanced over, but I didn't care.
Sebastian turned, and for a split second, he looked surprised to see me back. Then, that smooth, gentle mask slid back into place. “You’re back. I thought you’d made your escape.”
“Don’t play dumb,” I snapped, holding the phone up. “My accounts. My bills. They’re all cleared. Was that you?”
He didn't look at the phone. He looked at me. He didn't deny it, which was an answer in itself.
My stomach did a slow, sick roll. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“It seemed like something that needed to be handled,” he said. His tone was so casual he could have been talking about the weather.
“That’s not an answer, Sebastian. You don’t just drop thousands of dollars on a stranger because it ‘needs to be handled.’ We met ten minutes ago.”
“Ten minutes is long enough to see when someone is drowning,” he said quietly.
“I’m not a charity case!”
“I never said you were.”
“Then take it back. Call your bank, tell them it was a mistake, whatever you have to do. I’m not taking this.”
He actually smiled then. It wasn't the arrogant smirk I’d gotten from Adrian, it was something softer, almost sad. “I can’t take it back, Lydia. It’s done.”
“Then I’ll pay you back. Every cent. I’ll get a second job, I’ll…I’ll figure it out.”
“You will,” he said.
I frowned, the anger faltering for a second. “What does that mean?”
“It means life has a way of balancing the scales,” he said. He reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a card. It was thick, matte black, and felt heavy when he pressed it into my palm. My hand tried to recoil, but his fingers closed over mine. Not hard, but enough to make me stay. “Keep it.”
“I don’t want your number.”
“You might need it. If you ever find yourself in a corner again, call me.”
“I won't,” I said, though my voice sounded small even to me.
He let go, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a way that made my skin prickle. “Keep it anyway.”
I looked down at the card, Sebastian Vale.
“This is insane,” I muttered, shoving the card into my purse.
“Wow. That looked intense.”
I didn't even have to turn around. I knew that voice. It was the sound of someone who had never had a bad day in his life.
“Am I interrupting a moment?” Cassian asked, stepping up beside us. He looked between me and Sebastian with a grin that was way too bright for the mood. “Because I love good moments.”
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Sebastian said.
Cassian laughed, leaning against a nearby pillar. “I definitely came back at the right time. So, Lydia, did Sebastian give you the ‘Guardian Angel’ speech yet? He’s very good at it.”
I turned to face him, my patience hanging by a thread. “Do you always just show up when no one wants you around?”
“Only when things get interesting,” he said. His eyes flicked to my hand, where I was still subconsciously gripping my purse. His expression shifted, just a tiny bit. The playfulness stayed, but there was a sharp edge underneath it now. “Oh. So that’s the play we’re making tonight?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.
“Of course you don't. You’re the lead role,” Cassian said. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a card of his own. This one was silver, catching the light of the chandeliers. Before I could protest, he slid it into the side pocket of my dress. “Wouldn't want you to be one-sided.”
I stared at him. “Are you serious? You too?”
“I hate being left out of a good game,” he said with a shrug.
“It’s not a game. This is my life.”
“Everything is a game, Lydia,” he said, leaning in close enough that I could smell his expensive cologne. “The trick is knowing which pieces to move. Curiosity always wins in the end. You’ll see.”
My heart was hammering against my ribs. Two cards. Two men who seemed to be talking in a code I didn't understand.
“I’m leaving,” I said, not waiting for an explanation. “I didn't ask for any of this.”
“Nobody ever does,” Cassian called out behind me as I walked away. “That’s what makes it fun!”
I didn't look back. I didn't look for Nora. I just pushed through the crowd, my head spinning, and burst out into the cold night air for the second time.
I didn't stop at the gates this time. I kept walking, my heels clicking rhythmically against the pavement. I needed distance. I needed to be back in my cramped, drafty apartment where things made sense, even if I couldn't afford the rent.
“Except now I can,” I thought, the realization hitting me again.
I checked my hand. I was still clutching the two cards. Sebastian Vale. Cassian Thorne.
“This is a mistake,” I whispered to the dark street. “A huge, massive mistake.”
A low hum started behind me. A car was crawling along the curb, matching my pace. I ignored it at first, thinking it was just someone looking for a parking spot, but it didn't pass. It stayed right there, a dark shadow in my peripheral vision.
I slowed down. The car slowed down.
My heart climbed into my throat. I turned my head slowly, and my stomach dropped.
It was a black sedan, the kind with windows so dark you couldn't see in. But the driver’s side window slid down with a smooth, mechanical hiss.
Adrian Wolfe.
He didn't look like he’d been at a party. He looked like he’d been at a war briefing. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead for a second before they cut to me.
“Get in.”
I blinked, stopping in my tracks. “Excuse me?”
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