Alina’s POV
They were evidence that he was capable of presence, protection, and patience, the kind of reliability I had once thought impossible.
“I’ve been thinking,” Sebastian said quietly, glancing at me, “about the past, about mistakes, and about how I want to act moving forward. About how I want to be with you and Leo.”
I looked at him carefully. “And what have you realized?”
He paused, choosing his words deliberately. “I can’t undo the past. I can’t erase mistakes. But I can choose what comes next. I can be present. I can be responsible. I can protect rather than control. I can be someone worthy of you and Leo.”
His words were sincere, yet I remained cautious. Trust was earned, not claimed. And yet, I had seen proof of his change in subtle, repeated gestures, the patience, the at
