When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0988

Madison drove back to her apartment, and the darkness of night had already settled outside.

On most evenings, she would have been eating her delivery from Flavorscape by now. However, she had lately developed a fondness for a new place called Noir Plate. As a regular, she had even signed up for their premium membership, which included an exclusive delivery

service.

She had been ordering from them for almost a week straight. Each day brought a new dish, and she never grew tired of it. After a long, intense day of work, it was the one thing she looked forward to.

But that night, the steaming food was untouched in front of her. Her mind was still reeling from the aftershock of Sebastian’s revelation, and it left her in a daze.

Madison couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that Sebastian liked her. It just didn’t make

sense. noveldrama

How did it happen? She had managed to escape for now, but what about tomorrow?

The thought of returning to the lab and facing him again made her scalp tingle with dread.

The following morning, Sebastian arrived promptly at 7:00 am, as usual, at Madison’s apartment building. As he was about to head upstairs, the security guard stopped him.

“Young man, are you looking for Madi?”

The security guard, who had gotten to know her after she had shared some chicken tenders with him, recognized Sebastian from his frequent visits.

“Yes.” Sebastian nodded.

“She asked me to tell you she’s skipping her workout today, so no need to look for her,” the security guard explained.

Sebastian frowned but kept walking toward the elevator.

The security guard added, “She also said that if you insist on looking for her, she’ll, uh… stop talking to you altogether.”

Sebastian stopped in his tracks. “Did she say anything else?” he asked.

“She said she wants to be left alone and doesn’t want you asking what it means.”

Sebastian paused momentarily before saying, “Okay. When she leaves the building later, can you tell her that avoiding the problem won’t fix anything? The best thing to do is agree sooner rather than later.”

The security guard repeated the message to confirm, then nodded.

He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Young couples these days–why can’t they just talk things out face–to–face? Or at least text? Why do have to be the messenger? Is this some new kind of romance?”

Sebastian hailed a cab to the lab. Sitting in the backseat, he stared out the window as the cityscape blurred past, and an unfamiliar sense of melancholy washed over him.

For the past few months, he had always carpooled with Madison to the lab and left together in the evening. Sometimes, she would invite him to her apartment to share her favorite meals. They would eat while she critiqued each dish and asked for his thoughts.

Occasionally, when she discovered a promising new restaurant, they would head straight there after work. Some places lived up to the hype, while others didn’t, but those moments together had become some of his favorite memories.

They weren’t a couple back then, but their connection felt deeper than that.

Sebastian had assumed Madison must have picked up on his feelings. But judging by her reaction yesterday–looking like she’d been struck by lightning–she clearly had no idea.

After returning home that night, he reflected seriously on the situation. Had he been too quick to open up? Had he scared her off?

After thinking it through, he couldn’t see what he had done wrong–but doubt lingered.

After all, she had already agreed to let Mason buy her a house in Grenada. She had been saying she would move back to Gulsberg after graduation, and there was no real reason for her to stay in Jandersville.

So, what was Sebastian waiting for? Should he wait until she graduates and leaves and then regret it later?