57 Dinner, Jokes, and a Priceless Heirloom
The luxury restaurant’s soft lighting cast a golden glow across our table. I sat across from Sebastian Sinclair–billionaire, mysterious power player, and apparently, the buyer of my mother’s bracelet,
What do you say to someone who casually dropped three hundred million dollars on your family heirloom?
“Thank you” seemed pathetically inadequate.
I fidgeted with my napkin, searching for words. The silence stretched between us like a taut wire. Sebastian seemed perfectly content to wait, his posture relaxed as he sipped his wine.
“I’m not very good at small talk with billionaires,” I finally admitted.
Sebastian’s lips curved slightly. “And how many billionaires have you had small talk with, Ms. Shaw?”
“Counting you? One.
His smile deepened, transforming his stern features. “Then you have no basis for comparison.”
I laughed despite myself. “Fair point.”
Sebastian set down his glass. “Tell me about the bracelet.
I traced my finger along the rim of my water glass. “It belonged to my mother. Family legend says it was passed down through generations of women in our family?
It’s quite remarkable,” he said. “Eighteenth–century carved imperial jade with gold inlay. Museum quality”
“My mother loved it more than anything” I swallowed hard. “After she died, my father needed money. Actually, his new wife needed money. The bracelet was the first thing they sold:
Sebastian’s expression softened. “And now it’s come back to you.
thanks to you? I met his gaze directly “Why did you buy it?
“Because you wanted it
His simple answer stunned me Before Ecould respond. The waiter arrived with our entrees–perfectly seared scallops for me, beef tenderloin for him.
“You should wear it.” Sebastian said after the waiter departed
1 nearly choked on my first bite “Wear a three–hundred–million–dollar bracelet? I’d be terrified someone would chop off my arm to steal it.
Sebastian froze: fork halfway to his mouth.
“That was a joke,” I clarified quickly. A bad one. Sorry
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, to my surprise, he laughed–a rich, genuine sound that transformed his entire face.
“Your humor is… unexpected,” he said.
“Is that good or bad?”
“Refreshing,” he decided. “Most people are too intimidated to joke with me.
I took a sip of water. “Can’t imagine why. You’re only worth billions and can apparently make news stories disappear from the internet overnight.”
Sebastian’s eyebrow arched. “You noticed.”
“Hard not to. One day everyone’s talking about the mysterious buyer who paid three hundred million for a jade bracelet, the next day–poof–not a trace online
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Poof?”
Technical term”
He studied me with new interest. “Most people wouldn’t have noticed.”
I’m not most people. I took another bite of my scallops, savoring their perfect sear “Besides, 1 was the subject of those articles too.
Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. “Fair enough”
40 Prestes, darb
The conversation flowed more easily after that. We discussed art, travel, and fashfor safe, neutral topics. I was surprised by his knowledge of design history. He spoke with genuine appreciation about everything from Ming dynasty craftsmanship to contemporary architectural innovations.
“How do you know so much about design? Lasked, genuinely curious.
“I collect beautiful things,” he said simply.
Something in his tone made me glance up. His dark eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
1 quickly changed the subject. “The food is amazing.
“I’m glad you approve. Chef Matsuda trained in Kyoto for fifteen years before opening this restaurant.
I smiled “Of course you’d know the chef’s entire resume
“Knowledge is valuable.” Sebastian took a sip of his wine. “Speaking of which, may I ask what you plan to do with the bracelet?”
“Keep it safe” I said immediately. “It’s all I have left of my mother”
“Not wear it?”
I shook my head. “It’s too valuable.”
“Value isn’t just monetary.”
“Says the man who paid three hundred million for it, I countered
Sebastian’s expression remained unreadable. “Some things are worth whatever price they command.”
set down my fork. “Why did you really buy it, Mr. Sinclair?”
Sebastian, he corrected
“Sebastian” I repeated, the name feeling strange on my tongue. “Why?”
He considered me for a long moment. “The bracelet belongs with you.”
What doesn’t answer my question
Doesn’t it?”
The intensity in his gaze made me look away first. I focused on my plate, trying to
ther my thoughts.
“I’ve been meaning to ask” I said, changing tactics. “Did the news coverage about the auction cause you any trouble? Before you made it disappear, I mean.
Sebastian’s expression shifted subtly. “Trouble?”
“It seemed excessive. All that speculation about why someone would pay so much for a bracelet. Some articles even mentioned my connection to the piece
“Is that why you think I removed the stories? To protect myself from speculation?”
1 shrugged. “Wouldn’t be surprising. Someone in your position probably values
privacy
“I do value privacy,” Sebastian agreed, his voice measured. “But that wasn’t my primary
concern.
“Then what was?”
Sebastian set down his napkin. “I thought you might not appreciate the attention.”
blinked. “You scrubbed those stories for… me?”
Your company is at a delicate stage, preparing for expansion. The last thing you need is gossip distracting from your work.
His thoughtfulness left me speechless. Most people in my life took from me–my father, Tanya, Ivy, even Alistair. Sebastian had given me back a precious piece of my history, then protected me from the fallout
Thank you, I said, meaning it more than he could know.
Sebastian nodded once, accepting my gratitude without comment. “Now, about the bracelet.”
I keep it to a safe deposit box” I assured him. “Where it belongs
disagree? Something in his voice made me look up. “Beautiful things should be seen
not locked away
Before I could respond, he continued. “But the decision is yours. The bracelet belongs
to you now, to do with as you see fit.”
As the waiter cleared our plates, I considered Sebastian’s words. The bracelet was
mine–truly mine–after all these years. Because of him
“Why do I feel like there’s more to this story than you’re telling me?” I asked.
Sebastian’s dark eyes met mine “Perhaps because you’re unusually perceptive, Ms.
Shaw
“Hazel” I corrected.
He smiled slightly. “Hazel.”
As dessert arrived, I found myself wondering what other secrets Sebastian Sinclair might be keeping–and why, for the first time in years, I was genuinely curious to find
