The Billionaire's Dangerous Redemption (by Claire Winters) novel Chapter 119

119 An Overwhelming Kindness

Hazel’s POV (1

“It’s just a scratch,” I said, glancing down at the thin red line on my forearm. “Nothing

serious.”

“Show me.” Sebastian’s voice was firm through the phone, brooking no argument.

I blinked in surprise. “How exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“Video call.”

Before I could protest, the screen changed to a video request. My finger hovered over the decline button, but something in his commanding tone made me accept instead. Sebastian’s face appeared on my screen, his expression severe.

“The arm, Hazel.”

I reluctantly turned my forearm toward the camera. The scratch wasn’t deep, but it had drawn blood that was now drying in a thin line across my skin.

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “Have you cleaned it?”

“Not yet. I was dealing with Alistair’s departure.”

“Clean it now.” His gaze was intense, even through the small screen. “You don’t know

where his nails have been.”

I almost smiled at his germaphobic concern. “I think I’ll survive.”

“That’s not the point.” Sebastian’s voice softened unexpectedly. “You need to go home,

Hazel.”

“What? I have work to finish-”

“It can wait until tomorrow.”

I felt a flash of irritation. “I appreciate the concern, but I make my own decisions about my schedule.”

“You’re bleeding in your studio after an altercation with your ex-fiancé,” he countered. “Take the rest of the day. Rest.”

Something in his tone made the protest die in my throat. It wasn’t controlling like Alistair’s demands. It was… caring. Concerned.

“Hazel,” he continued, his voice gentler now. “As a woman, you should learn to cherish yourself more.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. When had anyone ever suggested I should cherish myself? My father certainly never had. My stepmother treated me like a burden. Alistair had ultimately chosen my stepsister over me. Even I had spent years putting everyone else’s needs before my own.

“I-” My voice cracked unexpectedly.

Sebastian waited patiently, his eyes never leaving mine through the screen.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll go home.”

He nodded, satisfaction evident in his expression. “Call me if you need anything.”

The call ended before I could respond, leaving me staring at my reflection in the black screen. The woman looking back at me seemed different somehow—vulnerable in a way I hadn’t allowed myself to be in months.

I gathered my things slowly, my mind churning with confusion. Sebastian Sinclair was impossible to categorize. One minute he was distant and professional, the next fiercely protective. What exactly did he want from me?

My phone rang again, displaying an unfamiliar number.

“Ms. Shaw?” a formal voice asked when I answered. “This is Butler Zhou from the

Sinclair household.”

I straightened instinctively. “Yes?”

“Master Sebastian has arranged for a driver to take you home. The car will arrive in approximately ten minutes.”

“That’s not necessary-”

“Master Sebastian was quite insistent,” Zhou interrupted politely. “The driver will wait for you outside your building.”

The call ended before I could argue further. I stared at my phone in disbelief. Sebastian

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had sent a car for me? I hadn’t even given him my address.

But of course, he knew it. Sebastian Sinclair seemed to know everything about me.

I sank into my chair, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. My workspace, usually my sanctuary, felt tainted after Alistair’s intrusion. The sight of bloodstains on the floor made my stomach clench. Perhaps going home wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

I pressed a clean tissue against the scratch on my arm, wincing slightly at the sting. “Cherish yourself more,” Sebastian had said. Such simple words, yet they echoed in my mind like thunder.

My phone pinged with a message from the building security, informing me that my car had arrived. I gathered my purse and design portfolio, hesitating only briefly before leaving the studio. The bloodstains would have to wait until tomorrow.

In the elevator, I suddenly realized that Sebastian hadn’t told me why he’d called in the first place. Had he been checking on me after our last conversation? Or was there something else he needed?

Once seated in the sleek black car Sebastian had sent, I typed out a message:

“Thank you for the car, though it wasn’t necessary. I just realized you never told me why you called earlier. Was there something specific you needed?”

I stared at the message for a long moment before adding:

“And why are you being so kind to me? It’s… unexpected.”

My thumb hovered over the send button. The second question felt too personal, too revealing. But Sebastian had seen straight through my defenses earlier. Perhaps directness was the best approach.

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