“Flowers for the beautiful lady,” Sebastian smiled. Then he did something that shocked me again—he leaned down and kissed my cheek. I stared at his throat in shock. He really had changed! The Sebastian in my memory would absolutely never kiss me, not even a peck on the cheek. This was entirely new territory, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

“Thank you,” I shook my head, trying to dispel the confusion.

“Ready to leave?” he asked.

Leo gently took Phoenix from my hands. The way he looked at her was so tender, like she lit up his world. When he whispered sweet nothings to her, Phoenix woke up. Surprisingly, she didn’t cry, just stared at her brother, fascinated. I guessed she was already used to him.

“Yes, everything’s packed.”

“Great, we’ll make it just in time for dinner.”

He helped me up, then grabbed our bags, and we left the room that had been my home for the past three months. Before leaving, I said goodbye to the chief physician and nurses. Most of them had tears in their eyes. It touched my heart to see how happy they were that I had finally recovered enough to go home. They had thought I would never wake up. For them, it was nothing short of a miracle.

“What about the bill?” I tugged at Sebastian’s sleeve to get his attention.

“Don’t worry, it’s been taken care of.” Then he took my hand, and we followed Leo, who was walking ahead of us. I stared at our linked hands, completely mesmerized. Maybe this was all just a dream. Because what the fuck was this strange situation? Why was he constantly holding my hand?

Just as I was about to pull away, we reached the parking lot. The car was not far away. Leo got in, still talking to his sister, and Phoenix’s gaze followed him as if she was actually listening to what he was saying. I noticed Rayne sitting in the driver’s seat, and he smiled at me.

“Congratulations on your discharge, Luna.”

“Ah, yes, thank you.” I nodded, my confusion growing. Rayne, as Sebastian’s Beta, while showing respect due to my Luna status, had never been so friendly and warm toward me. What was going on?

The ride was quiet except for Leo, who was still talking to Phoenix. When he told his sister about all the things he’d done and all the things they would do together when she grew up, it was as if we didn’t exist in Leo and Phoenix’s world.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even realize the journey had ended until Sebastian gently nudged me.

“We’re home,” he said, opening the door.

That’s when Phoenix started crying loudly. I took her from Leo, but she continued wailing.

“Maybe she’s hungry,” I muttered to myself.

“You go ahead, I’ll get the luggage.”

I nodded and got out of the car, walking toward the massive mansion. It looked the same as before, but somehow, I felt like it wasn’t my home anymore. I didn’t understand why I suddenly felt this way.

Stepping inside, I found that everything had changed. The paintings, the decorations, everything. I stood there, surprised, looking around. Something felt different, and it wasn’t just because the house looked unfamiliar. There was a warmth missing here, a warmth that had existed yesterday (or what my brain perceived as yesterday).

I continued taking careful steps. This feeling of being in an unfamiliar place grew stronger. My mind kept telling me this was my home, even though it had changed, but my heart and soul couldn’t agree. Another cry from Phoenix pulled me back from this strange feeling. I quickly made my way to a guest room downstairs. Feeding Phoenix was the priority now. I could figure out why things felt wrong later.