Fated: The Alpha's Unwanted Luna-Chapter 128: Learning from his sister

He could never imagine Zoe giving something like this to Laila, for she would have found it insulting. But his little woman was glowing as if she had been handed the entire world. Was she truly that easily impressed by small, thoughtful things?

He felt a faint sting of jealousy that his little sister was receiving so much attention and praise for such a simple gift, while he had been racking his brain to find something that would please Viola. It seemed he hadn’t realized there were still this rare species of women left in the world, women who preferred simple, meaningful things over expensive, high-brand jewelry.

Sebastian’s eyes glimmered as he realized he could learn from his sister and get Viola something simple and thoughtful instead. She better smile and hug him tightly the way she was hugging Zoe when he stooped that low to buy such things!

He kept watching them, intending to study what made Viola happy as Zoe brought out more packages and Viola eagerly tore them open. His eyes widened slightly when he saw that everything inside was nothing but cute, almost childish items. There were even home wolf-shaped slippers, a matching cap, and a one-piece nightshirt.

Was this what it took to win her over? Cute, unnecessary things in pink and maroon colors?

So the way to her heart was through things like this and not through expensive, high-end jewelry?

’I’ll be damned,’ he thought in disbelief, watching the two young women having the time of their lives in the living room.

Sebastian had originally been upset and displeased that his sister had interrupted their time together in the bedroom. But seeing that she was able to make Viola smile and come out of her shell more easily than he had, he found himself grateful that Zoe had come.

Yesterday, Viola had been in a heartbreaking, shattered state that had touched a chord deep inside him. It was the reason he had chosen to stay here with her instead of going to his office. Yet now, he was relieved to see that Zoe was lifting her spirits effortlessly, bringing light back into her expression in a way he had been struggling to do.

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After they finished opening the gifts and Viola eagerly tried on some of them, like the slippers and the phone cases, they finally returned to their meal, chatting about random, baseless things, while Sebastian found himself completely lost in their conversation as he didn’t understand most of it anymore.

"If you can’t finish that, I can finish it up for you," Zoe said when Viola couldn’t finish her meal. Zoe had already emptied her own plate, as it had been a long time since she last tasted her brother’s cooking. He rarely cooked for her anymore unless she was sick, and that had been a very long time ago.

Viola didn’t hesitate and pushed her plate in front of Zoe. She watched as Zoe dug in and began to eat again, humming to herself because the food was delicious. Viola smiled and reached out to wipe the side of Zoe’s mouth when the juice from the steak escaped the corner of her lips.

To Viola, Zoe was now more like a sister than just a friend, the kind of sister she had once abandoned. A bitter smile tugged at her lips as she watched Zoe enjoy her meal. Yet at the same time, Viola couldn’t help but feel slightly at ease, realizing that caring about someone other than herself was beginning to come more naturally to her now.

Zoe opened her mouth to speak but immediately closed it when she saw her older brother giving her a warning glare, likely for taking Viola’s unfinished food and devouring it like an uncouth lady when he had raised her to eat with proper manners.

Zoe rolled her eyes at him. He was always trying to correct her the way a mother would because he believed it was his duty and responsibility as her only blood brother and the person who had raised her since babyhood. Yet she couldn’t correct his own wrongdoings because he was older. They were only eight years apart in age, but one would think it was twenty! 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Zoe refused to live a boring, restrained life because of her brother, and she would eat however she pleased. In defiance, she stuffed her mouth even more.

"With the way you eat, Zoe, it’s surprising to see you still stay fit with a model-like body," Viola remarked, still wiping the side of Zoe’s lips. Zoe only smiled wider.

"I’m naturally good at losing weight, and this food is just too delicious to waste. Sometimes I think my brother should be a restaurant chef rather than the Alpha he is. Just imagine that."

Viola imagined it and found it completely hilarious, picturing the handsome devil working as a chef in a restaurant, wearing a tall white chef’s hat on his head. She chuckled behind her palm but quickly coughed when she felt his eyes on her. In truth, he had been watching her quite intensely, and she began to wonder if she had food stuck on her face, and self-consciously wiped it.

After Zoe finished almost everything, from Viola’s leftovers to even some of her brother’s, she received a call from her fashion house about the design she had ordered to complete the wedding dress. She gave Viola a tight hug, then gathered her suitcase with the unfinished dress inside it and left in a hurry, as she had so many demands to handle with the ceremony approaching.

"You two have fun!" Zoe called out playfully as she left the penthouse.

When Viola bid Zoe goodbye at the door, she knew it was time to face the devil still sitting comfortably on the couch in her living room. She could still feel his intense gaze boring into the back of her head. Was she overthinking it, or had he truly been staring at her this whole time?

Closing the door with a soft ding, she hesitated to turn around and face him. When would he leave? she wondered, despite the fact that a part of her didn’t want him to leave just yet. Still, she knew he couldn’t remain here for the entire day without returning to his duties.

The skyscraper had felt so empty lately that she could have sworn she was the only one in the building, aside from the working omegas, especially last night. If he left, she would feel that loneliness consume her all over again. And she was terrified of that feeling.

Should she have just left with Zoe and gone to help her at the fashion house? Even though she knew Zoe had plenty of professional workers, Viola preferred being around people rather than staying here alone and thinking herself into depression.

Until she was officially crowned Luna, she had no particular work to do and no pack responsibilities to handle that could occupy her time. She couldn’t keep depending on Sebastian for company or distract him from his work, not that she had actually asked him to stay until now.

"Are you going to keep standing at the door?" his voice came from the living room, breaking her out of her spiraling thoughts.

Viola turned around to face him, crossing her arms over her chest as she resolved to get rid of him before she became so used to his company that, when he no longer gave it to her, she would end up feeling hurt and broken.

"I was thinking I should keep standing here until you realize you’re not in your office handling pack matters. Shouldn’t you be leaving by now?" She arched a curious brow at him, but then frowned when she noticed how comfortably he was sitting, as if he had absolutely no intention of leaving this place today.