Chapter 3 Santa's Gift Came Earlier

• Cece’s POV
• Time had flown by faster than I’d expected, and as I glanced down at my phone, the time read well past eight in the evening. My mind was still buzzing from our... well, what do I even call it? Date? Maybe outing was a safer bet. Whatever it was, it was perfect in a way I didn’t want to dissect too deeply.
• "Ready to leave me already?" His voice broke through my thoughts, and I nearly melted. He pouted, giving me this cute, utterly irresistible look, one that was crafted to make any woman forget her very existence.
• "Yeah, sadly," I sighed, forcing my gaze away from those damn brown eyes. "I’m way past my curfew. My house has rules. One of them is being home by nine pm or risking being locked out like the unruly child I am." I grabbed my bag, stuffing my phone and accessories inside, but my fingers lingered, stalling for a few precious seconds.
• "Curfew?" His lips quirked up, the corners curling with mischief. "Don’t tell me you’re the type to follow rules."
• "Absolutely," I quipped, raising an eyebrow. "I live for discipline."
• He laughed, and the sound was so easy, so genuine that it almost knocked me off balance. "So what's your name, then?"
• I hesitated, feeling the instinct to guard my personal details. But the truth was, he’d already proven to be a different kind of stranger. One who had actually listened. He’d let me rant, eaten pizza with me, and shared his own grief without expecting anything in return. He hadn’t even tried to get me into bed. It was... refreshing.
• "Cecilia," I finally relented, not even caring that I’d just broken my own rule about revealing too much. "But you can call me Cece. And you?"
• He teased, a wicked glint in his eyes. “Let’s keep the mystery, shall we?!”
• “I will call you the pretty faced boy.” I smirked.
• "Thanks for keeping me company, Cece," He said as he stood up, the smooth gesture making it clear he wasn’t just some random guy. He held my gaze for a moment, and something flickered in those dark eyes. "Let me walk you out."
• He followed me outside, the night air cool against my skin. When we reached my car, I half-expected him to ask for my number, but to my surprise, he didn’t. Instead, he said, "If we’re meant to meet again, fate will make it happen. Until then, drive safe, Cece."
• I stood frozen for a moment, feeling a small pang of disappointment I couldn’t quite explain. He didn’t even want my number? Well, fine. That was his loss. I wasn’t here for anything serious anyway, and I definitely wasn’t about to start playing games.
• "Yeah, right," I muttered, sliding into my car and shutting the door. He waved, and with one last lingering glance, he disappeared into the night.
• As I started the engine, my phone pinged, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was an email from Will. Now, that was strange. Will usually texted me, not emailed. I opened it immediately, my curiosity piqued.
• The moment I read the contents, my hands began to tremble, and I had to grip the wheel tighter.
• A fan. A fan had donated enough money to fly my mother to the world’s best surgeon. Not only that, but they’d also deposited a hundred thousand dollars for her treatment—completely anonymous.
• My heart skipped a beat, then began pounding like a drum in my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I read the email again, my eyes searching for some catch, some tiny detail that would explain this. But no.
• A donor. An angel. Someone who didn’t want anything in return. Someone who cared enough to give my mother a chance.
• I wanted to scream, to laugh, to dance down the street like a lunatic. But I couldn’t. My heart was too full, too overwhelmed. The tears came before I could stop them, slipping down my face in hot, grateful streams.
• How could I not know who it was? I was going to find out, though. I would find them. It wasn’t a question of if—it was a matter of when.
• With shaking fingers, I quickly replied to Will, confirming I’d be there in a flash.
• I slammed the car into gear, my mind racing, my pulse still thrumming in my ears. I had a destination, a mystery, and for the first time in ages, I felt like something good was finally coming my way.
• But as I sped through the streets, the thought lingered at the back of my mind: Who could possibly be kind enough to do this for me... without asking for anything in return?
• I just had to find out.
• __
• Sebastian’s POV
• I watched her drive away, my chest tight with something unfamiliar. My mind had been whirling in circles since I first laid eyes on her. There was something about Cece that caught me off guard.
• It wasn’t just her beauty, though she was a goddess in every sense—petite, yet perfectly shaped, with dark hair that cascaded down her back like silk, her skin glowing in the low light, and those blue eyes that seemed to cut right through me. No, it was more than that. She had an aura about her, one that made everything else seem dull in comparison.
• She was my obsession, my goddess—the blue-eyed queen I’d only ever dreamed of finding. And the strangest part? I already knew everything about her. Her life. Her struggles. I’d been following her online for months now.
• She had no idea who I was, but I knew exactly who she was. I’d been watching her from the shadows, fascinated by how she’d built this persona, this fierce, independent woman, and yet, I could see the cracks beneath it. I knew about her mother’s illness before she even mentioned it.
• I couldn’t stop myself. The moment I saw her, I was entranced. I could tell that she was a woman who didn’t need saving, but damn it, I wanted to help her.
• And I had.
• I’d arranged the donation anonymously—getting her mother the medical treatment she needed, sending her across the world for the best surgeon. The money didn’t matter to me; what mattered was seeing Cece smile. And when I saw her that first time, in the hospital, that’s when it clicked. She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.
• I had seen her at her lowest. But here’s the thing about me—I wasn’t just any random guy, and I wasn’t here to play games. I had the resources to make her life easier, to give her a chance at happiness without any strings attached. She deserved that much, even if she couldn’t see it yet.
• When I first saw her in the hospital, looking so lost, I was nearly driven to step forward, to reveal myself right then. But I didn’t. Instead, I stayed in the background, making sure that she had everything she needed while keeping my distance.
• But tonight, when she laughed at my little quip about rules, my heart nearly gave out. She was so much more than I expected.
• God, I wanted her.
• But I had to play it cool. I’d made my move, sent the money, kept my identity hidden. For now, I had to let her think I was just some stranger. Let her believe that there was no connection between us. It was safer that way, for both of us.
• But every time I saw her, I felt that pull, that magnetic force drawing me closer. It was only a matter of time before she found out who I really was—and when that time came, I was ready to make her mine.