Chapter 29

After Sebastian finally moves in, Emilia secretly starts working behind the scenes. She visits one of the city's prime locations and leases a modest but promising garage space. With the help of a few discreet contacts, she renovates it into a sleek, fully equipped auto repair shop—complete with a logo that reads: "Lores Custom Works." The design echoes his gritty charm and raw talent.

The day she brings him there, blindfolded and grumbling playfully, he thinks it's just another one of her fancy outings.

----

Emilia sat in the driver's seat, glancing at Sebastian beside her. His face was marked with curiosity and suspicion, thanks to the black silk blindfold tied securely around his eyes.

"You're enjoying this way too much," he muttered, fingers twitching on his lap.

She bit back a smile. "Patience, Sebs. You'll thank me soon enough."

"You said that five red lights ago," he grumbled.

She pulled up to the modest building tucked between a bakery and a bike shop, its glass panels gleaming with fresh polish. The sign above the large, modern garage doors was covered with a heavy black cloth. Her heart raced as she stepped out and rounded the car to help him out.

"Don't peek," she warned, guiding him with gentle hands.

"I'm trying not to die," he muttered, stumbling a bit as she led him onto the pavement.

Once they were standing in front of the shop, she took a deep breath and reached up, pulling the cloth from the sign with a dramatic flourish.

LORES CUSTOM WORKS

Repairs. Builds. Dreams.

She untied the blindfold.

Sebastian blinked, squinting at the sign, his lips parting slowly as realization set in. His eyes scanned the pristine front, the custom garage doors, the gleam of new equipment inside visible through the windows. Then his gaze dropped to her, disbelief written all over his face.

"This… this is mine?" His voice was hoarse.

Emilia nodded, tears threatening to spill. "Your name, your space. I've already handled the permits. It's officially yours, Seb."

Emilia… I don't know what I did to deserve this

She smiles, eyes soft. "You showed me how real love feels. This… is me showing you back."

He stared at her, chest rising and falling with barely restrained emotion. "You bought me a damn shop?"

"I didn't buy it for you," she said gently. "I invested in you. I believe in you, in your talent, in every scar and scratch that made you who you are. This is your future—and I just wanted to help you grab it."

His hands trembled as he reached for her face, cupping her jaw with calloused fingers. "You have no idea what this means to me."

She pressed her forehead to his. "Then show me."

And he did. Right there, under the golden light and the soft creak of the sign swaying above them, Sebastian kissed her like she'd just given him the world—because, in his eyes, she had

.....

Next day

Sebastian stood in the middle of it all, his hands on his hips, wearing a proud yet slightly overwhelmed expression.

"You still think you're dreaming?" she asked with a smirk.

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. "Feels like it. This—this place, you—it's more than I ever thought I'd have."

"You earned every bolt of it." She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. "But maybe… I added a little something."

He looked down at her, brows lifting. "What did you do again?"

Before she could answer, the front door chimed open. A tall man in a navy jumpsuit strode in, carrying a box of tools and wearing a grin wide enough to split his face. "Tell me this isn't the same Sebastian Lores who used to cuss out vending machines ?

Sebastian's face broke into a stunned grin. "Jason?!"

"In the flesh, man! You think I was gonna miss your opening?" Jason clapped him on the back with a laugh. "Hell no. Brought you your old torque wrench. Figured you'd want something from the good ol' days."

Emotion flickered across Sebastian's face. He took the wrench, turning it over in his hands like a relic. "Damn. You kept this?"

"Course I did. I always knew you'd have your own place someday."

Emilia stepped back, watching the two men reconnect. She didn't need to say a word—this was his moment.

Later, after the crowd thinned and the congratulatory handshakes ended, Sebastian found her in the back office, sitting on the desk with that knowing smile of hers.

"That friend of yours," she said softly, "he's good for you."

Sebastian stepped between her knees, wrapping his arms around her. "Not as good as you are for me."

She touched his cheek, the grease on his jaw smudging her fingers. "I just gave you a push. You were already building this with your own hands."

"And you made me believe it was worth building."

He leaned in, and their kiss was slow. They weren't just lovers now—they were partners. In sweat. In steel. In something real.