Maya's POV
Water cascaded from the bathroom shower while I lay motionless on the silk sheets, staring at the painted angels dancing across the bedroom ceiling. Sebastian had announced his intention to take an extended shower tonight, claiming he needed time to process our conversation beneath the vineyard stars.
His words about children and legacy continued to echo in my mind. The matter-of-fact way he dismissed having heirs, his conviction that business and family were incompatible forces. Such rigid certainties from someone who had barely crossed into his thirties.
Without overthinking the impulse, I reached for my phone and dialed the familiar number. Three rings later, my sister's drowsy voice emerged through the speaker.
"Hello?" Penelope's voice carried the thick weight of interrupted sleep.
"Penny? It's Maya."
"Maya?" Her tone instantly sharpened, alertness cutting through the grogginess. "Do you have any concept of what time it is over here?"
