Sinir pointed at Sebastian, his voiceced with frustration. "This doesn''t make any sense. Why would Sebastian go to her instead of me? He''s never been this affectionate with anyone except me."


    Michael scratched the back of his head. His face told me that he was at a lost too.


    "Uh, maybe . . . maybe Sebastian recognizes the person who helped save him?"


    Sinir gave him a sideways nce. "You''re the one who saved him."


    Michael quickly added, "Yes, but it was Eve who made everything possible."


    Sinir let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head like he was trying toe to terms with this new reality. It was clear he was having a hard time epting that his loyalpanion now seemed to prefer me.


    Years of shared history, loyalty, and love seemed to vanish in an instant as Sebastian sat devotedly by my side.


    "Sebastian,e," Sinir said, his voice softening as he attempted to regain the dog''s attention. "Let''s go home. There are treats waiting for you, a nice bed, and all your toys." His tone was almost pleading.


    But Sebastian didn''t budge. Instead, he grabbed onto the hem of my dress with his teeth, gently but firmly, refusing to let go. His eyes met mine with an almost human-like determination. He wasn''t leaving without me.


    Both Victor and Sinir stared, their mouths agape.


    I smirked, ncing up at Sinir. "Looks like Sebastian''s chosen me. I guess he''s my dog now."


    The disbelief on Sinir''s face was priceless, but I could also sense the hint of jealousy.


    "I don''t understand . . . ," Victor mumbled under his breath. "Sebastian''s never been this attached to anyone before, not even to me, and I''ve known him for years."


    Sinir took a deep breath, frustration and resignation mingling in his expression as he let it out in a long sigh.


    He gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, as if searching for answers there, before he finally spoke. "If Sebastian won''t leave without you, then it seems you''ll have to live at my mansion from now on," he dered, his tone firm and final.


    I froze, my smirk vanishing. "Huh?"


    Sinir''s eyes met mine, and there was no humor in them. "It''s either that, or I''ll move in with you. Your choice."


    My heart sank. I had only just escaped the suffocating walls of Sullivan''s mansion and rented a condo in the city—a space that was mine, a ce where I could finally breathe and enjoy my independence.


    The thought of losing that freedom so soon sent a wave of panic through me.


    I turned to Sebastian, frantically pushing him away. "Go, Sebastian. Go to your owner. That''s your


    papa


    right there!" I pointed toward Sinir, desperately trying to get the dog to understand.


    But Sebastian just stared up at me with those big, soulful eyes, his grip on my dress tightening as if to say,


    I''m not going anywhere without you.


    Sinir crossed his arms, leaning slightly forward as he watched me wrestle with the situation, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Where Sebastian goes, I go," he dered with finality.


    Victor wasted no time rushing to my side, sping his hands together in a pleading gesture. His eyes were wide with desperation, like this was a matter of life or death.


    "Please, Eve, you have to live at Sinir''s mansion," he implored, ncing between me and the old man. "Sinir can''t go anywhere else in his condition. All his medications, his medical equipment—they''re at the mansion. What''s more . . ." Victor leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper, "He can''t poop in someone else''s house. Do you want him to suffer from colon cancer?" Continue your saga on empire


    "Wait . . . what?" I blinked, utterly confused by how things escted so quickly from a simple dog to a potential life-threatening situation.


    Victor''s face was a mask of seriousness as he nodded vigorously. "Sinir is dead serious, Eve. He won''t go back without Sebastian." He paused, as if trying to find the right words to persuade me. "Besides, the Rosette ancestral house is one of the most secure mansions in the city. You''ll be safe there, and I''ll be there, too. Protecting you."


    "Huh?"


    "I mean, uh, the many guards will be there, protecting you!" He quickly corrected himself, though his face had gone beet red.


    I pressed my lips into a thin line, staring at Victor in disbelief. This was getting out of hand, fast. But knowing Sinir, he wasn''t bluffing. If he said he wasn''t leaving without Sebastian, he meant it.


    I nced over at the old man, who stood there, stoic and unyielding. His face said it all—no matter what, he wasn''t going anywhere without his dog. And I knew from experience that Sinir Rosette never budged once his mind was set.


    Then, my eyes shifted to Sebastian, the unwitting cause of all this drama. I tried to reason with the dog again, urging him to go to Sinir, but the stubborn animal wouldn''t budge. He stayed glued to my side, hisrge eyes staring up at me withplete devotion.


    I let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine. But I need some time to myself once in a while. I can''t stay at your mansion forever, I have to go back to my condo every now and then."


    Sinir raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need to live alone?"


    "For my peace of mind," I said with a shrug. "Who doesn''t want toze around all day, doing nothing in their own space?"


    Sinir didn''t miss a beat. "Stop beingzy. It kills brain cells."


    I opened my mouth to argue, but Sinir was already waving Sebastian over. "Sebastian, let''s go home. I''m tired, boy."


    "Wait! I need to stop by my condo to get some clothes and essentials—"


    Before I could finish, Sinir cut me off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Victor will handle it."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    My jaw dropped as I watched Victor nod enthusiastically.


    "What do you want, Eve? Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton? Or maybe a mix of all the top brands?" He grinned, already running through his mental checklist. "Just leave everything to me. I''ll have all your clothes and essentials bought and ready in an hour."


    Before I could even protest, he was already preparing to leave, fullymitted to the errand Sinir had casually assigned him.


    "You can''t be serious!" I protested.


    But Sinir and Victor were already walking toward the exit, clearly expecting me to follow without further debate.


    I had no choice and trail after them, Sebastian trotting happily by my side as if he''d just won the biggest victory of his life.


    "Fine," I muttered under my breath. "I''ll live in your mansion . . . but this bettere with room service, spa, and massages."