Chapter 507 The One Person Who Could Break His Rules

Chapter 507: Chapter 507 The One Person Who Could Break His Rules

Diana caught the fleeting expression on Sebastian’s face.

A surge of satisfaction washed over her.

Finally! A taste of his own medicine.

Still, business was business.

Although she’d refused to shake his hand, she wasn’t about to let their personal squabbles interfere with Damian’s care.

"I’m not a doctor," she explained, her tone turning serious. "I’ve read the relevant research, and all I can do is interact with Dami in ways that might help him feel comfortable and encourage him to engage with the world around him. Once we’ve finished filming this private documentary, he can see his doctors again. They can reassess his needs and decide whether his current treatment plan needs to be adjusted."

She genuinely liked Damian.

The little boy rarely interacted with other people, but he wasn’t troublesome or demanding. Most of the time, he was simply quiet.

And sometimes, that quietness broke her heart.

Sebastian looked at Diana’s lively face.

She took her work seriously. He’d commissioned the private documentary partly to record Damian’s development and help the family better understand his needs.

Someone else might have simply followed Damian around with a camera, recording whatever happened and focusing solely on completing the assignment.

But Diana was different.

She didn’t approach the job as a cold, impersonal task. She made an effort to connect with Damian, paying attention to his reactions and looking for ways to encourage him.

She was genuinely invested in what she was doing.

Sebastian studied her for a moment.

"You’re remarkably dedicated to your work."

Diana didn’t bother pretending to be modest.

"Then pay me more."

Sebastian paused.

Then he laughed.

His handsome face softened with amusement as he looked her up and down.

"All right. I’ll double your original rate."

Diana’s eyes lit up.

"What a generous client!"

With that, she turned and headed upstairs, practically brimming with enthusiasm as she carried her camera equipment.

Sebastian watched her go.

He’d never met anyone so passionate about her work—or so shamelessly enthusiastic about getting paid for it.

The corners of his lips lifted.

His smile lingered even after she’d disappeared up the stairs.

******

Over the following two weeks, Diana began visiting the Ellington residence even more frequently.

Naturally, she also found increasingly creative ways to keep Damian engaged.

Getting a child with significant support needs to attempt even a few new daily activities could be a meaningful step forward, and Damian was beginning to make small attempts of his own.

He didn’t dislike Diana.

In fact, he seemed to be growing rather attached to her.

Usually, he preferred staying in his room, away from other people. But whenever Diana arrived, he’d quietly settle beside her.

And Diana, being Diana, could talk enough for both of them.

She chatted about anything and everything, filling the room with her voice.

Damian rarely responded, but he seemed to pay attention to her.

He listened.

For Sebastian, that alone represented the most encouraging change he’d seen in his nephew in more than two years.

Over the past month, he’d made a point of staying home as much as possible to keep Damian company.

Naturally, this meant he couldn’t avoid Diana.

He’d been forced to witness her seemingly endless stream of antics firsthand, along with her exuberant personality and complete disregard for the atmosphere of quiet refinement his household usually maintained.

And somehow, the situation was becoming even more extraordinary than he’d imagined.

Until one afternoon, when Sebastian witnessed something he hadn’t expected at all.

During the lunch break, Damian cautiously pushed open the door to the guest room where Diana was taking a nap.

He clutched his little pillow against his chest and crept toward the bed.

Then, without making a sound, he curled up beside her.

It was as though a young cub had found someone it trusted enough to seek comfort from.

Sebastian stood in the doorway, gently pushing the door farther open.

The sight before him left him stunned.

Damian seemed to be seeking comfort from Diana in a way Sebastian had never anticipated. The boy’s attachment to her appeared to have grown far beyond what he’d imagined possible.

Sebastian’s gaze shifted from his nephew to the woman beside him.

Diana was an extraordinarily restless sleeper.

She’d sprawled herself across most of the bed, leaving Damian squeezed into a tiny corner.

Then she rolled over.

Before Sebastian could react, she pulled the little boy into her arms as casually as though he were a stuffed toy.

She even smacked her lips in her sleep.

Sebastian: "......"

This woman was nothing like the well-mannered, carefully groomed young women he’d known all his life.

She seemed determined to shatter every expectation he’d ever had about how people should behave.

Sebastian had always disliked physical contact. His need for personal space was so intense that even a casual touch could make him uncomfortable.

He had no desire to change those habits for anyone. To him, being forced outside his comfort zone felt like an intrusion.

Most women he’d met were polished, graceful, and mindful of social boundaries. They knew how to behave in his presence and rarely did anything that made him uncomfortable.

Diana was the complete opposite.

She was a force of nature.

Sebastian couldn’t understand her at all.

And yet, to his own surprise, he found her rather intriguing.

Unfortunately, Damian was still a small child. Having Diana’s arm draped across him like that wasn’t ideal.

Sebastian hesitated.

Then, setting aside his discomfort as best he could, he quietly approached the bed.

He looked at Diana, then at Damian, who was practically pinned beneath her arm.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sebastian reached down and carefully took hold of Diana’s wrist, intending to move her arm away from his nephew.

He must have been dreaming.

Diana suddenly smacked the back of his hand.

Even half-asleep, she wasn’t finished with him.

"You drama queen... germophobe... You still have to use the bathroom like everybody else, don’t you...?"

Sebastian: "......"

He didn’t need to wonder who she was talking about.

Even her sleep-talking was offensive.

His aversion to germs was practically screaming in protest.

And yet, after spending more than a month around Diana, he’d somehow begun to grow accustomed to her.

She knew exactly what made him uncomfortable, and she took every opportunity to tease him about it.

Sometimes her revenge was subtle.

Other times, it was impossible to miss.

She’d hand Damian half of her own snack, then insist Sebastian help the boy eat it. She’d ask Sebastian to help Damian with his bath or other personal-care needs. And, worst of all, she’d make him participate in games with his nephew, insisting that holding hands would help Damian feel more comfortable.

Diana was relentless.

Whenever Sebastian tried to refuse, she’d give him the same argument.

"If you keep such strict boundaries, Dami might learn to keep everyone at a distance, too. He needs to know that it’s okay to be close to people he trusts. You should try loosening up a little."

Fine.

She had a point.

An infuriatingly reasonable one.

And she was wearing down his patience, one ridiculous request at a time.

He still maintained his usual composure around other people. But when it came to Diana and Damian, he increasingly found himself going along with her demands.

Even when Diana accidentally bumped into him now, the discomfort was often brief before he managed to move past it.

Somehow, she’d begun to wear down the boundaries he’d spent years maintaining.

Sebastian carefully lifted the sleeping Damian into his arms and carried him back to his bedroom.

But the moment they returned, Damian woke up.

His eyes darted around the room as he searched for Diana. A flicker of fear crossed his little face, and his expression grew visibly anxious.

Sebastian’s heart sank.

"It’s all right, Dami. Aurora is just sleeping. She hasn’t left."

He hesitated before correcting himself.

"Aunt Aurora is still here. You’ll see her again soon."

He simply couldn’t bring himself to call her big sister with a straight face.

At the reassurance, Damian fell quiet.

But Sebastian recognized the reaction for what it was.

Dependence.

Attachment.

His nephew had begun to rely on Diana’s presence.

Sebastian studied the little boy.

"Do you really like Aunt Aurora that much, Dami?"

Damian didn’t answer.

He seemed lost in thought.

Then his gaze drifted toward a photo display nearby.

A young woman smiled gently from the photograph. She was beautiful, with a warm, radiant expression that seemed to brighten the entire picture.

It was Sebastian’s sister.

Damian’s mother.

Sebastian immediately understood what might be on his nephew’s mind.

"Are you thinking about wanting her to be your mom?"

Damian had been staring blankly at the photograph, but at those words, he blinked.

It was the smallest of reactions.

Yet it struck Sebastian like a thunderbolt.

Diana’s influence on Damian was profound—far greater than he’d ever anticipated.

He couldn’t tell whether that was a good thing or something he ought to be concerned about.

After a moment, he gently patted Damian’s back.

"All right, buddy. Get some sleep. Aunt Aurora will still be here this afternoon. I promise you’ll see her when you wake up."

Only then did Damian gradually settle down and drift back to sleep.

Sebastian remained beside the bed for a long time.

Eventually, he rose and slipped quietly out of the room.

His feet carried him toward Diana’s guest room.

He stopped beside the door and leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

Then, without warning, the door opened.

Diana stepped out, stretching her arms above her head.

The moment she spotted Sebastian standing there like a guard posted outside a vault, she clutched her chest in alarm.

"Good grief! What are you doing standing there?"

Sebastian’s gaze fell on her hair.

It was a complete mess from sleeping.

His usual habits immediately began to resurface. The sight was almost enough to make him reach for a comb and straighten every strand himself.

Instead, he forced himself to look away.

"Are you free?" he asked.

Diana blinked.

Sebastian straightened, his expression turning serious.

"We need to talk."