Chapter 41: A Step Too Far

That difference became particularly obvious one afternoon when Alexander stopped by his grandfather’s sitting room.

"Grandfather."

Augustus looked up from the newspaper resting across his lap.

"You’re here."

"I have dinner with Father tonight. Will you join us for dinner?"

That explained the neatly pressed shirt and jacket.

Alejandro had been spending most of his time in the city again, buried in work and coming home only when his schedule allowed. Because of that, dinners between father and son had slowly become something they had to arrange in advance rather than something Alexander could simply expect at the end of the day. Rosalie eats dinner in her room whenever Augustus dines with the two boys.

Tonight was one of those evenings.

Alexander leaned down and kissed his grandfather on the cheek, then glanced at his watch.

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling before I leave for my piano lessons."

"Better."

"Good."

The boy smiled, visibly relieved.

The maid knocked before Augustus could answer.

Alexander glanced at the door.

"Sorry, sir. But your piano teacher has arrived."

"See you at dinner."

Augustus waved him away.

"Go."

Alexander gave him another quick smile, then left the room and disappeared down the hall.

Augustus watched him go.

He knew the boy was busy.

Alexander had school, friends, responsibilities, and lately a father who seemed determined to squeeze whatever little free time he had into carefully arranged dinners whenever he returned from the city.

There was nothing strange about it.

Alexander stopped by to check on him.

That should’ve been enough.

And yet, less than five minutes later, the housekeeper entered carrying a small paper bag.

Augustus frowned.

"Now what?"

"A gift for you, sir."

She took out a scarf.

Augustus stared at it.

It was simple. Dark gray, soft, and thick enough for the colder evenings without looking overly formal.

"From whom?"

"Young Master Dominic."

Augustus went quiet.

The housekeeper handed it to him.

Apparently, Dominic had noticed Augustus wearing the same old scarf whenever he sat outside in the evenings. The edges had begun to fray, and one end had a loose thread Augustus hadn’t even bothered cutting off yet.

His own grandson had just been standing right beside it.

Alexander hadn’t noticed.

Dominic had.

Augustus slowly ran his thumb over the fabric.

Soft.

Warm.

Nothing extravagant either.

Which somehow made it worse.

Alexander loved him. Augustus had never doubted that.

The boy came to see him whenever he could, asked about his health, kissed his cheek before leaving, and promised to come back when he had more time.

But Alexander was always moving.

Always looking at the clock.

Always thinking about where he needed to be next.

Dominic, on the other hand, seemed to notice the things no one asked him to notice.

An old scarf.

A meal Augustus particularly enjoyed.

Whether the room had gotten colder than usual.

Small things.

Things Augustus hadn’t realized he cared about until someone bothered remembering them.

"Hmph."

He folded the scarf once and placed it across his lap.

"That Sebastian boy wastes money."

The housekeeper wisely said nothing.

That evening, after dinner with his family, Augustus went outside for his usual walk around the garden; the new scarf was wrapped neatly around his neck.

Victoria couldn’t possibly have known just how effective that particular comparison would become.

Because Augustus loved Alexander.

But love didn’t make him blind to the boy’s shortcomings.

Alexander had grown up accustomed to his grandfather simply being there. He loved Augustus effortlessly; children loved someone who had always belonged to them.

Dominic, on the other hand, appeared to be making an effort.

Or at least, Victoria made certain it looked that way.

And the more Augustus watched the two boys together, the harder it became to dismiss their attachment as something they would simply outgrow.

One afternoon, Victoria joined him in the garden.

Several younger guests were gathered farther across the lawn.

Alexander and Dominic were among them.

Dominic had apparently stolen something from Alexander and was holding it above his head while Alex tried to get it back.

A moment later, Alexander finally managed to grab it, only for Dominic to catch him around the waist.

The two nearly fell over laughing.

Augustus frowned.

Victoria took a sip of tea.

"Those two have always gotten along rather well, haven’t they?"

"They’ve known each other since they were boys."

"Exactly."

Victoria smiled.

"Something is reassuring about that."

Augustus glanced at her.

She said nothing more.

She didn’t need to.

Because Augustus had already begun reconsidering things on his own.

Yes, they were both boys.

There had been a time when that fact alone would’ve made him dismiss the possibility entirely.

What kind of future would that give the Vance family?

Who would carry on the bloodline?

What happened to everything generations before him had worked to build?

But age had a rather irritating habit of changing which problems seemed important.

Augustus had already lost one grandson.

He’d watched his son and daughter-in-law become shadows of the people they’d once been.

And now Alexander was the only Vance heir left.

Perhaps what mattered wasn’t whether Alexander produced a biological son.

Perhaps what mattered was whether, after Augustus was gone, Alexander had someone beside him.

Someone who understood the family.

Someone raised in the same world.

Someone who could stand beside Alexander without being overwhelmed by the expectations attached to the Vance name.

And apparently, someone who remembered when an older man’s feet were cold.

The Sebastian boy wasn’t what Augustus would’ve chosen.

That didn’t necessarily mean he was wrong for Alexander.

Unfortunately, Victoria Sebastian had been counting on exactly that.

The relationship between the two families strengthened as Augustus’s fondness for Dominic grew.

When Sebastian Group needed additional capital during a difficult expansion, Augustus sold part of his personal stock portfolio and invested the money into the company.

Later, when Vance Holdings needed a dependable workforce for several construction projects, Sebastian Group provided one.

What Victoria had once seen as a convenient teenage attachment was becoming something far more valuable.

So she kept encouraging it.

Then she went too far.

"Everything is ready, ma’am."

Victoria held the phone against her ear.

"Good."