As the clock struck midnight, ringing in the new year, Citrine was no longer a little girl without a home. From this moment on, every day was something to look

forward to.

The next morning, she was woken by the persistent buzz of her phone. Still half- asleep, she groggily rubbed her eyes and fumbled around her nightstand until her hand finally closed around her phone.

"Hello?” Her voice was thick with sleep, a raspy softness that made her sound endearingly young.

Sebastian''s heart melted at the sound. His reply was gentle, warm: "Happy New Year, sweetheart."

They''d only just made things official the night before, and Citrine still couldn''t quite believe she actually had a boyfriend now.fnd4e4 This content belongs to FindN0vel/fnd4e4

"Sebastian..." The moment she heard his familiar voice, she snapped awake.

He let out a soft, amusedugh at the way she said his name. "Hmm?"

There was something teasing in his tone that sent a little shiver through her. Citrine swallowed. "Happy New Year, Sebastian."

He chuckled again, low and pleased. "When you get up, don''t forget to open your window."

Citrine nced at the curtains, thin sunlight peeking through. "Is it sunny today?" The past few days had been bitterly cold and gray, with not a hint of sunshine. She assumed he was just excited about the weather and didn''t think much of it. Sebastian didn''t exin, just let out a softugh. "Yeah, it''s a beautiful day." They chatted a bit longer before Citrine finally ended the call.

Now fully awake, she tossed her hair into a messy bun and slipped into a bright red sweater. After a quick wash in the bathroom, she was about to head downstairs when something made her pause. She walked over to her window and pulled the curtains aside.

Warm sunlight flooded the room, wrapping her in its golden glow. Citrine couldn''t help but smile at the rare appearance of the sun, her spirits lifting with the morning light. Just as she was about to turn away, something caught her eye-a thick red envelope sitting on the windowsill outside.

Realization dawned immediately. She slid the window open, grabbed the heavy envelope, and tore it open in a rush.

Inside was a neat stack of crisp bills, so full the envelope nearly burst. On top of the moneyy a small white note.

Happy New Year. I hope my darling is always safe and happy.

It wasn''t a promise to stay together forever, or a demand for her love. From beginning to end, he''d only ever thought of her.

For a moment, Citrine couldn''t quite name what she was feeling. Her heart hammered so hard in her chest it felt like it might leap right out.

Eventually, she came to her senses, grabbed her phone, and opened the chatbeled "Hubby [heart]"-a nickname Sebastian had stubbornly set himself just a few days ago.

Seeing the contact name, Citrine couldn''t help but smile, biting back augh as she typed her message.

"How did you get up here? This is the second floor!!!"

His reply was almost instant.

"Don''t worry about it. I''m a man of many talents, scaling walls and rooftops with

ease.

"Sebastian, are you three years old?" Citrine nearly burst outughing at his childish reply and the equally childish emoji.

He was several years older than her-how was he still such a kid at heart? She''d never noticed this side of him before.

He replied quickly again.

"Okay, okay, I''ll stop teasing. I climbed up to your window."

"You climbed up?” For a second, Citrine thought she must have misread.

Her family''s house wasn''t just any house-the second floor was higher than most, and even she would have struggled to reach the window she Couldn''t imagine how long it had taken Sebastian to get up there.  s

"Yeah, it''s just a window. I

managed Sensing her skepticism, Sebastian felt a little embarrassed and scratched his nose, taking a while before sending another message content belongs to s

He left out the part about how ridiculous he''d looked scrambling up the tree by the front door, or how long he''d actually spent hanging. there. Some things, she really didn''t need to know.  s