Chapter 5

Jennifer was at the front, holding a cake, her face glowing with a smile. She tiptoed and gave Sebastian a quick kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday," she said cheerfully. But as soon as she saw me standing behind him, her smile froze.

"Nicole... I'm sorry, that was just a birthday kiss, nothing else." She quickly explained. "I thought you weren't home, and since I assumed no one was celebrating with Seb, I invited some friends to throw him a surprise party. I didn't know you'd be back."

I slipped off my shoes and replaced them with a more comfortable pair of slippers before walking further into the house. "It's fine. You already have the code to the house, right? Treat it like your own. I'm just here to grab a few things."

Sebastian, who had planned to use this evening to win me over with tenderness, was visibly frustrated. His romantic strategy was completely ruined by Jennifer's presence. His temper flared, and he snapped at her, "Who told you to come in? Don't you know how much N