As the car came to a stop at Palm Bay, Clara was the first to hop out, ready to lend him a hand. But Dylan jerked his hand back, as if she'd shocked him.
Clara rolled her eyes. Just a bit ago, when he was all woozy from the heat, he'd been perfectly happy to hold her hand. Now that he was clear-headed, he seemed to be over it.
She stepped back, letting the Palm Bay staff take over.
Dylan got out of the car with their help, still clutching a sprig of cherry blossom. Clara's heart softened a little. Oh well, she thought, at least he and Z have the same taste.
“Mr. Dylan, I'm heading back now. Don’t forget to take your meds and take care of yourself.”
“Yeah.”
He was already being wheeled inside, not even glancing back. Clara wasn't keen on sticking around to see his mood, so she made her way out.
Getting a cab from here was a pain.
Luckily, a car from Palm Bay pulled up soon, offering her a ride home. She gladly accepted; it was snowing, and the holidays were just around the corner.
*
Inside, Dylan, unusually chipper, called out to Aiden, “Grab me a vase.”
Aiden, knowing exactly who'd sent the flower, quickly found one. But when Dylan placed the cherry blossom in it, he frowned and took it out again.
“Find a nicer one.”
After cycling through at least a dozen vases, Dylan still wasn't satisfied, his mood shifting from cheerful to grumpy.
Aiden quickly made some calls, requesting some high-end vases to be sent over.
Twenty minutes later, a vase from a renowned sculptor arrived, one that had sold for millions at an auction.
It was a rare find, destined to increase in value.
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