Page 26 of BounBound By Scars

I did love it. They were all stunning.

And yet, something felt… disconnected.

Then my gaze landed on a single flower sitting in a glass case on a pedestal near the balcony. Unlike the others, this one wasn’t part of a bouquet. It stood alone, delicate and quietly radiant—an off-white bloom, with hints of peach and gold along the edges, as if it had been brushed with the last rays of sunlight.

I gasped.

Pierre smiled softly and stepped forward. “This,” he said reverently, “is theAlanis Rose.It was named after a woman who was so inspired by David Austin’sJuliet Rose, that she created something entirely her own—something ethereally timeless.”

“It’s…” I breathed, “incredible.”

Pierre nodded. “It’s also incredibly rare. This one bloom alone costs approximately 1.3 million dollars.”

Seb grunted, while I stupidly laughed. I paused when I realized that I was the only one making hyena noises. “Wait. You’re not joking?”

Pierre blinked. “No, ma’am.”

“Oh.” My voice cracked into a nervous cough. “Cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

Seb snorted behind me. “Well, at least we know which flower has your attention.”

“Seb,” I turned to him, arms crossed. “You arenotseriously considering buying a million-dollar flower to get me to pick a favorite, right?”

“Of course not.” He grinned. “I already had it delivered before you said that.”

“Sebastian.”

“Kidding. Mostly.”

We stood in the middle of the bloom-filled room, the scent of sweetness and something floral and ancient curling through the air like a spell.

He gestured to the entire spread. “Alright, Amelia. Which one’s yours?”

I turned slowly, looking at each arrangement again. Each one exquisite. Each one screaming something elegant and graceful. But my heart didn’t pull toward any of them.

Not theAlanis Rose.

Not the rare orchids.

Not the curated arrangements.

“I…” I hesitated, then walked toward the corner table by the entryway.

The bouquet of tulips sat there—the yellow and pink arrangement, the one Seb planned on giving me.

“I think… I think I’ll go with these.”

Sebastian followed my gaze, surprise flickering across his face. “The tulips?”

I nodded. “They were the first ones. The ones you gave me before all of this.”

He gave a slow, understanding smile. “Then tulips it is.”

But as I touched the petals, something inside me twisted.

Because even though I’d chosen, it didn’t feel like a decision.

It felt like I was still searching.