Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 124

Seeing Orion's cold glare, Ethan's lips trembled. He glanced at Scarlett, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately fell silent under Orion's intimidating stare.

"Ms. Seymour, Chris, we'll be going now," Orion said, his fox-like smile returning once Ethan stopped resisting. With a slight nod, he led Ethan away.

As they departed, Ethan kept glancing back, desperate for one last look at Scarlett. 

But she had already been warned by Orion, and though she didn't believe Sebastian would actually harm Ethan, she preferred avoiding trouble. 

When she sensed Ethan's gaze, she deliberately turned to engage Chris in conversation.

Even Chris couldn't help noticing Ethan's constant backward glances, yet Scarlett refused to offer Ethan even a single look in return.

After several attempts, the dejection on Ethan's face became impossible to hide. He followed Orion with slumped shoulders.

Suddenly, Orion stopped in his tracks and called out pleasantly, "Ms. Morgan."

Ethan looked up to see a small group approaching, meeting them under the floral archway. The woman leading them was Adeline.

She carried herself with poise, her hair elegantly braided at the back, her beautiful face glowing with a rosy hue.

For a moment, Ethan thought he was looking at Scarlett. He instinctively glanced back to where Scarlett was still chatting with Chris in the garden. 

When he turned forward again, Adeline was looking directly at him.

"You must be Mr. Ethan Watson? I've heard so much about you," Adeline said with a smile, extending her hand.

Though she didn't compare to his true affection, Ethan was happy to engage with such a beauty. 

As he reached for her hand, he couldn't help asking, "Ms. Morgan, has anyone ever told you that you look like Ms. Seymour?"

Adeline's smile froze.

People had indeed made that comparison before. After the Seymour family incident, Scarlett had gained some notoriety in Sovereign City's social circles. 

Since Adeline's return, many had mentioned the resemblance.

But those people invariably said Scarlett resembled her—never the other way around.

She maintained her smile, though her eyes frosted over as she looked past Ethan's arm to where Scarlett stood in the distance. 

Judging by the Watson brothers' direction, they must have just come from there.

Adeline lowered her head with a soft laugh, about to respond when Orion smoothly intervened.

"Ethan, you've got it backward. How could the newcomer take precedence? Wouldn't you agree, Ms. Morgan?"

Adeline was pleased with this response, particularly the phrase "how could the newcomer take precedence." Her satisfaction showed in the slight raising of her chin, a hint of arrogance briefly visible.

"Mr. Orion Watson, if Scarlett heard that, she might be heartbroken," Adeline replied, her voice humble and gentle despite her inner satisfaction. "In my view, Scarlett and I are both unique."

She emphasized "unique" with subtle implication.

Orion maintained his smile, nodding as they exchanged pleasantries.

Ethan, however, didn't smile. His lips pressed into a straight line, instinct telling him he didn't like this Adeline, even if her face perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences.

He gave a slight huff but said nothing.

After their brief chat, both groups continued in their separate directions.

When Adeline reached the garden where she'd seen Scarlett earlier, both Scarlett and Chris had already gone. 

Thinking of Ethan's backward glances, she twisted a flower stem between her fingers, her eyes filled with calculation.

Scarlett parted ways with Chris at the tearoom entrance, poking her head inside to look for Sylvia.

"Sylvia?" she called, circling the room once before heading back toward the door with a frown when she didn't find her friend.

Just as she reached the partially open door, someone entered from outside. Looking down, she could only see dark gray suit pants and immaculately polished shoes.

"Excuse me," she said, stepping back to avoid a collision, planning to exit after the person entered.

But the man stopped precisely in the doorway, showing no intention of moving aside. 

Scarlett, concerned it might be some drunk guest, looked up—and her furrowed brow instantly relaxed in surprise.

"Sebastian?"

It was indeed Sebastian. He gazed down at her intently, one hand in his pocket as he stepped further inside and closed the door behind him. "You seem quite friendly with Shawn," he said.

The sudden accusation caught Scarlett off guard. Aware of people passing outside and fearing someone might enter, she just wanted to end the conversation quickly.

"I've been coordinating with Mr. Shawn Wright on the city complex rebuilding project," she explained, leaning against the tea table behind her, eyes fixed on her shoe tips.

She looked up at him afterward, tilting her head slightly with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Have you forgotten already, Mr. Howard? How convenient."

Such cutting words from such a beautiful face.

Sebastian pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The click of his lighter echoed sharply in the quiet tearoom, the scent of nicotine mixing with the sandalwood incense, twisting together like two strands of rope, weighing down the room's atmosphere.

He took a drag, looking down at Scarlett from his height. 

As he exhaled slowly, the gray-white smoke played around his features, giving him a mysterious air tinged with barely contained tension.

Scarlett kept her head down, absently tracing the carved patterns on the tea table. The series of soft taps did nothing to ease the tension—instead, they felt like the final desperate moments before the end of the world.

In the tearoom, the sandalwood scented candle burned to its end. Its feeble flame flickered a few times before transforming into a thin wisp of fragrance that rose slowly, ultimately dispersing in the air conditioning's gentle breeze without leaving a trace.

Sebastian continued staring at her, watching her slightly trembling eyelashes. He pinched the cigarette between his fingertips and reached over to extinguish it in the crystal ashtray beside her hand.

"Rather than showing weakness to Shawn, you'd be better off asking me for help. The Howard family has no shortage of jewelry for you," he said, his voice low and raspy from smoking.

Scarlett frowned, not understanding how Shawn had become part of this conversation, but the condescension in Sebastian's words made her chest tighten with hurt.

Her tracing finger stopped. She looked up at him, eyes glazed with moisture while her lips curled into a cold smile. "Do you think everyone is as consumed by lust as you are?"

The moment those words left her lips, the lingering scent of nicotine seemed to freeze in the air.

Sebastian's hand at his side clenched tightly. His eyes fixed on the wetness in hers, then swept over her cold smile. His gaze darkened, and the atmosphere around him instantly grew heavier.

Before Scarlett could say anything more, Sebastian stepped forward with one long stride, placing his arms on either side of her, trapping her against the table. 

"Consumed by lust?" he echoed with a cold smile.

The distance between them suddenly shrank, threatening to disappear altogether.

Scarlett instinctively tried to back away, but the tea table behind her left nowhere to retreat. She could only watch the anger swirling in Sebastian's eyes, her heart racing with panic.

"You were the one who seduced me, Scarlett. And now I'm the one consumed by lust?"

Sebastian's fingertip traced Scarlett's lips, feeling their softness. The bright red lip color smudged slightly under his touch, the sight dazzling to the eyes.