Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 130

Retching sounds echoed throughout the bathroom as Scarlett gripped the wall tiles, her eyes bloodshot. "Impossible, no, he wouldn't do this..." she repeated, her voice increasingly unsteady.

These self-assurances offered no comfort. Her voice began to tremble and her legs gave way, causing her to collapse onto the bathroom floor.

She huddled in the corner, clutching her arms so tightly her pink-tinged fingertips turned white, yet she felt nothing, only whimpering as she tried to deny the evidence covering her body.

Sebastian pushed open the bedroom door, unusual irritation in his eyes. Finding the room empty, momentary confusion crossed his face before the sound of running water drew his attention to the bathroom.

Passing the bed, he noticed blood on the needle tip. His pupils contracted as he quickened his pace, heart racing.

"Scarlett!" he called out as he reached the bathroom.

She flinched slightly. Standing naked under the shower spray, she didn't turn around, merely angling her face slightly toward him. "What do you want?" Her voice was terribly hoarse.

Relieved to find her conscious, Sebastian sighed. He approached, remaining outside the shower area as he removed his watch. "When did you wake up?"

Scarlett pressed her lips together, thinking of the marks on her body. Humiliation flashed in her eyes. Unwilling to answer, she turned away and continued scrubbing herself.

Sebastian removed his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "What are you washing? Your—"

His voice abruptly stopped as realization struck. Before Scarlett could react, Sebastian yanked her from under the shower and wrapped a towel around her.

"Cold water? Do you have a death wish?" His voice was sharp, carrying the chill of the bathroom air.

Scarlett clutched the towel without speaking, though her eyes reddened. She sniffled and moved closer to Sebastian, grasping the fabric of his shirt.

Sensing her vulnerability, Sebastian's expression softened slightly.

After a proper hot shower, Sebastian carried Scarlett out and settled her on her favorite soft sofa, wrapped in a bathrobe.

A doctor arrived—from Evercrest Memorial Hospital, whom Scarlett had met before. He examined her swollen hand where she had removed the IV, applied ointment, and dressed it.

Scarlett moved her hand uncomfortably, resisting the doctor's touch. Fortunately, he left quickly.

Leaning back on the sofa, the feeling of being wrapped up calmed her somewhat. She looked up at Sebastian's troubled face. "Where's Ethan?"

She only remembered Ethan being the last person she saw before losing consciousness.

Yet in the bathroom earlier, Sebastian had shown no reaction to the marks on her body while helping her bathe. Knowing his possessive nature, Scarlett reasoned that if he hadn't been the one to leave those marks, he would have been furious.

Hearing her question, Sebastian looked over, his eyes darkening slightly though his voice remained normal. "What? Do you really want to be with him?"

His response immediately relieved Scarlett, though the room fell into silence.

Soon, a knock came at the door. "Mr. Sebastian Howard, Mr. George Howard has arrived," Libbie announced.

Scarlett immediately sat up, tension evident on her face.

Sebastian remained calm, putting on his jacket as he headed for the door. "Get dressed and come downstairs."

Her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe, Scarlett nodded. "Understood."

---

Downstairs, Scarlett discovered not only George but also Adeline waiting. Her heart sank, but she resolutely continued forward.

Sebastian was already seated on the sofa, calmly sipping his tea, showing no signs of nervousness.

Scarlett, however, had deliberately chosen a high-necked sweater to conceal any evidence.

"I heard you were ill, Scarlett. I happened to be speaking with Mr. George Howard about you, so we thought we'd check on you," Adeline said as Scarlett entered the living room.

She covered her mouth with a light laugh, though her eyes carried a coldness.

Scarlett maintained her composure, lowering her head. "Thank you for your concern, Ms. Morgan."

After their previous encounter, she doubted Adeline's appearance with George boded well. Remembering Sebastian had just come downstairs, Scarlett felt a headache forming.

"I just didn't expect Sebi to visit you first," Adeline continued, as Scarlett had anticipated. "They say Sebi has a cold personality, but I'm not so sure about that."

Sebastian set his teacup down with a crisp sound, drawing everyone's attention.

His expression remained neutral, fingers still resting on the cup's rim as he glanced at Adeline with visible displeasure. Clearly, her repeated machinations had begun to irritate him.

"Scarlett is Grandfather's adopted granddaughter. As her brother, do I need to report to anyone when I visit her?" he asked pointedly.

Adeline felt a jolt of alarm at his words.

She had long noticed Sebastian's special regard for Scarlett but hadn't considered it significant. How could an illegitimate daughter—the illegitimate daughter of a former lover—possibly compare to herself?

Yet Sebastian seemed genuinely attached to this mistress.

When she saw Scarlett at the auction that day, Adeline realized his attachment was real.

Though Sebastian continued to emphasize Scarlett's position in the Howard family, Adeline suspected this was merely a shield, perhaps even deceiving George himself.

She had sought out George early that morning, hoping to catch Scarlett and Ethan together, but instead found Sebastian coming downstairs. Adeline's heart skipped a beat—had Ethan failed?

But that didn't make sense. Her informant had clearly seen Ethan's car heading to a hotel, only leaving for Skylake Road this morning. So where was Ethan now?

"Indeed," George agreed with Sebastian's assessment. He set down his teacup and asked perfunctorily, "How are you feeling?"

Scarlett kept her eyes lowered respectfully. "Much better, thank you for your concern, Grandpa."

Sebastian remained only briefly. Seeing the conversation had turned to small talk, he stood and left with Mark. As the head of Howard Group, he had numerous responsibilities requiring his attention.

"Report anything unusual," he instructed Libbie before departing.

Libbie nodded, her expression turning grave as she glanced back toward the living room.

Adeline relaxed her grip on her dress, a calculating look briefly crossing her eyes before she raised her head with a gentle smile. Her gaze fell on Scarlett's neck, thoroughly concealed by the black high-necked sweater.

"Scarlett, isn't that sweater rather warm? Even with a cold, you needn't dress so heavily. Be careful—these temperature fluctuations might make your condition worse."

Scarlett's expression remained unchanged, showing no intention of changing clothes. "The doctor recommended sweating it out. Besides, I'm not hot."