Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 139

Warned about her identity yet again, Scarlett's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and spoke with a voice that trembled despite her efforts to keep it steady.

"Is that so? Well, Shawn is my boyfriend now. And you, Mr. Howard? You're nothing to me!"

With that, she shoved Sebastian aside and stormed toward her car.

Sebastian stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by her push, but quickly recovered. 

With his long strides, he caught up to her in seconds, grabbing her wrist and pinning her against the car.

"Let go!" Scarlett's anger flared hot and real. With her hands immobilized, she did the only thing she could—she kicked out hard.

Her stiletto heel connected squarely with Sebastian's shin. The impact made his expression darken instantly, but he didn't loosen his grip.

When she tried the same move again, Sebastian was ready. In one fluid motion, he caught her ankle with his free hand and flipped her onto the hood of the car.

"Had enough?" he asked, his voice eerily calm as he loomed over her. Not even his breathing had quickened.

Scarlett, by contrast, was sprawled on the hood, chest heaving, eyes rimmed with red. One blink and those gathering tears would fall.

Taking her silence as answer enough, Sebastian kept one hand pinning her wrists while reaching for a cigarette. The lighter flared, illuminating his face in the dim parking garage.

"Be good for now," he said after exhaling a cloud of smoke. "It's not the right time."

A wave of sadness washed over Scarlett. They'd had this conversation before.

"By 'the right time,' do you mean your wedding to Ms. Morgan?" she asked with a bitter smile.

Last time, it had been his engagement to Edith. This time, Adeline. She, Scarlett, was never in the picture.

Sebastian looked down at her, his naturally handsome eyes with their slight upward tilt half-lidded. He resembled a temple deity gazing down upon mortals—except for the glowing cigarette and swirling smoke that gave him a distinctly devilish quality.

That contradiction suited Sebastian perfectly. At first, Scarlett had thought him her savior, rescuing her from misery. But once Edith and Adeline appeared, this savior no longer had eyes for her.

"Grandfather won't approve of her," Sebastian stated calmly, not denying Scarlett's accusation.

"You'll find a way, won't you?" Scarlett laughed softly.

She watched as her words triggered a subtle change in his expression—lips flattening, eyes narrowing with irritation.

She'd hit the mark, though it brought her no satisfaction.

But Sebastian's response caught her off guard. "You believe in me so much now? Then why didn't you say it was me before?"

His tone deepened with suppressed anger.

Scarlett froze. What "before"?

"You'd rather hook up with someone like Shawn than admit I was responsible for this." Sebastian flicked away his cigarette butt and traced the faint red mark on her collarbone with his fingertip. "Well done, Scarlett."

Her skin tingled under his touch, her heart suddenly racing.

"Could I have said anything?" she challenged. "Let Mr. George Howard know his precious grandson was having an affair with the Seymour family's illegitimate daughter?"

Sebastian fell suddenly silent.

Seeing this, Scarlett's heartbeat gradually steadied. She smiled faintly. "I don't invite trouble."

As she rose from the car hood, she noticed cigarette butts scattered across the ground—evidence that Sebastian had been waiting for quite some time. 

Her expression faltered momentarily, but she pretended not to notice as she slid into her car.

Sebastian didn't follow, and she made no effort to wait.

The pale pink car drove away, leaving Sebastian alone amidst the messy evidence of his long wait.

Shortly after, a deep red sports car pulled up. The window lowered to reveal Orion's smiling fox-like face.

"If it isn't our Mr. Howard! Been abandoned, have we?"

Sebastian didn't even spare him a glance. He simply got in and leaned back against the headrest, closing his eyes.

"How are things going?" he asked.

"Almost done." Orion started the car and pulled out of the garage. "We have my brother and the Wright family member to thank—otherwise, this wouldn't have been so easy."

The sports car eventually turned onto Skylake Road, but instead of stopping at number five, it continued to number one.

Sebastian walked ahead as they entered, with Orion jogging to catch up.

"Seriously, you're really planning to bring him back? Didn't you say your girl likes him? Aren't you afraid she'll run off with him?" Orion continued their conversation from the car.

Sebastian scanned his retina to unlock the door. "If this doesn't end soon," he replied while removing his coat, "she really will run away."

His tone was unusually gloomy.

Orion lounged casually on the sofa, taking mischievous pleasure in Sebastian's discomfort. "I think you're about to mess this up badly."

"I won't."

Sebastian poured himself a whiskey, ice cubes clinking against the glass.

"How can you be so sure?" Orion turned on the TV. "Weren't you just abandoned? I heard she chose Shawn."

The glass slammed down hard. The whiskey sloshed over the rim, and the ice cube rattled violently inside.

Sebastian turned, amber eyes gleaming with such cold fury that Orion's grin instantly disappeared.

"Just kidding, just kidding," he backpedaled quickly.

"What about the person you were watching?" Sebastian asked, methodically wiping the alcohol from his fingers.

"We've been keeping an eye on him, just waiting for your signal. Yesterday's news was suppressed—no one knows he's back," Orion replied, suddenly serious.

Sebastian took a sip of his drink, the cold liquid seeming to clear his mind. "Pull the men back. Let him have his fun. As for Adeline, I'll handle it."

Orion nodded. "No problem. What about the one abroad—when should he return?"

"Can he walk yet?"

"No, they say he's paralyzed now. Unlikely he'll ever get up again."

"I see."

---

At Sunset Lake Villa, the lights were off. Adeline was fast asleep on the sofa, a fashion magazine in her arms.

Suddenly, the entryway light came on. A man walked in, backlit. He looked around, kicked off his sneakers, and strode toward the sofa.

The man leaned in closer, illuminated by the small lamp nearby. He was handsome, but with an unmistakable air of mischief and danger.

Adeline wasn't sleeping deeply. Sensing someone approach, she opened her eyes and mistook the figure for someone in her dreams.

"Sebi..." she murmured.

The man smiled—a casual, cold smile that only enhanced his roguish charm. He covered Adeline's mouth and nose with his hand.

"Addie, you must be confused from sleep," his voice was playful yet detached. "How could you mistake me for my big brother?"