Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 145

Adeline had been waiting in the reception area for nearly half an hour.

The CEO's office door remained firmly closed. Secretaries and assistants bustled in and out, but not one of them spared her a glance. Just maintaining her smile seemed to drain every ounce of her energy.

Finally, at the forty-minute mark, Mark appeared from the elevator carrying takeout bags. Seeing Adeline, he offered a greeting. "Ms. Morgan."

His tone was neutral and professional, but even this small acknowledgment lifted her spirits.

"Mr. Rogers," she stood immediately, glancing toward the office door. "Is Sebi very busy today?"

"Mr. Howard is always busy," Mark replied evenly.

Adeline gave an awkward laugh. "Of course. Could you ask Sebi when he might have time? I'd like to speak with him."

Mark didn't refuse her request. He nodded and entered the office without knocking.

As the door closed behind him, Adeline sank back onto the sofa, her anxiety and impatience plainly visible now that she was alone. 

She clasped her hands against her mouth, resentment flickering in her eyes. If not for Graham's stupidity, she wouldn't have found herself in this predicament!

Inside the office, Sebastian was hardly "busy" in the traditional sense. He stood at the indoor golf simulator by the window, swinging his club. The ball soared into the virtual hole.

The holographic display flashed a new high score, accompanied by celebratory sounds from the speakers.

"Is she outside?" he asked without looking at Mark.

"Yes. Ms. Morgan would like to speak with you," Mark confirmed, placing the takeout food on the coffee table. "Mr. George Howard drove Ms. Seymour to work this morning."

Sebastian made a sound of acknowledgment as he sat on the sofa. "Any movement from Graham?"

"Nothing yet, but based on his patterns, he appears to be planning to contact Mr. Seymour."

Sebastian scoffed. "Michael won't give him the time of day."

"Graham seems to have someone backing him, though we haven't identified who yet," Mark continued.

"As expected. Pull resources back to focus on Graham. Give him some incentives—we don't want him giving up," Sebastian said as he accepted the bowl and chopsticks from Mark, his voice utterly calm.

Mark nodded. "What about Ms. Morgan?"

"Tell her to come back this afternoon." Sebastian sipped his soup, the porcelain spoon clinking against the bowl. "And leak some information to Grandfather. I don't want him overthinking things."

"Yes, sir."

When Adeline received the response, she was disappointed but had no choice but to leave for now.

She had barely exited the Howard Group Building when she received a message from Graham:

[How's it going? Mr. Williams doesn't want to wait much longer.]

Reading this, Adeline's frustration mounted. [If not for you, we wouldn't be in this situation!]

[You're the one who made promises to Mr. Williams. If the deadline passes, I can't protect you.]

Adeline gritted her teeth and put away her phone, unwilling to respond.

But Graham sent another message immediately: [If you can't handle it, my people will step in.]

Adeline's expression darkened. [I understand.]

That afternoon, she returned to the Howard Group Building right on schedule. This time, she was shown directly to Sebastian's office.

The leather chair rotated halfway as Sebastian looked up, fingers resting against his chin. His cold gaze made Adeline's smile freeze on her face.

"You're here." Sebastian set down his pen with a soft tap that seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet room.

His voice revealed nothing, but the absence of obvious coldness gave Adeline a glimmer of hope.

"Sebi..." she began, her voice deliberately soft.

"I never expected you to have such talents, Addie," Sebastian interrupted, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk. His expression remained unreadable, his tone as neutral as before.

Adeline felt an inexplicable fear rise within her. She pressed her lips together as tears immediately welled in her eyes. "Sebi, he was lying about everything!"

"Was he?" Sebastian raised his hand, casually resting his chin on his fingertips as his eyes traveled over Adeline, finally settling on her eyes.

As their gazes met, Adeline immediately recognized her advantage.

Tears fell instantly, accompanied by a perfectly timed blink. When she reopened her eyes, teardrops hung from her lashes, poised to fall but not quite dropping.

Her eyes were her best feature—lively and clear, remarkably similar to Scarlett's.

Yet different. Scarlett would never look at him this way. Even when showing vulnerability, Scarlett maintained her pride.

Sebastian's brow furrowed slightly as he silently cursed the ungrateful girl in his thoughts.

Seeing no reaction from him, Adeline grew anxious. Abandoning all restraint, she rushed to Sebastian's side and placed her hand on his leg, beginning to kneel. "Sebi, I truly—"

Sebastian shifted his foot, causing the chair to slide backward, avoiding her touch.

"Mind your boundaries."

His tone suddenly turned cold, like ice water poured over her, instantly draining the color from Adeline's face.

Her hand froze in mid-air, fingers curling as she stammered, "No, I wasn't—Sebi, there's nothing between Graham and me. You're the only one in my heart!"

Her passionate declaration didn't change Sebastian's expression.

Yet it seemed to have some effect.

"I won't dwell on the past," Sebastian said, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles in his clothes. His lowered gaze lingered briefly on Adeline. "As long as I'm the one in your heart."

His final words carried a deeper tone, almost mesmerizing.

Adeline's face lit up. She immediately stepped forward to embrace him. "I knew you're the best!"

The hug didn't last long. Sebastian pushed her away gently, patting her back. "Are you hungry? I'll have Mark make a reservation."

"Yes! I want to go to that restaurant on the cruise ship," Adeline said, seamlessly slipping back into her role, unbothered by being pushed away.

Sebastian checked his watch. "It's getting late. We might not be able to get a table."

"That's fine. I'm happy to eat anywhere with you," Adeline said sweetly.

She tried to link arms with Sebastian, but he conveniently reached for his coat at that exact moment, avoiding her touch.

As they left the office, Mark immediately approached them, eliminating any further opportunity for Adeline to get close to Sebastian.

"Book a table for two at Starlight Galley," Sebastian instructed in a low voice.

Mark nodded and followed behind them.

Adeline finally felt some relief. In the elevator, she quickly sent a message to Graham:

[I've handled it. Your people won't need to intervene.]

The signal in the elevator was poor, and Graham's reply took some time to arrive:

[Understood.]

Adeline looked at the message with relief.

At that moment, Sebastian glanced her way, his gaze lingering on her illuminated phone screen. "Something important?"

Fearing he might see the conversation, Adeline quickly turned off the screen and put away her phone. "No, just chatting with a friend."

The Maybach pulled up near the waterfront where the cruise ship was docked.

"Sebi, look—it's Scarlett and Mr. Wright," Adeline said as they stepped out of the car.

Following her gesture, Sebastian saw the laughing pair—indeed Scarlett and Shawn—and at that same moment, Scarlett looked in their direction.