Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 149

The elevator doors closed with a soft hiss.

Mark stood at the control panel, pressing the button for the first floor, his expression betraying nothing as the numbers began to tick downward.

The elevator's light cast harsh shadows across Sebastian's rigid profile. The term "mistress" didn't cause even the slightest twitch in his expression. Instead, a faint, dismissive scoff escaped his throat.

"Is that so?" he asked, voice cool as ice.

Graham smiled, sensing an opening. "Of course. They spoke quite convincingly, even saying it started five years ago."

The precise timeframe immediately alerted Sebastian that Graham must have obtained actual information—information that could make Scarlett vulnerable. 

He turned to look at his cousin, who had grown to match his height since they were children. Yet that calculating smile remained completely unrestrained.

"Rather than chasing gossip, you'd be better off monitoring those managers in the lower ranks," Sebastian said coldly, his implication clear. "They'd provide more value than this idle talk."

"How could those matters possibly compare to what's happening with you?" Graham replied, grinning now that he'd gotten the reaction he wanted.

The elevator arrived at the first floor with a gentle ding.

The three men exited, two in front and one behind. Graham, bringing up the rear, immediately sent a message to Adeline: [Find a way to get Scarlett to meet you.]

Meanwhile, Sebastian lowered his voice to instruct Mark, "Have Teddy shadow Scarlett. All his other duties are suspended."

Mark nodded. "Yes, sir."

An invisible battle had just begun.

---

Upon receiving his orders, Teddy moved into Number 5 Skylake Road that very evening.

Scarlett hadn't seen anyone from Sebastian's inner circle in quite some time. 

"Mr. Parker? What are you doing here?" she asked as she set down her bag at the door. "Is something happening at the Howard Manor?"

Teddy stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice rumbling like thunder. "No, Ms. Seymour. I'm simply responsible for your security."

Scarlett didn't know much about Teddy. He rarely appeared, but rumor had it he was once George's security guard. After leaving the military, he'd ended up working odd jobs for Sebastian—a complete waste of his impressive physical abilities.

Scarlett curled up on the sofa, watching him stand sternly nearby. "You're staying here?"

At that moment, Libbie emerged, having prepared the new servant's quarters.

"Yes. Until the lockdown ends, I'll remain by your side," Teddy answered, though his words only confused Scarlett further.

She couldn't understand what kind of "lockdown" would require Teddy to shadow her constantly. 

But then she remembered her meeting with Adeline earlier that day. Was Sebastian afraid she'd run off, and that's why he'd sent Teddy?

The moment this thought occurred, it immediately made sense to Scarlett. Her face darkened as she tossed the throw pillow aside and stormed upstairs with an indignant huff.

---

"What? He sent Teddy to prevent you from running away?" Chris's voice came through the phone's speaker.

Scarlett clutched her tablet, sketching with visible frustration. "Yes!"

"That seems excessive," Chris clicked his tongue, sensing something more significant behind this move. "Any assistant could keep an eye on you. Sending Teddy makes it seem like you're some kind of VIP."

"Talk about overkill," Scarlett pouted, jabbing her stylus against the screen so hard that even the soft brush strokes revealed her irritation.

"Well, since he's provided, might as well use him." Chris couldn't decipher Sebastian's intentions, but considering the intelligence from Dennis, he felt compelled to offer sincere advice.

Previously, Chris would have urged her to distance herself from Sebastian immediately, but his attitude now was completely different. 

Scarlett frowned instantly. "What is it? Is there something I should know?"

But Chris only had hearsay to go on, nothing concrete enough to share. He could only caution her: "The Howard family might be facing some changes soon. Having someone watching over you isn't a bad thing."

Hearing this, Scarlett immediately thought of Graham—that Howard family member who seemed unwelcome by the rest of the Howards. "Is it because of Graham?"

Chris made a sound of agreement before continuing, "The Myers family has also been making frequent moves lately. Has Sylvia mentioned anything to you?"

At the mention of Sylvia, Scarlett realized how out of touch she was. "She recently started working at her family's company. She's been so busy we hardly ever see each other."

"Alright then. I'm coming back the day after tomorrow," Chris said with a smile, changing the subject. "It's prime crab season—let's go eat some."

Scarlett nodded, not refusing the invitation.

Two days later, Chris returned from his training camp looking noticeably thinner. He waited downstairs in his Lotus—a new car his second brother had given him as a reward for placing second in the national championship.

Not long after they drove off, Chris noticed a car following them from a distance. 

The vehicle's movements were extremely discreet. If Chris hadn't been so familiar with cars, he might never have noticed the inconspicuous Chevrolet.

"Did you offend someone?" Chris asked instinctively, connecting the dots with Teddy's presence that Scarlett had mentioned days earlier.

Scarlett, engrossed in a mobile game, replied casually, "No. If it's a Chevrolet, that's just Teddy. He's been following me lately."

Hearing this, Chris relaxed slightly.

The sports car eventually pulled up at the same seafood street as before. 

Unlike last time, the area was now packed with people, every restaurant filled to capacity. Chris and Scarlett inquired at several establishments before finally finding a table.

"It's the perfect season for king crab," Chris remarked, peering through the private room's floor-to-ceiling windows at the crowds outside. "These people know how to live."

"Isn't that exactly why we're here too?" Scarlett smiled, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. She'd deliberately skipped lunch to save room for this king crab feast.

Since it wasn't the season for premium male crabs, they were served female crabs, accompanied by several other seafood dishes—lobster, garlic scallops, and buttered shrimp. 

Chris skillfully helped her crack crab legs and dismantle the body, leaving Scarlett responsible only for eating.

But after just two bites of crab meat, her face suddenly turned pale.

"What's wrong?" Chris continued breaking apart crab legs, his knuckles white from the effort, his expression tense under the restaurant lighting.

"Stomach pain," Scarlett said, putting on gloves and clutching her abdomen in discomfort.

"Was it undercooked?" Chris's face darkened with concern. He tasted a piece himself, then looked slightly relieved. "No, it seems fine."

Scarlett didn't respond, standing to head for the restroom. However, just as she turned, Chris spoke up behind her, his voice cracking from shock.

"You're bleeding!"

Scarlett froze, then understood his meaning and frowned as she calculated her menstrual cycle. "That's odd, I should still have a few days left."

"This is clearly your period starting." Chris took off his jacket and wrapped it around her waist while contacting the hospital. "You shouldn't be eating crab in this condition. Let's get you checked out."

The abdominal pain was too intense to ignore, so Scarlett didn't refuse.

Teddy, who had been waiting downstairs, immediately followed them, abandoning the food he'd just ordered. Simultaneously, a message was sent to Sebastian's phone.

---

At the hospital, the doctor scowled at the stunned couple before him, clutching the test results. "You're pregnant. Everyone knows pregnant women shouldn't eat crab. How could you not know this?"

Chris's hand, supporting Scarlett, froze awkwardly mid-air. "What?"

Scarlett's lips trembled as she instinctively glanced toward the doorway, relieved to see no sign of Teddy there.

"Are you planning to keep this baby?" the doctor asked, hardly giving them time to process the news. "If so, I'll prescribe prenatal care and miscarriage prevention medications immediately."