Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 178

Sebastian left the study without hesitation.

Mark held the door handle, opening it and stepping slightly aside to let Sebastian pass. Afterward, he looked up, his gaze briefly sweeping over Adeline.

Though his glance carried no particular meaning, Adeline still felt embarrassed under his scrutiny.

She immediately lowered her head, avoiding Mark's eyes.

The door closed.

Now alone in the study, Adeline immediately dropped her guard.

She collapsed onto the sofa behind her, completely drained.

'It's over, it's over...' She repeated the words in her mind, raising her hand to her hairline. The falling strands parted around her palm, creating a natural screen behind which she could hide.

Concealed behind this veil, her gaze fixed on the low coffee table before her, unwilling to accept the reality of the situation.

Though Sebastian had directly ignored every question about Scarlett, it was precisely this avoidance that revealed how important those questions truly were.

Since joining the Howard family, Sebastian had been exceptional in every way.

His position allowed him to answer all questions freely and casually—except those he particularly cared about and didn't want others to know.

And Scarlett was that exception.

He wouldn't even dignify questions about her with perfunctory answers.

Adeline stared at the carved pattern on the coffee table's short legs, her heart sinking progressively deeper—the more deliberately he avoided the topic, the more it demonstrated Scarlett's significance to him.

Now that Scarlett was pregnant, this valuable asset would further expand her influence.

Sebastian clearly understood this, which explained why he hadn't intervened in Graham's actions and had even tolerated them to some extent.

Adeline frowned, running her hand through her hair and gritting her teeth in frustration.

She'd heard that Scarlett had already left the country. The fact that he could arrange her departure so quickly suggested Sebastian had been preparing for this long in advance, and that Graham's actions today had been entirely within his expectations.

Realizing this, Adeline let out a cold snort. So both she and Graham had merely been props in Sebastian's grand plan.

He had even used the situation to find an opportunity to send Scarlett abroad to nurture her pregnancy!

The thought of being so thoroughly manipulated infuriated Adeline. She slammed her fist against the armrest, gritting her teeth and silently vowing:

'Nurture the pregnancy? I'll make sure this child is never born!'

Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, a phone began ringing on the desk.

Adeline's gaze sharpened as she looked over, then quickly glanced toward the study door. No one was coming in.

A mischievous impulse immediately rose within her. She tiptoed to the desk.

A phone with an illuminated screen displayed the words "Satellite Call."

Under what circumstances would Sebastian receive a satellite call?

Adeline was puzzled at first, but quickly developed a theory.

It must be Scarlett, who had been sent abroad.

Her eyes darkened as she picked up the phone, pressing the power button to silence it. With a calculating glance, she took the silenced phone and left the study.

The distance from the study to the living room was not far.

Mr. Watson, whom Mark had mentioned—actually Orion—was just leaving. As he walked toward the door, he heard movement behind him. 

Seeing Adeline, he frowned, his gaze lingering briefly on her and Sebastian before he turned to leave.

"Sebi."

Adeline completely ignored Orion, making a beeline for Sebastian as soon as she entered the living room.

By the floor-to-ceiling window, Sebastian stood with one hand in his pocket, looking outside. Hearing her voice, he turned, his gaze cool as he looked at her.

Adeline kept her hands behind her back as she swiped to answer the call.

She had already turned the volume to its lowest setting. After answering, she hid the phone in her sleeve and naturally positioned her arm near her mouth.

Sebastian seemed not to notice her movements—indeed, he hadn't bothered to observe her actions closely at all.

This clearly gave Adeline room to maneuver.

She sat down at a distance from Sebastian, her expression distressed. "Sebi, you know I can't have children. I want a child so badly!"

Her somewhat shrill cry of anguish made Sebastian frown slightly.

He didn't move to comfort her, instead coldly taking a seat in the single armchair near the window. "Why bring this up suddenly?"

Adeline lowered her head to wipe away tears. Hearing his question, her eyes darted sideways before she spoke again. "I know Ms. Seymour is pregnant."

At these words, Sebastian immediately looked over, his eyes containing a barely perceptible sharpness—like a dark shadow passing beneath a calm lake surface, watchful and scrutinizing.

"What? Are you planning to harm her?"

Adeline's statement had clearly touched Sebastian's bottom line. She had never seen him with such an expression—still outwardly calm, yet with an atmosphere that suddenly dropped, like an invisible net slowly tightening.

She swallowed hard, but even under this pressure, she remembered her purpose.

"No, no," she heard her own voice tighten, but maintained her composure. "That would hurt Ms. Seymour. How could I do such a thing?"

Though faint, Adeline heard the sound of the call disconnecting from inside her sleeve.

She lowered her head, using her sleeve as cover as she smiled, her eyes revealing satisfaction and cunning at her successful scheme.

Scarlett had definitely overheard their conversation. Given the "preventive shot" Adeline had already planted in Scarlett's mind earlier, this "booster shot" would surely provoke her to action.

With this thought, Adeline's mood improved considerably.

"Is that so?" Sebastian, unaware of Adeline's behind-the-scenes manipulation, spoke with a slightly softer tone before adding a warning, "You'd better stay away from her, understand?"

Such a straightforward warning—how could Adeline not understand its meaning?

She forced a smile. "I understand."

Having achieved her goal, Adeline didn't linger long. She left quickly, needing to find an opportunity to return the "evidence" in her possession.

Fortunately, she had deliberately left her purse in the study. Using the excuse of retrieving it, she returned the phone to its original position on the desk.

There was no hope with Graham anymore—she would have to take matters into her own hands.

Sebastian remained in the living room. He watched Adeline leave, his eyes cold. 

He called for Mark. "Keep an eye on her movements recently. Send Graham away, and have Michael monitor the Seymour family's fourth branch abroad."

The first two orders were understandable, but the last one puzzled Mark.

However, when he called Michael, Mark began to understand.

Seraphim, where Scarlett had gone, was also where the Seymour family's fourth branch was located.

Though the chances of them crossing paths might be slim, what if they did? Mark felt it was better to be cautious.