Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 188

Hearing the question, Shane raised an eyebrow slightly and chuckled. "After all this time without contact, this is all you ask about?"

"You should know that if not for her, I wouldn't be contacting you at all," Sebastian replied, stripping away Shane's attempt at civility.

At this, Shane's smile momentarily froze before quickly returning to normal. He laughed softly. "Sebastian, we've been friends for years. Is this really necessary?"

Before Sebastian could respond, Shane continued.

"Perhaps I should put it differently. After all these years, haven't you reconsidered your approach? Take this Scarlett situation—if you had made the same choices I did back then, you wouldn't need to be hiding her away now, would you?"

Shane's words struck a nerve. Sebastian fell silent for a long moment.

Mark stood behind Sebastian, watching his boss hold the phone in silence, his curiosity nearly overwhelming.

"I see your point," Sebastian finally replied, his tone composed, showing no sign that Shane's words had affected him beyond causing a simple pause. "However, I still believe your methods are too heavy-handed."

He paused again, his voice level yet tinged with mockery. "Look at your reputation overseas, Shane. Do you still think your choices were correct?"

Shane handled international trade abroad—the Wright family's traditional business.

But he was known for exploiting workers, particularly cheap labor from impoverished regions. Activists frequently gathered outside his company headquarters to protest on behalf of his employees.

"Come on, Sebastian, it's just business—maximizing profits," Shane dismissed with a wave of his hand, completely unconcerned. "Besides, if I wasn't providing them jobs, they'd have been sent back home already. Would they even have the chance to be abroad?"

Sebastian rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "You know that's not what I meant."

"The gray market?" Shane quickly understood, laughing again. "Relax. Those ventures might be untouchable, but dabbling in them proves I have the capability."

"Even if it means never returning to Lumaria? Even if it means publicly severing ties with the Wright family?" Sebastian scoffed.

Shane fell silent for a moment before responding, "Enough, Sebastian. This call wasn't meant for you to lecture me."

Sebastian raised one eyebrow, nodding slightly to accept Shane's truce. "Put her on a plane. You don't need to concern yourself with what happens after."

His words carried the heavy tone of a command.

Shane smiled, pulling out a fountain pen and rolling it across his desk. "This was Shawn's request. I can't simply drop it because you say so, can I?"

Hearing this, Sebastian's eyes darkened. He took a deep breath and asked the inevitable question: "What do you want?"

"Miravale's Jewel. I've always wanted that route," Shane answered immediately, clearly having prepared this demand in advance. "You know, paying you fifty million dollars annually for access is really breaking my heart."

Sebastian couldn't suppress a cold laugh.

The man was as greedy as ever.

Miravale's Jewel was a sea route—the Howard family's most important overseas shipping lane. The tolls alone brought the Howard family hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

For Shane to demand it outright was like a rabid dog making a grab.

Sebastian's fingers tightened imperceptibly around the phone, his fingertips pressing against its back as a cold glint spread through his eyes.

He didn't respond immediately, only offering a slight scoff that he quickly suppressed.

While Shane continued rambling about how "fifty million dollars a year is really too painful," Sebastian's mind had already wandered. He raised an eyebrow, fingers touching his temple as he shook his head slightly.

This guy had always been like this—seeing only profit, always going straight for the jugular in negotiations, showing absolutely no consideration.

Sebastian had several long-term overseas suppliers who also found dealing with Shane maddening.

At least the man, despite his ruthless negotiating style, understood the concept of negotiation and had never completely tanked a deal.

But now, using Scarlett as leverage, Shane was directly targeting the Howard family's foundation—like digging up someone's ancestral graves. It was both sickening and infuriating.

Sebastian closed his eyes briefly, his throat working as he forcibly swallowed the anger threatening to surface. 

When he spoke again, his voice sounded remarkably calm, though his tone was rigid. "Don't be so greedy. If you want that, fine—take it up with my grandfather."

Though Shane might act wild at the negotiating table, he generally knew the boundaries of respect. After Sebastian's words, his voice came through immediately.

"No, I'm just kidding," he laughed, pushing his fountain pen aside as his tone suddenly softened. "Perhaps something else—what about some personnel from Seraphim? Contract basis, but I use them for free."

This new demand from Shane was at least worth considering.

Sebastian's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, his eyebrow twitching slightly. After a brief consideration, he asked, "What kind of personnel do you want?"

"That's up to you. As long as they're not low quality, I'll take them all. How about a five-year contract?" Shane smiled—his expression might not have changed much, but his slightly gleaming eyes betrayed his excitement.

"Fine. I'll bring them personally," Sebastian agreed.

After hanging up, Sebastian handed the phone back to Mark and closed his eyes momentarily before speaking. "Make preparations. We're going to Seraphim tomorrow."

Mark nodded and immediately went to make arrangements.

---

Sunset Lake Villa.

Adeline sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, holding her phone to her ear, deliberately lowering her voice. "You're sure he's going to Seraphim?"

The person on the other end said something, and Adeline quickly nodded.

"Alright, make the arrangements. I'll leave tomorrow."

The villa was empty except for Adeline's deliberately hushed voice.

"...Don't worry. I absolutely won't let her have that baby."

---

Sebastian made no attempt to hide his plans to visit Seraphim.

Before boarding his flight, he returned briefly to the Howard Manor.

George looked at him, seemed about to say something, but stopped himself. Finally, he simply asked, "What are you going there for?"

Sebastian didn't answer, merely nodding slightly. "I'll be back in three days."

Just after boarding the plane, Sebastian received a call from Michael.

It was clear Michael wasn't aware of the current situation, and evidently, Scarlett hadn't contacted him either.

"Give Letty my regards."

Sebastian agreed.

"By the way, here's some information for you—another flight to Seraphim departed an hour ago," Michael said calmly, with a hint of coldness in his voice. "Adeline was on it."

Sebastian paused, then nodded. "Thank you, Mike. I'll keep that in mind."

After ending his call with Michael, Sebastian sent Teddy a message. Then a flight attendant approached to inform him the plane was about to take off.