Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 208

Night had fallen. The faint fragrance of the VIP floor hung in the midnight silence, magnified by the stillness. Every inch of air felt ice-cold, making even the subtle scent seem heavy.

Scarlett lay in bed, eyes wide open, her breathing so light it was nearly inaudible. The VIP hospital bed was spacious—when she'd been alone, the room had felt too large and empty. 

Though decorated unlike a typical hospital room, the medical equipment at her bedside constantly reminded her where she was.

But now Sebastian lay beside her, his breathing steady. The soft glow from the bedside lamp gentled his usually sharp features. Scarlett, unable to sleep, quietly turned to her side, her gaze settling on Sebastian's defined profile.

Moonlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, casting a silver sheen across his straight nose. She stared, momentarily entranced, and after confirming he was truly asleep, carefully reached out. Her fingertip trembled slightly as it traced the bridge of his nose with extreme caution.

"Were you so alarmed earlier because of me, or because of the baby?" she whispered, her voice gentle, almost like she was hoping for an answer despite herself.

As soon as the words left her lips, Scarlett gave a self-deprecating smile. Shaking her head, she began to withdraw her hand, only to have Sebastian suddenly grab her wrist.

She startled, a small gasp caught in her throat.

"You—"

Before she could voice her surprise, Sebastian interrupted.

"Is that why?" His eyes were open now, intense. His light amber eyes appeared dark, not with coldness, but with something heavy, as if something weighed on his mind.

His question sent a jolt through Scarlett. She quickly looked away, pressing a hand to her heart, her voice unsteady. "I don't..."

She was still avoiding the issue, but Sebastian pressed on.

He moved closer, no trace of sleep in his eyes. "You think I only care about the child?"

Seeing him state it so plainly, Scarlett's lips twisted into a smile. She nodded. "Don't you?"

Her tone carried unmistakable certainty.

Sebastian was visibly taken aback.

A flash of confusion crossed his eyes, as if he hadn't expected Scarlett to speak with such conviction. His light amber pupils contracted slightly, his composed facade cracking to reveal a momentary vulnerability.

That vulnerability lasted less than half a second before being replaced by something darker.

His Adam's apple bobbed once. The forward momentum of his approach halted as he lowered his head briefly, fingers curling. In the next instant, he looked up at Scarlett again.

Scarlett had turned away, stubbornly staring elsewhere.

The tension in the air had shifted, no longer pressing and oppressive, but tinged with an indescribable bitterness.

Sebastian stared at her averted profile, his voice dropping significantly, carrying a raspiness he himself didn't notice. "Is that really how you see me?"

His eyes held a somber darkness.

Scarlett didn't turn back. She yanked her hand free, pulled the covers up, and rolled over. "I'm tired. Going to sleep," she said stiffly.

Behind her, Sebastian watched in silence, the room filled with complicated emotions neither could articulate.

Scarlett clutched the blanket tightly, her back rigid, deliberately making her breathing lighter as if that could block Sebastian's gaze.

Sebastian didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on Scarlett's back.

How could her forcibly straightened spine escape his notice?

Yet he didn't approach her, nor did he expose her pretense of strength and underlying fragility.

Sebastian merely exhaled a long, heavy breath, as if trying to expel all the frustration within.

Hearing this, Scarlett's grip on the blanket tightened further. Her entire body curled slightly, her previously straight back bending, though still far from relaxed.

"Scar-Bear."

The sudden nickname made Scarlett freeze. Her pupils dilated as she instinctively turned her head. "What... what did you call me?"

"Scar-Bear." Sebastian's eyes darkened slightly. He didn't move closer, just looked at her. "Am I not allowed to call you that?"

The pretense of sleepiness had been quietly punctured by this exchange. Scarlett sat up slowly, still clutching the blanket, lips pressed together.

"Whatever."

She didn't refuse, but her furrowed brow betrayed her aversion to Sebastian using this nickname.

Sebastian's gaze lingered on her furrowed brow before dropping. "I never intended to marry Adeline. There was never anything between us."

His voice was low, clearly meant to reassure.

Such a tactic might have worked before, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Empty words were easy to say. Scarlett couldn't believe him anymore. If what Sebastian claimed was true, how could she explain why the Howard family had turned a blind eye to the Morgan family over a decade ago?

Because of Graham? Scarlett didn't believe it at all.

From birth, Graham's status within the Howard family had never changed. Though he could enter Howard Manor, he was never truly accepted by the Howard family.

A family backed by such a person would naturally be looked down upon.

Yet they weren't. The Morgan family had thrived after their connection to the Howard family, until that incident ten years ago when everything fell apart.

Chris had also mentioned that the Morgan family's situation changed because of Sebastian's attitude shift toward Adeline.

Scarlett looked up at Sebastian, her gaze meeting his deep eyes. She wanted to ask: if what he said was true, why were there rumors of his long-standing relationship with Adeline? People in their circles didn't spread baseless rumors.

But she couldn't bring herself to ask. She feared hearing an answer that would hurt her.

So Scarlett turned away again. "I understand."

Her voice was calm yet trembling, and combined with her expression, it was clearly just a placating response.

She hadn't accepted what Sebastian had just said at all.

This "I understand" was just another form of avoidance.

The repeated evasion had worn away most of Sebastian's patience. He exhaled heavily, but though his voice was low, there was no anger in it—only profound weariness.

"I know what you're thinking."

Just one sentence was enough to make Scarlett look back.

"You do?"

She was surprised for a moment, then smiled. Though she didn't speak, her smile carried a hint of mockery.

"I do." Sebastian nodded, his tone certain.

Sebastian had taken over the Howard family businesses at seventeen, and to date, none of his decisions had been wrong. How could such a man be foolish?

Scarlett knew this, but she didn't believe he could guess what was in her heart. She shook her head, equally certain. "You don't."

Her eyes were resolute, her lips curved in a slightly scornful smile.