Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 222

Inside the stretched Lincoln, warm air pumped through the vents into what should have been a cozy space. Yet Sebastian felt nothing but bone-deep cold, a chill that even a deep breath couldn't chase away.

As he sat in silence, his phone chimed again. He flipped it over to see another message from Tiffany.

[I'll handle this situation. You just focus on taking care of her. I heard she's pregnant—there's a lot you need to be mindful of.]

Sebastian's brow furrowed instinctively as he typed back: [Pregnant? Where did you hear that?]

[It's all over the place here. They're saying she left to nurture the pregnancy. They're saying it's your child.] Tiffany's response came quickly, punctuated with a perfectly timed shocked emoji. [You didn't leak this information?]

Sebastian frowned, ignoring her question and immediately dialing Mark instead. The call was answered after just two rings.

"Mr. Howard." Mark's voice came through the speaker, as steady and emotionless as ever, like some kind of robot.

"What's this rumor in Sovereign City about Scarlett being pregnant?" Sebastian's voice was low, anger simmering beneath the surface.

The question caught Mark completely off guard. Scarlett pregnant? Wasn't that information locked down tight? This absurd rumor from nowhere left Mark momentarily speechless. 

Then, the normally meticulous and reliable Mark asked a foolish question: "This is fake news, right, Mr. Howard?"

"Fake what?" Sebastian massaged his temples—he realized his hand had barely left that spot all day. "Mrs. Myers confirmed it herself. How could it be fake?"

If it had been anyone else, Mark might have dismissed it as a false rumor. But the source was Tiffany. That changed everything.

Having worked alongside Sebastian for years, Mark understood exactly what role Tiffany played in Sebastian's life. Though she'd stepped back after marriage, her insight and tactics remained sharp. She had virtually no conflicts of interest with Sebastian, and thanks to Diana, their relationship was actually quite good—they were essentially on the same team. 

Moreover, with Sylvia and Scarlett's positive relationship, Tiffany had no reason to spread false information.

Mark's heart sank immediately. He took a deep breath, his pulse quickening. "I'll investigate this immediately."

"Test the waters with Grandfather," Sebastian said, closing his eyes briefly, unable to hide the exhaustion in his voice. He could already imagine the storm that awaited him upon his return.

The call ended quickly. Sebastian leaned back against the car's plush cushions. His emotions had settled somewhat, but his thoughts remained fixed on the news he'd just received. 

If George found out about this, Scarlett's situation would become precarious when she returned.

Being pregnant before marriage wasn't exactly good for one's reputation. He didn't want George's impression of Scarlett to deteriorate... and conveniently, since Scarlett didn't want to keep the baby, this might be an opportunity. 

As Sebastian reached this conclusion, his eyes dulled. Though he'd found a potential solution, a heavy weight remained in his chest.

---

Saint Maria Hospital, fifteenth floor.

Scarlett was bored out of her mind. She curled up on the sofa, watching hospital staff arrange her meal, yet she had absolutely no appetite. She'd been eating these fancy dishes for nearly two weeks now and was sick to death of them.

The hospital attendants noticed she wasn't touching her food and knew this young lady didn't want to eat again. 

One coaxed, "Even if you're planning to terminate the pregnancy, you still need to eat."

Sebastian had certainly been true to his word. Scarlett had only mentioned wanting an abortion that morning, and by afternoon, nearly the entire hospital knew about it. 

Though the doctor thought it was a shame, after examining Scarlett and finding the baby's development had indeed been affected, she agreed with Scarlett's choice. She'd even visited Scarlett's room, smiling as she commented on how decisive Scarlett was, suggesting that if more mothers were like her, many children born with congenital defects might never have to enter this world. 

Hearing those words had left Scarlett with mixed feelings.

Now, hearing the nurses use this to persuade her to eat, Scarlett found it distasteful. "No, I just want Lumarian cuisine," she enunciated each word carefully in English to ensure the attendants understood her.

Understanding was one thing, but providing authentic Lumarian food was another matter entirely. They had tried to purchase Lumarian dishes—though it wasn't part of their job description, Sebastian's generous payment made them more than willing to run errands. 

But now, faced with Scarlett's seemingly unreasonable demands, the attendants exchanged glances before one stepped forward: "Ms. Seymour, we don't have the food you prefer here. Please try to eat something."

Scarlett paused, then hunched her shoulders and mumbled, "Fine."

The hospital room actually had a kitchen, but Scarlett couldn't cook. Although she'd once helped the servants in the Seymour family kitchen, she was still technically a young lady. 

She'd never actually needed to cook—the servants wouldn't have truly asked her to do anything, at most letting her wash vegetables from the sidelines.

Scarlett speared a broccoli floret with her fork, thinking perhaps she should buy a cookbook and learn to cook. Otherwise, eating the same things day after day made life seem hopeless. As she absentmindedly swung her fork with the broccoli, trying to psych herself up to eat it, a middle-aged woman appeared outside her room.

Scarlett hadn't noticed her, still dangling her fork. The middle-aged woman peered through the glass in the door, spotted the swinging fork with its broccoli, frowned, and headed straight for the room.

Finn had assumed this middle-aged woman was just a passerby, but when she made a beeline toward them, he quickly blocked the doorway with a stern warning. "Ma'am, this is a private room. Please leave immediately!"

He sized her up—her age was difficult to determine, but she certainly wasn't young.

"I'm Mr. Howard's associate. My name is Libbie Glover, and I'm here to care for Ms. Seymour," the middle-aged woman explained calmly in English.

Despite learning her identity, Finn didn't immediately let her pass. Instead, he called Sebastian. "Mr. Howard, there's a lady here who claims she works for you."