Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 224

Although the situation remained unclear, sending Scarlett to study abroad seemed the only way to preserve her reputation. Yet this move could potentially put her in danger. Sebastian had to admit it was a risky gambit.

Neither had much to say to each other. Scarlett's mind was filled with confusion and resentment, but she dared not voice these feelings for fear of losing this hard-won opportunity to study abroad. 

As for Sebastian, pressured from multiple sides, his nerves were stretched thin. This was one of the few places he could relax, though sitting alone provided little relief.

So he rose and moved to Scarlett's side, wrapping an arm around her waist as he lay down. "Let me rest for a moment," he said, his words coinciding with his actions.

Scarlett had no time to refuse. The exhaustion in Sebastian's voice seemed genuine. Though uncomfortable, she didn't push him away. She initially raised her hands uncertainly, but as his breathing slowed, she cautiously lowered them.

Her palm came to rest on Sebastian's head. His hair was actually somewhat long, though usually controlled with hair gel. 

Today he'd used none. He seemed to have left in a hurry, merely pushing his hair back to reveal his forehead, but several strands still fell forward, adding a touch of softness and vulnerability to his normally composed demeanor.

Noticing this, Scarlett couldn't resist running her fingers through his hair. It wasn't stiff at all, but surprisingly soft and pleasant to touch. She drew her hand back quickly, holding her breath as she watched him, afraid of disturbing his sleep.

"Go ahead if you want to touch it," Sebastian murmured. He wasn't asleep after all. His warm breath fell against Scarlett's waist, the heat penetrating through the fabric to her skin.

It tickled, and Scarlett instinctively shifted away. As soon as her waist moved, Sebastian tightened his arm around her, leaving her nowhere to escape. She immediately pushed at his head, her fingers threading through his hair as she gripped it. 

"That tickles! What are you doing?" she demanded, her voice trembling.

Hearing this, Sebastian finally relaxed his hold. "Just let me lie here for a bit," he said calmly.

Scarlett pressed her lips together, looking reluctant but allowing him to remain as he was.

Libbie returned twenty minutes later. When she entered, she immediately spotted the two of them sound asleep on the sofa. They were holding each other tightly, sleeping peacefully. Libbie smiled to herself and quietly carried her groceries to the kitchen.

After she had everything prepared, Libbie emerged from the kitchen to find the living room empty. With a start, she noticed the bedroom door was slightly ajar. Looking inside, she saw Scarlett asleep on the bed. She realized Sebastian had already left. 

Though disappointed, she understood he was busy with many responsibilities, and such situations were common. With this in mind, Libbie returned to keep the soup simmering, wanting Scarlett to have a hot bowl when she woke.

Scarlett slept straight through until evening. The clam chowder had been taken off the heat in the afternoon, but shortly before Scarlett awoke, Libbie, guessing she would wake soon, had put it back on to warm.

When Scarlett opened her eyes, she detected a faint aroma of soup in the room. Still groggy, she followed the scent and opened the door, where the fragrance of clam chowder grew stronger.

"Letty!" Before she even saw the soup, she spotted Marco holding a nearly empty bowl of clam chowder, grinning at her.

Seeing that bowl, Scarlett realized Libbie's arrival hadn't been a dream but had actually happened. She immediately rushed to the kitchen. "Libbie!"

Libbie was chopping green onions. Having heard Marco call Scarlett's name, she had already ladled out a bowl of chowder and was preparing to sprinkle the finely chopped onions on top.

"Ms. Seymour, here you are," she said as Scarlett entered. The onions were ready, and Libbie scattered them over the bowl before handing it to Scarlett with a warm smile.

As she took the soup, the sweet, savory aroma grew even more intense. Scarlett's stomach growled audibly. This made Scarlett blush deeply, and Libbie couldn't help but laugh. "Ha! You're hungry. Go eat!"

Scarlett nodded and carried her bowl back to the living room, where she passed Marco, exchanging polite nods before they went their separate ways. Shortly after, Marco returned to the kitchen for another bowl of chowder.

Scarlett sipped slowly, the familiar taste nearly bringing tears to her eyes. Libbie had been caring for her for almost six years now. Though they hadn't lived together permanently—Scarlett had only occasionally stayed over—most of her meals had been prepared by Libbie. The taste of Libbie's cooking was the most familiar comfort she knew.

"Ms. Seymour, we'll keep it light today. Later I'll make you some steamed cod with shrimp," Libbie said, wiping her hands as she emerged from the kitchen. She sat down beside Scarlett, gently placing her palm on Scarlett's slightly swollen abdomen. "Look how much it's grown in just a week!"

As Libbie touched her stomach, Scarlett pressed her lips together and said softly, "Libbie, I'm not planning to keep the baby."

Hearing this, Libbie froze. Marco, who already knew about this, immediately hunched his shoulders and scooted away. His eyes darted back and forth between the two women.

"Why?" Libbie had never imagined that Scarlett would be the first to give up on this child.

Scarlett blinked, not wanting to mention Adeline as the reason, since that matter might be false. Explaining her conflicted feelings now seemed overly dramatic. So the doctor's assessment became the perfect explanation.

"I was hospitalized because I was drugged. The doctor said those substances have affected the baby and there's a possibility of birth defects."

This wasn't a lie. The latest examination had confirmed this, which was why the hospital staff supported her decision. While wealthy people might not be concerned about such things, medical professionals still hoped for all babies to be born healthy.

Hearing this, Libbie felt a mixture of helplessness, regret, and underlying anger. But she didn't show it, instead embracing Scarlett comfortingly. "It's alright, Ms. Seymour. There's nothing that could be done about it."

Scarlett remained silent, slowly nodding.

"In that case, we'll need to adjust your diet," Libbie continued, immediately focusing on practical matters. She had thought she was coming to help Scarlett through her pregnancy, only to discover she would be supporting her through recovery after an abortion instead. 

Fortunately, the care requirements weren't too different, and Libbie had experience with both.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had boarded his flight back home. The news Mark had sent from the homeland wasn't encouraging. 

The Howard Manor was keeping things extremely quiet, with virtually nothing to be discovered. Undoubtedly, the news had already reached George's ears. 

Outside the window, the sky was dark and gloomy, much like Sebastian's eyes.