Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 255

The man in the photo was being held up by the hair by a hairy hand, apparently to make his face easier to identify. His features hadn't suffered any major damage—just a large red mark on his left cheek.

Sebastian could tell it was the mark of a punch.

But the injuries on the man's face weren't his main concern.

The man had red hair and green eyes—a very typical Cooper family appearance. Though that description might be somewhat absolute, Sebastian looked at the man who bore eighty percent resemblance to Benjamin, his brow furrowing continuously.

Marco's next message made his expression even darker.

[Photos were already sent from the camera's terminal. The signal left the transmission node a while ago. Now it's hard to determine who received these photos.]

Sebastian pressed his fingertips against his forehead, his fingertips grinding against the phone's cold edge. The metallic texture seemed to still carry the last tremor before the signal disappeared.

He thought of the warning Tiffany had given him not long ago. His eyes darkened as his fingers typed rapidly.

[Investigate. Focus on Thalassia and Eldoria.]

He quickly sent the message, but he was also very clear that such an order was just closing the barn door after the horse had bolted—it couldn't stop whatever those people behind the scenes were planning.

Sebastian put down his phone, supporting his face with both hands, letting out a long, frustrated sigh.

When Mark knocked and entered again, Sebastian had already recovered his composure. His expression unchanged, he looked up at his approaching assistant, the tip of his pen pointing slightly toward the corner of the desk near the door—where a manila envelope lay.

"Give this to Orion."

Mark nodded, took the item, and left.

...

Eldoria, Rottenisa Wellness Center.

This was Adeline's seventeenth day at this nursing home.

She had gone from initial irritation and dissatisfaction to her current calm state. The caregivers thought she had accepted her future fate, so their supervision of her was no longer strict.

Adeline seemed to have become obsessed with natural scenery. She spent most of each day on the balcony, and her favorite balcony was on the east side of the main building's fifth floor.

This was almost the highest floor she could access.

Initially, the caregivers thought she might try to harm herself, but after watching for several days and finding that she seemed to just want to enjoy the view, they let her be.

Today, Adeline sat on the east-side balcony of the fifth floor as usual.

Beside her were tea and pastries the caregivers had prepared for her.

The position she faced allowed her to see the psychiatric hospital next door, where patients were currently having their outdoor time.

"Hey, darling."

A voice came from behind her.

Adeline hadn't even put down her teacup when she turned toward the voice. The newcomer was a Black girl with dreadlocks.

She had plain features and was thin but tall, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Adeline.

"Ayana." Adeline smiled and greeted her.

Hearing this, Ayana Lee's smile became even brighter. She stepped forward, cupped Adeline's face, and kissed her, her voice affectionate and filled with incomparable tenderness. "Oh, darling, you're truly beautiful."

Adeline's smile stiffened for a moment. Then she raised her hand to block Ayana's next approach, her tone gentle. When the other frowned, she changed position to get closer to her. "What made you suddenly want to come find me?"

"Darling, shouldn't I come find you? Since you agreed, we've only met twice." Ayana held her tighter, her tone slightly sighing, pitiful yet dissatisfied.

Adeline impatiently pouted and rolled her eyes, though her tone remained sweet. "But I prefer being alone."

"Oh, of course, my baby. No matter what, I respect your opinion." Ayana immediately coaxed her, her tone gentle, as if she were handling a rare treasure.

Adeline didn't speak, her index finger twirling her hanging hair strands round and round, showing her irritation.

Watching this, Ayana sighed. "Alright, darling, don't be so gloomy." She adjusted her sitting position, placing both hands on Adeline's shoulders and looking at her face. "I've already asked about that matter for you."

The finger that had been idly twirling hair paused, then continued the motion as if nothing had happened. Adeline finally deigned to glance over, though it was just a glance. "What matters?"

"The psychiatric hospital next door did indeed admit a disabled Lumaria man, and his name really is Michael Seymour." After saying this, Ayana's eyes brightened, and her mouth couldn't help but curve upward, looking exactly like a little dog seeking a reward.

Adeline indeed gave her a reward.

She casually reached out and patted Ayana's head. "Well done, Ayana."

Just this simple praise immediately made Ayana happy. She suddenly hugged Adeline, pressing her nose against her neck. "Adeline, I love you. Oh, thank God."

Her sudden closeness made Adeline uncomfortable. Just as she was frowning and thinking of a solution, shouting suddenly came from the corridor outside the balcony.

"Ms. Morgan!"

This gave Adeline a perfect excuse. She pushed Ayana away forcefully, lowering her voice. "Someone's coming."

Being suddenly pushed away naturally made Ayana unhappy, but then she remembered that her dear Adeline was reserved and shy, so that bit of unhappiness completely dissipated.

"Ms. Morgan, you have a package." The person who came was a caregiver. Her gaze lingered slightly on Ayana, then immediately shifted away when the other frowned, looking at Adeline instead.

Adeline couldn't wait to get away from Ayana. Hearing this, she felt relieved. "Alright, I'll be right there."

"Adeline!" Seeing Adeline about to leave her again, Ayana immediately tried to grab her arm, but was blocked by the caregiver.

The nursing home caregivers were all tall and burly, and quite a few were men.

Even though Ayana was tall, being too thin with little muscle made her easy to control.

The caregiver controlling her was a male nurse. His tone was low as he frowned and pulled her up. "Alright, Ayana, time for your medication."

"No, I'm not having an episode! Adeline is my girlfriend!" Ayana tried to struggle, but to no avail.

The caregiver leading Adeline away heard this and looked back, shaking her head helplessly before looking at Adeline. "Don't mind her. She's prone to grandiose delusions."

Adeline smiled, her tone gentle. "I know. She has bipolar disorder—this is very normal."

The caregiver nodded.

Almost no one in the entire nursing home believed this beautiful girl from Lumaria would be with Ayana. After all, everyone knew this girl was definitely heterosexual.

In the room, the newly signed package waited on the desk by the window.

Adeline walked over. The sender hadn't signed their name or address, making her frown and hesitate about whether she should open it.

The package wasn't large—only about palm-sized.

Adeline picked it up and shook it, but didn't hear anything particularly unusual.