Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 291

At that, Sebastian leaned back slightly and made a show of examining Scarlett's arm from every angle. "Not excessive at all."

His tone stayed perfectly level, but something about the gesture came off almost... playful.

Scarlett frowned at him, wondering if this guy was really Sebastian. Since when did he act like this?

Natasha's test results came back that same day. Alzheimer's, just as suspected.

The news reached the vineyard while the Russo family was at dinner.

The moment they heard, everyone at the table went silent.

Scarlett's knife and fork clattered against her porcelain plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet. But aside from Sebastian, no one even glanced her way.

Olivia pressed a hand to her forehead, her voice dropping with genuine sorrow. "Poor Natasha."

"She's old. Getting this disease is perfectly normal." Sebastian's tone carried zero sadness. If anything, there was a thread of irritation running through it.

Though he usually kept his emotions well-hidden, even Marco—who knew him better than most—couldn't pick up on what he was really feeling.

Still, Sebastian's indifference was stark enough that everyone turned to look at him.

Completely oblivious, Sebastian lifted his gaze to Marco. "Uncle Marco, what's your plan for her care?"

Someone with Alzheimer's needed dedicated supervision. The Russos would spare no expense on that front.

Marco might not have caught the irritation in Sebastian's voice, but this was the first time Sebastian had ever actively asked about a Russo family decision.

Which made the subtext crystal clear.

Natasha's illness had caused her to show hostility toward Scarlett. And Sebastian was not okay with that.

Marco lowered his head, using his knife and fork to separate the lamb chops on his plate. His brow quirked up, amusement threading through his calm voice. Clearly, Sebastian's question hadn't offended him in the slightest.

"She'll spend her remaining years at the estate. I know what you're getting at, Jacob." Marco successfully cut off a piece of meat and popped it in his mouth. "Don't worry. You two won't be seeing her again."

The assurance earned a slight nod from Sebastian.

And from that one sentence, Scarlett immediately understood the real reason Sebastian had intervened. She looked at him—not exactly angry, but definitely confused.

After dinner, Scarlett sought Sebastian out.

"Here about Natasha?" The second Sebastian's gaze landed on Scarlett, he knew exactly why she'd come. He raised an eyebrow and voluntarily stepped out of Marco's study.

Scarlett nodded, glanced around, then steered Sebastian toward a nearby corridor.

"Natasha's one of theirs, too. Just because of this one incident, you're going to make her live alone at another estate? Isn't that kind of cruel?" The moment they stopped at the far end of the hallway, Scarlett's voice came out.

Her tone stayed even, carefully measured—so the words didn't land like an accusation. More like a tentative suggestion tinged with uncertainty.

"Plus, Rosa and the others have lived with Natasha for years. She's family to them. Aren't you worried they'll be upset?"

Scarlett's concern wasn't unreasonable.

After all, from what she could tell, Sebastian and Marco's families weren't particularly close. Under those circumstances, even if the Russos treated Sebastian well, this could easily create resentment.

Sebastian's gaze settled heavily on her. After a brief moment of eye contact, his lips curved slightly. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Worried about me?"

He seemed completely unconcerned about the consequences she'd outlined. If anything, he looked pleased.

Scarlett frowned, pressing a hand against his chest. "No, I just think... maybe you shouldn't have gotten involved?"

"I'm part of the Russo family, too." Sebastian's voice dropped low and rough, threaded with obvious amusement. He leaned in, his cheek brushing against her neck. "So are you."

Scarlett didn't respond right away.

Sebastian being part of the Russo family made sense—their blood ran in his veins.

But what made her part of the family?

She didn't ask the question aloud, but Sebastian had already seen straight through to what she was thinking. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, then answered her unspoken question with perfect accuracy.

"You're my future wife. How does that not make you part of the Russo family?"

The words answered her question perfectly—but they also made her heart skip a beat. Panic and shyness flooded through her all at once.

She shoved his face away from hers, flustered. "Who said I'm your future wife?"

Sebastian heard the rejection but showed zero signs of being upset. Instead, he caught her hand, his thumb gently stroking the ring on her finger.

The moment she registered what he was doing, Scarlett's entire body went rigid. She didn't normally wear rings—but somehow, this one she'd never been able to bring herself to take off. Her finger had grown so used to its presence.

The ring—set with an amber-colored stone—was the one Sebastian had used to propose.

And now, by stroking it, Sebastian was wordlessly reminding Scarlett that she had, in fact, accepted his proposal.

Scarlett pressed her lips together, her fingers curling slightly. "This doesn't prove anything."

When the words first left her mouth, guilt pricked at her. But as they settled in the air, that guilt gradually faded under the weight of her internal justification.

The ring was designed by one of her favorite artists. Of course, she'd keep wearing it. That was perfectly normal and reasonable.

The mental gymnastics took root in Scarlett's mind with alarming speed. Within seconds, she'd fully convinced herself.

Not that she could ever explain that logic to Sebastian.

So instead, Scarlett cleared her throat and tried to sound casual as she changed the subject. "Benjamin said they're coming tomorrow."

Sebastian had zero interest in that particular piece of news. With Teddy still in Vesperia, he'd probably gotten updates faster than Scarlett anyway.

But he still put on a show of surprise, playing along with her topic change.

"Really? Does Uncle Marco know? They'll probably need to arrange a private jet."

"No need. Kevin said he'd handle the jet. They were supposed to come today, but air traffic control delayed them until tomorrow."

Scarlett shook her head lightly.

At that, Sebastian's eyebrow ticked up. Scarlett didn't own a private jet, and she hadn't coordinated with any aviation companies. Which meant Kevin's explanation was complete bullshit—something that would only fool Scarlett.

First of all, coordination between aviation companies was extremely efficient. Under normal circumstances, a short-haul private flight from Calvessa, Vesperia, to Virella Island would be fully scheduled within two hours.

In other words, if Kevin had gotten the news at noon, he easily could have landed on Virella Island by four in the afternoon if he'd wanted to.