Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 69

It had been a long time since Scarlett last ate breakfast at Windchime Villa, and unsurprisingly, she received special attention from Libbie.

"Ms. Seymour, how are you feeling today? This is shrimp and corn chowder, your favorite. Please try it." Libbie emerged from the kitchen carrying a porcelain bowl, steam rising into the air, her face bright with a smile.

There were noticeably more staff in the villa today. Scarlett observed them while spooning her soup, noting she hadn't seen any of these people before. They must be newly hired.

By the time she'd finished half her soup, Sebastian finally emerged from his study.

Seeing him, Libbie immediately served him a bowl of oatmeal—not the shrimp chowder, as he was severely allergic to seafood, which was strictly forbidden in his presence.

Sebastian stirred his oatmeal, but his gaze drifted to Scarlett, lingering on her nearly empty bowl of chowder.

Noticing his stare, Scarlett deliberately finished the remaining soup in one go and gently placed the bowl back on the table.

Only then did Sebastian look away, leisurely spooning his oatmeal.

The two exchanged just one glance at the beginning of the meal and didn't communicate afterward, like strangers sharing a table.

The small bowl of chowder wasn't particularly filling, so Scarlett took a croissant. She had barely taken a bite when Mark appeared from around the corner near the entrance.

"Mr. Howard, the car is ready," he announced, making no effort to lower his voice, so even Scarlett at the other end of the table could hear him clearly.

His words didn't stir any emotion in her. Instead, she spoke up after their exchange. "Mr. Rogers, where are my car keys?"

"Ms. Seymour, if you're asking about Mr. Wright's car, I returned it to him last night," Mark replied smoothly.

Scarlett froze, instinctively checking her phone messages. "But Chris..."

She stopped mid-sentence, her face showing confusion and irritation.

A sports car wasn't just any possession—when returning one, the keys should be handed over directly. Moreover, with Mark being the one to return it, Chris would certainly have messaged her about it, given his personality.

Yet Scarlett hadn't received any messages.

"I delivered it directly to the Wright Manor," Mark explained, anticipating her question, his tone still calm.

Sebastian put down his spoon, wiped his mouth, and glanced up at Scarlett. "Finished eating?"

"Yes," she answered automatically, then frowned. "Do you have further instructions, Mr. Howard?"

Her formal tone mimicked Mark's manner of speaking.

Mark received a quick glance from Sebastian, but before he could grow nervous, Sebastian had already looked away.

"Let's go," Sebastian stood and walked toward the exit.

Scarlett checked the time and rose as well, but attempted to order a ride-share on her phone as she walked.

Seeing this, Mark kindly said, "Ms. Seymour, you don't need to call a car."

Without looking up, Scarlett replied, "I don't need you to drive me."

In the past, catching a ride with Sebastian to work had been routine, but now that she no longer worked at the Howard Group, continuing this habit seemed inappropriate.

Hearing this, Mark glanced at Sebastian walking ahead but said nothing.

Two cars were parked in front of the villa.

One was Sebastian's signature black Maybach. The other was a cream-colored new electric vehicle.

Scarlett caught sight of it accidentally and found herself unable to look away.

That car was exactly the model she had been eyeing a few days ago.

Seeing it here now, the implication couldn't be clearer.

"Ms. Seymour, here are the keys," Mark offered them to her.

Scarlett wanted to refuse, but her hand moved faster than her thoughts, accepting the keys. She heard Sebastian's soft chuckle.

Her ears reddening slightly, she clutched the keys. "How much does this car cost?"

"Not expensive, about $30,000 all in," Mark replied promptly, seeing no reason to hide this information.

First, for Sebastian, a car of this price was little more than a toy.

Second, since Scarlett had already shown interest in this model, she could easily look up the price herself.

Hearing this figure, Scarlett's expression remained unchanged, though her eyes showed she was calculating something.

Currently, she had savings of about $10,000. Adding the bonus Orion had promised, she could easily afford this car.

With this thought, Scarlett smiled and accepted the "gift" without protest.

Seeing her acceptance, Mark breathed a sigh of relief.

Scarlett drove her new car to work.

She had intended to take her project proposal directly to Orion, but Emma informed her he hadn't arrived yet.

With no other option, Scarlett returned to her office with the proposal.

It wasn't until the afternoon that she received a call from the executive office. "Mr. Watson has arrived, Ms. Seymour. You can come up now."

Submitting the proposal went smoothly, and even better was how quickly the bonus arrived. Before Scarlett had even left Orion's office, she received a notification of a $30,000 deposit marked "project bonus."

She wasted no time. Consolidating her funds, she immediately transferred $31,999—the market value of the car—to Sebastian's personal account.

On the Comprehensive Design Department floor, a woman dressed in flashy, almost excessive fashion was cheerfully distributing drinks to the staff in the open office area.

"I heard you have a new director. I've prepared something for her too. Where is she?" the woman asked, having distributed all the drinks but finding one person missing.

"Ms. Seymour went to the executive office. She should be back shortly," replied someone sipping their drink. Just then, they spotted Scarlett passing by the doorway. "Ms. Seymour!"

Hearing her name, Scarlett turned to look and noticed everyone in the office drinking beverages, with an unfamiliar woman in their midst.

"What's going on?" she asked, walking through the open door.

Before anyone could answer, the woman turned to face Scarlett with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I was just saying how the new director and I share a destiny—both named Seymour. But seeing you now, perhaps that connection isn't worth mentioning."

This was clearly not a friendly comment, and everyone fell silent, their eyes darting between the two women.

"Don't you agree, Scarlett?" the woman pressed.

Scarlett's expression remained neutral, though her eyes reflected cold irritation. "I suppose so."

The woman before her was none other than Adele Seymour, the second daughter of the third branch of the Seymour family.

The Seymour family was large, with five branches in total. While the first and second branches had fewer children, the other branches typically had three or more children each.