Sebastian pressed his lips together, his hand on his lap curling into a tight fist, unwilling to accept it.
Maxine turned her head to look out the window. She thought, ‘If this had been before, Sebastian would have snapped back at me right sway, probably with that sarcastic tone, calling me unreasonable and ungrateful. But now, he doesn’t say a word.
Maxine noticed his breathing hitch briefly before steadying. He said, “It’s fine. I support you looking into the Jenson family. If you need any help, just reach out to Charles, he’ll help you.”
Charles tactfully handed her his business card from the dashboard. He said, “Here’s my card. Feel free to contact me if you need anything”
Maxine accepted the card and slipped it into her pocket.
Maxine thought, ‘It’s free help, so why not take it? But I can’t keep bothering Urban all the time. Otherwise, I’ll end up owing him too many favors.
The car stopped at the hotel entrance. As Maxine stepped into the lobby, she was suddenly pulled aside by a hand. Startled, she instinctively tried to pull away, until she saw Cleo carrying takeout and making a hushing gesture. “It’s me, it’s me. Don’t be scared,” Cleo said.
Maxine asked, “Why’d you come down here?”
They still didn’t know who kidnapped her. Although the manager and owner of Lucy Bar have been detained, those rich brats from the video were still at large. If Cleo acted recklessly and got caught by them, those desperate people might really hurt her.
This time, it wouldn’t be as simple as just being tied up and starved.
Cleo waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Wait… how did you end up coming back with Sebastian?”
She saw everything, clear as day. Sebastian got out of the car and opened the door for her.
Cleo said anxiously, “What if he forces you to stay and won’t let you leave?”
Maxine said, “We don’t really have a choice right now. If we want to take on the Jensens, having Sebastian’s help would significantly improve our odds.”
Cleo was momentarily speechless, having to admit Maxine was right. Urban had merely taken over the entertainment company from his father. Though his methods were impressive, his foundation was still shaky.
Even before marrying Maxine, Sebastian had already consolidated absolute control over the Noxen Group. That was precisely why Gabriel had hesitated to make a move against her back then.
It wasn’t until they realized Maxine and Sebastian had completely fallen out, and she was planning to leave the country, that they desperately ambushed her on the road.
Cleo sighed. “Just… stay away from him, okay?”
Cleo gently lifted Maxine’s bandaged hand and said, “You’ve had enough hard lessons already. Seriously, learn from them this time and focus on getting your law firm up and running overseas first.”
That way, even if Maxine changed her mind later and wanted to fight for Brian’s custody, she’d have some real leverage when negotiating with Sebastian.
As they were heading upstairs together, Cleo suddenly stopped and blurted out, “Hey, how did he even know you were alive, and how did he manage to track you down?”
Maxine shook her head. Still, she figured she already had a pretty good idea.
In her mind, she thought, ‘Urban must have given away quite a few clues in his panic, it’s only natural Sebastian would notice. As for how he knew I’d be there… Brian probably told him.
กา
09:06 Mon 23 Jun 1
Chapter 178
‘Knowing him, he definitely won’t let this go easily!
Sure enough, when Maxine came downstairs the next morning, there sat Briant in the hotel lobby.
AD
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
