For Sebastian to bind himself to a marriage so urgently, there had to be an incredibly significant reason behind it...

"Yes. My family is pressing the matter heavily," Sebastian replied, his expression completely unreadable.

Here was a man clad in a flawless bespoke business suit, maintaining a perfectly composed aura like a formidable corporate tycoon, claiming his family was nagging him into marriage?

Her suspicions deepened; she knew he wasn't laying all his cards on the table.

Just as she was about to press further, Sebastian’s phone vibrated, and he answered it immediately: "...Yes... Understood... Wait for me."

He ended the call and stood up: "I have a meeting to attend. I must take my leave."

Scarlett tracked his tall figure, a faint warmth lingering in her mind.

"By the way," Sebastian added right before reaching the door, "keep your guard up lately."

"Why?" she questioned, thoroughly puzzled.

"Be careful around Ethan..."

"Ethan..." Scarlett arched an eyebrow, wondering what on earth she could possibly need to fear from him.

They had severed all ties two years ago; he no longer possessed any authority over her life.

Sebastian offered no further explanation.

Instead, another heavy object was dropped into her palm—a set of keys.

Sebastian's fingertips were warm, brushing against Scarlett’s palm for a fleeting second before pulling away with a calculated, professional distance: "You should stay here for the time being."

"What about you?"

Sebastian halted his retreating tracks briefly: "I will reside elsewhere."

Watching his broad, commanding silhouette as he prepared to exit, a sudden question flashed through Scarlett's mind, and she called out, "Wait! I have one final question!"

Sebastian’s hand paused right on the door handle.

"Why me?"

Chapter 11

Sebastian’s gaze darkened significantly as though remembering something, and he said, "It just happens to be you, that's all."

His crisp voice dropped lower, seemingly carrying an endless nostalgia, sounding less like an answer to her and more like he was muttering to himself.

The moment the words left his mouth, before she could respond or question him, he turned around and pushed the door open.

Scarlett tracked his retreating silhouette, her heart completely shrouded in bewilderment.

…

Inside the car.

Sebastian sat in the rear seat with his legs crossed and his spine perfectly straight, leaning against the backrest as though he had fallen asleep.

The moment he closed his eyes, the formidable aura around him instantly softened; though still cold, it lost some of its aggressive, piercing edge.

Yet when the assistant and the driver caught sight of this scene through the rearview mirror, they still silenced themselves immediately, making even their breathing exceptionally light.

Among the three young masters of the family, the third was cheerful and enthusiastic, the second was as gentle as jade, and only this eldest young master was volatile, ruthless, and entirely unpredictable.

Even with his eyes closed, one still could not ignore the innate nobility that radiated from his entire being.

With grandfather falling ill recently, it had indeed been a hectic and exhausting time, to the point that even the always energetic Master Sebastian was taking a nap in the car...

The driver felt a curious wonder and sneaked another glance at the rearview mirror, only to lock eyes with a pair of half-lidded eyes.

A freezing, glinting light flickered within those eyes, making the driver instantly freeze up as though he were being targeted by a vicious, venomous viper.

He quickly gathered his composure, gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands, and continued to drive.

Sebastian, however, appeared entirely unbothered, calmly pulling his gaze away.

Scarlett’s final question just now had dragged his thoughts back to that unforgettable night.

The family was wealthy beyond measure, yet it was a den of wolves.

When he had first returned to the family, everyone looked at him with nothing but distaste.

The second brother, during his very first strike, had beaten him half to death.

"Hey, who are you?" A girl's voice had rung out, bright and clear like pearls dropping onto a jade plate.

Sebastian had been straining to maintain consciousness, his vision blurred as he looked at the girl before him.

Inside the dimly lit underpass, he couldn't even make out her face clearly; he could only see a pair of flashing eyes that shimmered like black obsidian.

"Save... save me..." Sebastian's brow had knitted tightly as he forced those few syllables past his lips.

Blare— A sharp car horn from the bridge above drowned out Sebastian's words.

The rainy night was torrential, and the roaring vehicles filled the air with the complex, chaotic noise of the world, completely burying his plea for help.

No one heard it; no one could possibly hear it...

Sebastian had collapsed onto the ground, even breathing bringing a wave of pure agony.

An immense helplessness and despair had enveloped him like a suffocating net, the light and shadows before his eyes blurring further until he simply wanted to close his eyes for good...

"Alright, I'll save you."

His plea for help had received an answer.

His body was suddenly hoisted into the air, a comforting warmth pressing against his chest.

The girl had hoisted him onto her back.

She possessed a slender build with frail shoulders, while he was already a half-grown youth; it must have been an incredibly grueling struggle for her to carry him.

The girl had muttered, "You're already on the verge of death yet you're still calling for help, which means you genuinely want to live. Since you want to live that badly, then don't go dying on me."

Listening to her words, Sebastian had found them entirely absurd, letting out a soft, low chuckle: "Heh..."

That brief sound had agitated the wounds on his chest, sending another sharp ache piercing through his heart.

The girl had complained again, "Stop talking already, otherwise you really are going to die."

Sebastian had smiled.

Just like that, listening to her rambling, completely illogical words, he had been carried on her back all the way to the hospital.

The torrential rain had hammered down upon him, yet instead of drowning him, it had nourished his parched heart.

However, the girl had vanished the very next day, leaving behind only a single sentence.

Sebastian had spent all these years searching for her, and it was only a few days ago that he had finally tracked this girl down.

It was Scarlett.

No matter what, he would never let her go.

"Master Sebastian, we have arrived at the corporation," the driver spoke up in a light tone as he pressed the brakes, staring straight ahead.

The tremor from that sudden eye contact with Sebastian was still vibrating in his heart; he no longer dared to let his eyes wander aimlessly.

The assistant had already stepped out of the vehicle to pull the door open for him.

Sebastian pulled himself out of his memories, stepping down from the car and walking into the corporate building.

"Master Sebastian."

"Master Sebastian."

The employees along the way all respectfully bowed their heads in greeting.

Sebastian had long since grown accustomed to it, his expression completely detached as his steady stride carried him toward the elevator.

Right as he came to a halt, the elevator doors happened to slide open.

The eyes of a man sitting in a wheelchair lit up instantly, calling out, "Brother!"

Chapter 12

Sebastian nodded slightly.

The man in the wheelchair was none other than the second young master of the family.

He shared a similar facial structure with Sebastian, both possessing high nose bridges and thin lips; the difference lay in Sebastian's eyes, which were as sharp as blades, carrying a commanding, overwhelming pressure.

The man in the wheelchair, however, possessed a pair of affectionate, bedroom eyes that always seemed to smile before he even spoke, radiating a gentle and warm temperament.

Tragically, he had been involved in a devastating car accident five years ago, leaving his legs paralyzed and binding him to a wheelchair ever since.

Since that accident, he had transitioned into the research institute under the corporation's name to focus entirely on scientific studies, no longer holding an active executive role within the corporate group.

Seeing him here today was quite a rare occurrence.

Sebastian cast a brief glance over the elevator cab.

This was an executive-only elevator that led directly to the top-floor CEO suite.

The second brother had gone to see their father.

Sebastian's eyes flashed subtly as a calculation formed in his mind.

Catching sight of Sebastian, the man in the wheelchair curled his eyes into a smile. Maneuvering his wheelchair out of the elevator, he said, "Brother, is it true that I'm about to have a sister-in-law?"

So it was about this matter.

Sebastian nodded quietly, "Yes."

The smile on the wheelchair-bound man's face deepened, "Then let me offer my congratulations to you first, Brother. You're finally building a family."

He intentionally placed an extra emphasis on the word "family."

Sensing Sebastian's unshakeable, indifferent demeanor, he didn't take offense. Instead, he rolled his wheelchair closer to Sebastian, adopting a tone of deep concern: "But you had better think carefully about how you are going to explain this to Father!"