Chapter 561 Pretend I'm Not Here
Sharon and Seb exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
"We should head upstairs and pack our stuff too. If Demetrius finishes first, he'll start getting antsy," Seb said.
Sharon nodded, "Yeah, let's do it."
They went to their bedroom and started packing clothes for the next few days. Sharon had to gather her skincare products, so by the time Seb was done, she was still sorting through her makeup.
Seb wanted to help Sharon when he finished, but she waved him off.
"Just stay put. I don't want you messing up what I've just organized. Besides, you don't even know what any of this stuff is."
Seb chuckled, "Alright, I'll just watch you pack."
He really didn't know much about makeup. Women's lipsticks came in so many shades, and to him, they all looked the same. But Sharon insisted the differences were significant.
It took Sharon another ten minutes to finish packing.
Seb carried their suitcases downstairs, where Demetrius had been waiting for a while.
Seeing Seb and Sharon, Demetrius's eyes lit up. "Mom, Dad, can we leave now? Where are we going?"
Sharon replied gently, "Well, you'll have to ask your dad. Even I don't know."
Seb acted mysterious, "You'll find out when we get there."
Demetrius was full of anticipation, "Okay!"
Sharon stepped forward to help him with his little yellow duck suitcase, but Demetrius refused.
"Mom, I'm already five years old. I can carry it myself!"
Seeing him drag his suitcase effortlessly, Sharon didn't insist but encouraged him instead, "Good job, Demetrius! You can carry your own suitcase now."
Demetrius beamed with pride, "I'll get even better! When I grow up, I'll help Mom with her suitcase just like Dad."
Sharon's smile faded slightly, but she nodded, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to grow up."
They walked out of the villa, where the driver had already parked the car at the entrance.
Seeing Seb, the driver quickly stepped forward to take one of the suitcases from him.
"Mr. Smith, are you sure you don't need me to drive?"
"No, you take a few days off and rest."
"Alright, drive safely. If you need me, just call."
After helping Seb load the luggage into the trunk, the driver handed the car keys to Seb.
Seb took the keys and got into the car.
Sharon and Demetrius got in from the other side. Once they were both buckled up, Seb started the car.
Watching the car disappear from view, the driver turned and walked back into the villa.
Dana saw him and asked, "Mr. Smith and his family left?"
The driver nodded, "Yeah. Don't you think this trip was decided a bit hastily? It's not like Mr. Smith's usual style."
Seb was a meticulous planner. He usually informed the driver about trips three days or even a week in advance. But this time, he had only told him last night to fill up the car and not to come along.
Dana glanced at him, "You're overthinking it. Mr. Seb Smith didn't have Ms. Roach and Mr. Demetrius Smith with him before. Maybe Ms. Roach or Mr. Demetrius Smith suddenly wanted to go out, so they decided last minute."
"But... there's so much going on at the company right now. No matter how much they want to go out, this timing seems off."
"Stop overthinking. Take a good rest these few days. When Mr. Smith returns, you might be back to late nights again."
"You're right."
Meanwhile, as the car left the villa area, Seb looked at Sharon, "The place we're going is a bit far. We got up early, so you and Demetrius should get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."
Sharon nodded, "Alright."
She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn't come.
The thought of leaving Seb and Demetrius in three days weighed heavily on her heart, making it impossible to sleep.
After a while, she opened her eyes and looked at Seb, her gaze filled with longing and reluctance.
Noticing her stare, Seb turned his head, "What's wrong? Can't sleep?"
"Yeah, I'm just looking at you. Don't mind me."
Seb couldn't help but smile, "Sharon, do you think I can drive normally with you staring at me like that?"
Detecting the teasing in his tone, Sharon glared at him. "Demetrius is here. Be serious!"
Just then, Demetrius's voice came from the back seat, "Mom, I've covered my eyes. Pretend I'm not here. I can't see or hear anything."
Sharon turned to look and saw Demetrius had indeed covered his eyes, though there were gaps between his fingers. She couldn't help but laugh.
Kids these days were so adorable. When she was Demetrius's age, she was still playing with dolls at home.
Seb also laughed, and the atmosphere in the car became light and cheerful.
Meanwhile, at a high-end restaurant in Metropolis.
Jesse and Alton sat across from each other.
Jesse's eyes flashed with anger, while Alton remained calm.
"Mr. Roach, why didn't you tell me Sharon was going back to Stellaria?"
The fact that he was the last to know filled Jesse with rage. He looked at Alton with displeasure.
Alton raised an eyebrow, "You're neither part of the Stoll family nor the Roach family. Why should I tell you?"
Jesse's face darkened, "Don't forget, we had an agreement. You were supposed to help me become Sharon's fiancé."
"That was before. Sharon refused to return to Stellaria, so I needed you to deal with Silvercrest Group. Now that she's agreed to go back, whether you deal with Silvercrest Group or not is irrelevant to me. Besides, do you think Carolyn would agree to you becoming her fiancé?"
Seeing Alton's unyielding expression, Jesse sneered, "If Demetrius knew your true nature, he probably wouldn't want anything to do with you."
Before returning to the country, Jesse knew Alton was grooming Demetrius as his successor.
Sure enough, Alton's eyes turned icy at those words.
"Jesse, do you think you can threaten me?"
To the Stoll family, Jesse was just a dog they could kick away at any time.
If a dog dared to bare its teeth at its master, it no longer had any reason to exist.
Jesse stared coldly at Alton. "Mr. Roach, I'm not one to burn bridges. Carolyn still needs me for many things. Even if you want to deal with me now, it won't be that easy."
"I'll admit you got me this time, but next time, it won't be so simple."
With that, Jesse turned and stormed off.
When he reached his car, he kicked the door hard, still fuming. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Put the MK and Roach family collaboration on hold. We'll discuss it when I get back."
Whatever the person on the other end said, it only made Jesse angrier. "Do as I say. I'll take full responsibility for any consequences!"
He hung up, took a deep breath to calm his anger, and got into his car, driving away.
Two hours later, Seb's car pulled up in front of a hot spring resort hotel.
Sharon's eyes lit up with surprise. "I've always wanted to come to this hotel for the hot springs, but you were always so busy with work, so I never mentioned it."
Seb smiled, "Paul picked this place. I'll have to give him a raise when we get back."
In the back seat, Demetrius was full of curiosity. He had never been to a hot spring hotel before.
As they got out of the car, a bellhop immediately approached them.
"Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, welcome. We've prepared a shuttle for you. Would you like us to take your luggage directly to your room?"
Seb nodded, "Yes, the luggage is in the trunk. Please park the car for me as well."
"Of course. This way, please."
They walked through the entrance, where a shuttle was waiting.
Once they were on board, the driver started the vehicle.
The ride was filled with beautiful garden landscapes, rock formations, and flowing water. Demetrius was fascinated, pointing out various sights to Sharon and Seb.
"Mom, Dad, look over there! Doesn't that rock look like a bull's head?"
Sharon smiled, "It does look like a bull's head."
Seb raised an eyebrow, "I think it looks more like an elephant's head."
Demetrius disagreed, "How does it look like an elephant?"
"If you look at the whole thing, doesn't it resemble an elephant?"
Demetrius looked again and had to admit it did look like an elephant. "Yeah, it does look like an elephant."
He turned to Seb, "Dad, you're so smart. I wouldn't have noticed that without you."
Seb enjoyed the compliment, smiling, "Of course, you have to remember who your dad is."
Sharon couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, you two. Enough with the mutual admiration. Where are we headed now?"
"This resort has several natural hot springs. Let's go soak in one first."
Demetrius was excited, "I want to soak! I've only seen people do it on TV!"
Seb raised an eyebrow, "I've booked the entire hotel. You can soak in every hot spring if you want."
About ten minutes later, the shuttle stopped in front of a traditional building.
As they got off, a staff member approached them. "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, welcome. I'll take you to change. You can choose any hot spring in the courtyard, but it's best not to soak for more than two hours at a time. If you feel your heart racing or get dizzy, please get out and rest immediately."
As she spoke, she led them to the changing area.
Seb looked at her, "We'll handle it ourselves. You don't need to stay with us."
The staff member nodded, "Of course. If you need anything, there's a service bell by each hot spring. Just press it."
"Thank you."
After the staff member left, they changed into their swimwear, and Seb led them to the hot spring area in the courtyard.
Since they had Demetrius with them, Seb chose a shallower hot spring. He got in first, then carefully lowered Demetrius into the water.
As soon as he touched the water, Demetrius exclaimed, "It's so warm!"
Seb smiled, making sure Demetrius was safe and the water wasn't too deep for him before letting go.
For Demetrius, the water level was perfect, reaching up to his neck when he sat down. But for Sharon and Seb, it was a bit shallow.
After Demetrius got used to the water, Seb saw he was having fun and turned to Sharon, "Sharon, should we go to a deeper hot spring? It's a bit cold here."
Sharon looked at Demetrius playing in the water and hesitated, "But I'm worried about leaving Demetrius alone."
"I'll call some staff to watch him. He'll be fine."
After thinking for a moment, Sharon nodded, "Alright."
Seb quickly called for some staff to watch over Demetrius, then led Sharon to a nearby hot spring with deeper water.
In the deeper hot spring, the water reached Sharon's neck when she sat down. "This feels so good," she said, relaxing.
No wonder Demetrius was so excited earlier.
Seb moved closer and started massaging her shoulders.
"You didn't sleep well last night. Let me give you a massage."
Sharon turned to look at him, "No need. The hot spring is already very relaxing."
"Let me do it. Who knows when we'll get another chance like this."
His words brought a silence between them.
Sharon lowered her eyes, a hint of sadness flashing through them.
"Sharon, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
Sharon turned and hugged him, whispering, "It's not your fault. I don't want to leave you and Demetrius either."
Seeing him and Demetrius laugh together was her happiest moment.
That feeling of happiness would be gone once she left.
She wasn't sure when she would be able to return or see Seb and Demetrius again.
But if she didn't go to Stellaria, Seb would soon lose everything, and Demetrius would be taken to Stellaria, becoming a pawn for Carolyn to threaten her.
If she could protect Silvercrest Group and let Demetrius stay with Seb, living freely, she would be content.
Seb hugged her back, his voice deep, "Alright, let's not think about that. We're here to have fun. Let's enjoy these three days."
"Okay."
"Turn around. I'll massage your shoulders."
"Alright."
Sharon turned around, not wanting Seb to see her red eyes.
What she didn't know was that Seb's eyes were just as red.
An hour later, they finished soaking in the hot spring.
Demetrius had already tried several hot springs, but his main goal was to play in the water, with soaking being secondary.
Seeing Sharon and Seb, he quickly climbed out of the hot spring and ran to Sharon.
"Mom, this place is so much fun!"
Sharon smiled, "It's fun, but you can't stay in the water too long. You might get lightheaded. Let's go shower, have lunch, and then rest for a bit. We can come back out in the afternoon. How does that sound?"
Demetrius nodded enthusiastically, "Sounds great, Mom!"
Seb chuckled, "Alright, let's get moving then."
They headed to the changing area, showered, and got dressed. The staff had already prepared a private dining area for them, and they enjoyed a delicious lunch together.
After lunch, they returned to their room to rest. Sharon lay down on the bed, feeling the weight of her impending departure, but she pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the present moment with her family.
Seb lay beside her, holding her hand. "We'll make the most of these days, Sharon. I promise."
Sharon squeezed his hand, "I know we will."
Demetrius, already half-asleep, mumbled, "I love you, Mom and Dad."
Sharon and Seb exchanged a tender look, their hearts heavy yet filled with love.
As the afternoon sun filtered through the window, they drifted off to sleep, cherishing the time they had together.
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