Chapter 267 Let’s Start Over
Sebastian remained silent, his expression sour.
Isabella muttered to herself, "I don't want to endure the pain that comes after. I just want to follow our plan, to carry on month by month. No, now it's nine months left."
"You don't trust me?" Sebastian said with a self-deprecating laugh.
His words could make countless women queue up just to put their faith in him, yet Isabella didn't trust him.
"Knock, knock, knock." A maid knocked on the door, "Sebastian, Isabella, the master is asking you to come down for dinner."
"Let them start ahead of us," Sebastian said tersely, annoyed at the interruption.
Immediately, there was silence outside the door.
Isabella's shoulders shook slightly; she certainly didn't want to keep arguing about this. "Let's go eat, the baby is hungry."
"Tell me, is it that you don't trust me, or you have no feelings for me?" After asking, Sebastian let out a cold laugh, his features icy, his hands clenched so tightly they creaked, almost afraid to hear her answer.
He gritted his teeth and said resolutely, "If you won't say, I won't press you. Two things, first, trust me; second, love me. I, Sebastian, won't be taken for a fool."
Sebastian had to hide his true feelings behind his indifference. He was used to giving orders, used to towering above others. For the first time in his life, his confession had been met with rejection, and he felt utterly humiliated.
Yet Isabella was frightened by him, feeling a chill run down her arm and up her spine, giving her goosebumps.
Sebastian was too eccentric, too domineering; she was even more hesitant to trust him now. His actions seemed more like he wanted to strangle her than love her.
Not to mention, there was the presence of Lynda...
Isabella's mind was a complete mess, a tangled knot. She almost wished she could find a place to lash out her frustration.
"Did you hear?" Sebastian used his prominent nose to nudge the tip of her nose, his deep, dark eyes locked onto hers intently.
Isabella's face tingled, and her heart leaped to her throat. Sebastian's move was so sudden that she nearly suffocated.
She wisely didn't provoke him any further. "Heard… heard... I heard you," she said, sheepishly.
"I remember now, let's erase the past, from this moment, let's start over, we... let's start anew," Sebastian declared authoritatively. "Starting today, any contracts, any agreements, they're wiped clean."
‘Start over?’ Isabella felt like laughing; how could they possibly start anew?
But she thought, if Sebastian wanted to play a role, she would play along. From a contractual couple, they would become a pair of drama king and queen.
After all, it was all fake, a game of deception. That’s what Isabella bitterly concluded. Ultimately, she simply couldn't trust those misleading words.
Sebastian cleared his throat and let his icy facade slip away as he lifted Isabella down and took her hand. "Let's go, and have dinner," he said, gently.
After a few steps, he stopped. "Wait," he said.
"What's wrong?" Isabella asked.
Sebastian sat down on the sofa and nodded toward Isabella. "In the second drawer of the cabinet across from us, there's a first aid kit. Bring it here," he instructed.
"Yes," Isabella replied with a curved smile and a playful bow. "Your wish is my command."
‘Goodness’, Isabella thought, ‘Is this what Sebastian calls love?’
She had seen plenty of couples in love. Didn't they always cherish and pamper each other? Yet, there was Sebastian, proclaiming his love only to treat her like an errand girl. Was he seriously not blushing while lying through his teeth? What a shameless man.
Lazily reclining on the sofa with his eyes closed, Sebastian occasionally peered at Isabella through narrowed eyes, his lips curling into a faint smirk. His silly Isabella was quite adorable.
Watching Isabella fetch the first aid kit and get ready to walk away, Sebastian immediately shut his eyes. However, after a moment, he frowned, deeply contemplating about whether his sneaking glances seemed... ‘creepy.’
Did Sebastian need to sneak a look? Ridiculous.
He opened his eyes, rested his head on his arm and signaled to Isabella. "Put the ointment on for me," Sebastian directed.
Isabella, already mixing the medicine, felt less inclined to help him after his order. But what could she do?
She decided to play along and see where it led, convinced that they’d revert to their contractual relationship soon enough. Enduring for the moment meant peace.
The floor was laid with a thick, plush carpet, and Isabella knelt on it, carefully tending to the wound on Sebastian’s forehead.
Sebastian's gaze stayed on her as he watched from his vantage point, giving the illusion that her face was small and pointed.
He said, "Eat well later; don't let the baby hog all the nutrients."
Isabella felt uneasy under his intense gaze, which occasionally fell upon her lips, tracing their shape, and causing her hands to tremble slightly.
She pressed her lips together, turning them into a thin line.
Sebastian was parched, reminiscing about their sweet kiss. But considering Isabella might be shy, he decided to hold back for now.
"Do you know how I got this wound?" Sebastian asked.
Isabella applied a second layer of ointment and played the part of a little nurse, treating Sebastian as the patient, careful to keep her emotions from interfering with her task. Unbeknownst to her, her motions were gentle and deliberate.
When she heard Sebastian's question, Isabella put down the cotton swab, a flicker of realization passing through her mind as her heart sank. "A car accident?" she asked.
Sebastian caught the concern and panic in her voice. He casually crossed his legs and swung them slightly. With a frown and a nod, he confirmed, "Yes."
"What happened?" Isabella's chest heaved with worry as she quickly pressed on, "Who was responsible?"
"Jarod Lawrence," he revealed.
"Him?" Isabella asked, stunned.
Sebastian hummed in affirmation, his eyes flashing with a cold light, "You might not know, but he made up an excuse to take you to the old mansion. He probably blocked the signal there, preventing you from getting messages and making it impossible for the butler to find you. It created the illusion of your disappearance."
"Afterward, I checked the surveillance. The footage of you outside the restaurant was erased. I had to go to great lengths to learn you were at the old mansion,” he added.
Initially skeptical, Isabella pulled out her phone and was shocked to find a stream of texts and calls. She furrowed her brow, "What is he trying to do?"
She had never believed Jarod Lawrence was a bad person, but these actions made it hard not to doubt him.
Sebastian lifted his arm and gently smoothed her furrowed brow, "Just testing how much I care about you, to see if you’re worth using to hit back at me."
Isabella blushed a little. Did they have to be so realistic in their act?
Sebastian chuckled lightly, "Apparently, his test succeeded. You are indeed important."
She became self-conscious under Sebastian's gaze and quickly brushed her hair to cover her ears.
Sebastian was in good spirits, relaxed and comfortable as if all the exhaustion from the day had melted away.
He seemed to reflect on something and spoke with deep meaning, "So, don’t take Jarod Lawrence’s words, seriously. He’s already declared war on me. Next, he will probably try to drive a wedge between us."
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