Chapter 428 What Are You Looking For?
However, unlike now, Isabella came back to find the place totally deserted.
As she strolled into the villa, that feeling just got stronger.
The hall was empty, just a few maids quietly tidying up the corridor.
Isabella grabbed the bedroom door handle, and a cool breeze hit her.
Even though the room got cleaned daily, it felt dusty, giving off this intense vibe of coldness and loneliness.
"Mrs. Lawrence, you're back." Carl's excited and enthusiastic voice suddenly broke the silence.
Isabella jumped a bit. She glanced sideways and said calmly, "I'm just here to grab something. Don't mind me."
Seeing Isabella still looking so down, Carl's smile slowly faded.
This fight between Sebastian and Isabella had been dragging on forever.
"Mrs. Lawrence, forgive me for butting in," Carl said kindly, "but between a couple, there's no deep-seated hatred. You should take a step back. Look, right now, with you and Mr. Lawrence at such an impasse, both of you are suffering."
Isabella replied helplessly, "Alright, I get it. Carl, go ahead and do your work. Don't worry about me."
"Yes." Seeing he couldn't get through to her, Carl didn't stick around.
Isabella stood at the bedroom door, unable to step inside.
The bedroom held too many happy memories, and Isabella just didn't have the guts to go in.
Once Carl left, Isabella bit her lower lip, looked around, and headed straight for the study.
The study was always a no-go zone at Willowbrook Estate; no one dared to enter without Sebastian's say-so.
Even though Sebastian didn't put those rules on Isabella, she wouldn't just waltz in and out.
Even if she did go in, she'd sit properly and study, not touch anything.
But this time was different.
Isabella was here to find something.
She'd never done anything this sneaky before, and now her heart was pounding like crazy, like a rabbit thumping inside her chest.
As soon as she stepped into the study, she quickly closed the door, leaned against the cold door panel, clutched her chest, closed her eyes, and panted.
After a few seconds, Isabella licked her lips, swallowed, puffed out her cheeks, and exhaled deeply.
Then she opened her eyes, walked quickly to the desk, and with trembling hands, turned on the computer.
While the computer was booting up, Isabella flipped through the materials and documents on Sebastian's desk.
The sound of flipping pages filled the study.
Isabella's heart was racing so fast it hurt her chest, and her ears were filled with the sound of her own heartbeat, drowning out all other noises.
The computer booted up, and the screen lit up.
Isabella didn't have time to feel frustrated and quickly focused on the computer.
She bent over, one hand on the desk, the other manipulating the mouse, her eyes locked on the screen.
Probably because of her guilty, Isabella thought she heard footsteps.
Steady footsteps.
Like Sebastian's footsteps.
Isabella's mouth was slightly open, her breathing becoming heavier.
She really wanted to know what kind of nerves corporate spies had to steal without breaking a sweat or their hearts racing.
And her? Not only was her heart racing, but she was also hallucinating.
She even imagined Sebastian's footsteps.
Sweat beads popped up on Isabella's forehead, and a few strands of hair at her temples were slightly damp, sticking to her skin.
Her hand gripping the mouse was wet with sweat, all sticky and clammy.
Isabella opened her hand and wiped it hard on her pants.
Feeling a bit drier, Isabella tried to enter the email password.
The sound of typing filled the room.
Isabella entered several passwords in a row, but all of them were wrong.
The email probably had some serious business secrets, so the password wasn't a walk in the park to guess.
Her gut told her that the Serenity Way video she wanted was in there.
Isabella silently cheered herself on, 'Calm down!
'Isabella, you gotta stay calm.'
At that moment, Isabella was super sensitive to sound. The sound of the door handle turning made her sit up straight.
She blinked repeatedly, looking towards the door.
No one came in.
Was it another hallucination?
Isabella's tense shoulders relaxed, and she kept trying to crack the password.
Just then, a hoarse male voice came from the door.
"What are you looking for?" Low, kinda hoarse, sounding a bit weary and tired.
Isabella kept typing on the keyboard without stopping.
She almost laughed at herself. This hallucination was pretty logical.
First, she heard footsteps, then the sound of the door handle turning, and finally, Sebastian's voice.
And it felt so real.
Then Isabella's hands froze.
She bit her lip, held her breath, and slowly and stiffly raised her head to look in the direction of the voice.
Their eyes met.
Isabella's gaze locked with Sebastian's.
Isabella straightened up, her legs feeling like jelly.
Her back was drenched in sweat.
It was over.
Her only chance was gone.
"What are you looking for?" Sebastian asked again.
Isabella stared at him. He was so calm, like a tranquil sea.
But, based on her understanding of him, this should be... an illusion.
Beneath the calm surface, there were hidden waves.
"Nothing," Isabella gripped the edge of the desk tightly to support herself. "I'm just using the computer."
Sebastian remained calm, his long legs wrapped in tailored trousers, stepping towards Isabella.
Isabella pressed harder on the desk, gripping it more tightly.
Her face was slightly pale, her lips pressed into a thin line, her shoulders tense, like a startled bird.
"Isabella, you're not good at lying." Sebastian stopped in front of the desk, directly opposite Isabella.
His well-defined hand also pressed on the desk, supporting his upper body, leaning forward, closing the distance between them.
Sebastian was composed and unhurried.
Isabella was nervous, flustered, and uneasy.
Suddenly, Isabella wanted to escape.
Escape? Why should she escape?
Had she done something wrong?
"I'm not lying. Believe it or not." Isabella took a step back, stood up straight, and stared at Sebastian without blinking.
As she spoke, she closed the email login page, pretending nothing had happened.
"Alright," Sebastian's lips curled slightly, showing neither trust nor distrust, "Why did you come back suddenly? Wasn't it supposed to be seven days?"
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