She Accepted Divorce, He Panicked

173 You Gave Her Hope

Scarlett's POV

"Ava, is that you?"

Sebastian asks and I look away. I wouldn't look too good if I saw the pain and care on his face.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

"Sebastian, I'm scared..." Ava begs in a crying tone.

"It will be fine," He comforts her patiently, "Can you give the phone to your dad? I need to talk to him, alone."

A short moment of silence before Jack Fuller's voice comes through again: "I'm here."

"I don't want Ava to hear this," Sebastian insists, waiting.

I don't want to wait anymore. I have waited for him long enough. I turn and leave, but he grabs my forearm and pulls me back to him. Bumped into him, I cover my mouth just to not make a sound when the damn phone is right in front of me-

"She can't hear you," Jack Fuller answers calmly.

"Good," Sebastian nods slightly, "Sounds like Ava is not dying of blood loss, so what are you requiring Scar's presence for?"

Dead silence.

I shoot my head up in shock, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. Lilith, too. Damian Vanderbilt exchanges a look with Oliver Scott, who has a sullen look on.

A slight click of a door comes through the phone, magnified by the speaker. Apparently Jack Fuller just closed a door. To leave a room? Guess he wasn't alone after all.

"You knew Ava was listening," Jack Fuller grunts, obvious anger in his voice, "I'm merely asking Scarlett to come visit her sister-"

"By sending bodyguards with an order of 'by all means necessary'?" Sebastian's voice now shows real anger, more than before with its icy aura, "You shouldn't have lied for her, but I said what I said just in case you did, because my original question was, What are you requiring Scar's presence for but a show of power over Scar?!"

What?!

I blink, shocked and speechless. Is this the same Sebastian I knew? Yelling at Ava's dad...for me? Since when did he stop being blind to the Fullers???

"She is Ava's sister, by LAW! Just like what makes her my WIFE. I have warned you about this last time," Sebastian is not done with Jack Fuller, "I used to wonder why Scar was so reluctant to help Ava, but if I was demanded of my blood by four bodyguards who were allowed to use violence, I would be, too! Ava's status dropped, then get Doctor Ford on it-"

Jack Fuller cuts him off with almost a modest tone: "You are the one who gave Ava hope."

Just one sentence and it hurts Sebastian deeply. I can feel his body stiffen up, and I push him away

173 You Gave Her Hope

lightly. He lets me this time.

"You can't summon her so long as I'm here," In the end, Sebastian says with a suppressed tone. Jack

Fuller lets out a cold snort, answering condescendingly-

"Mr. Vanderbilt, thanks for the help. We can arrange the meeting now,"

"I'll be there," He answers coldly.

I dart a surprised glance at Damian Vanderbilt. I was wondering how Jack Fuller would talked to Sebastian this way when he never dared to. Now I know. He found himself a more powerful lord. He saw Sebastian as his rich son-in-law in grasp, and he would never risk his chance at catching this big fish if he didn't have a better choice.

Shooting me a cold glare, Damian Vanderbilt leaves. Lilith tries to struggle but fails, and she leaves with him while sending me comforting winks.

"It will be okay," Squeezing these words out, Oliver Scott leaves with them.

I turn to Sebastian, and he dodges my eyes.

I want more than ever to tell him about our baby. He deserves to know. He defended me against Ava's benefit?! I feel guilty making him do this. I feel guilty not telling him earlier about everything. About Ava's lie, about the baby, about the ten years we missed. "—"I hesitate. I'll come home with you. Words simple as breathing before, but somehow I can't say it.

"I'll send you home," He sees my hesitation, and he says, being considerate. For the first time, he shouldn't have said, "You can have our house to yourself. I won't be a bother."

I let him.

I shouldn't have.

I would have gone with Damian Vanderbilt, if I knew what he was up to.

For twenty years, this was the first time I disobeyed Jack Fuller's summon successfully, with Sebastian's help no less. I didn't know the price would be the tiny spark of my just re-kindling love, my family, my life and, my baby. All it took was three days.