She could no longer control Sebastian.


    Instead, he was starting to see Natalie as important.


    Joanna was furious. Is it true that the more you try to hold onto something, the easier it is to lose?


    "No, Sebastian. You are my stepping stone, my leverage. I will absolutely not hand you over to her."


    Her eyes burned with hatred. She called Sean to pick her up and went straight to Sebastian''s vi.


    If Sebastian was taking Natalie home, that''s where he would go.


    Once in the car, Natalie stopped struggling. She couldn''t escape now anyway and would only end up hurting herself. Once they reached his ce, she would have plenty of opportunities to leave.


    Sebastian was a deeply calcting man. In her past life, she had always followed him, watching him outmaneuver his rivals one by one. He possessed two different personas, and his inscrutable side was something she could never see through.


    In two lifetimes, she had never been able to understand Sebastian.


    Seeing her quiet andpliant, Sebastian was satisfied.


    "You''ve been out ying for over half a year. It''s time toe home," Sebastian


    said, his voice low and devoid of any warmth, a simple statement of fact.


    Sean, the driver, wanted to curse him out. Couldn''t he just soften up a little?


    Was it that hard topromise?


    With a mind like his, Sebastian was better suited to being single than being married.


    Natalie ignored him. Talking to him was exhausting.


    He had told her to get lost before, and now he was going back on his word.


    When she didn''t respond, Sebastian''s brow furrowed deeply. "Natalie, you used to be so obedient and sensible..."


    "That''s because I used to love you. used to hope the Scotts would show me some affection. Without that hope without that expectation, who would obediently wait ound to be


    bullied and treated like your maid?"


    "Joanna was right about one thing l was just your free housekeeper B


    I don''t want to be that anymore 1.0


    and


    none of you can do anything about it."


    Sebastian''s head throbbed. "Why would you think that...?"


    He trailed off. The mistake had been made, and saying more was useless. The hurt was real.


    He fell silent, and the car was instantly quiet.


    The city night grew more vibrant, neon lights shing past. Natalie''s eyes were filled with a lonely emptiness.


    Sebastian nced at her. Looking at this version of Natalie, it felt as if they were separated by two centuries.


    In this moment, she feltpletely out of his reach.


    Forty minutester, the car pulled into the vi''s driveway.


    After getting out, Sean shot Sebastian an encouraging look, the meaning clear:


    Don''t lose your wife again.


    Sebastian said nothing, ducking into the car to pull Natalie out.


    Seeing that she was back at this vi, Natalieughed with bitterness. This was thest ce she ever wanted to be.


    This was the new home Sebastian had bought for Joanna. She hadn''t known and had lived here for two years. Now, every time she came back, her heartached Sebastian how long are you going to keep deliberately humiliating me? This is the new house you prepared for you and Joanna. Wasn''t living here for two years enough? Now you''re dragging me back to torment me again?"


    Sebastian frowned, looking at the vi. "At the time, I thought I would marry her. But


    I didn''t, did I?"


    "She won''t being here anymore. I changed the code."


    "It''s thest six digits of your ID number."


    Natalie was a little surprised. He remembered her ID number?