Sebastian''s voice was low and pleasant. "I''ll make it two million. You investigate and give the results to your sister. Your sister only ever showed the design to me. In thest half-month, I''ve only seen Joanna twice, and thest time was just from a distance. She never touched my phone, so I can''t figure out where the design could have been stolen."


    Luna studied him. He didn''t seem to be lying.


    Her sister had been convinced that Sebastian had given the design to Joanna.


    "But from what I know about you, you always liked to take my sister''s things and give them to Joanna. I wasn''t around her during those two years, but I was always watching out for her safety. I saw her cry, I saw her heartbroken over you. To be honest, I wanted to kill you."


    Luna shot him a cold re, her voice sharp and threatening.


    Sebastian was silent.


    He exined, "A few days ago, after your sister finished the design, we were both at home. She sent the image to my phone. I saved it after looking at it. There''s another possibility—our phones might have been hacked. I was nning to announce the new product after thepetition. It''s the ''Language of Flowers'' collection, with themes for spring, summer, fall, and winter. Your sister had already thought it all out, and I really like the designs for this series."


    He also wanted to get to the bottom of it, to find out if Joanna had manipted them.


    The woman was insidious, more disgusting than a fly.


    Even he, Sebastian, could be blind sometimes.


    Luna frowned, looking at his solitary expression. "You could investigate that


    yourself. If a hacker got into your phone, you would know."


    Sebastian was also very skilled withputers.


    Sebastian shook his head. "I checked. There was nothing."


    Luna asked, "Are you suggesting my sister''s phone was hacked?"


    Sebastian gave a half-smile. "I never said that."


    Luna thought about it. The matter had to be cleared up for her sister to be happy.


    "I''ll start investigating Joanna tomorrow. I want to see what kind of tricks you''re trying to pull."


    Luna still didn''t trust Sebastian.


    Sebastian paused, saying nothing. He knew Luna wouldn''t believe him easily. But


    this truth was very important to him.


    And if Luna found the truth, Natalie would believe it.


    ***


    Natalie stayed in theb all night preparing the medicine.


    She finally emerged the next morning, exhausted.


    Herbert was waiting for her at the door. Seeing her tired face, he felt a pang of sympathy. "Couldn''t you have waited until today to make the medicine? You''ll look like the walking dead if you keep skipping sleep. Even you can''t caffeinate your way out of that."


    Natalie was at a loss for words.


    She couldn''t sleep. The events of the previous day had left her feeling agitated.


    She wanted to escape Sebastian''s orbit, to find a sanctuary of her own where she could finally breathe.


    But she couldn''t seem to break free.


    She wouldn''t have been able to sleep even if she went home When she was testless she couldn''t sleep, but she could focus on her work, using it to numb herself.


    Natalie smiled and held up the three vials of thepound. "Herbert, the treatment


    is ready. I''m going to take them to Susan and the others now."


    Herbert smiled back. "Let me take Susan''s. I''ll bring it to her."


    Natalie looked at him thoughtfully. "Why you?"


    Herbert rubbed his nose, looking slightly embarrassed. "I think she''s kind of cute."


    Natalie blinked. Was that the scent of romance in the air?


    "Alright, you can take it to Susan. Has Luna left yet?"


    Herbert shook his head. "No, I just brought breakfast to her room. Your husband hasn''t left either. I was


    feeling generous, so I brought them breakfast, too


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