Chapter 274
The man called Duke swallowed hard, his voice steady but tight. "The bodyguard hasn't left. There's someone in the room. Only Marco and Sebastian are left."
The voice on the other end was raspy and unpleasant, like a severe smoker's rasp—but not relaxed like a typical smoker's voice. More like a throat with a hole punched through it, forcing out sound with sheer effort.
"Good. Keep watching."
...
On the tarmac, a private jet waited for its passengers.
The Lincoln Navigator entered first.
Then came that sleek black Lincoln, its paint flowing like water, light and shadow dancing across its contours—like an untouchable monarch of the night.
As for the two Mercedes that had initially followed, they'd long since disappeared.
The Lincoln glided to a stop, its door positioned perfectly opposite the already-deployed stairs to the private jet. Glimpses of the cabin's luxurious interior flickered from within.
The electric door opened smoothly. A pair of gleaming custom leather shoes hit the ground first. Sebastian surveyed the area casually before reaching out to help Scarlett, who hadn't yet exited the car.
Scarlett's hand in his grasp—he applied just a bit of pressure, and that soft, smooth sensation filled his entire palm, making his heart itch.
Marco wasn't in the second car.
As Scarlett stepped out, he walked over from the first vehicle, completely relaxed, grinning at the two of them holding hands.
"Finally going home!"
His tone carried obvious joy, even a hint of relief.
That sentiment hit Scarlett's ears with homesick undertones. She couldn't help but sigh.
The sigh wasn't loud—barely audible, really.
But Sebastian, standing beside her, glanced over. His tone didn't fluctuate much, but his voice was steady and strong, somehow reassuring.
"One month, tops. We'll be back, too."
The tarmac was vast and noisy. Scarlett had assumed no one would notice her melancholy, so hearing Sebastian's voice made her wonder if she was hallucinating.
She froze slightly. Several seconds after Sebastian finished speaking, she realized he'd been talking to her.
"What?"
When she looked over, Sebastian's expression was as calm as ever, but his chiseled profile somehow seemed much softer right now.
It was probably an illusion.
Because they'd already started up the stairs, the bright floodlights behind them making Scarlett's vision slightly unfocused. The cool white light wasn't harsh, just blurred things a bit.
Sebastian didn't turn his head, just glanced sideways. "In a month, we'll go back."
Scarlett didn't respond. Under Sebastian's gaze, she slowly turned her head. The words that left her mouth were light, seemingly meaningless. Yet Scarlett felt a weight in her chest, like her heart had been filled by that single sentence.
"I'll have Olivia make a whole spread. Want some wine?"
Marco had already entered the cabin.
This was his plane. Compared to Sebastian and Scarlett, who hadn't come in yet, he was completely at home, cheerfully retrieving a bottle of wine from the cabinet.
The wine bottle was entirely dark red with off-white beeswax on top. In the center of the bottle's belly, a label resembling kraft paper in color and texture featured a line drawing of a kitten lying belly-up beneath wisteria blooms.
The bottle was handed to Scarlett. Still lost in thought, she accepted it reflexively, then realized she couldn't exactly put it down.
"Up to you." But she passed that question to Sebastian.
Just as the wine had ended up in her hands, she mimicked the gesture and shoved it straight into Sebastian's hands.
Sebastian looked even more relaxed. He gripped the bottle by the neck, walked to the sofa, and sat down, his tone low but amused. "Uncle Marco, if you want to drink, just open it. Why are you asking us?"
The question bounced right back to Marco.
"Wine tasting's no fun alone." Marco sat down following his movement, his gaze shifting to the side.
His line of sight ended exactly on Scarlett.
Scarlett was just walking over. Hearing Marco's words and seeing his expression directed at her, she raised an eyebrow. "If Mr. Russo wants to drink, let Sebastian keep you company. I can't have alcohol right now."
Though a miscarriage wasn't major surgery, it still harmed the body. During recovery, abstaining from alcohol was best.
And Marco had been by Scarlett's side since the abortion—he clearly knew her body couldn't handle alcohol. So this question was rather pointed.
After Scarlett said that, Marco indeed didn't look particularly disappointed. He waved his hand, his tone casual and warm. "Alright then. Letty can go rest in the cabin. The plane should take off in about thirty minutes."
Even private jets had to follow air traffic control.
Hearing this, Scarlett understood Marco wanted to speak with Sebastian privately. She nodded and followed the flight attendant toward the cabin.
Sebastian's gaze tracked Scarlett until she climbed the stairs. Only then did he return his attention to Marco.
"She should be out of earshot. Go ahead." Marco had also watched Scarlett leave. As he withdrew his gaze, he said this in a slightly lowered voice.
Sebastian placed the wine bottle on the table in front of him. The sound of it opening rang out crisp and clear, like someone plucking strings.
"Once we're on Virella Island, I need Aunt Olivia with her at all times."
At those words, Marco's hand, reaching for the wine bottle, froze. Though he still took hold of it, he frowned. "Like Teddy? On Virella Island?"
The request was actually excessive.
Or perhaps excessive wasn't the right word—it was more like a crude insult.
In Marco's view, Virella Island was absolutely secure territory. It was his turf.
Even if those people really followed them to Virella Island, they'd have a hard time making any major moves there.
Sebastian naturally understood Marco's pride.
He and Marco came from the same line, both Russo family—he naturally understood what Virella Island meant to the Russos.
But he still had no intention of backing down.
"In fact, if possible, I'd even ask Olivia to skip work entirely to stay with her. Or rather... keep her company."
Marco clicked his tongue, handing the wine bottle to the waiting flight attendant, confusion in his voice. "Even taking this seriously, it shouldn't be this intense, should it?"
"It needs to be this intense." Sebastian pressed his fingers to his temple, his tone dropping slightly. "Adeline escaped."
"What?"
Marco shot up from the sofa, his back completely leaving the cushion, his entire body rigid with shock.
Sebastian recalled the text he'd received in the car, his brow furrowing tight. He closed his eyes, slowly nodded, then opened them and exhaled. "She's being protected by Ayana Lee's people. I've completely lost track of her."
"The rubber industry one?" Marco's brow furrowed. He immediately understood who Sebastian was talking about.