Chapter 237

Gloria's mind was still a mess.

Vincent could tell she needed some time to sort things out. "Take your time, it's all good. But until you're back on your feet, you gotta stay here with me. Once you're better, you can go wherever you want, and I won't stop you."

Gloria was seriously ill and should've been in a hospital for observation.

But with all the online gossip spreading like wildfire, it wasn't a good idea for her to be seen in public.

Vincent, being skilled in medicine, felt most comfortable keeping an eye on her himself.

Understanding her situation, Gloria nodded in agreement.

Vincent reassured her a bit more before taking the tray and leaving the room.

Downstairs in the apartment complex.

Sebastian stepped out of the building, where Lucas was waiting in the car.

"Why'd you call?" Sebastian got in, his tone a bit chilly.

He'd been upstairs for a while, and Lucas could guess he had seen Gloria. "Mr. Windsor, something weird happened when Ms. Russell went missing yesterday."

Sebastian's eyes met Lucas's in the rearview mirror. "Besides our people, there were others looking for Ms. Russell."

Sebastian wasn't surprised. "Gavin sent his guys too."

"Aside from Mr. Miller's men, we found two other groups."

Lucas's expression was serious.

Hearing this, the anger on Sebastian's face gradually faded, replaced by a stern look. "Any idea who they are?"

Lucas shook his head. "Both groups were very cautious, avoiding contact with our people. We discovered them by chance."

"How do you know they were two different groups?" Sebastian frowned.

Lucas hesitated before speaking. "Our people and Miller's men pulled out last night. One of the other groups also left, but this morning, it seems someone is still looking for Ms. Russell."

After learning Gloria was safe last night, Sebastian had ordered his people to pull back, leaving some to investigate further.

This morning, they found someone still searching for Gloria and reported it to Lucas immediately.

Lucas then contacted Sebastian to ask what to do next.

The car fell silent.

Sebastian was deep in thought.

Since he was secretly photographed yesterday, things had felt off.

But he had been too busy searching for Gloria to think deeply about it.

"Mr. Windsor, what should we do now?" Lucas asked.

Sebastian snapped back to reality, catching a glimpse of Vincent leaving the complex and driving away.

He looked away. "Keep someone here. Report any movement to me immediately."

Lucas agreed.

Starting the car, he remembered Sebastian had been suspended by the court. "Where to now?"

"To the courthouse," Sebastian replied.

Lucas was taken aback. "But were you..." 'Were you suspended?' he thought, but didn't dare say it aloud, fearing Sebastian's temper.

Sebastian closed his eyes to rest. "Not important. Just drive."

Lucas didn't ask further, driving towards the courthouse.

They arrived early. The news of Sebastian's suspension hadn't spread yet, so they entered without issue.

In the morning, Sebastian had already been reviewing some files in the office when the chief judge finally arrived late. "Judge Windsor, what are you doing here? I told you to take a leave of absence."

The chief judge walked quickly after receiving the news and entered the office with a light sweat on his forehead. As he spoke, he casually glanced at the files Sebastian was reviewing.

Sebastian calmly closed the file, subtly covering the folder's side with his arm. "Just tidying up some old cases. Better than sitting around at home."

Sebastian's tone was casual, almost as if he were the one in charge.

The chief judge felt a cold sweat, forcing himself to speak. "Well, you can find something else to do. You shouldn't be here during your suspension. Hand over your keys."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, then cooperatively took out his office keys.

The chief judge reached for them, but Sebastian pulled back at the last second.

"What are you..." The chief judge's hand hung in the air, confused.

Sebastian slowly put the keys back in the drawer. "You suspended me to protect the court's reputation from the scandal, right? I won't appear in court or take new cases. I just occasionally coming to the office, what's the harm?"

The chief judge, unsure of what to say, wiped his sweat. "That's true, but..."

"Don't you trust me?" Sebastian's voice was firm.

"Of course, I trust you completely!" The chief judge quickly denied, praising Sebastian.

After speaking, he belatedly realized something was wrong. Sebastian directly made a decision based on his words. "Then it's settled. I won't appear in court, and you won't stop me from coming to the office."

The chief judge stammered, unable to refuse, standing awkwardly.

Sebastian casually picked up a file, glancing up after a while. "Anything else?"

The chief judge forced a smile. "No... nothing."

Sebastian withdrew his gaze. "Then I'll get back to work. Feel free to leave."

The chief judge, still sweating, left the office, feeling uneasy.

Despite being Sebastian's superior, he always felt inferior during their conversations.

He should have refused Sebastian's request but couldn't find the words under his gaze.

At the corner, the chief judge quickly texted Nathan, informing him of Sebastian's presence at the courthouse.

Nathan, frustrated, scolded him for not stopping Sebastian.

The chief judge could only endure the reprimand.

In the office.

Sebastian's expression grew colder as he reviewed the files.

When Lucas entered, he was startled by the chilly atmosphere.

He nervously handed over the organized documents. "Mr. Windsor, these are Ms. Russell's medical records from her time in prison."

Sebastian took them, his eyes icy.

As he read, the room's temperature seemed to drop further.

Lucas, recalling the records, wasn't surprised by Sebastian's reaction.

Gloria's condition after her release was visibly poor.

But Lucas hadn't realized the extent of her suffering.

The records showed severe injuries in critical areas, life-threatening if untreated.

Such injuries would leave an ordinary person half-dead.

Gloria had endured them for three years.

How she survived was a mystery.