Chapter 108
Sebastian walked into his pitch-black living room, memories washing over him of when he lived with Lisbeth and Dennis.
Dennis was such a good kid. So dependent on him. Now that he was gone, Sebastian wondered how much Dennis missed him.
He grabbed a cold beer from the fridge and took a long swig without bothering with the lights. The alcohol didn't comfort him as he sank into the couch. Something on the coffee table caught his eye.
He flipped on the lamp and finally saw it clearly. A document envelope.
Must have been delivered while he was out—the housekeeper would have brought it in. He opened it and slowly pulled out the papers inside. "Divorce Agreement" stared back at him in clear, bold print.
It was already signed, the neat handwriting unmistakable at the bottom of the page. Sebastian suddenly crushed the beer can, alcohol spilling across his hand.
---
Three years later, Brooke received a call and dropped everything, driving straight to the club. Outside the private room, she took a deep breath before pushing the door open.
A woman sat inside. She turned, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Brooke, it's been a while."
Brooke immediately pulled her into a hug.
"How have you been these past three years?" Lisbeth asked, patting Brooke's back.
"I should be asking you that question." Brooke studied her friend. "You look more beautiful than before."
Lisbeth radiated a different kind of elegance now—something that came from within. "Traveling abroad changes your perspective," she said, setting down her coffee cup. "It changes you too."
"Looks like your career is thriving."
Lisbeth just smiled.
"You ghosted me for three years," Brooke said, leaning forward. "Spill everything. What happened?"
"Two years ago, I gave birth to Anne."
"Anne?"
"My daughter. She's turning three soon..."
Their conversation stretched two hours. After hearing Lisbeth's story, Brooke sighed. "I can't believe that money actually helped you. Thank God you took it."
Lisbeth gazed out the window. "Yeah, I never expected to meet someone who would change my life like that."
She'd spent a year having her baby, then two years studying financial management. It was brutal, even with her compressed timeline, she hadn't mastered everything. But her hard work and natural talent had paid off, guiding her toward a career path that finally felt right.
"You didn't bring the kids on this trip?" Brooke asked.
"I brought Anne, but not Dennis." Anne was too young to be away from her mother, while Dennis, now six, had insisted on staying with his grandmother.
"That's awesome. The four of you must be super happy together."
Lisbeth suddenly remembered someone. "Has Layla woken up yet?"
Brooke shook her head. A moment of silence fell between them.
"Layla's mom called me recently. She mentioned some angel donor. I've always wanted to meet this mysterious benefactor..."
Brooke had donated too, but never as much as this unknown person.
The "angel donor" smiled softly. "You already have."
Brooke's eyes widened. "Wait—you're the one who...?"
She burst into laughter. "You sneaky little thing! Donating anonymously like that. We never would've guessed it was you."
Who could have imagined Lisbeth would become so successful in just three years? Brooke had worried she might burn through that money abroad, especially with two kids and her mom to support.
"When I left, I promised Hazel I wouldn't let Sebastian find me," Lisbeth explained. "This was the only way I could help."
"You did the right thing. Sebastian isn't the only one looking for you—Leopold still hasn't given up on Dennis."
Lisbeth's expression darkened.
"That guy proposed to Elora three years ago. They got engaged last year, but for some reason, they haven't tied the knot yet." Brooke shrugged. "I heard they've been having some drama lately."
"I'm not interested in his mess."
"Okay, okay."
Apparently, there was tension between Elora and Leopold's mother—hot gossip Brooke had picked up from a society woman at their tea party.
Brooke changed the subject. "What about Sebastian...?"
Lisbeth fell silent. "There's no point meeting someone when there's no future together." She was back for business—opening a branch office for her company. With her career flourishing, romance had never been on her radar.
Brooke hesitated before dropping her bombshell: "Sebastian and Monica are together now."
---
In the garden below, a little girl in a puffy white coat wandered slowly, looking like a snowball. Despite being only three, she carried herself with surprising maturity.
She spotted a tall, familiar figure and quickly followed. Inside, she immediately got lost. The corridors twisted and turned, with multiple closed doors lining the hallways.
Anne scratched her head and followed her gut. At the end of the corridor, she still couldn't find the familiar figure.
"Little one, why are you here all by yourself?" asked a uniformed middle-aged woman.
Anne tilted her head. "I saw someone I wanted to find."
"What kind of person? Man or woman? Where?"
"I don't know. I followed them in but then lost them."
All the doors looked identical to Anne—just looking at them made her dizzy.
The server looked concerned. "How about I help you find your parents? You shouldn't be wandering alone."
"Please take me to my mommy." Anne showed her smartwatch with her mother's photo.
"Of course, let's go."
As they turned to leave, the door at the end of the hallway opened. Anne looked back and saw a tall figure emerging from the room.
So tall—exactly like the photo!
Sebastian hadn't expected to encounter a child as he stepped out. He paused, planning to walk around her. Instead, the tiny girl rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around his leg.
What she said next stunned everyone.
"Daddy!"
The executives following Sebastian froze in shock. Sebastian had a kid? Since when?