Chapter 308

Chapter 308

"Citrus Shine is my life's work. As long as I can save it, I'm willing to try anything."

Lisbeth spoke quietly.

The room was so still that her voice rang out especially clear. Sebastian listened, his hands braced on the bed, gripping the sheets a little tighter.

"Did it ever occur to you to come to me?"

He asked the question, but no answer came. Neither of them spoke. The warmth that had been there moments ago slowly froze over.

After a long silence, Sebastian let out a heavy breath. "Forget it. Get some rest."

He stood up. Lisbeth didn't stop him. She slowly let her arms fall.

Sebastian walked toward the door in the darkness.

Lisbeth lay in bed, eyes open, staring at the dim ceiling. His footsteps grew fainter in her ears.

The door closed. The room fell completely silent—only her heartbeat and breathing remained. It felt like she was the only person left in the world.

The night deepened.

Gradually, the lingering alcohol pulled Lisbeth under. She drifted into sleep.

Until some moment later, she woke with a start. She thought it would be bright outside, but when she checked the time, it was only 3:00 a.m. Beyond the window, everything was still dark.

She clutched the blanket, feeling unbearably cold.

Then an arm draped over her from behind. Only then did Lisbeth realize someone was lying beside her. A familiar scent. A familiar embrace.

She didn't move. She just quietly pulled the blanket over Sebastian's arm.

Sebastian said nothing either.

They held each other like that, an unspoken understanding, and slowly fell back asleep.

When morning came and Lisbeth woke, the other side of the bed was cold. Her waist still held the faint impression of his arm, but Sebastian had been gone for who knew how long.

Lisbeth sat up in bed and sighed.

Was she wrong?

She didn't think she'd done anything wrong.

The two of them fell into a strange rhythm after that. They still talked every day, ate together, communicated fine—but it was like there was an invisible, intangible barrier between them.

That afternoon, after lunch, Anne and Dennis walked hand in hand into the garden. The two kids crouched by the flower bed, heads together, plotting.

"I think Mom and Dad had a fight."

Anne said it with certainty.

Dennis covered his face in distress. "But even if we ask, they won't admit it."

"It doesn't matter if they admit it or not. What matters is that we help them make up." Anne clenched her fists, looking brave. "You'll help me, right?"

Dennis nodded. "Yeah!"

Anne leaned close to Dennis's ear. "I've been thinking… just listen to me… we do this… and then that…"

Dennis listened and nodded. His legs were getting numb from crouching, so he shifted a little. Then he looked doubtful. "Will this really work?"

It sounded a little sketchy.

Anne nodded firmly. "It'll totally work! Just trust me!"

Dennis always took care of Anne, always said yes to her. And he really wanted Mom and Dad to make up. That way, they'd be a complete family.

"Okay. I'll do it!"

The two kids were scheming, and Lisbeth and Sebastian in the living room had no idea. The two of them were like stubborn opponents, neither willing to be the first to break the awkwardness. So they just stayed like this—lukewarm, distant.

Anna found it painful to watch. But she didn't want to meddle in the young people's business, so she went back to her room.

That left just the two of them in the living room. Lisbeth stared at her laptop, never looking up.

The funding issue was solved now, but the company's public image still hadn't fully recovered. That shipment still hadn't been fully released. And most importantly, they still hadn't found the Velora executive.

But really, the root of everything traced back to that missing executive.

And… Sophia.

But what Lisbeth didn't expect was that the next day, when she got to Citrus Shine and walked into her office, Quinn rushed in, moving fast, her expression strange.

"Ms. Whitaker, she's back!"

"Who's back?"

"Ms. White."

Lisbeth shot up from her chair and strode toward the door. When she reached it, her palm touched the cold handle—but she suddenly stopped.

She looked at Quinn. "Where is she now? How many people saw her come back?"

"I don't think anyone saw her. She showed up in my office disguised as a janitor." Quinn still found the whole thing surreal.

A person in a janitor's uniform, wearing a mask and glasses, suddenly appearing in her office. When she took off the disguise, Quinn had genuinely been startled.

"She said she couldn't let anyone know she was back. So she couldn't come see you herself. She asked me to pass the message along. She also said she couldn't stay long. After she told me everything, she left."

"You didn't stop her?"

Quinn looked helpless. "I tried. But she was acting so strange… and I couldn't hold her back. She kept saying she couldn't stay in the office too long—that it would cause us trouble. Then she rushed off."

Lisbeth let go of the door handle. Her palm still felt cold. Her throat was dry. She walked over and poured herself a glass of water, took a sip, then spoke again. "What did she tell you?"

"Sophia said someone's watching her. They won't let her come back. She's worried about her safety, so she doesn't dare show her face." The more Quinn talked, the stranger her expression became. "Ms. Whitaker, the vibe I got from her this time was like… like she's being hunted."

It was absurd. Lisbeth rubbed her forehead. This whole thing was getting messier and messier. At first, she'd thought Sophia had betrayed her. But now it seemed like maybe that wasn't the case.

Had she been deceived too?

Lisbeth thought for a moment. "Either way, next time she comes back, you have to keep her here. And right now, we need to find that executive."

"Got it."

Lisbeth refused to believe it. This city was big, but not so big that someone could disappear without a trace. He still had to live.

If he had needs, he'd have to buy things. And if he bought things, he'd leave a trail.

But Sophia's return didn't just bring more mystery—she also brought what might or might not be a clue, but it was good news either way.

Lisbeth pulled up the surveillance footage and sent it to the private investigator.

"Help me track this down. Try to pinpoint her location, but don't spook her. Keep everything under the radar."

"With just this little to go on, I can't promise I'll find her."

"Just do your best."

She hung up with the investigator. The screen flashed again.

Lisbeth glanced down.

Sebastian: [I'm downstairs.]

Lisbeth paused. This morning before work, Sebastian hadn't said a word to her. She'd assumed he wouldn't be picking her up tonight either.