Chapter 68
"What did you say?" Elora's eyes widened, nearly shattering the wine glass in her hand.
Lisbeth looked at her and smiled slightly. "Seems you're not as calm and gracious as you pretend to be."
She had always felt something off about Elora. The woman appeared elegant and generous, yet she could destroy someone else's marriage. Unless it was all an act.
The smile gradually faded from Elora's face. "That's hurtful. I've never thought of you as a stranger. I've always felt we're quite similar in some ways."
Lisbeth remained silent, refusing to engage with such obvious manipulation.
When Lisbeth didn't take the bait, Elora dropped the friendly pretense. "Is the baby really Leopold's?"
"No."
"Then why did you say that?"
"I was testing you." Lisbeth selected the smallest, most beautiful cake and delicately cut a piece with her fork. It was sweet without being cloying. Perfect.
"I told you long ago that I'm not trying to steal Leopold from you. You don't need to see me as your enemy."
Elora's lips twisted into a tight smile. She couldn't feel secure as long as Lisbeth remained in the city for even one more day.
"Believe me or don't—I won't repeat myself again," Lisbeth said, already bored with the conversation. "Whether I'm pregnant and whose child it might be is none of your business."
Elora's smile turned brittle. "I'm just concerned about you."
"Don't you find that ironic? You destroyed my marriage, and now you claim to care about me?" Had Elora lost her mind, or had the world gone crazy? Lisbeth couldn't follow her logic.
"I'll say this one last time—if you don't want your fears to become reality, keep Leopold as far away from me as possible." She couldn't control Leopold. But Elora could. He practically hung on her every word now.
Elora's smile tightened. "Don't worry, I'll keep my Leopold in check. But I also hope you can control your own heart."
"Rest assured." Lisbeth would never give her heart away again. Especially not to Leopold. She turned and walked away, her head held high.
Elora stepped onto the balcony and dialed Bentley, her fingers trembling slightly with anger.
"What kind of incompetent did you hire? How could you find someone so unreliable?"
"I didn't expect Sebastian to show up with the police so quickly..."
"You need to handle this properly. I don't want Leopold finding out."
"Don't worry, I've already paid the driver to keep quiet. He won't say a word."
Elora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't be so certain. What if—just what if—he talks?"
Bentley hadn't considered that possibility. "He wouldn't. He took a lot of money from me. If he talks, I'll demand it all back."
Elora massaged her temples. "Keep a close eye on him these next few days. If he tells the truth, you need to fix it. Leopold absolutely cannot find out I was involved." She paused, then added, "Remember, you take all the blame."
"You're such a loving sister," Bentley replied, though a chill ran through him despite being accustomed to taking the fall.
"I'm doing this to protect you. Only if my position with Leopold remains secure will he defend you in court." Elora was exasperated with her brother. How could he not understand something so simple?
"Enough talk. Handle this quickly. I don't want anything affecting my relationship with Leopold."
"What about the baby Lisbeth's carrying?"
"We'll see." After one failed attempt, Elora wasn't rash enough to try again immediately. Especially knowing Sebastian was protecting Lisbeth, which made her hesitant.
Did Sebastian know Lisbeth was pregnant? If he did, would a man of his status and position really protect a woman carrying another man's child?
She gazed down from the balcony. Sebastian was helping Lisbeth into the car. This man who stood at the pinnacle of society, revered by millions, willingly bent down for her. He protected her, even worried she might bump her head getting into the car. Such devotion was enviable. And made her desperately want to destroy it.
---
"What did you say?" Sebastian was sitting backstage at a film press conference when Yuan Tian entered with news.
"Elora wants to meet with you."
"Not interested." Sebastian didn't even look up from his notes. He had no fondness for Elora. Not because of her past with men, but because she had been the other woman, and because she had caused his girl so much pain.
"But she says it's about Ms. Whitaker."
Sebastian slowly raised his eyes, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "In that case, I'll see her. Any news about that driver?"
"I found that right before the incident, someone transferred money to his wife's account."
A mysterious deposit, followed immediately by a kidnapping attempt. The connection was hard to ignore.
"Where's his wife now?"
"In the countryside."
Running away after the crime, clearly.
"I need to go there myself." Sebastian set aside his notes containing the questions reporters would likely ask. He just needed to give his standard answers.
"I'll book tickets right away."
After the press conference, Sebastian arrived at the café where Elora was waiting. She had chosen a secluded corner table and brightened visibly when she saw him approach.
"Mr. York, you finally made it."
Sebastian didn't waste time on pleasantries. As soon as he sat down, he got straight to the point. "You have five minutes."
Elora's smile faltered. She usually had men wrapped around her finger, but this was the first time she'd been so bluntly dismissed.
"Don't rush, Mr. York. I think there's been a misunderstanding between us. Since we rarely meet, I'd like to clear things up."
"Have you and Leopold broken up?" His tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp.
Elora was startled. "No..." Why would he ask that? Did he hope she and Leopold would split?
Elora's heart raced. She liked men, especially wealthy, intelligent, and passionate ones. Successfully winning such men over gave her an immense sense of achievement. Like recently awakened Leopold. Or even better, Sebastian. Conquering the latter would be several times more satisfying than the former. Unfortunately, Sebastian was too clever. She didn't dare make a move lightly.
Elora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Leopold and I are quite stable. We have no plans to break up."
"Then there's no misunderstanding." Sebastian took a sip of coffee, his deep eyes settling on her face. "You did steal another woman's husband."
Elora's expression soured. She'd been overthinking things.
"Mr. York, Leopold and I truly love each other. We have genuine feelings—"
"That's none of my concern. You have two minutes left."
Sebastian clearly had no intention of letting her finish. Elora suddenly felt pressured. She hadn't expected him to be so cold, so immune to her usual tactics.
"Actually, I asked you here to tell you about Ms. Whitaker. I can't bear to see you kept in the dark. She's hiding a big secret."
After all that wasted talk, this finally sparked Sebastian's interest. "What secret?"
"I really didn't want to say anything, but thinking about it carefully, you and I are in the same boat. We're both casualties in this relationship..." Elora tried to position Sebastian as her ally.
Sebastian checked the time. "One minute left."
This man was impossible to manipulate!
Elora blurted out, "Lisbeth has been lying to you."
"What has she lied about?"
"She's pregnant."