Chapter 234

First, Nina untied her belt, then she grasped the lapels of her robe, but she seemed to freeze, unable to move.

Richard looked at her, amused. "Why aren't you continuing?"

Nina gritted her teeth and took off the bathrobe.

The room was heated, but standing naked in front of Richard made her feel like she was in a cold abyss. Nina lifted a corner of the blanket and slipped under it.

She lay on top of Richard, waiting for him to make a move.

But Richard didn't move. Instead, he looked down at Nina. "Is that it?"

Nina worked up her courage and reached out to unbutton his shirt.

Richard suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Nina was startled and looked up at him.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Richard teased. "First time?"

Nina blushed with embarrassment. She retorted, "You know it's not my first time."

"Then why are you acting like it is?" Richard studied her expression with interest.

Nina turned her face away. "I'm not used to being with strangers."

Richard chuckled, his hand slipping under the blanket. "You'll get used to it after a few times."

A surge of electricity seemed to run through Nina's body, making her tense up from Richard's touch. She had only intended to complete a task. After her last disgusting marriage, she had lost all interest in sex, and the thought of it made her fearful and repulsed.

But Richard was incredibly patient, guiding her step by step until they both reached the peak of pleasure.

Emily dialed Emma's number. As soon as the call connected, she trembled and said, "Emma, help me."

There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a deep male voice. "Useless!"

Emily's body jolted as she forced herself to speak through gritted teeth, "Charles, Richard brought them in. Leo and I got played! Charles, I'm in so much pain, it feels like I'm burning alive. Help me!"

The call was abruptly cut off.

Emily stared at her phone, despair washing over her.

The drug's effects were too intense. Even after soaking in cold water for over an hour, she felt no relief. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of men!

She needed to find a man to relieve the drug's effects!

Stumbling out of her room, Emily staggered into the elevator. She numbly pressed the button for the basement. When the doors slid open, she stumbled out, colliding with someone.

The scent of male hormones hit her, almost driving her crazy. She didn't even have time to see who it was before she pounced on him like a hungry wolf.

Emily started tearing at the man's clothes, twisting her body against him.

But the man in front of her stood still like a statue.

Emily couldn't help but look up, squinting to see the man.

It was Kevin!

Startled, she stumbled back and crashed into the wall.

Kevin took deliberate steps toward her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, well, if it isn't the future Mrs. Landon. What's the matter? Is Mr. Landon not enough for you? Out looking for a man in the middle of the night?"

Emily shivered violently. She said nothing and turned to run.

But the next second, her scalp tightened, and a sharp pain hit her.

Kevin grabbed Emily's neck with one hand and her hair with the other, pinning her against the wall. "Slut! I've almost worn you out, and you still think Sebastian will want you? You actually dare to conspire with Leo and betray the Anderson family? You must be looking for trouble!"

Emily couldn't breathe, her mouth open, eyes wide, with a hint of defiance.

Kevin looked at her and sneered coldly. Suddenly, he let go, grabbed her arm, shoved her into the car, and drove off.

The next morning, Isabella woke up in Sebastian's arms.

Sebastian was already awake, his blind eyes staring blankly at her. One of his hands was under Isabella's head, and the other gently stroked her hair. His movements were light and gentle, as if afraid to wake her.

Isabella stared at Sebastian for a long time.

They had both been exhausted lately. Sebastian, in particular, had become noticeably haggard; the once confident and spirited man now appeared heartbreakingly worn out.

Isabella suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

Sebastian stiffened, then rolled over to pin her down. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while," Isabella replied.

"Spying on me?" Sebastian asked.

Isabella said nothing.

Sebastian couldn't see her expression, so he touched her face with his hand, his thumb brushing her lips repeatedly."And stealing kisses."

As he finished speaking, he felt another wet kiss on his lips.

Isabella kissed him again.

Emotions churned in Sebastian's chest. He lowered his head and kissed Isabella deeply.

They had made love for a long time last night, but it clearly wasn't enough.

After an indeterminate amount of time, there was a knock on the door.

Jack stood outside. "Mr. Landon, there's been an incident."

"Today, Mr. Landon announced the official launch of the Northhaven project. In an interview with the media, Mr. Landon stated that he plans to invest heavily in building an estate on this land and that he will name it after Mrs. Landon. He also mentioned that parts of the estate will be open to the public for visiting and sightseeing. Notably, we managed to capture a front view of the statue Mr. Landon commissioned for Mrs. Landon."

As the reporter spoke, the TV screen showed a statue.

Isabella watched intently. The statue bore no resemblance to Emma, though it did share some features with Sebastian.

She turned to look at Sebastian, only to find his expression had already changed.

"Sebastian?" Isabella squeezed his hand.

Sebastian turned his head. "I can't see. Bella, tell me, does the statue look like Emma?"

"No."

Sebastian's lips were drawn tight, and anger surged across his face.

Isabella turned off the TV. "Then who is the statue of?"

A trace of pain crossed Sebastian's face. "It's my mother."

Isabella was stunned.

Though she had anticipated something of this nature, the revelation still shocked her. More than that, it puzzled her. "Charles was supposed to be giving the estate to Emma. Why use a statue of Anna?"

Sebastian gritted his teeth. "He wants to curse my mother!

"Bella, my mother is buried under that land!" Sebastian covered his face with his hands, trying to hold back, but his shoulders still trembled uncontrollably.

Isabella had initially thought it was just a plot of land!

But now, she realized there was a deeper significance.

No wonder Sebastian had insisted on visiting that land personally. Isabella had been puzzled at the time. After all, it was a desolate place, far from the bustling city. If he were planning a project, he wouldn't need to make the trip himself.

It turned out Sebastian was going to see Anna!

And it made sense why Charles would go to such lengths to take the land. It wasn't just about the land-it was about seizing Anna's spirit and robbing Sebastian of his hopes and memories!

Charles had dealt a ruthless blow.