Chapter 263

The setting sun cast a golden glow across the entire sky, and the mountains were shrouded in layers of hazy light.

The sunset was indeed beautiful.

As the last ray of light dipped below the horizon, stars began to twinkle in the sky, and the wind among the mountains and forests subsided.

Such a quiet environment was a great remedy for the soul. Even though Isabella disliked Leo, she couldn't deny that at this moment, she felt relaxed.

"Here you are." Leo handed over a glass of juice.

Isabella glanced at it. "I'm not thirsty. Thanks."

Leo knew what she was wary of and didn't insist. He took the glass back and drank the juice himself. Looking into the distance, he said in a low voice, "Thank you for spending my birthday with me, Isabella."

Isabella wasn't in the mood for sentimentality. "When will you give me the evidence of Charles' crimes?"

Leo glanced at her. "I don't know."

Isabella gritted her teeth. "Leo, you know lying on your birthday will get you struck by lightning and sent straight to hell, right?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Is there such a saying?"

Of course, Isabella had made it up to scare him.

Isabella continued, "You promised me, so don't go back on your word."

"Don't worry," Leo said, "Even if I betray everyone else, I won't go back on my word to you. But Charles is being very cautious; I need an opportunity to act."

Isabella thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I can help?"

Leo looked at her.

Isabella continued, "Emma called me earlier, asking me to visit Matthew in the hospital, but I refused. She tried to contact me again, and I blocked her. If I use this to strike a bargain with Emma, seeking her assistance in dealing with Charles, perhaps our chances of success might increase."

Leo sneered. "They are a couple, and from what I've observed, Emma is actually very afraid of Charles. Even for Matthew, I don't think she would go that far."

After all, Emma currently relied on Charles, and if Charles fell, it wouldn't benefit her either.

Isabella thought of what Margaret had said and tentatively asked, "Do you know that Emma has been inquiring about property prices in Mosterwania?"

Leo didn't speak but squinted at her.

From Leo's expression, Isabella guessed that he knew about it. So she continued, "I heard that Charles has been cheating on Emma and has another woman outside. I think their relationship has long been strained. So, the most important person to Emma is her son, Matthew."

Leo pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, they heard a noise from the path behind them. Several cars approached, and the headlights shone brightly on them.

Leo glanced at it and said to Isabella, "Sebastian is here to pick you up."

Isabella stood up to leave but was pulled back by Leo.

Isabella turned around, and Leo smiled at her. "Can you wish me a happy birthday?"

At this moment, Leo seemed to be pleading.

Isabella struggled internally for a moment. She softly said, "Happy birthday, Leo."

"Thank you." Leo let go of her hand.

At almost the same moment, Isabella was pulled away by another force.

Sebastian wrapped his arms around her and coldly ordered, "Jack, take him away."

"Got it," Jack replied, leading a few bodyguards who quickly restrained Leo and escorted him into a car.

Isabella turned to Sebastian, bewildered. "Sebastian, what's going on?"

"He's suspected of human trafficking. Don't worry, I'm just sending him where he needs to go."

She thought 'Where he needs to go?'

Isabella wanted to ask more, but Sebastian cut her off, ushering her into the car and driving off.

The car sped through the night, the engine roaring.

In the backseat, Sebastian held her hand tightly while leaning back with his eyes closed, as if lost in thought.

Isabella stared at him, wanting to say something but unsure where to start.

When they got home, the evening passed with little more than washing up and settling in.

Isabella tried a few times to talk, beginning with, "Sebastian..."

But each time, Sebastian interrupted her.

It was clear he didn't want to discuss or hear any explanations about the night's events.Past midnight, the hospital room remained eerily silent. Siena, feeling disheartened, had just settled into bed when the door swung open.

She sat up quickly. "Mr. Landon?"

Charles tossed his coat to her. "Put this on and come with me."

Isabella, troubled by the night's events, had been sleeping lightly. So, when Sebastian got up, she noticed immediately.

At first, she thought he was just heading to the bathroom, but soon, she heard the door closing behind him.

Wide awake now, Isabella didn't bother with her coat. She followed him out.

As she reached the stairs, she saw a beam of light streaking through the glass.

Peering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she watched Sebastian's car drive away.

By the time Isabella reached the front door, the car had already vanished from sight.

The night was as thick as ink, silence enveloping everything around. Isabella felt a deep unease and, without thinking, bolted out of the villa.

But her legs were no match for the speed of a car, and she stood alone in the quiet night, directionless.

Just then, another vehicle pulled up and stopped right in front of her.

A head popped out of the window. "Isabella, get in!"

Isabella hesitated for a moment, then quickly rounded the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat.

"Seatbelt!" came the urgent command.

Isabella buckled up swiftly.

"Hold on."

As soon as the words left her lips, the car roared to life and sped towards the exit of the neighborhood.

It wasn't until the car hit the paved road that Isabella finally realized what was happening. She turned to the driver, her eyes wide. "Kelsey, what's going on?"

"Don't ask why I'm here or where we're going. I don't know any more than you do. I'm just waiting for the truth to reveal itself," Kelsey replied, her eyes constantly darting to the dashboard screen.

Isabella followed her gaze and saw that the screen was showing a satellite map. A red dot blinked steadily on the map, and it was moving forward.

"So, you're tracking them?" Isabella asked, now understanding the situation.

"Yep." Kelsey's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her expression serious.

"Are you tracking Sebastian?" Isabella asked, uncertain, struggling to understand why Kelsey would be following Sebastian.

Kelsey frowned. "No, I was tracking Jack. Didn't expect him to pick up Sebastian along the way."

As they approached a traffic light, Kelsey stopped the car and turned to Isabella. "Isabella, you're curious too, aren't you? About what they're up to at this hour?"

Isabella couldn't find words.

She was indeed desperate to know, but at that moment, she had to admit that Kelsey was one step ahead. Kelsey even knew to put a tracker on Jack.

Otherwise, with so many intersections, they'd have been left in the dust long ago.