Chapter 277

Esme and Sebastian locked eyes for a moment before she asked, "Mr. Landon, are you really going to turn me down?"

Sebastian maintained his steady gaze and replied, "It seems Ms. Stewart is unfazed by the rejection?"

Esme smiled lightly. "When you're in business, you anticipate the possibility of rejection. But may I ask why? Given that the Landon Group is in such dire need of funding, shouldn't you be more inclined to accept my offer rather than push me away?"

Sebastian hesitated for a moment before responding, "Do you want the honest truth?"

"Of course," Esme said.

"It's simply because I don't know enough about you," Sebastian explained. "I detest being manipulated. Without a clearer understanding of your true intentions, I'm not willing to take the risk of bringing you on board."

In other words, while Esme's investment could indeed help the Landon Group through its crisis, the risks involved were significant. Who was to say she wouldn't turn out to be another Nathaniel?

Backstabbing and control-Sebastian was determined not to face that again. In the past, he could afford to be ruthless and single-minded, but things were different now. He was a husband and a father, and he needed to be more cautious than ever, as he wanted to provide a stable future for Isabella and Sweetie.

Esme regarded Sebastian with a trace of admiration in her eyes.

Sebastian stood up, gave a slight nod to Esme, and said, "I have another engagement. Please, enjoy your meal. I'll have my assistant take care of the bill."

With that, Sebastian picked up his coat from the back of his chair and exited the restaurant.

Jack followed quickly, his face etched with concern. "Mr. Landon, why pass up such a golden opportunity? Esme's funding could be exactly what we need. Don't you think you should reconsider?"

"Reconsider what?" Sebastian asked, stopping by the elevator and turning to face him.

"Reconsider accepting Esme's offer!" Jack urged.

"Do you know anything about her?"

"I can look into it."

"Definitely need to," Sebastian replied, narrowing his eyes. He had the unsettling feeling that Esme's appearance was too calculated, too sudden. After meeting her today, he sensed no immediate hostility, but he needed to be sure of her intentions.

In the restaurant, Esme sipped her red wine with an air of graceful composure.

A young man, strikingly handsome and about the same age as Sebastian, emerged from behind the piano. He approached Esme's table and stopped, asking, "Did you get turned down?"

Esme smiled, "Quentin, you guessed correctly."

She set down her wine glass and inquired, "How are things with Nathaniel? When's the deal going to happen?"

"We've scheduled for tomorrow," Quentin replied. "She visited Nathaniel today at the Nelson Family estate and will likely be at the transaction site tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

Esme remained silent, her smile fading slightly as she continued to sip her wine. Beneath the surface, a trace of worry lingered in her eyes.

Quentin, understanding her unspoken concern, gave a slight nod. "I'll make arrangements."

Esme nodded back and then remembered something. "Elodie has gone off the rails again. I suspect she's looking for Richard. Make sure someone keeps an eye on her and prevents any trouble."

Quentin shook his head in frustration. "You know how obsessed she is with Richard. I can't control her."

Esme was at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Nina had prepared a meal, and she, Isabella, and Laura had a bite together.

Laura was practically bouncing with excitement. "This is so good!"

"This one's amazing too!" she added, savoring each dish.

The once-quiet house was now filled with a lively buzz, thanks to Laura's enthusiastic commentary.

Isabella couldn't help but laugh. "You've been in the kitchen the whole time-did you learn anything?"

Laura stopped in her tracks.

She fiddled with her fork and admitted sheepishly, "I think I was so focused on when I could eat that I completely forgot about the cooking process."

Nina and Isabella laughed.

After dinner, Laura left first.

Nina and Isabella settled on the couch for a chat. Just as they were getting into the conversation, the doorbell rang.

Isabella hurried to answer it, with Nina trailing behind. When they opened the door, they saw a man in black standing outside with a black car parked in the driveway.

The man nodded politely to Nina and said, "Richard sent me to pick you up."

Nina looked at him and asked, "Where's Richard?"

The man's face showed a hint of hesitation. "Richard had an unexpected incident."

Nina's concern grew. "What happened?"

The man took a deep breath before revealing, "Richard's been injured and is in a critical condition. I was sent to bring you to him. Richard didn't want me to say anything."

Nina's heart skipped a beat. She pulled out her phone to call Richard but found she couldn't get a signal.

Seeing her distress, the man added, "The doctor is currently treating Richard. He's asking for you."

"Okay!" Nina barely paused to think. Her mind was flooded with images of Richard hurt, and her heart raced with anxiety.

Isabella took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Nina, don't panic. Richard will be alright."

"Mm." Nina nodded, though her face remained pale.

She was deeply worried about Richard.

Nina herself didn't quite understand when her concern for Richard had reached such a level.

She got into the car, and it drove away.

Inside the car, Nina continued trying to reach Richard, but the call was perpetually blocked, as if the signal was being interfered with.

At the same time, she noticed a faint, pleasant fragrance filling the air. Looking up, she saw white mist emerging from the air conditioning vents, quickly enveloping the car. As the scent filled her senses, Nina's head started to spin. Before she lost consciousness, she saw the driver with one hand on the wheel and the other covering his mouth and nose with a cloth.

Nina barely had time to struggle before everything went dark.

The driver then opened the car windows to let the strange scent dissipate and drove the car to the Starlight Hotel.

The next day, Emma called to inform Isabella that Nathaniel would be at the Blue Horizon Cafe for a meeting.

Isabella wasted no time and headed straight to the venue.

Just like last time, as they were about to enter, Laura mentioned needing to use the restroom.

Isabella gave her a puzzled look. Laura avoided her gaze.

Noticing Laura's odd behavior, Isabella felt something was off but chose not to comment. She agreed to let Laura go to the restroom and proceeded to Nathaniel's reserved private room.

Isabella knocked on the door.

A deep, authoritative male voice called from inside, "Come in."

Isabella entered to find the room filled with the aroma of coffee. A middle-aged man was seated at the table. Although Isabella had never met Nathaniel in person, she recognized him immediately from photos.

"Mr. Nelson."

Nathaniel looked up, a trace of surprise on his face. "And you are?"

"I'm Isabella. I'm here on behalf of Mr. Landon."

At the mention of Landon, Nathaniel's expression darkened. "I have nothing more to discuss with Sebastian. If you're here for the shares, let me be clear: there's nothing to talk about."