Chapter 282

When she watched Richard's frantic figure disappear down the hallway, Kaja's eyes glinted with sadness before she followed, her steps heavy.

With Kaja's guidance, Richard quickly found the room. As he burst through the door, he saw two men looming over Nina, ready to strike.

Richard's fury was immediate. He threw himself at the attackers, delivering powerful kicks that had them crying out in pain and rolling on the floor, utterly defeated. It wasn't until they were barely conscious that Kaja managed to restrain him.

In his rage, Richard's eyes were wild, his fists clenched tightly, his entire body tensed like steel. He was a formidable sight, a storm of anger and muscle. When Kaja grabbed his arm, he instinctively grabbed her wrist in return, causing a loud crack as her bones dislocated, sending her into a shivering, almost collapsing heap.

Richard froze, his rage slowly fading as he realized what he'd done. He released Kaja's wrist, and she stumbled back, pointing urgently at the bed where Nina lay.

Ignoring everything else, Richard swiftly wrapped Nina in a blanket and carried her away.

Isabella and Michael arrived just as Richard emerged, cradling Nina in his arms.

Both were startled by the scene, especially Isabella, whose face drained of color. "What happened to Nina?"

Richard continued towards the exit, barely pausing to respond. "She's fine. I'm taking her home. Michael, take Isabella back. Don't follow us."

"But I..." Isabella started to protest, but Michael stopped her.

"Trust Richard. No one matters more to him than Nina does."

Michael's words carried weight. Isabella, seeing Richard's evident concern for Nina, realized pressing further would be inappropriate. She agreed to go home with Michael.

When they reached her place, Isabella found Sebastian already there. With Charles' birthday party the next day, Sebastian was visibly tense.

The two spent the afternoon at home, avoiding any work and enjoying the breeze on the balcony. They chatted and drank coffee for hours. Isabella recounted everything about Nathaniel, her meeting with Quentin, her hospital visit to Matthew, and Emma's promises in meticulous detail.

Sebastian listened quietly, holding her hand and remaining silent for a long while.

"Sebastian?" Isabella looked over and realized he had fallen asleep without her noticing.

The afternoon sun bathed the room in warmth, accompanied by the gentle breeze, which certainly made it easy to drift off. Before long, Isabella was asleep too.

As Sebastian lay beside her, he suddenly awoke. He carefully got up, draped a light blanket over Isabella, and, admiring her peaceful face, lifted her from the chair and carried her to the bedroom.

When Isabella woke up, the room was dark, and Sebastian was nowhere to be seen. The bed was empty except for her.

"Sebastian?" she called, but her voice echoed in the quiet room.

Slipping out of bed and into her slippers, Isabella headed downstairs. The aroma of cooking filled the air.

Surprised, she hurried down the stairs just in time to see Sebastian emerging from the kitchen with a tray of food. His gaze softened as he saw her. "You're awake?"

"Hmm." Isabella nodded, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

She had been worried that Sebastian had gone off to work again.

Being left behind felt terrible, and Isabella's insecurity had only worsened since losing Sweetie. Though she understood Sebastian's demanding job, she couldn't help but wish he would spend more time with her.

"Wash your hands before we eat," Sebastian instructed.

"Sure," Isabella replied.

By the time Isabella finished washing up and entered the dining room, Sebastian had already taken off his apron and was pouring freshly squeezed juice into glasses.

His movements were smooth and practiced, reminding her of when he had cooked for her using the clay stove in Northhaven.

The click of a camera shutter interrupted the moment, making Sebastian glance over.

Caught in the act of taking a candid photo, Isabella felt a pang of guilt. As Sebastian turned, she quickly lowered her phone, feigning nonchalance. "I was just taking pictures of the food," she said, trying to cover her tracks.

Sebastian placed the juice by her side, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to her. "Let me see?"

Under Sebastian's gaze, Isabella couldn't hold out for more than three seconds and reluctantly retrieved her phone. She opened the photo gallery. "It's a picture of you."

Sebastian leaned in to take a look. "Hmm, not bad."

Before Isabella could react, Sebastian had taken her phone and started adjusting the camera. He aimed the front-facing lens at both of them and snapped a selfie.

"Go ahead and take pictures if you want," Sebastian said as he handed the phone back. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I've sent someone to Emerald Isle City. Once we find Sweetie, we'll get a family photo."

Mentioning Sweetie softened Isabella's heart. She nodded quietly. "Okay."

The next day, Sebastian took Isabella to the Landon family estate for Charles' birthday party.

Halfway through the drive, Sebastian suddenly received a phone call.

With Isabella sitting right next to him, Sebastian put the call on speaker, and every word from the other end came through clearly.

"Mr. Landon, we've found a lead on your daughter."

Before Sebastian could respond, Isabella snatched the phone, holding it with both hands. "Where is she? My daughter, where is she? Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

Despite her effort to stay composed, her voice trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

On the other end, the voice replied, "We haven't seen the child ourselves yet. We only saw surveillance footage. The child's adoptive parents have acknowledged that the child is theirs, but they won't let us see her. The police said they have valid adoption papers, so it would be best if the biological parents came in for a paternity test. Otherwise, their investigation might hit a snag."

"I'm going, I'll go right now!" Isabella said without a second thought.

Nothing could be more important than Sweetie!

Sebastian quickly gave a few more instructions before ending the call.

He wrapped Isabella in his arms, holding her tightly. "Bella, you're shaking."

"Yeah," Isabella replied, her body still trembling uncontrollably. She gripped Sebastian's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Sebastian, they found Sweetie. Our daughter, they found her. I need to go to Emerald Isle City, and I need to go there right away. I have to see her!"

"Okay. Okay!" Sebastian said, each reassurance measured and calm.

He turned to the driver and ordered, "Turn around immediately, head to the airport."