Chapter 284

Siena walked gracefully and stopped beside Sebastian, but her gaze was firmly fixed on Charles.

Charles merely glanced at her, pretending not to recognize her, and deliberately asked Sebastian, "I thought on an occasion like today, you would bring Isabella. After all, she is your fiancée."

His words caused a brief stir among the crowd, who began speculating about the relationship between Siena and Sebastian.

Sebastian remained silent.

Siena took a step forward and reached out to take Charles' arm.

Charles, however, quickly stepped back and looked at Siena with full alertness. "What are you doing?"

Siena bit her lip, her eyes reddening with grievance. She softly said, "Mr. Landon, don't you recognize me?"

Charles scrutinized the girl in front of him. When his gaze passed over her face, which resembled Anna's, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes. He didn't answer Siena but looked at Sebastian, his tone and expression becoming more serious. "Sebastian, what is the meaning of this?"

Sebastian smirked and said, "It's quite a coincidence. Yesterday, when I went to the hospital, I happened to meet this young lady. She was undergoing a prenatal checkup and was crying in front of the payment machine because she couldn't afford the fees. I couldn't stand it and helped her out. Later, I found out that she is pregnant with your child. I thought today, being your birthday, you would be delighted to know you have a child on the way, so I brought her to meet you."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Charles didn't believe that and remained calm despite the astonished looks from the crowd. "I don't know this woman at all!"

"Really?" Sebastian chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"Mr. Landon," Siena said in a trembling voice, already on the verge of tears. She placed one hand protectively over her belly and looked at Charles with tearful eyes. "This child is really yours. You're the only man I've been with."

Before she could finish, Charles' sharp gaze swept over her.

Siena stopped speaking, her tears still brimming. She bit her lip and said, "I came today just to seek your opinion. If you want this child, no matter how hard it is, I will give birth to him. If you don't want him..."

"Ridiculous!" Charles interrupted coldly. "I don't know you at all. How could I possibly have a child with you?"

With that, he called for the servants to escort Siena out.

Siena, with tears streaming down, looked pitiful but said nothing more as she was taken away.

The situation became manageable again. Charles stepped forward, gazing intently into Sebastian's eyes. Through gritted teeth, in a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, "I will get to the bottom of this. If it's false, you know what the consequences will be!"

Sebastian smiled lightly, unfazed by the threat.

The party continued as if nothing had happened.

Zaire walked over with a glass of wine, glanced around, and whispered, "Richard and I have our people in place. When do you plan to act?"

Sebastian glanced at him and downed his drink. "I don't need your help."

This was a personal grudge between him and Charles, and he wanted to handle it himself.

Zaire nodded in understanding and asked, "Where's Isabella? Why isn't she here?"

A touch of tenderness appeared in Sebastian's eyes. "She went to Emerald Isle City."

"Emerald Isle City?" Zaire pondered for a moment and then understood. "You deliberately sent her away?"

Sebastian said, "Yes."

"With Isabella's temperament, if she knew you sent her away on purpose, she would be upset." After a pause, Zaire added, "But it's better for her to stay out of this. Charles knows she's your vulnerability. If she were here, it would be harder for you to act."

Sebastian was silent for a few seconds and then said, "I'd rather she be upset with me later than bring her into danger. My cabilities are limited; I can only protect her this much."

As they were talking, an assistant approached Sebastian, leaning in to whisper, "Mr. Landon, as instructed, I've been waiting by the back door for Ms. Scott. She hasn't come out yet. I just checked the area again, but I still haven't found her."

Sebastian gave a faint smile.

Zaire, having overheard, glanced at Sebastian's assistant and then asked, "What about Jack? Isn't he usually the one who handles these things? I haven't seen him around today."

Sebastian replied, "I've sent him to protect Isabella."

Jack was Sebastian's trusted right-hand man-calm and reliable; the one Sebastian felt most secure with. On the surface, Sebastian had arranged for Laura and Isabella to travel together, but in reality, Jack, in disguise, was meant to follow them closely.

Sebastian checked his watch and noted the time. "The plane should be landing soon."

What Sebastian hadn't anticipated was that Jack would be compromised before boarding. Isabella didn't get on the plane; instead, she'd doubled back and blended into the Landon family's surroundings.

She was fully aware that she was Sebastian's vulnerability. If she appeared openly, it would only put Sebastian at greater risk. Sebastian wanted to protect her, and she felt the same way.

The moment Isabella saw Jack at the airport, she understood everything. Sebastian wouldn't put her in harm's way, and she wasn't about to let him face danger alone.

For now, Isabella had to stay hidden and wait for the right moment to act. If everything went smoothly, she'd leave the same way she came. But if things went awry, she hoped to face whatever happened alongside Sebastian.

Avoiding the crowded front entrance to avoid exposure, Isabella made her way to the back. However, the back door was also being monitored. She crouched next to a car, trying to figure out how to get in when suddenly, the vehicle shook violently.

Isabella froze, then heard the sound of a woman's heavy breathing coming from inside the car. Realizing what was happening, she blushed with embarrassment. Just as she was about to turn away, the car window rolled down.

Turning her head, Isabella was greeted by a provocative scene: a woman was moving on top of Leo, who was reclining in the seat with a look of intense pleasure, his hands gripping her waist. The window had apparently been rolled down accidentally by the woman. Lost in the moment, she didn't notice Isabella standing outside. But Leo did. Their eyes locked for a brief, stunned second.

In the blink of an eye, Leo's expression shifted to shock. He quickly rolled the window back up, obscuring the scene inside.

Isabella, slightly dazed, averted her gaze and rubbed her eyes. She thought to herself, 'Seeing such dirty stuff makes me worried about my vision.'