Chapter 9
A week later, Cassandra and Keith returned to the villa.
The house was eerily quiet. Feeling that something was off, Cassandra frowned instinctively.
It didn’t take her long to realize that Sebastian wasn’t there to greet her.
Whenever she returned from a trip, he would rush toward her and throw his arms around her, saying, “Cassie, you’re finally back! I missed you so much!
But this time, no one came to meet her.
Cassandra felt a flicker of displeasure in her chest. But remembering how she had stood him up before they left, she suppressed her rising irritation.
“Seb?” she called out, hoping he would show himself.
This time, she had brought him a gift as a small token to make up for her absence.
However, the villa remained silent. There was no response.
“Where could he be? Why isn’t he responding?” Keith asked with a playful smile. “Could he still be mad at you? But everything happened so suddenly back then. You didn’t even stay for the entire wedding before rushing off to Prismark.”
Keith added with feigned concem, “I was worried Karla couldn’t explain things clearly, so I went to see Seb myself to clarify, but he
He trailed off intentionally, letting Cassandra fill in the blanks with her own imagination.
As expected, Cassandra’s temper flared instantly. “I’ve spoiled him too much!”
“Alright, alright. It was his birthday, after all. It’s only natural he’d be upset about being stood up,” Keith said soothingly as he stepped closer to her. “Let me call him and ask him to come back. Don’t be angry. We’re all family. Harmony is key.”
Keith seemed to be defending Sebastian. But in fact, he was highlighting his own patience and understanding while making Sebastian appear petty and
unreasonable.
After all, Cassandra had left Keith standing at the wedding alone to fly overseas for work, and he hadn’t complained. Instead, he’d been gentle and considerate, telling her to take care of herself.
Meanwhile, Sebastian had thrown a tantrum just because she missed his birthday.
With such a comparison, it was clear whom Cassandra would favor.
Keith pulled out his phone, pretending to dial Sebastian’s number. Then, with a puzzled expression, he muttered, “Huh, that’s strange.”
Cassandra frowned again. “What’s wrong?”
Keith looked baffled. “Did I dial the wrong number? The automated service says the number does not exist. I have Seb’s number saved. It’s always worked before. How could it suddenly be out of service?”
A sense of unease crept into Cassandra’s chest. She quickly took out her own phone and dialed Sebastian’s number,
But the next second, just like Keith, she heard the lifeless voice of the automated operator, saying, “Sorry, the number you dialed does not exist…”
Sebastian had always had just one phone number. And now, that number was no longer valid.
Keith, as though struck by a sudden realization, put on a worried face while slyly fanning the flames. “Cassie, do you think… Seb ran away because he was upset?”
Cassandra’s face darkened. Without a word, she strode toward Sebastian’s room and kicked the door open.
The room, once warm and full of charm, now felt empty and hollow; nothing was left behind.
The gifts she’d given him, the stuffed rabbit he used to clutch every night, and the cotton dolls he had carefully collected were all gone.
Even the bedsheets and pillows were missing. Only the bare mattress remained, looking stark and out of place.
Keith gasped dramatically, covering his mouth. “Where’s all of Seb’s stuff? Did he really run away?
