Chapter 241
Hamlin leaned heavily on his cane with his assistant’s support and addressed the media cameras. “I had no knowledge of this matter. The house was entirely overseen by my son from the start. I assumed all the proper permits had been obtained.”
Maxine sneered. “Gabriel is nothing but a useless good–for–nothing. As if Hamlin didn’t know about this. What a load of crap.”
Maxine switched off the TV with a flick of her wrist.
Maxine closed her laptop and checked in with her junior associate at the firm. Only after confirming that the Jenson family had been lying low lately did she finally allow herself to rest, at last feeling at ease.
‘Not like I could go out anyway with this bum leg,’ she thought,
a
resigned.
By the time Maxine woke up, it was already evening. She propped herself up, intending to find something to eat. But to her surprise, as she hobbled out of the bedroom on her crutches, she saw a fresh thermal bag sitting on the table.
Maxine walked over and spotted a note beside the thermal bag that read: [Dinner.]
Puzzled, Maxine fished out her phone and texted Cleo: [Is the food on the table from you?]
Cleo didn’t reply.
Maxine unzipped the thermal bag to find a bowl of soup and some flatbread inside, both still warm to the touch.
Maxine paused, then hobbled to the door to check the lock. It was intact, whoever brought the food in must have used a key.
Maxine thought, ‘Cleo hasn’t responded yet. Was it her or Urban who had it delivered?‘
2007
After some thought, Maxine decided against eating the food in the thermal container. She set it aside and hobbed into the kitchen to cook herself a simple bowl of spaghetti instead.
About an hour later, Cleo finally called. The moment Maxine answered, Cleo practically wailed, “Maxine, you have no idea how twisted these people are!! swear my eyes are going to bleed!
“I was just chasing a celebrity gossip story, but I never in a million years expected that guy would end up at some shady underground parties. The stuff I had to shoot, I swear, even my beloved camera feels tainted now!”
After venting all that out, Cleo suddenly remembered Maxine
“Yeah,” Maxine replied.
text. “You mean that bowl of soup on the table?”
Cleo paused for a moment. “It might have been Sebastian. Before I left for my business trip, he asked me for your house key.”
Maxine could barely believe her ears. “Wait, you just gave it to him?”
Cleo looked a bit guilty. “I was rushing off with a pile of files, and… well, he kind of pulled a fast one on me…”
Cleo said, “Like, he gave me the scoop on that celebrity I was after.”
She quickly added, trying to justify herself, “I made sure to tell him not to disturb you unnecessarily. Just drink the soup. No point letting it go to waste.” Cleo paused, then continued with a dramatic groan, “Honestly? If I had the choice right now, I’d drop everything and come straight back.”
After hanging up, Maxine glanced at the now cold soup on the table, her expression unreadable.
Early the next morning, the villa’s front door eased open with barely a sound. Sebastian crept in, careful not to make a noise, carrying a thermal bag.
Chapter 241
Seeing the untouched soup on the table, Sebastian froze for a second. Steeling himself, he walked over and quietly replaced the thermal bag with
one
Just as he was about to leave, Maxine’s voice came from behind him, calm but direct. “Did you bring the soup yesterday?”
Sebastian froze mid–step, then turned to face her. With a wry smile, he glanced at the thermal bag he’d just placed on the table. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said, “But with Cleo away on business, I couldn’t help worrying about you being here alone.”
