At her words, Sebastian Forrest and I exchanged a quick glance—we were both clearly stunned.
’Theodore Grant has never even touched Clara Langley?’
’This... This is just too ridiculous!’
’I even felt a little sorry for Theodore Grant...’
’I originally thought he was just being cuckolded into fatherhood, but at least he’d gotten to sleep with Clara Langley, so it wasn’t a total loss.’
’But now it looked like he was the ultimate chump!’
"Really?" Vincent Lombard’s voice was laced with doubt.
"He was so drunk last ti. I got naked and rubbed all over him, but it was no use..." Clara Langley said, exasperated. "But it was also lucky he was dead drunk. That’s how I managed to fool him. He still thinks he actually slept with ..."
I held my breath, listening intently from the other side of the wall. This whole affair was absolutely sickening.
The sound of RUSTLING ca from the changing room next door. Then, the door opened, and two sets of footsteps faded into the distance.
Once the hallway outside fell silent, Sebastian Forrest gently pushed the door open and glanced out. "Co on out. They’re gone."
I peeked cautiously to the left and right. Seeing that the coast was clear, I patted my chest in relief.
"You’re this jumpy, and you still want to eavesdrop on people?" Sebastian Forrest glanced at , amusent in his eyes.
I couldn’t help but glare at him. I lowered my gaze and bit my lip, trying to process the bombshell I had just overheard.
"What is it? What’s on your mind?"
"I’m wondering who could have poisoned my mother-in-law..."
Sebastian Forrest rested his large hand on top of my head. "Is knowing who the poisoner is really that important right now?"
"Then what’s more important?"
"Saving her life."
My heart clenched. I knew he was right, but we still didn’t know what kind of poison Aunt Langley had been given...
"How do we save her?"
"I’ve looked into Aunt Langley’s dical records and spoken with her doctor. For soone in her condition, if it is poisoning, it would have to be a slow-acting toxin. And once it flares up, the effects are indistinguishable from the symptoms of her illness..."
I tilted my head back to listen to him intently. As our eyes t, I saw his up close. They were dark and bright, yet they held his usual sharp, intimidating intensity.
"Think about it. Only a handful of people have regular contact with Aunt Langley. We just need to rule them out one by one."
I nodded quickly. "Then I’ll have Mr. King..."
But before I could finish, Sebastian Forrest cut off. "This is sothing Theodore Grant has to handle. We can’t get involved."
’Theodore Grant?’
"Don’t worry," he said. "I’ll talk to him."
I quickly understood. Sebastian Forrest was right. Theodore Grant was clearly the most appropriate person to handle this, and he could do it much faster.
She is his biological mother, after all.
Still, a faint worry lingered in my heart.
"What about Clara Langley and Vincent Lombard...?" I trailed off.
But Sebastian Forrest clearly knew what I was about to say. "I won’t tell him about their affair... not yet."
I nodded quickly. Seeing that Sebastian Forrest had thought everything through, I had nothing left to worry about.
...
Since we had achieved our goal for coming here, there was no reason to stay for the rest of the banquet.
However, just as Sebastian Forrest and I were about to leave, a tall figure blocked our path.
I instinctively looked up and saw Theodore Grant staring at , his face grim. His eyes were filled with both anger and resentnt.
"Chelsea Joyce? What are you doing here?" The question ca from Clara Langley, who was standing beside Theodore Grant.
She had already reverted to her usual poised and graceful deanor, showing none of the wanton, scheming nature she’d displayed in the changing room.
If I hadn’t just heard the whole ’live performance’ with my own ears, I would have wondered if this was even the sa person.
"This is an awards ceremony for the entertainnt industry. What’s a little voice-acting intern like you doing here, trying to join the fun?"
Sebastian Forrest, however, simply wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling into his embrace. He barely lifted his eyelids as he coldly bit out four words, "None of your business."
"You... I..." His words made Clara Langley’s face flush red, leaving her so choked up she couldn’t get another word out.
With an impatient look, Sebastian Forrest waved a hand, clearly unwilling to hear another word from her. His gaze, however, shifted coldly to Theodore Grant. "Good dogs don’t block the path."
But just as Sebastian Forrest began to lead away, Theodore Grant grabbed his arm. "Can we talk?" he said in a cold voice.
I instinctively turned to look at Sebastian Forrest. I rembered he’d said he needed to talk to Theodore Grant about his mother, and this seed like the perfect opportunity.
"I’ll wait for you in the car, then," I said quickly, afraid Sebastian would refuse him.
"No need." Sebastian Forrest smiled, a nonchalant curve to his lips. "Stay. Let’s hear what he has to say."
Theodore Grant’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and a vein throbbed at his temple. He was obviously furious. "Don’t think you can just swoop in and take advantage. The person Chelsea loves is ."
I frowned at him. I couldn’t believe he could still say sothing like that, even after everything.
But Theodore Grant kept his stubborn gaze fixed on Sebastian Forrest, his eyes so red they looked like they might start bleeding. "She’s loved for ten years, Sebastian Forrest. Do you think a few short days can compare to a decade? You know it’s true, don’t you? She doesn’t love you at all..."
But Sebastian Forrest just laughed. He lowered his gaze, reached for my hand, and intertwined our fingers. "That’s not for you to worry about. We have the next twenty years, thirty years, maybe even a lifeti ahead of us..."
"Keep dreaming! Chelsea didn’t love you ten years ago, and she won’t love you ten years from now, either!"
Sebastian Forrest’s smile faded. "You’re the one who’s dreaming. The man by her side in the future might not be , but it absolutely will not be you... Listen to , Theodore Grant. She’s the one who doesn’t want you."
"That’s bullshit! The divorce isn’t final yet. I can retract it anyti. Don’t even think about it, Sebastian Forrest!"
Sebastian Forrest stared at him. "Theodore Grant, if you had just let her go without a fight, I might have actually respected you a little. What’s the matter? Given up on the baby in Clara Langley’s belly?"
"You..." Theodore Grant’s expression changed. He saw Clara Langley reach out from behind to tug on his sleeve, but he violently shook her off. "Sebastian Forrest, it’s not your place to lecture !" he snarled.
"Lecture you?" Sebastian Forrest laughed suddenly. "I have neither the ti nor the interest. What, you can’t tell?"
His voice dropped for a mont, and his smile grew more wicked. "I’m clearly kicking you while you’re down! And beating you—like a drowning dog!"
Theodore Grant was so furious he looked like he might explode. He clenched his fist and lunged forward to throw a punch.
But Sebastian Forrest dodged in a flash, grabbing his arm and slamming him down onto a nearby booth seat, causing the onlookers to turn pale with shock.
But when they saw the brilliant smile playing on Sebastian Forrest’s lips, they assud the two n were just joking around. They imdiately started smiling and pointing, enjoying the show.
Sebastian Forrest leaned down, whispering sothing directly into Theodore Grant’s ear. He then released his grip and turned back to . "Let’s go."
I couldn’t help but look back. Theodore Grant was sitting on the sofa, looking completely crestfallen, while a frantic Clara Langley tried to fix his disheveled hair.
I didn’t pull my gaze away until we were out of the main hall. I couldn’t help but ask curiously, "What did you say to him back there?"
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