Chapter 154
Sebastian took a long, deep breath. “I want to take her away.”
Urban let out a cold laugh. “Take her where? Back to your house? Back to the same place where you’ve been sheltering Kathleen? So she can suffer under the same roof again?”
Sebastian didn’t reply. He simply gripped the edge of Maxine’s hospital bed, knuckles white, his silence taut with regret.
Seeing his hesitation, Urban pressed on. “Don’t forget why she was leaving the country in the first place, Maxine didn’t want to see you–she wanted to escape. I’m taking her away because she deserves freedom. She belongs somewhere without you.”
Brian’s eyes burned with rage. “You can’t take
my mom!”
Urban looked down at him, voice hardening. “This from the kid who once said, ‘I wish Kathleen could be my mom‘? If you hadn’t clung to her the you did, she never would’ve let you in her life.”
Brian opened his mouth to argue, but Cleo cut in, her tone sharp and final. “I agree with Urban. Maxine doesn’t want to see either of you.”
“You’re lying!” Brian’s voice cracked as he shouted. “Mom loves me! She does!”
“Enough,” Sebastian finally spoke, his voice low but resolute. He looked straight at Urban and said, “You can take her.”
Brian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Dad!”
way
But Sebastian didn’t respond. He couldn’t. Deep down, he knew Urban and Cleo were right. Maxine had ended up like this because he trusted the wrong people–because he had helped Kathleen escape justice, giving Gabriel the window he needed.
He had already uncovered the truth behind the accident. A parked truck at the top of a slope had mysteriously been tampered with, its brakes failing and sending it careening downhill–right into the taxi Maxine was in.
The taxi driver had been completely innocent. He was so badly injured in the crash that he died on the spot before the ambulance could even arrive.
The truck’s driver had been placed under investigation. He had spent his life savings compensating the taxi driver’s family and had offered to make things right for Maxine too. He didn’t deny responsibility–only begged for time to gather the money.
Sebastian didn’t care about his apology. What he wanted… was for Maxine to come back.
One of the traffic officers had even approached Sebastian personally, his expression troubled. “The truck driver does seem innocent. Surveillance footage shows the vehicle didn’t move for a long time after he left.
“Someone must’ve tampered with it off–camera. Whoever they were, they knew Maxine would be in that taxi. And they got what they wanted.
“If you’re hoping for compensation,” the officer had added cautiously, “it may be difficult. The man’s family is already deep in debt.”
Sebastian looked him in the eye. “Can you find out if anyone unusual had contact with him recently? Someone who might’ve had access to his keys, or who was asking about his schedule?”
The officer nodded, but his tone turned hesitant. “I’m sorry… that’s part of the case details. Even if you’re her husband, we can’t disclose those specifics.”
He thought, ‘Her… husband? No, the victim’s family.’
The term jarred him. For a second, Sebastian stood there in stunned silence, caught off guard by the weight of those words.
The officer, mistaking his reaction for dissatisfaction, offered a softer gaze. He recognized this man–not just as the powerful CEO of the Noxen Group, but as a husband left hollow by tragedy. “We’ll keep you updated if anything new comes up. Please… be patient.”
Then Sebastian said it–quietly, but firmly. “Gabriel.”
1./2
Chapter 154
“What?” The officer blinked, caught off guard.
“Gabriel,” Sebastian repeated, his voice now sharp and clear. “She was in charge of his case. If there’s anyone who had a reason to hurt her if shim
AD
