Chapter 90
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Jessica mumbled, “I really miss you, Maxine.”
A smile flickered across Maxine’s face. “I was just about to head home.”
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Cleo leaned over to check the screen and instantly recognized the place. “Are you at Horizon Oasis? Want me to come pick you up?”
“No need,” Maxine said, “You stay home with the kid. I’ll just grab a ride back.”
If Gabriel had already caught on, then Jessica being home alone wasn’t safe either.
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Jessica turned the phone toward herself and, sounding all grown–up, reminded, “Be careful on your way home, Maxine. Cleo and I will come pick you up in a bit.”
Maxine smiled and answered, then walked over to the entrance of Horizon Oasis. As she looked up, she caught sight of a familiar figure.
Sebastian stood in front of her, dressed in a sharp black suit. His eyes flicked over the bodyguard behind her and her phone screen, and he frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Maxine slipped her phone back into her pocket and shot back, “Does Noxen own this street now? Why shouldn’t I be here?”
Her words were laced with barbs. Sebastian’s frown deepened. “You know that’s not what I meant. Brian’s still waiting for you at home, and here you are worrying about someone else’s kid.”
Every word out of his mouth was an accusation, making it clear he thought Maxine was a lousy mom.
Maxine sneered, “What’s wrong? Kathleen not glued to your side tonight? Isn’t she usually all over you? Since we ran into each other, let me make this clear. I know you told Rayden to hold onto my resignation. But I don’t need your approval. Once my month’s up, I’ll go straight to arbitration and quit on my own.”
Sebastian’s face was dark as thunder. Maxine tried to sidestep him and head for the curb to catch a cab, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the car parked by the roadside.
“What are you doing?” Maxine yelped, instinctively trying to pull away.
The bodyguard who had been silently following behind stepped forward and blocked their way.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes dangerously. “And you are?”
He thought the guy looked familiar, like he’d seen him somewhere before.
From not far away, Urban called out, “He’s my bodyguard.”
The moment Sebastian laid eyes on him, his face instantly soured. Still in the driver’s seat, Charles felt a wave of dread at the tense standoff and hurriedly got out of the car to break the ice.
“Mr. Soto, long time no see! Didn’t expect you’d still be talking business with Mrs. Mason this late at night!” Charles said with a forced smile.
Charles’s words snapped Sebastian out of his daze. He still remembered the reckless things he’d blurted out at the stables and the anger on Maxine’s face. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
He looked at Maxine and said, “Come with me. I need to talk to you.”
“If you’re about to ask me to go make nice with Kathleen, you can save your breath,” Maxine shot back with a mocking smile.
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Chapter 90
“It’s about Gabriel,” Sebastian replied.
He knew exactly what would get Maxine’s attention right now.
Sure enough, after a moment’s hesitation, Maxine followed Sebastian into the car.
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Charles wiped the sweat from his face, exchanged a few polite words with Urban by the roadside, then quickly pulled out his phone to cancel his dinner plans before getting back into the car.
“Mr. Mason, are we heading back to the house?” Charles asked, glancing at the two in the backseat through the rearview
mirror.
“Take me home,” Maxine said coldly.
Those three words seemed to hit a nerve for Sebastian. He finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “So you really don’t want Brian anymore?”
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