Chapter 21

Daphne clutched her bag tightly as she left the pharmacy. Behind her, Wilson's familiar, low voice called out, sounding colder than usual. "Don't forget to show up at the courthouse the day the cooling-off period ends to finalize the divorce."

She smirked without looking back. He seemed to be in a hurry, probably counting down the days on his calendar.

"Don't worry," she said, waving dismissively. "I want this over even more than you do." She walked away, masking the disgust in her eyes.

Back in her car, Daphne leaned her head back, trying to ignore the pounding headache from the long, exhausting day. Her phone buzzed, and Sebastian's voice on the other end immediately brightened her mood.

"Daph, we found him."

Her exhaustion evaporated as she straightened. "Where? I'll come to you."

Sebastian gave her an address. "Same place as last time—the private lounge at Starlight."

Starlight was the bar where Daphne had met Wilson previously. This was her second visit, and she knew the place well.

When she stepped inside, a group of Sebastian's friends stood, greeting her warmly.

"Daphne, good to see you!"

"Hello, everyone!" Daphne replied, her tone polite but firm.

Unlike her first visit, their friendliness didn't surprise her. She knew these guys were top-tier professionals.

One of them turned to Sebastian. "The IP address wasn't hard to track. It's amateur-level stuff. The name registered to it is Zane Miller. Does that ring a bell?"

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Daphne couldn't immediately place it.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, frowning.

"Don't worry," Sebastian said, his tone relaxed. "We'll dig deeper if needed."

Daphne clapped him on the shoulder, feigning exaggerated admiration. "Sebastian, you're so amazing and efficient!" Her voice caught as she tried to call him by his first name.

Standing so close, Daphne finally noticed the details of his face—the sharp cut of his features, the playful curve of his lips, and those mesmerizing, almond-shaped eyes that always seemed to be laughing. Unlike Wilson, who always seemed distant and cold, Sebastian possessed a warmth that made him approachable, even when insufferable.

"So, what's your plan now?" Sebastian asked, leaning casually against the desk.

"I'm thinking…" she began, but her words trailed off as a wave of dizziness hit her. She instinctively tightened her grip on Sebastian's shoulder to steady herself.

"Are you running a fever?"

Before she could protest, his cool fingers brushed her forehead.

"I'm fine," Daphne tried to say, but her voice faltered.

The next thing she knew, Sebastian had scooped her up in his arms, cradling her as if she weighed nothing.

"You're burning up," he said, his brows furrowed with genuine concern.

Through the haze of her fever, Daphne thought she saw something unusual in his expression—a flicker of panic, as though her condition had genuinely unsettled him.

When she woke, she was in a hospital bed. The sterile white walls and the faint hum of machines confirmed it. Sebastian sat beside her, arms crossed, his expression uncharacteristically serious.

"Did you not know you have low blood sugar?" he asked furiously.

Daphne winced, feeling like a child caught misbehaving. "I know. I just got busy."

She sighed, remembering how Wilson had once hired a nutritionist to manage her meals. That, too, had been taken away when he decided she wasn't worth the effort anymore.

"Sorry if I scared you," she said, offering Sebastian a weak smile.