Chapter 21: Will Not Allow Them To Be Together

Half an hour later, Madelyn, accompanied by Janessa, arrived at the five-star restaurant where she had agreed to meet Sebastian. Upon entering the private room, she saw him sitting comfortably, eyes closed as he rested. He looked utterly content.

When he heard someone entering, Sebastian slowly opened his eyes, only to find Madelyn. Shortly after, he noticed Janessa.

"Why did you bring that woman here?"

The sight of Janessa had Sebastian furrowing his brows in displeasure. However, he didn't voice his feelings. Instead, he calmly said, "Take a seat. Just order whatever you want to eat."

"All right," Madelyn obediently sat down.

At that moment, Janessa, presumably due to her nervousness, was blushing, her face flushed entirely red. The moment she set her eyes on Sebastian’s face, as exquisite as if it had been sculpted by the heavens themselves, Janessa couldn’t help but feel her heart race! The admiration in her eyes was impossible to conceal. It was akin to the way a predator gazed at its beloved prey, yearning to claim it immediately!

Sebastian sat still, yet he could feel the burning gaze on him, as if Janessa wanted to swallow him whole. He couldn’t help but feel repulsed, but he still chose to act as if he hadn’t noticed.

Similarly, Madelyn acted as if she hadn’t seen anything. Casually picking up the menu, she turned her gentle gaze to Sebastian. “Sebastian, what would you like to eat?”

Sebastian was indifferent, responding with a cool tone. “Whatever is fine.”

Then, Madelyn turned to Janessa. “And what about you, Janessa? What would you like to eat?”

Janessa was too smitten with Sebastian to care about what to eat. Hence, she simply responded, “Anything is fine.”

With a knowing smile, Madelyn thought, Janessa, Janessa, could you possibly make your intentions any more obvious?

Following that, Madelyn randomly selected a few dishes before handing the menu back to the waiter. Then, feigning boredom, she deliberately brought up yesterday’s events.

“By the way, Janessa, there’s something I haven’t properly thanked you for!” Madelyn suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

“What is it?” Janessa asked, puzzled.

“If it weren’t for your timely photo sent to Sebastian, confirming that I was indeed being harassed, a misunderstanding might have arisen between Sebastian and me.”

Upon hearing this, Janessa’s face drastically changed. She had never imagined that Madelyn would bring up this matter. She twiddled her fingers, feeling a bit guilty. “Oh, um. There’s no need for thanks.”

The words had Sebastian subconsciously glancing at Madelyn before he continued to remain quiet.

With an awkward chuckle, Janessa cautiously asked, “Madelyn, how did you come to know about this? I was under the impression that you were unaware.”

Madelyn chuckled to herself. In her past life, she had been fooled by Janessa more than enough times. If she couldn’t figure it out this time, wouldn’t all her previous experiences have been in vain? However, on the surface, Madelyn just looked at Sebastian with a beaming smile. “How could I possibly know? It was Sebastian who personally told me about this matter. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him. Am I right?”

Sebastian furrowed his brows, wondering what game she was playing. However, seeing her radiant smile, Sebastian couldn’t bear to burst her bubble, so he simply responded with a gentle hum.

Now it was Janessa’s turn to feel uneasy. She had clearly taken a picture and sent it to Sebastian to tattle, but now Madelyn was claiming she had actually helped her! What on earth was going on here?

Madelyn was observing Janessa discreetly. It was clear at a glance that Janessa was making assumptions in her mind. Consequently, she acted even more touched and said, “Janessa, you truly are my best friend! Only you would stand by me at such a critical time. After all, I am now a daughter-in-law of the Lockhart family. If word gets out that I was harassed by Christopher, those who know about it might let it slide, but who knows what nasty things those unaware of the truth might say. I might end up like Jillian, accused of having a messy personal life and being promiscuous! Then, my reputation would be so tarnished that nothing could save it.”

Upon hearing these words, a myriad of emotions flashed through Janessa’s eyes, her complexion fluctuating between shades of red and white. In the end, she could only nod guiltily. “Madelyn, there’s no need for formalities between us. You’re my best friend, so of course I’ll help you.”

“Oh Janessa, I love you!” Madelyn said, her eyes crinkling with joy as she nodded and gave Janessa a warm, tight hug.

Janessa found herself somewhat breathless from the embrace and could only manage a guilty glance toward Sebastian. Sebastian silently stared at her, not uttering a single word. At that moment, their dishes were brought over.

Madelyn was brimming with enthusiasm. She first served Sebastian with a generous amount of food. After that, she picked up Janessa’s plate, cheerfully saying, “Janessa, you should eat more. You’ve always been the one taking care of me and thinking ahead for my sake. Let me take care of you today.” As Madelyn spoke, she simultaneously heaped more food onto Janessa’s plate.

After Madelyn’s earlier words, Janessa felt incredibly guilty and was quite embarrassed. She was so flustered that she hardly knew what to say. Taking the plate, she muttered a “thank you,” then lowered her head and picked at her food.

Not long after, Janessa clutched her stomach, claiming she felt a bit queasy, and excused herself early. Once Janessa had left, Madelyn finally breathed a sigh of relief. It had been hard to force a smile the whole time, and her face was sore. Rubbing her cheeks, Madelyn continued to eat her meal as if nothing had happened.

Interestingly, Sebastian’s gaze upon her was somewhat peculiar. Just earlier, he had remained silent to preserve her dignity. But in reality, he had noticed every single move she made. At that moment, Sebastian asked coldly, “What was your intention behind your actions just now?”

Madelyn paused for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile. “You’re overthinking it. I did that to prevent any misunderstandings, of course.”

“Is that so?” Sebastian narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling in his heart that this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed. Even though Madelyn had maintained a pleasant tone earlier, Sebastian could discern a hint of sarcasm laced within her words. From the looks of it, has this foolish woman finally come to her senses? Or should I say, has she at last seen Janessa’s true colors?

After leaving the restaurant, Janessa felt as if a weight had been lifted off her entire body. Earlier, when she was inside, she felt incredibly awkward no matter what she did. Moreover, there was a faint feeling of unease growing within her. Although Madelyn appeared very enthusiastic, she could sense that Madelyn seemed to be starting to doubt her. That can’t be; if that’s the case, how am I supposed to break them up in the future? Am I supposed to just stand by and watch Madelyn and Sebastian happily be together? No way! As Janessa mulled over these thoughts, a vicious expression took over her face. She couldn’t let things continue as they were. She had to earn Madelyn’s trust again!