Chapter 42: In the Middle of Nowhere

Originally, Sebastian had little interest in such places. However, at that moment, Madelyn was here one minute and gone the next, scampering around like a child. As he watched, his heart was surprisingly filled with joy.

Suddenly, Madelyn suggested, “Sebastian, this place is simply too beautiful. I don’t want to leave so soon. How about we just stay here for the night instead of going back?”

Sebastian firmly rejected the suggestion. “No.”

“But why?” Madelyn looked at him with a playful pout. “I really love it here.”

But this time, acting coy wouldn’t help. Sebastian said seriously, “The mountain wind is chilly at night, and there are mosquitoes too. We arrived here without any prior arrangements. If we wish to stay overnight, we should plan better.” The mosquitoes in the deep mountains were notoriously vicious, and Madelyn, who was quite delicate, was their favorite target. If she were to be bitten all night, her delicate arms and legs couldn’t possibly withstand it.

Of course, Sebastian didn’t utter any of those words. Madelyn felt a slight pang of disappointment. However, all things considered, she was still quite happy. Perhaps it was the allure of the night that had captivated her. She gazed in a daze, her arms wrapped around Sebastian’s.

“Sebastian, are you still mad at me?”

Sebastian glanced down at her.

Madelyn went on, “I’ve made so many mistakes in the past, Sebastian. I know you aren’t really angry with me, but I owe you an apology… And don’t worry, I now realize my mistakes. I promise I will make amends in the future!”

Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, she added, “I understand if you think I’m just paying lip service and deceiving you again. But from now on, I’ll prove it to you through my actions. You can look forward to it.”

Sebastian didn’t quite know how to feel. Those words seemed to be heartfelt confessions, but were they real? Sebastian didn’t dare to contemplate too much. He chose to believe it was true.

In the next instant, a faint chill brushed across his lips, leaving him momentarily bewildered. Under the starry sky, Madelyn gazed at Sebastian’s face. She couldn’t help but rise onto her tiptoes and then took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Sebastian stiffened a bit, instinctively stepping back. Madelyn clung to his clothes as if she was reluctant to let go and deepened the kiss. Even though her skills were still quite awkward, everything about it seemed so pure and beautiful. Sebastian couldn’t help but be moved. He quickly pulled her close and responded to her kiss.

Compared to Madelyn’s light kiss, Sebastian’s kiss possessed dominance. In just a short while, Madelyn found herself unable to stand, her legs giving way beneath her. Sebastian had her pinned against the hood of the car. His hand, almost involuntarily, moved to her chest. It was clear that they were on the verge of a passionate encounter.

Yet, at the crucial moment, Sebastian suddenly stopped. After separating from her, Sebastian helped her up and said, “All right. Let’s go home now.”

Madelyn still had a look of confusion on her face as she asked, “What’s wrong?”

The man remained silent, simply gesturing for her to get in the car. “It’s getting late. Time to go home.”

Madelyn reluctantly got into the car, a twinge of regret in her heart. They were so close, however, Madelyn suddenly recalled that it wasn’t really appropriate to do so. After all, they were in the middle of nowhere. The thought of engaging in such an act with Sebastian in a public place immediately made Madelyn’s cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Once they returned home, the two quickly freshened up and went to sleep. On this particular day, as Madelyn looked back, she realized it was indeed quite enjoyable.

The next day, since Madelyn had classes only in the afternoon, she allowed herself to stay in bed a bit longer. Sebastian, upon waking up in the morning, promptly headed to the office.

Malcolm, out of habit, brewed a cup of coffee for Sebastian and reported, “Mr. Lockhart, I have completed the investigation into the matter concerning Mrs. Lockhart.”

“Go on.” Sebastian gave a slight nod, his voice cool and detached.

In the past, Sebastian had never really paid attention to Madelyn’s situation at university. He was truly unaware of how she was faring there. At that moment, Malcolm relayed all the information he had gathered to Sebastian without any alterations.

“Mr. Lockhart, from what I understand, Mrs. Lockhart is quite unpopular among her peers at university.”

“Really?” Sebastian responded, a hint of displeasure seeping into his tone. “Why is that?”

“It seems there’s a rumor going around the university about Mrs. Lockhart’s falsified thesis. Everyone’s saying that she hired someone else to write it for her, but she won’t admit it. Now everyone’s criticizing her on the online forums, calling her an incompetent socialite, promiscuous, and a bimbo.”

“Enough.” Sebastian found himself increasingly unable to tolerate it, his brows furrowing deeply in frustration. He truly hadn’t anticipated that Madelyn would be so widely disparaged at university. He had personally witnessed Madelyn writing her thesis bit by bit. Little did he expect the depth of her suffering and the extent to which she was misunderstood.

Malcolm carefully read the room and asked, “Mr. Lockhart, should we step in and lend a hand in this matter?”

Although Sebastian was displeased that Madelyn was being bullied, he shook his head. “No, her studies are her own business. There’s no need to interfere.”

“Understood.” Malcolm nodded. “Mr. Lockhart, we’ve also located the person who intended to kidnap Mrs. Lockhart that night.”

Upon hearing this, Sebastian couldn’t help but stiffen. “Where’s the person?”

“Rumor has it that those thugs are from the southern district. The leader, it seems, was bribed to kidnap Mrs. Lockhart. However, when the kidnapping failed, the leader disappeared, leaving behind only a few of his underlings. But those underlings are all unreliable, each of them clueless when asked anything.”

Sebastian’s face hardened. He said coldly, “Since they dared to commit a crime, let them stay in prison where they belong. For the time being, don’t let them out. Let them learn their lesson well inside.”

Malcolm immediately agreed. Then, with a hint of confusion, he asked, “Mr. Lockhart, what about that leader who escaped? Are we just letting him go?”

Since he had dared to hurt Madelyn, Sebastian would not let him off. With an impassive face, he commanded in a low tone, “Keep searching until you find him.”

Malcolm nodded. “All right, Mr. Lockhart. I’ll get right on it.”