Chapter 223

Gibson Villa was in complete chaos.

Abigail hadn’t gone home that evening. Instead, she was working overtime at Sebastian’s place.

“You came to my house just to work?” Sebastian placed the dinner he’d prepared beside her, his tone carrying a hint of exasperation.

Abigail glanced at the pasta he’d made. It looked delicious. She picked up the plate and took a bite with her fork. The taste was excellent.

“You’re a really good cook,” she complimented genuinely.

“As long as it suits your taste.” Sebastian pulled up a chair and gently pushed Abigail, who was holding the pasta, aside. “You eat first. I’ll help you write the code.”

“This is the work you assigned to Halden Group. If you help me write it, isn’t that completely backwards?” Abigail hadn’t come here to have him do her work for her.

Sebastian placed his hands on the keyboard, a lazy smile playing at the corners of his lips. “You should count yourself lucky that your project boss is voluntarily helping you work overtime.”

Abigail couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll treat you to dinner next time.”

“See if my work is acceptable first, then decide whether to treat me,” Sebastian teased her.

“I’ll treat you regardless.”

Sebastian nodded. “I’ll hold you to that. Hurry and eat so you can rest.”

Abigail murmured her agreement. While Sebastian typed, she leaned closer to watch.

He was coding much faster than she could. Clearly, he already had the solution worked out in his mind.

After finishing her pasta, Abigail couldn’t help but ask Sebastian, “You already have your ideas, so why are you still letting Halden Group do it?”

“I can write this small part, but there’s no way I could complete the entire project by myself.” Sebastian stood up, pulling his chair back while reaching for her plate.

“I can wash the dishes.” Abigail quickly got to her feet.

With the plate in one hand, Sebastian patted the back of her head with the other. “Work until eleven sharp, then go to bed. Got it? I’ll wake you at nine-thirty tomorrow morning. If you can’t get up, no more projects for Halden Group.”

Abigail knew he was just talking. She remembered how impossibly difficult it had been to get him to collaborate on their first project. Now here he was, helping her write proposals for Halden Group himself.

After agreeing, she sat back down to continue working on her project.

The database was the most challenging part. Even though Sebastian had already negotiated with major hospitals to connect their systems and share data, the sheer volume from hospitals nationwide had caused their database to crash several times.

Abigail finished the preliminary work before eleven. After saving everything, she lay in bed and texted Sebastian: [Are you asleep?]

Sebastian replied: [Not yet. Watching a movie downstairs. Want to join?]

Abigail stared at her phone, thinking, ‘Wait, what happened to going to bed at eleven?‘ She grabbed her phone and headed downstairs.

Sebastian pulled her down beside him as soon as she approached.

“Watch this with me, then we’ll go to bed.” A smile played on his lips.

Abigail sank into the couch, staring at the movie that was already nearing its end. Sebastian was watching that classic film, Pride and Prejudice.

She used to love this movie too. She’d watched it countless times back then, naively imagining herself as the heroine with Ralph as her Mr. Darcy. Prison had taught her just how foolish those dreams were.

Abigail was actually feeling drowsy, and the movie had lost its appeal. She had completely lost the excitement she’d felt when they first started watching.

She sat there for a while, leaning back against the couch until her head accidentally drooped onto Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian watched as she jerked awake and quickly straightened up. He took the moment to say, “Be my girlfriend.”

Still drowsy, Abigail mumbled her response. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Can I at least know why?” Sebastian kept his voice steady, though disappointment flickered beneath the surface.

Abigail stared at the screen, her mind foggy. She frowned a moment before answering. “Everyone’s saying bad things about you.”

“I mean, I think you’re a great person, but when it comes to relationships, you seem like a player. And to be honest, I’ve actually had my heart broken before.”

“Ralph?” Sebastian asked, already feeling irritated at the mention of that name.

Abigail made a soft sound of agreement.

Her voice was unusually calm as she continued. “I was twelve when I went to live with the Gibson family. That’s when I first met Ralph, and I thought he was the most handsome boy I’d ever seen.

“Growing up in the orphanage, I’d never seen anyone like him. The kids there had it rough. We wore shabby clothes and looked pretty beaten down.”

She paused, lost in memory. “It was the first time I realized boys could look that polished and perfect. But I guess that was just seeing him through rose-colored glasses.

“When you meet someone from a completely different world than yours, there’s this natural tendency to admire them. I fell for him instantly.” Abigail knew what she’d felt for Ralph was love at first sight, pure and simple.