The only reason those companies had agreed to work with Gibson Group in the first place was because of Wyatt’s legacy. His achievements had earned them one last vote of confidence.

But now, with the company in scandal and Wyatt gone, none of them were going to cut his successor any slack.

Sebastian said, “This industry’s all about clout and leverage. If you’ve got brand value and something to offer, they treat you like royalty. The moment you’ve got nothing, they trample you.”

James, still driving, added, “This is a ruthlessly pragmatic circle. Honestly, the three who showed up tonight were already doing Gibson Group a favor. The ones who didn’t come are showing their true colors.”

“Just wait. Once word gets out that Seb and I accompanied you tonight, they’ll definitely be asking you out to dinner.”

Abigail blinked. “So… should I host another one?”

Sebastian said in his usual laid-back tone, “Of course. No reason to take a loss for nothing. When you do, just call me.”

Abigail looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words. She thought, ‘After all, it’s all thanks to them!’

Sebastian said, “I know what you’re thinking. But in this industry, everyone wishes they had some backing. You’ve got me, James, and Warren in your corner. That’s something to be grateful for. There’s nothing shameful about making money.”

Abigail said softly, “I just feel like I owe you guys so much. Being friends with me… kind of feels like being stuck with trouble.”

Sebastian let out a quiet chuckle. “If I thought you were trouble, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. And honestly, your situation’s really not a big deal to us, so helping out was no trouble.”

James chimed in from the driver’s seat, finally saying what he’d been holding back, “Falling for someone is never easy. If you’re gonna complain about their messy family, then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten close in the first place.”

Sebastian smiled faintly. “He’s got a point.”

Abigail’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Sebastian was at it again, teasing her, “Come on. Give me a chance to get to know you.”

Abigail fidgeted with her fingers and said, “I’ll be swamped with company business from now on, so I won’t have much time. Plus, with my parents and brother all in prison, it’ll affect our kids’ chances of getting government jobs in the future…”

‘I think I’m getting ahead of myself here,’ she thought, and immediately bit her lip in embarrassment.

James burst out laughing. “Abby, I didn’t realize you were this serious. Seb, you’d better stop playing it cool and start getting serious too.”

Sebastian leaned in closer and said with a grin, “Forget about government jobs. Land more deals and build up our fortune so our kids and grandkids will never have to worry about a thing. How does that sound to you?”

Abigail gave him a look and pushed him away. “There’s no point talking about our grandkids now. We’re still just getting to know each other.”

Sebastian looked at her with hopeful eyes and asked, “So… wanna make us official?”

“You’re hiding something from me. If you don’t come clean, I won’t make us official,” Abigail warned. Honestly, it had to be Clark. She’d suspected for a long time that he...

Sebastian straightened up, frowning slightly as he thought it over before saying, “You already know the truth in your heart. I can’t explain everything, but I promise whatever it was, it’s over. It won’t affect our future.”

Chapter 251

Abigail turned to him and asked, “Then can I ask about my time in prison?”

Sebastian nodded. “Ask away.”

Abigail asked, “I spent six months doing odd jobs inside, then got transferred to a tech project team where I started working with code. Did you pull strings for me?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied.

“That’s all I needed to know?” In that moment, everything clicked. She finally understood how much he’d done behind the scenes to ease her way back to a normal life. Knowing this, Abigail felt perfectly content.

“Thank you,” Abigail murmured, a note of happiness coloring her voice.

“Then make us official,” Sebastian said quickly, not missing a beat.

Abigail looked at him. “So, what should I call you now?”

“Call me babe,” Sebastian said, leaning closer to her.

“That’s too much. I’ll just call you Seb like everyone else,” Abigail said. She hated adding the word “babe.” It just sounded way too cheesy.

“Fine, call me whatever you like. It’s your choice,” Sebastian replied, trying to keep a straight face, but his smile was fighting a losing battle.

‘I’ve gotta celebrate this later,’ Sebastian thought to himself.

“Hey, when we get to your place later, could you help me figure out how to make the robot smarter?” Abigail said. Truth be told, she’d been thinking about this ever since they left the hotel.

Sebastian was rendered speechless. He thought, “Why aren’t we celebrating with a cheesy rom-com? Instead, I have to work on such a happy day!"