Chapter 274

Abigail followed him into the house, the soft padding of a kitten trailing after them, meowing as it went.

“Blair’s more calculating than we imagined,” she said as she stepped up beside Sebastian, the corners of her mouth lifting into a wry smile.

“Showing up here today was her way of reminding me that she and you come from the same world. That this is her territory, too, and she has unrestricted access to it.”

Then, tilting her head, she asked, “Have you ever thought about living somewhere a little more… normal?” The truth was, she didn’t like this place.

It was too far from the city and too inconvenient for something as simple as grabbing a late meal.

And, most importantly, it lacked soul—no warmth, no trace of everyday life.

“If we lived somewhere more normal, it’d be even easier for her to come and go,” Sebastian replied. He had bought this house years ago, and Ida had visited once or twice back then.

She’d asked for the access code, and he had forgotten about it, something Ida had clearly taken advantage of.

“It’s not the same,” Abigail countered. “In a place like that, no key means no entry. High-tech systems might look impressive, but they’re also easy to bypass if someone knows what they’re doing. Physical locks? If you force one of those, it’s trespassing, legally speaking.”

Sebastian turned to her, his expression softening. “So what kind of place are you thinking?”

“A regular apartment building,” she said without hesitation. “With neighbors, a supermarket just outside, walking distance to work. Nothing fancy. We don’t even have to buy, just rent. And it’d make her hunt a lot harder.”

Sebastian nodded. “Alright. I’ll start looking around this week.”

She had always been drawn to places with real people and real life.

No wonder she’d once said Wyatt was kind to let her live without pretending to be some society princess.

Later, while Sebastian prepared dinner, Abigail stayed in the kitchen to help.

“You really like living in that kind of neighborhood?” he asked as he washed his hands at the sink.

“I do,” she said. “I never liked Gibson Villa. Too many rules. The neighbors were stiff, always polite but distant. Nothing ever felt like home.”

“You like places that feel lived in,” he said with a quiet laugh.

Abigail nodded. “Exactly. Blair was right about something. I don’t come from the same world as you.”

Sebastian turned off the tap, took a paper towel, and dried his hands before responding, his tone calm and steady. “The moment you start believing that, you’ve already fallen into her trap.

“We live in the same world, breathe the same air, and occupy the same space. So how could we not?”

She met his eyes. “But I do wonder… If I really asked you to live in a place like that, just some average neighborhood, would you be okay with it?”

His home was all automation and convenience. He barely lifted a finger, and that was without even hiring help.

She couldn’t imagine him in a place where nothing came with a voice command.

Sebastian opened the fridge, took out some ingredients, and replied with a faint smile, “I wouldn’t mind. Trying out a different life could be fun.”

“If I ever push you too far, you have to tell me,” she said, laughing softly. “I don’t want to drag you into my version of life if it makes you miserable.”

“I will,” he promised simply.

After dinner, Abigail still had work to do. She retreated to the study to join a late-night conference call with her company’s R&D team.

Downstairs, Sebastian took a call from Ida.

When he hung up, he didn’t go upstairs. Instead, he sat in the living room with the cats, absentmindedly scratching one behind the ears as his thoughts drifted.

He could feel it. Abigail wasn’t truly in love with him.

She went through the motions, said all the right things, and played her role to near perfection. But he couldn’t feel her heart in it.

Maybe it was the Gibson family and Ralph that hurt her too deeply. Maybe she had forgotten how to love.

Or maybe she was just too afraid to try again.

Sebastian had never lived the kind of life she described, but because it mattered to her, he was willing to try.

He sat there quietly for a long while before heading upstairs. When he reached the study, the door was still closed. Through the glass, he saw her on a video call, deep in discussion. He didn’t disturb her.

She didn’t finish until nearly midnight.

When she finally emerged, she noticed Sebastian’s door was closed.

He had already gone to bed.

She picked up her phone, and, as expected, there was a message from him.

Reading it, she felt a pang of guilt. Maybe she had been too distant tonight.

She showered, changed, and curled up on the bed before typing a reply.

[Sorry for working so late. I should’ve said something. Next time, just come in and tell me.]

She was still being too formal with Sebastian.

While she felt at ease in his presence, lately that ease had veered into something too casual—less like lovers, more like polite acquaintances playing house.

She assumed he wouldn’t see the message until morning.

But not long after hitting send, there was a knock at the door.

Abigail rose immediately and opened it, tilting her head up slightly at the sight of Sebastian standing there.