Chapter 34

Now, with the firewall Abigail had built in place, the AI system could run seamlessly—no lags, no connectivity issues, nothing to hinder performance.

“Are you convinced now?” Sebastian’s voice cut into Dutton’s stunned silence.

Dutton wore an embarrassed smile and nodded stiffly.

Sebastian waved him off and then turned to Abigail. “What do you want as a reward?”

“I don’t need a reward,” Abigail said. “I’d just like to keep this laptop and maybe get some travel reimbursement. I need money right now.”

She wanted to play by the company’s miles, but her finances were genuinely tight. Besides, this laptop proved very useful in her hands.

“That’s all?” Sebastian sounded mildly surprised.

Abigail paused and wondered, “Did I ask for too little?!”

But since she had made her request, she couldn’t take it back, so she nodded.

Technically, Abigail didn’t need to show up at the office anymore now that the firewall was done. But for some reason, Sebastian brought her along anyway.

While he handled paperwork, she sat in his office watching the crime series he mentioned before.

Suddenly, a short ring broke the silence—her phone vibrated with a new notification: "Your account has received $15,000."

Abigail’s eyes lit up with surprise. Without hesitation, she transferred the full amount, marking the payment with a note: (Dahlia Bloom).

Sebastian, who was going over a document, heard the text tone. He caught a glimpse of the transfer notification on her screen, his eyes pausing on the name in the remark.

He shifted his gaze toward Abigail, who had casually put her phone down and returned to watching her series.

A flicker of anger stirred in Sebastian as he thought, "Is that it? She just wants to settle the score with me?"

His eyes narrowed, and he gave a tight-lipped smile—one that held no warmth, only danger.

The next day, Abigail didn’t accompany Sebastian to the office. She packed her things and changed back into the clothes she wore when she arrived. Then, she went to the airport, having filed a return request last night. Today, she was going back to Cobridge.

After a long journey, she arrived in Cobridge by 4 PM. Carrying her backpack, she headed straight for the villa where her grandfather stayed.

From afar, she noticed that there were no housekeepers stationed at the door. Her heart sank.

Entering the villa, Abigail saw only a few staff cleaning. She took a deep breath and turned to walk out.

“Oh, Abby, you’re back,” Blanca called out from the living room, rising from a floral arrangement she’d been working on. Her face lit up with delight.

Abigail sidestepped her attempted hug, her tone cool and even. “When is Grandpa coming back?”

Blanca was caught off guard by the question. Her expression faltered. “Abby, that depends on the nursing home, you know? Your grandpa’s condition isn’t improving. We’ll need to see how things go.”

Abigail gave Blanca a long, penetrating look. Abigail could hear the evasion in Blanca’s answer, but for her grandfather’s sake, she couldn’t afford to start a fight.

“Alright, I see.” Abigail turned and headed to her room. But the moment she opened the door, her instincts flared—someone's belongings were gone.

“What happened here?” Abigail stood in the empty room, looking at Blanca as she entered.

Bianca replied, “Abby, I told you this room was temporary for you. The room upstairs is ready now. We moved your stuff up there.”

Abigail shot Blanca a cold look and turned to go upstairs.

There were only two rooms on the second floor. But now, a third door appeared—wedged awkwardly between the others.

Bianca followed her up, speaking before Abigail could ask, “This way, Abby. This is your room.”

She opened the newly installed door. Inside was a room half the size of Abigail’s original one. It was clearly a walk-in closet repurposed as a bedroom. Her luggage had been dumped unceremoniously on the bed, clothes spilling out, looking like a chaotic mess.

“Oh, I told the maids to clean it up. What were they thinking?” Bianca looked embarrassed by the disarray.

Abigail didn’t look surprised at all. She didn’t care about these surface-level things anymore. She reached into her backpack, searching for its inner pocket—only to find nothing.

Her heart skipped a beat when she found out that her pearl necklace was gone. It was the necklace her grandfather had given her.

“Abby? What’s wrong? I didn’t know the maids were so careless. I’ll scold them right away,” Bianca said. She thought Abigail looked upset because the room was a mess.

“My necklace is gone,” Abigail interrupted.

Bianca froze for a moment. Her face was a mask of innocent confusion. “Your necklace? But I told the maids to pack very carefully. I’m sure they didn’t miss anything.”

While packing Abigail’s things, Bianca was struck by how pitifully few clothes she had, especially compared to Daniella’s closet full of designer brands.

Bianca spoke up, “Abby, maybe those old clothes aren’t worth keeping. I can take you shopping.”

“My pearl necklace is missing. Who touched my things?” Abigail’s voice sharpened with intensity.

After two interruptions, Bianca’s patience began to fray. “Abby, I packed with the maids. I watched them the whole time. No one took anything.”

Abigail stared at Bianca as she snapped, “So you think I’m lying?”

Bianca was taken aback. She instinctively replied, “No, maybe you left it somewhere else?”

Abigail let out a cold laugh. “Do I even have anywhere else to place my stuff in this house?”

Bianca’s face paled upon hearing that. Abigail didn’t want to argue. She didn’t care about anything else. She only wanted to find that necklace, the only thing her grandfather had ever given her that she could keep by her side.