bChapter 241 /b

    Hamlin bleaned /bheavily on his cane with his assistant’s support and addressed the media camerasb. /b“I had no knowledge of bthis /bmatter. The house was entirely overseen bby /bbmy /bson from the start. I assumed all the proper permits had been obtained.”

    Maxine sneered. b“/bGabriel is nothing but a useless good–for–nothing. As if Hamlin didn’t know about this. What a load of crapb./bb” /b

    Maxine switched off the TV with a flick of her wrist.

    Maxine closed herptop and checked in with her junior associate at the firm. Only after confirming that the Jenson family had been lying lowtely did she finally allow herself to rest, atst feeling at ease.

    b‘/bbNot /blike I could go out anyway with this bum legb,’ /bshe thought,

    ba /b

    resigned.

    By the time Maxine woke up, it was already evening. She propped herself up, intending to find something ito /ieat. But to her surprise, as she hobbled bout /bof the bedroom on her crutches, she saw a fresh thermal bag sitting on the table.

    Maxine walked over and spotted a note beside the thermal bag that read: [Dinner.]

    Puzzled, Maxine fished out her phone and texted Cleob: /bb[/bbIs /bthe food on the table from you?]

    Cleo didn’t reply.

    Maxine unzipped the thermal bag to find ba /bbowl of soup and some tbread insideb, /bboth still warm to the touch.

    Maxine paused, then hobbled to the door to check the lock. It was intactb, /bwhoever brought the food in must have used a key.

    Maxine thought, ‘Cleo hasn’t responded yet. Was it her or Urban who had it delivered?‘

    2007

    After some thought, Maxine decided against eating the food in the thermal container. She set it aside and hobbed into the kitchen bto /bcook herself a simple bowl of spaghetti instead.

    About an hourter, Cleo finally called. The moment Maxine answeredb, /bCleo practically wailed, “Maxine, you have no idea how twisted these people are!! swear my eyes are going to bleed!

    “I was just chasing a celebrity gossip story, but I never in a million years expected that guy would end up at some shady underground partiesb. /bThe stuff I had to shoot, I swear, even my beloved camera feels tainted now!”

    After venting all that out, Cleo suddenly remembered Maxine

    “Yeah,” Maxine replied.

    btext/bb. /b“You mean that bowl of soup on the table?”

    Cleo paused for a moment. “It might have been Sebastian. Before I left for my business tripi, /ihe asked me for your house key.”

    Maxine could barely believe her ears. “Wait, you just gave it to him?”

    Cleo looked a bit guilty. “I was rushing off with a pile of files, and… well, he kind of pulled a fast one on me…”

    bCleo /bsaid, “Like, he gave me the scoop on that celebrity I was after.”

    She quickly added, trying bto /bjustify herself, “I made sure to tell him not to disturb you unnecessarily. Just drink the soup. No point letting bit /bgo to wasteb./bb” /bCleo paused, then continued with a dramatic groan, “Honestly? If I had the choice right now, I’d drop everything ande straight back.”

    After hanging up, Maxine nced at the now cold soup on the table, her expression unreadable.

    Early the next morning, the vi’s front door eased open with barely a sound. Sebastian crept inb, /bcareful bnot /bbto /bmake ba /bnoiseb, /bcarrying ba /bbthermal /bbag.

    bChapter /bb241 /b

    bSeeing /bbthe /bbuntouched /bbsoup /bbon /bbthe /bbtable/bb, /bbSebastian /bbfroze /bbfor /ba second. bSteeling /bhimself, he bwalked /bbover /bband /bbquietly /bbreced /bthe thermal bag with

    one

    bJust /bas bhe /bwas babout /bbto /bleaveb, /bbMaxine’s /bbvoice /bcame from behind him, calm but direct. “Did you bring the bsoup /byesterdayb?/bb” /b

    bSebastian /bbfroze /bbmid/b–stepb, /bthen turned bto /bface her. With a wry smile, he nced at the thermal bag he’d just ced on the tableb. /b“bSorry/bb, /bbI /bdidn’t mean bto /bbintrude/bb,/bb” /bbhe /bbsaid/bb, /bb“/bBut with Cleo away on business, I couldn’t help worrying about you being here alone.”