Sebastian's hands tightened slightly on his lap. His voice was low and heavy. "I'll make up for it tomorrow. I couldn't send her anything today. If Joanna finds out, it'll ruin the rest of our plan."

"Everything can still be fixed. Including..."

Sebastian trailed off, the unspoken words lingering heavily in the air. He thought about the baby Natalie had mentioned.

He was a monster, but he would never have orchestrated the murder of Natalie and their unborn child.

That was why he faked his death-to untangle the web of lies, to let Natalie know the truth, and to stop her endless suffering. Every time the child was brought up, she completely shattered.

He was starting to believe in past lives.

Marshall Spencer had been acting incredibly strange lately, especially that night he dragged Natalie over in the middle of the night just to sob in her arms.

Now that she knew the truth, even her smile seemed much lighter than before.

He hadn't known. He truly had no idea that someone identical to him existed in this world, and that this imposter had inflicted such unforgivable trauma on her.

Sebastian glanced up at Sean, who was happily counting the zeroes on his check, and felt a twinge of secondhand embarrassment. He looked like he had never seen money before.

Did Sean really think he would fake a bonus check?

But watching Sean's unbridled excitement, Sebastian couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

Sean was different from everyone else. He was easily satisfied. In all the years they had worked together, Sean was never greedy, only taking exactly what he earned. He had a good heart, and despite surviving the cutthroat corporate world, his gaze remained surprisingly pure.

With Sean, Sebastian could drop all his defenses. Trusting him with crucial tasks always gave him a sense of absolute security.

"Sean, on the third day of the new year, go see Mr. Wilson. Pull him out of the hospital, give him a new identity, and set him loose on Joanna and Maxwell."

Nathan Scott and Sophia were already tasting their own karma. He didn't even need to get his hands dirty for most of it.

Mr. Wilson was far more ruthless than any of his sons.

And then there was that guy, Zachary Scott. He didn't seem like good news either.

Sean carefully tucked the check into his jacket before smiling brightly "Boss, once the holidays wrap-up,

will start making their moves.

people will start making

We should stretch our loves.

too.

Spring is right around the corner..."

Thinking of Luna's beautiful face, Sean beamed. She was waiting for him, and with

this ten million acting as a perfect nest egg, he could finally propose.

"Boss, I'm going to propose as soon as I get back. Luna has been waiting for me."

Sebastian offered a rare, genuine smile. "Congratulations in advance. I'll handle your new house when the time comes Luna is a good girl. She comes off a bit cold, but she has a heart of gold. She risked her dife diving into the ocean to save you. That kind of devotion is worth cherishing for a lifetime."

"Sean, look at my absolute wreck of a marriage. Let me be your cautionary tale. Once you're married, treat your wife with respect, and always offer patience and understanding."

Sean already knew that. He would never be a colossal idiot like Sebastian and destroy the person who loved him most.

"Hehe," Sean chuckled awkwardly. "Boss, we're built different. I'll never let Luna down. I'm not exactly blind to reality like you were."

A sharp pain pierced Sebastian's chest. It was his own fault. He created this

nightmare, and now he had to live with the consequences.

The Sebastian from a few years ago simply didn't know how to love.

Seeing the heavy, somber atmosphere immediately settle over Sebastian, Sean realized he had pushed it too far.

He offered an apologetic smile. "Boss, don't take it to heart. The most important thing is realizing your mistakes and fixing them. You know you messed up. When you finally see her again just give her a massive apology you really put her through hell..."