Chloe blinked in surprise, thoroughly bewildered. "When exactly did you unravel the reality that it wasn't me?"

Sebastian's eyes glinted sharply, offering no direct answer as he stated flatly, "Deliver a concise communication to the individual pull the strings behind your shadow: every scrap of our historical blood feuds and active accounts will be settled concurrently."

Chloe tracked their retreating silhouettes as they turned to depart, his gaze glinting with a dark calculation as he fell into a tense silence.

It wasn't until they secured themselves inside the vehicle that Sebastian finally released his grip on her hand.

"When exactly did you decipher the truth?" Scarlett asked, her curiosity intensely piqued.

Sebastian's features didn't betray a single ripple of irritation as he answered smoothly, "The absolute second he materialized inside the café, the reality laid bare."

"I possess an absolute understanding of his psychological profile; the fact that he possessed the confidence to openly expose his form inside the perimeter meant the liability did not rest with his person."

The logic seamlessly clicked in her mind.

Sure enough, an experienced corporate tycoon operated on an entirely different tier of calculation; reading a youth like Chloe was an exceptionally effortless task for him.

"In that case, who do you deduce is the ultimate mastermind?" she pressed further.

Sebastian masterfully maintained his patience, answering levelly, "The volume of individuals capable of commanding Chloe to execute an assignment is exceptionally restricted."

Her mind raced to connect the dots, seamlessly following his logic to supply the name: "The second young master... your brother in the wheelchair?"

Sebastian gave a firm nod of confirmation, "He functions as the sole alternative."

"Of course," Scarlett analyzed smoothly, a hundred details instantly aligning. "An assassination contract of this magnitude demands absolute confidentiality; ordinary protocol dictates that the true architect handles the communication entirely on their own to restrict any exposure."

"Yet Chloe functioned as an active intermediary, which validates that the true mastermind wasn't unwilling to step forward, but was physically incapable of executing the meeting. Factoring in those specific constraints, the reality points solely toward him!"

Sebastian turned his eyes to look at her, a gentle, genuine smile breaking across his features: "Brilliant."

"Yet what exactly was the deal regarding that billionaire tycoon?" her brow furrowed tightly.

Sebastian lowered his lashes, his tone dropping to a heavy register: "Because the relationship between that dynasty family and my second brother is far from ordinary..."

He paused, choosing to leave the details unvarnished. Scarlett sensed his hesitation and expertly swallowed her intended inquiry, allowing the words to dissolve.

Deftly redirecting the crossfire, she shifted the topic: "If the conflict stems entirely from the corporate succession, forcing me into a divorce would easily fulfill the objective. Why on earth must they insist on taking your life?"

According to her analytical mapping of the family tree, the wheelchair-bound second young master had consistently remained entirely insulated from the public eye, dedicating his existence strictly to the scientific research vault without holding a single executive asset within the corporate group.

What profound blood feud could he possibly harbor against Sebastian to demand his absolute destruction?

Sebastian shook his head slowly, his voice carrying a quiet weight: "The devastating vehicle collision that left his legs permanently paralyzed years ago was connected to my person."

He turned his head to track the light and shadows passing outside the window, completely dropping into his memories.

That specific vehicle had originally been reserved for his personal use on that exact night.

"Second Master, today marks your official coming-of-age ceremony; surely we ought to execute something exceptionally thrilling?" one of the high-society golden boys had撺掇.

The proposition had instantly ignited the crowd, everyone pressing him to execute a highly hazardous racing event through the mountains.

Though the second brother consistently projected a flawless facade of gentle warmth to high society, those within the inner circle were fully aware that he operated with an absolute, manic wildness when unleashed.

Sebastian had tracked the second brother offering a firm nod of agreement, an intense anxiety tightening his own chest.

Executing a mountain race required everyone to utilize their personal high-performance vehicles.

The three young masters of the household naturally possessed their designated corporate cars.

Yet staring out at the suffocatingly dark night, Sebastian had hesitated extensively before stepping back from the vehicle door.

"You are free to enjoy the event; I am far too exhausted tonight," Sebastian had rejected the invitation flatly.

The second brother's expression had instantly darkened; at that stage of his life, he had yet to completely weld his gentle mask onto his features, leaving his deep irritation starkly exposed.

Chloe had quickly stepped in to manage the sudden friction, attempting to force Sebastian toward the vehicle as he cajoled, "Brother, today functions as our sibling's milestone celebration; do not call a premature end to the joy. Let's all proceed together!"

Chapter 36

Sebastian had firmly pushed his hand away, casting a final, detached glance over his brother before turning around to head straight back upstairs.

The atmosphere had instantly dropped to freezing.

No matter what volatile currents surged beneath the surface within the household, ordinary social protocol dictated maintaining a flawless facade of civility.

Absolutely no one had anticipated Sebastian would execute such an aggressive, direct departure, stripping them of every scrap of face.

The tension had gone completely rigid.

Chloe’s mind had raced to engineer a recovery, instantly declaring to the crowd:

"Since our elder brother prefers to recuse himself, we will proceed on our own! We cannot allow his absence to disrupt such a magnificent atmosphere!"

The second young master had given a firm nod: "If he prefers to stay behind, we will execute the event entirely on our own."

With those words, he had marched directly up to the vehicle waiting by the curb and secured himself inside the cabin.

That exact vehicle suffered an absolute brake failure while navigating the winding mountain curves, plunging into a catastrophic collision that permanently cost the second young master the use of his legs.

And that vehicle had originally functioned as Sebastian's designated corporate car.

Had he chosen not to execute his departure that night, the individual bound to a wheelchair today would have been him.

"The true architect behind that failure was Chloe," Scarlett analyzed, absolute certainty underlying her tone.

Sebastian's eyes glinted sharply, tracking her expression: "You state that with such immense certainty?"

She turned her face to offer a calm smile, countering, "The individual who reaps the absolute highest tier of executive utility from a crisis is invariably the one who engineered it; is that reality truly difficult to decipher?"

Sebastian let out a soft chuckle upon hearing her deduction. He pulled his gaze back to track the distant lights outside the window, murmuring, "If only he possessed the capacity to pierce through that reality as well."

She observed his profile, perceiving a quiet, heavy sorrow completely enveloping his silhouette.

Perhaps at some point in his existence, he too had harbored a genuine desire for fraternal connection, yet...

She lowered her lashes, a profound wave of empathy rising in her chest until her throat felt tight.

Sebastian suddenly broke the silence, his tone carrying an absolute authority: "Do not offer a shred of belief to Chloe’s assertions. I have absolutely no intention of executing a divorce."

The statement caused Scarlett’s heart to sink heavily.

She had consistently dreaded navigating toward this precise threshold throughout their journey, yet despite her evasion, the topic had been brought directly into the crossfire.

"Um..." she began with a subtle hesitation, forcing the words out, "actually, executing a divorce would function as an exceptionally fine solution."

She didn't dare to lock her eyes against his, yet she could feel the man beside her instantly snapping his gaze to pin her, his eyes burning with an intense fury as if trying to drill straight through her mind.

"Is that so?" Sebastian's voice failed to betray a single ripple of warmth, every syllable sounding as if it were being squeezed through his gritted teeth. "Why on earth do you harbor such a persistent desire to dissolve our bond?"

Scarlett pressed her lips together, replying levelly, "Our arrangement functioned strictly as a fake marriage from the absolute beginning..."

The moment the syllables faded, her fingers automatically tightened against the fabric of her trousers.

The atmosphere inside the cabin was shifting dangerously...

Why on earth was the air growing increasingly freezing?

Scarlett gritted her teeth and continued seamlessly: "Right now, you require the active marriage certificate to secure your executive succession, so I have absolutely no intention of disrupting that process; yet the exact second you no longer harbor any utility for my presence, you are free to execute a divorce at any moment, and I guarantee I will offer absolutely no resistance."

Sebastian fell into an absolute, dead silence.

She carefully raised her lashes to steal a glance, only to collide head-on with a pair of burning, furious eyes.

"Scarlett, does a legal marriage function as nothing more than a farcical game to your mind?"