Chapter 16
Evelyn Roland stood at the corner of the staircase, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Sebastian Valdemar's icy gaze swept across the room, never once lingering on her. It seemed he truly didn't recognize her as the woman from last night.
"Mom, do we really have to marry Evelyn off to that devil?" Sophia Roland's voice trembled with tears.
Edward Roland rubbed his temples. "We're in the wrong here. The Valdemars aren't to be trifled with."
"Isabella, remember this lesson." Edward turned to his younger daughter, his tone stern. "Sebastian Valdemar is not someone you provoke."
Isabella Langley bit her lip and nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
Back in her room, Evelyn collapsed onto the bed. Sebastian's frosty expression flashed repeatedly in her mind.
Marrying a man like that would be pure torture.
Inside the black Maybach, Sebastian immediately noticed his assistant's unease.
"Mr. Valdemar..." The assistant's hands shook on the steering wheel.
"Speak." Sebastian's voice was like ice.
"Miss Olivia was in a car accident! She's at the hospital now!"
The car door slammed shut with such force the entire vehicle shuddered.
"When did this happen?" Sebastian's voice sharpened.
"Half an hour ago! Miss Olivia forbade us from telling you—"
The car shot forward like an arrow. Sebastian's clenched fists bulged with veins.
At fifteen, he'd lost both parents. The shadow of that tragedy still haunted him. Olivia Valdemar was the only warmth left in his world.
In the VIP ward, Olivia sat propped against the headboard, reading a book.
"Sis." Sebastian reached her bedside in three strides.
"Just a minor injury." She smiled faintly. "Though it did scare the baby."
Sebastian's eyes turned glacial. "The driver?"
"Already dealt with." Olivia took his hand. "But we should thank the girl who saved me."
Sebastian frowned. "Who?"
"A young woman trained in traditional medicine. If she hadn't acted quickly, the baby might have..." Olivia's hand drifted protectively over her stomach.
"I'll have her found." Sebastian's voice was steel. "I'll take care of Theodore these days."
At the mention of her eldest son, Olivia's expression dimmed. The boy's autism was her eternal heartache.
"Oh," she suddenly remembered, "I think the girl's surname was Roland..."