Chapter 387
Then Go and Take Her.
Theodore and Emilia were no longer the people they once were.
They had built their own families.
Their lives had diverged onto separate paths.
"Do you still remember the dreams we had when we were young?" Theodore broke the silence.
Isabella nodded.
"You loved astronomy. You wanted to join the space agency."
The man offered a bitter smile.
"I was so naive back then. I thought dreams were within easy reach."
"In the end, I took over the family business. I became the heir my parents expected."
Isabella's lips curved into a faint smile.
"The Valdemar name is prestigious now. You've done very well."
But I lost you...
Theodore's words caught in his throat.
He changed the subject, speaking of his experiences over the years.
When he mentioned finally marrying Irene, his tone was hesitant.
He looked into Isabella's calm eyes.
A sudden question escaped him.
"What have you been through all these years?"
"We searched everywhere for you. No one had any news."
"We never imagined you were right here in the neighboring city."
Isabella saw him as an older brother.
She recounted her past in detail.
When he heard she had drifted on the river for a full day and night before being rescued, Theodore's heart clenched.
Isabella sensed his distress.
She offered a gentle smile.
"It's all in the past now... I'm doing well."
Theodore fell silent.
He appeared to have a perfect family. A successful career.
It seemed he had no regrets...
Except for Isabella.
Was he truly happy?
His gaze rested on her, dark and heavy.
After a long moment, he finally asked the question—
"Do you blame me? For marrying your sister after you disappeared?"
Isabella was surprised.
Then she laughed, free and easy.
"No, I don't blame you."
"We both have our own lives now. Let the past stay in the past."
"Cherishing the present is what matters."
...
The night was deep. A cold moon hung in the sky.
Sebastian found himself back at that bar.
"Hey handsome, buy me a drink?" A woman in revealing clothes approached him.
Sebastian pushed her hand away. His smile was cold.
"Number nine."
"...What?" The woman was confused.
"You're the ninth one to hit on me. I told the first eight to get lost."
"What makes you special?"
"Psycho! Who do you think you are, some emperor picking concubines?"
"I'm not an emperor. But you—you can get lost."
"You motherf—" The woman flushed with anger.
Sebastian lifted his cold eyes.
"Before you start cursing, be prepared to get hit."
The woman hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes.
Her friend quickly pulled her away.
"...Stop making trouble!"
"You're not helping me, you're dragging me away?!"
"If I didn't drag you away, once those men in black suits come over, you won't be able to leave!"
"Bodyguards? Who is he?"
"Those two men in suits have their hands in their pockets. They're obviously armed! Only you are blind enough not to see!"
...
Sebastian signaled his bodyguards to move closer.
Finally, there was peace.
He poured a drink slowly.
Unlike yesterday's frantic gulping, his expression was unreadable and detached.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a booth not far away.
Tch.
Theodore sensed the stare.
He turned and locked eyes with his son.
The air froze instantly.
Father and son simultaneously looked away.
Sebastian picked up his bottle and walked over. He sat down beside his father.
"Here for a drink?"
Theodore gave him a bland glance.
"What a stupid question."
People come to bars to drink, not to watch movies.
"As for you—" Theodore looked at the bottle in his son's hand. "I thought you quit."
Six months ago, Sebastian had suddenly quit smoking and drinking.
Theodore had been surprised he could stick to it.
How long had it been before he broke?
Sebastian's lips twisted.
"No one cares. Why quit?"
Theodore raised an eyebrow.
"Got dumped by a woman?"
A father knows his son.
Sebastian was silent.
Theodore chuckled.
"Really got dumped? Interesting."
"Don't talk about me. You're not much better," Sebastian retorted.
Theodore's face darkened instantly.
"...What nonsense are you talking?"
Sebastian: "You raced from S City to here. Pushed the accelerator through the floor, didn't you?"
"How many red lights did you run? Do you even have enough points left on your license?"
Theodore: "..."
"Old man, tsk tsk..." Sebastian looked him over. "I never knew you could be so impulsive."
"No wonder Mom is always throwing tantrums."
With every word, Theodore's face grew darker.
Finally, it was black as ink.
"What do you know!"
"It's just that you're hung up on my aunt? But she's with someone else now. You have no chance. Is that so hard to understand?"
Theodore: "..."
"Old man, is my aunt really that great? Enough for you to pine for her for over twenty years..." By the end, Sebastian himself seemed lost in thought.
Yeah, was she really that great?
Worth thinking about day and night?
Theodore wasn't in a hurry to answer.
He picked up his glass and swirled it gently. Suddenly, he smiled—
"We both love red wine. You prefer Pétrus. I prefer Romanée-Conti. Why?"
Sebastian was taken aback.
Theodore threw his head back and drained his glass.
"There's no reason for liking something. You taste the best, and naturally, you fall in love. No reason needed."
"Once you've tasted it, fallen in love, but can't have it... what then?"
Theodore's eyes suddenly turned vicious.
Then, just as quickly, they were calm again—
"You go crazy."
Sebastian's lips curled in self-mockery.
"Even if you go crazy, you still can't have it."
Theodore: "Then go and take her."