Sebastian's Obsession

Chapter 3

My head was throbbing when I woke up. Even with a fatigued body, I tried to get up and go to work. If I let this sickness phase me out, resolving the company problem would not progress. I had already told Cana last night to fetch my things which were thrown by the devil in the trashbin like what he claimed and good thing she had retrieved them successfully. Just when I thought Sebastian was joking about dumping my belongings away, I found out he wasn't. And I hate him for that. Sebastian is, without a doubt, Satan's embodiment. I knew he was cruel and heartless, but I never expected him to be this diabolical.

I walked into the shop after I had parked my car. But before I could even enter, the guard stopped me.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but Mister Montenegro has denied you access."

My brows furrowed in disbelief. I attempted to explain and tell him that it was my company, but the more I tried to convince him, the more firm he became. I'm starting to lose my temper.

"But this is my company? Why are you prohibiting me from going inside?" I slightly raised my tone in annoyance.

It was late when I realized that it wasn't just the two of us. Some of the customers were gawking at us, obviously wondering about what was going on. They were staring at me, while others assumed I was an odd person for forcing my entry. I heaved a deep breath as I gave up. I'm already causing a ruckus, and if I keep pushing this through, it'll affect the business more. My head began to throb again. My hands made their way to my temple, giving it a short massage before getting back in my car and driving to Cana's house.

Montenegro appears to be a bully for small businesses. To constantly brag about his abilities, connections, and power. He already had the largest empire in Canais, so why would he buy my company? Considering that it isn't as well-known as his and is so small in comparison to his. It makes me wonder why he would invest in something that is beyond his league, and why should he make me suffer when I have done nothing wrong to him? I could not understand how his mind worked. But clearly, I don't like how it operates.

"Miss Liondale, I'm sorry our house is a little dirty; Amara is doing her industrial homework," Cana said as she cleaned up their living room. I'm not particularly concerned about that because my mind is consumed by the company's dilemma.

"Where's my thing?" I said, taking a seat on their grungy couch. The cover is tarnished, but it appears to be in good condition, so I wasn't too concerned.

Cana gestured her index finger to the right, which my gaze followed, and then I noticed a lot of boxes heaped against the wall, taking up one-fourth of the room. Cana's house is the same size as my bedroom. It was too small, but it had provided refuge for her and her siblings, with just enough space for a living room and a kitchen. The shelter may appear small, but it has a homey feel to it, unlike mine. Yes, I have a huge mansion, but it feels empty.

"Have you informed the agent that we've changed our meeting place?"

We can't meet at the company because even I, can't get there. It's an unexpected turn of ironic circumstances that has taken me by surprise. I never dreamed or expected I'd be stripped off from my own company one day. I was too careless to take a specific scenario into account. And now that it happened, it was too late.

"Yes, I told him that the two of you would meet in Sweet Cafe at 1:00 p.m. sharp," she said.

Cana entered their small room after that and when she came out, she handed me a package. "This is the phone you asked for last night," she said. I opened it right away and saw a new iPhone 13 Pro Max.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Thank you, Cana." This is the third phone I've had this month, and I'm hoping it'll be the last since, given my present financial situation, I won't be rich enough to afford all of my wants. I'm currently in a financial drought. Well, not really, but heading on to that.

"Help me put that paperwork into my car now; it's almost 1 o'clock and I have another appointment afterward," I said after checking the time. Following a meeting with the agent Cana hired, I'll go immediately to my family lawyer to express my concerns about the company. We've already had a handful of disputes and lawsuits, and he's been able to win all of them. So I'm hoping he'll be able to win this one, despite the fact that we have a very slim chance given who my opponent is. It's not wrong to hope for things. But I know I shouldn't put too much expectation on it or I'll get disappointed in the end. Not to mention that disappointment equates to pain.

"Thank you, Cana; your pay will be mailed tomorrow," I said as I got into the driver's seat.

Sweet Cafe is barely a kilometer from their place, so I arrived there in 5 minutes. I check myself in the mirror, and when my face appears passable, I get out of the car, put on my sunglasses, and enter the café.

As soon as I walked in, someone raised his hand, drawing my attention. There he is. My feet travel mindlessly in his way.

"Are you Devon Stale?"

The man gave a nod. I sighed and slid onto the empty seat in front of him. Before we both went on our business, I ordered an iced coffee. I haven't eaten anything since morning, not because I don't have time, but because I didn't want to eat.

"How will you be able to track her down? Are you sure you can?" I inquired after a few moments of thought. I'm pretty intrigued by his anecdotes, yet there's a part of me that is skeptical. Especially since I'm relying on my savings now. I can't waste money on scams. That'll only add to my concern if ever that happens. So, I need to be extra careful.

"This is my specialization, Miss Liondale; I have my people working in this line of work, and we can connect to the satellite to hack her whereabouts even if she isn't using any device; this isn't the 1990s; our technology is advanced right now," Stale said. He makes me look a bit stupid in that situation. He was right. We're not dwelling in the '90s any longer. We're now in the 21st century and technology is flourishing at great heights.

"OK, you've made your point; now, name your price." I sipped my coffee while scanning the cafe's atmosphere. The interior design is visually appealing, with a white and gold motif that is basic but elegant.

"10,000 dollars," Stale said. 10k? That's rather low for a fee, and for the first time in forever, I doubted his competence again. But, if this is a fraud, at least it won't be a significant chunk of money that they'll milk from me.

"All right," I mumbled, closing the deal.

I've provided him with my Aunt's information as well as her likely destination. Though I'm sure Aunt Natasha is somewhere else right now. Considering the large amount of money she got from me, she'll be celebrating right now. Undoubtedly living a lavish lifestyle while I'm here fretting about the mess she made.

"We will send you an email in five days on the outcome, Miss Liondale," Stale said before we parted ways. Hopefully, they'll be able to find her in five days.

I started my car and drove it to my lawyer's office. My head throbbed once more, my heart palpitated, and my eyesight blurred. This might be due to the coffee. I tried to remain calm as I chose to pull over on the side of the road to avoid a collision, but before I could do so, I heard a screeching sound, as if I had hit something. Damn it.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds as my head hurt more, barely forgetting that sound. However, soon enough, someone interrupted me through a constant knock on my window. I carefully opened the windowpane, my eyesight fuzzy, while my hands were still rubbing my temples.

"You hit our car and you're not even apologetic," the man in his tuxedo said angrily at me. His voice exacerbates the discomfort in my head. I'm not sure if this is just pre-fever symptoms or because I haven't consumed any nutrients for my body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit your car; I was just going to park because my head hurt," I apologized.

"You should pay for the damage, Miss," the man concluded. I took a look at the front car and saw some damage in the rear. It can be covered by insurance. But since it was merely my fault, I had no choice but to make amends and pay for it.

"How much will the damage cost?" I tiredly enquired.

"350k$"

My eyes widened in reaction to the man's remark. As though the agony in my brain had suddenly gone away. 350k$? That is about half of my savings. I want to hit and run, yet doing so will taint my reputation. How unlucky could I be? Now that I'm saving money, I'm having financial troubles.

"You're overpricing it, Mister. The damage was barely a scuff; why should I pay so much money?"

There's no way I'll pay that. If he wants, I can take his car and have my friend fix it for him. But I'm not going to pay that much money. There's no way I'm doing that.

"Just pay for it, Miss, or else let's discuss this in the police station. What do you think?" he asked arrogantly.

I rolled my eyes before accepting his challenge. It's better that way.

"Fine for me," I responded, but he suddenly looked angry at my response.

"Just pay for it, damn it," he spat angrily, kicking my car.

I was about to open my mouth when someone arrived and interrupted us. The air around him screams pride, arrogance, and power, making the man tremble under his deadly stare.

"What's the matter?" Montenegro asked, his eyes darkening while staring at the man.

"N-nothing, Mister Montenegro," the man replied before running back into his car, driving away as if he was in some sort of race. Oh yeah, everyone is afraid of the great Sebastian Ephraim Montenegro. I rolled my eyes at him as I closed the window and left him there standing. I'm thankful that he came, but at the same time, I'm not. Well, what was he doing here anyway? He's like a freaking mushroom sprouting almost everywhere. Not that I care. Skeptical coincidences are just bothersome on my part, never been a fan of them. But I guess, him, accidentally showing up a while ago, is a blessing because it saved me from paying such a large amount of money. Sebastian may be both a walking demon and a veiled angel. Yet, the latter was so rare to see.

Ah! Forget about it. What am I even thinking? Tsk. He's not worthy of my thoughts.