It was just the two of them standing face-to-face.

Janetta looked down, as if she were weighing her words carefully.

Sebastian didn't rush her.

They were standing incredibly close, yet she made no move to reach out and touch him.

After a long, agonizing pause, her soft voice finally broke the silence. "Seb... the pressure I'm under here is just crushing me. That's why I need to leave. If I stay, it's only a matter of time before I can't hide my stomach anymore. What good does it do if I stop working? The paparazzi are still hounding my every move. I'm terrified I'm going to have a total breakdown."

By the end of her speech, her voice was trembling with unshed tears, her eyes pleading with him.

"It's better if I just leave. I won't have reporters stalking me, and I won't have to torture myself every single day wanting to see you. I won't have to picture what you're doing with your wife. It's better for the baby this way. If I stay... I'm so scared the stress is going to hurt the baby." Her eyes were already brimming with tears.

She was practically sobbing as she spoke.

Sebastian stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless.

He looked down at her, forcing a patient, coaxing tone. "Be reasonable. Come home with me. I can't protect you if you're halfway across the world. I already promised you—once I have the family shares secured, everything will be fine."

With that, he naturally reached out to grab her hand, fully intending to lead her out of the airport.

Janetta never defied him. New chapters come out on nоvelceo.com first.

But this time, she forcefully yanked her hand out of his grip.

Sebastian stared at his empty palm, his gaze instantly turning glacial.

He leveled a dark, warning glare at her. "Janetta, come home with me."

The command was dangerously sharp.

Janetta shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to go back! I don't want to suffer through this all by myself! I need to leave!"

She played the part of the tragic, heartbroken victim to absolute perfection.

Anyone else would have felt their heart shatter at the sight of her.

But he wasn't just anyone.

Amidst her theatrical sobbing, his final shred of patience officially snapped.

He was already exhausted from the endless, suffocating psychological warfare with Helena at home.

Now, he had to bend over backward to pacify Janetta's tantrums.

He used to think she was the easy one, the woman who never caused him any unnecessary headaches.

When her assistant had practically spammed his phone with dramatic hints about her 'worsening condition,' he was already losing his temper. This story is hosted at novеlceo.com.

Now he had rushed all the way here in person, and she was still throwing a fit.

His voice turned to absolute ice. "Janetta, you had your assistant blow up my phone on purpose. You had her feed me lines about how sick you were, all just to bait me into coming here. You threw this massive temper tantrum and staged a dramatic runaway act just so I'd chase after you. Well, I'm here. What more do you want from me?"

Those words acted like magic, instantly vaporizing her tantrum.

She frantically grabbed his arm, panic flashing in her eyes. "Seb, no, that's not what I meant at all! You have to listen to me, I swear that wasn't what I was trying to do..."

The moment she started panicking, her emotions spiraled out of control.

And the second she got worked up, all the color instantly drained from her face.

In the past, he would have been beside himself with worry.

But right now, he merely stared at her in cold silence.

"I'm only doing this for you! I don't want to make things difficult for you!" she sobbed louder. "I just want you to be happy. If I leave, it takes so much pressure off you. Helena won't be able to use me against you anymore. I'll go abroad, and I can take care of myself. I promise."

She murmured the words tearfully, framing her entire manipulation as a selfless sacrifice for his sake.

She was a professional actress, and she delivered every line with devastating emotional impact.

Listening to her weep, a tiny prick of guilt finally wedged its way into his chest.