Chapter 493

The sight of the two lovers wrapped in each other's arms sent a surge of conflicting emotions through Sebastian, but in the end, he found solace in their happiness.

As her protective older brother, wasn't his sole purpose in life to ensure Arabella's joy?

And that happiness wasn't for anyone else to judge—only her. It was her choice, her right.

After enduring countless trials, she had chosen Nathaniel without hesitation. To take that love away from her now would be the cruelest act, the true destruction of her happiness.

"Dominic's been pulling the strings from the shadows, manipulating Victoria," Nathaniel said, his voice dark with frustration. "We cornered her at that dinner, pressed her for answers, but even then, she refused to betray him."

Arabella nodded in agreement.

Harrison's fists clenched, trembling with barely contained fury. "I'm so sorry, Nathaniel, Arabella. 'Spare the rod, spoil the child,' they say. This is my fault—mine and Mom's—for indulging her too much!"

"Harrison, don't blame yourself," Nathaniel said gently. "This isn't your doing."

"She could've been someone decent, but instead, she chose to be Dominic's lapdog!"

With a violent swing, Harrison shattered the porcelain teacup on the table. "If she's so eager to follow that bastard, maybe I should just throw her at him and let her grovel at his feet!"

Arabella bit her lip, unsure how to comfort him.

Having a sister like this was nothing short of a family tragedy.

"Look, I don't mean to be crass, but judging by Miss Elara's looks, Dominic clearly has standards," Sebastian drawled, lounging back on the sofa. "With your sister's face, she wouldn't even get close enough to polish his shoes."

Silence.

A beat passed as everyone processed Sebastian's blunt remark.

"I suspect Elara is one of Dominic's most valuable assets," Arabella mused, studying the photo of the woman who looked eerily like her. "After all, 'a woman's beauty is a deadly weapon.' She must have been by his side for years. That face is likely his masterpiece—proof of just how deep their connection runs. She must know all his secrets."

Harrison's jaw dropped. "Damn. So because he can't have Arabella, he keeps a lookalike around to satisfy his sick fantasies? Is she supposed to be some kind of substitute?"

Substitute.

The word sent a cold fury through Nathaniel. The thought of Dominic keeping that woman as a stand-in for Arabella, indulging his twisted desires in the dark—

His grip on Arabella tightened instinctively.

"Ugh." Arabella shuddered. "He's disgusting. But even as a substitute, she deserves better than him."

Sebastian continued, "I followed them to the mountainside, saw them enter an exclusive private club. Members-only, password-protected. I didn't follow them inside—didn't want to tip them off."

"Mountainside? A club?"

Nathaniel wasn't familiar with such places, and Arabella, not being from Elmsworth, was even less so.

They both turned to Harrison.

"You mean The Velvet Haven?" Harrison ventured.

"Bingo! Leave it to Harrison, the professional playboy," Sebastian teased, snapping his fingers.

Harrison's expression soured. No matter the context, those words never felt like a compliment.

"I checked through the Sky System, and guess who owns The Velvet Haven? Dominic himself," Sebastian said, his expression hardening. "He's been spotted there countless times, rubbing elbows with Elmsworth's elite. On the surface, it's a high-end club. Underneath? A den of corruption. Dominic's nothing but a glorified pimp."

"The Sky System? Are you serious?" Arabella's eyes widened. "That's like using a nuclear bomb to kill a fly! Sebastian, don't risk your career over this—it's not worth it!"

"Arabella," Sebastian said, his deep-set eyes narrowing as he took her hand, "there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Don't worry—an occasional use won't raise alarms. Besides, I'm tired of playing games with that snake Dominic. I want to help you both end this quickly."

Not just him. Both of them.

Nathaniel was deeply moved, speechless.

Arabella's eyes glistened as she curled her fingers around Sebastian's. "Sebastian... thank you. Really."

"I know how badly you want the family to see that Nathaniel was framed by Dominic," Sebastian said with a scoff, glancing at Nathaniel. "Otherwise, forget marrying into the family—he might not even make it past the front door."

"Sebastian!" Arabella scolded.

"Come on, our Nathaniel's got nerves of steel when it comes to Ms. Sinclair!" Harrison laughed, clapping Nathaniel on the back.

Silence.

A metaphorical crow could have flown through the room.

Arabella sighed. "Harrison, you do lighten the mood. But maybe keep some thoughts to yourself next time."

Harrison shut his mouth like a chastened child.

"Since this woman is clearly important to Dominic, we shouldn't touch her yet," Nathaniel said gravely. "We'll monitor her movements discreetly."

"Monitoring isn't enough," Arabella countered, her mind already spinning schemes. "We need to turn her. Bring her to our side. First, we investigate her, understand her, then win her over."

Nathaniel frowned. "Arabella, that won't be easy. Dominic's been embedded in Helgen for fifteen years. If he hadn't cultivated loyalists, his influence wouldn't have spread this far. That woman knows she's your stand-in, knows she's being used—yet she's stayed by his side for years. An outsider won't easily break that bond."

"Why not?"

Arabella's gaze settled meaningfully on Sebastian. "With me and Sebastian on the case, I'm not worried about winning her over. The other night, she was armed and ready to kill him—yet in the end, she spared him. I think she's taken a liking to him. And if that's true, then this honey trap might just be our key to cracking this case."

Nathaniel and Harrison exchanged uneasy glances.

The Sinclair heiress was ruthless—even willing to sacrifice her own brother!

They expected Sebastian to explode, but instead, the man smirked, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Fine. Let's see what this woman's made of."

Holy hell. He was actually going along with it!

Was this what they called professional dedication?

"Arabella, this is too dangerous," Nathaniel protested. "That woman didn't succeed last time, but she'll try again. She's under Dominic's thumb—she could use any dirty trick in the book. We can't possibly guard against them all."

Before Arabella could respond, Sebastian scoffed, a wild, wicked grin spreading across his face.

"Please. No one in this world can hurt me."

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the damp, musty basement of The Velvet Haven, making even the hardened guards at the door flinch.

The scene inside was even more horrifying.

Elara's wrists were shackled, her slender body suspended midair. The sheer silk slip she wore was nearly transparent—and now stained crimson with blood.

Dominic, exhausted from his exertions, collapsed onto the couch, tossing the whip to Vincent before downing a glass of red wine in one gulp.

"Mr. Chambers..." Vincent trembled as he took the whip.

"What? Feeling sorry for her?" Dominic's lips curled into a cruel, bloodthirsty smile, his glasses spattered with droplets of red. His eyes gleamed with terrifying sharpness. "Or do you want to end up just like her?"

With no choice, Vincent approached the battered Elara, teeth clenched.

"Elara... just endure it. I have to follow Mr. Chambers' orders."

Elara gasped weakly, lifting her heavy eyelids. "Don't hold back. Beat me to death. It'd be a mercy. My life is worthless anyway."

Her words sent Dominic into a rage.

He stormed over, shoving Vincent aside before grabbing Elara by the throat.

"So you've developed feelings for Sebastian, have you?"

His grip tightened, his eyes wild with fury. "Is this your way of defying me? The old Elara would do anything to survive. Now you don't want to live? Your life belongs to me, Elara. Only I decide when you die. You don't get to choose!"

Elara's breath grew faint, her face turning from red to purple.

In the past, she would have pleaded—

She loved no one. From the moment she saw him at fifteen, her heart had room only for this man who wanted her dead.

But now, defending herself felt like a pathetic joke.

Even if she could explain about the night she shared a room with Sebastian, about the box of antacids he gave her—which Dominic burned to ashes—

She couldn't justify the tender kiss they'd shared.

Vincent, terrified, cried out, "Mr. Chambers! Please—you're going to kill her!"

"She betrayed me! She got close to Sebastian! Doesn't she deserve to die?" Dominic roared.

"Elara has used her charms to get you out of countless tight spots over the years!" Vincent argued desperately. "This time is no different! And Sebastian—he's the toughest of the Sinclair brothers! If Elara can get close to him, we'll have our chance to eliminate him!"

The words seemed to snap Dominic out of it.

His grip loosened slightly.

"Elara! Stop being stubborn—apologize to Mr. Chambers!" Vincent urged.

"I'm sorry," Elara whispered, her voice broken and hollow. "But Dominic... what am I apologizing for? I've done everything you asked. You never cared for me, and I accepted that. What else do I owe you an apology for? Tell me. Tell me!"