Chapter 163 It Was Her

At Gates Manor, the air reeked of alcohol. Empty bottles littered the floor in careless rows, a battlefield of glass and silence. Sebastian slumped into the couch, his handsome face marred by exhaustion, the whites of his eyes streaked with angry red. A bottle dangled from his hand as he drank in dull, mechanical gulps. Taylor stood nearby, restless, unsure if he dared intervene. For days now, Sebastian had lived like another man, drowning himself in liquor. He tried cautiously, his voice hesitant. "Mr. Gates, we've searched everywhere. We still haven't found her." Sebastian's hand stilled. He had once believed she would soon become Mrs. Gates, the woman who gave him a glimpse of heaven at their engagement, only to shove him into hell with her betrayal. How could she? How dare she? John stepped inside, his brow furrowing as he took in the wreckage and the hollow figure on the couch. Taylor's eyes lit with desperate hope, but John waved him off. "Leave us." Taylor left the