Sebastian's eyes narrowed. The villa occupied Brisden's most desirable location-quiet yet central, four stories tall, with an outdoor pool and garden, and sprawling across thousands of square feet. Renovated with premium materials, its price was essentially a bargain in Brisden where land alone was exorbitantly expensive. The wealthy man nearly dropped his bag. "How much?" The agent maintained his professional smile. "Mr. Zeller, this is already extremely reasonable." The woman beside him encouraged, "Mr. Zeller, this place is perfect. I love the decor. I think we should just buy this place?" Seeing them calculate potential funds, Sebastian's expression darkened further. The thought of these people occupying his wedding home made his skin crawl. After their tour, the rich man left with his mistress, claiming he needed time to think. The agent lingered. Sebastian waved him over. "Sir, what's up?" Sebastian's tone was icy. "Don't bring anyone here again. I'm buying it." The agent froze, bewildered. "Seriously?" Sebastian produced a card and tossed it onto the table. "Call her. Tell her the buyer wants a face-to-face meeting. The agent nodded, though the situation puzzled him. These two are basically just transferring the deed back and forth-am I really earning a commission for nothing? I'll never understand rich people's world. "Sir, are you actually buying? Or are you just using me to meet her?" With years of experience, the agent could tell this was a contentious situation. He didn't want to be manipulated. Sebastian reclined on the couch. "How much is your commission? I'll wire 30,000 dollars as a deposit." *** Meanwhile, Anastasia had just finished her breakfast when the call came. The doctor was still on rounds. Hearing someone was interested in the villa, she replied, "I'm not feeling well, so meeting isn't convenient. If the buyer is serious, let him consider it. If the price works, we'll meet at contract signing." She wasn't willing to waste time haggling-especially since the property was already priced far below 2/3 2:06 pm D D D D market value. The phone was on speaker. The agent quietly consulted Sebastian. Sebastian nodded and wrote on the table: 'Meet in three days.' Anastasia would return by then. They had argued before, but never for this long. This time, she'd even involved his family. Yet he remained confident she would come back. The Skycrest Corporation was still under his control-they were not the kind of couple to break up lightly. Anastasia had no idea the prospective buyer was Sebastian, so she agreed. Though she had planned to return to work, her illness would likely keep her resting for a few more days. She completed her discharge paperwork and messaged her boss, confirming she'd take the remainder of her wedding leave. While showering at the hotel, Timothy called. "Ms. Abbott, someone's asking about Skycrest Corporation." 1 3/3 2:06 pm D D D D The Rose Who Chose His Rival Over Him +8 Pearls