My Unborn Baby Chose My Husband for Me novel Chapter 223

The news of the partnership between the two families had been the talk of the town all day.

Regardless of what anyone else said, Sienna considered it a fantastic omen.

Melody was willing to bail out the Sullivans, and Sebastian wasn't acting as cold toward her anymore.

Everything was falling into place exactly as she had hoped.

Sienna sat up in bed and fired off a text to Sebastian.

"Sebastian, are you free tomorrow? I'd love to take you out to dinner to celebrate."

It took several minutes before he finally replied.

"Rain check. I'm busy tomorrow."

Sienna stared at the message, her smile freezing in place.

"Sure, some other time then."

She set her phone down and took a deep breath.

He hadn't flat-out rejected her; he just asked for a rain check.

That was enough for now.

Over at the Monroe residence.

Melody lounged on the sofa, a faint, cryptic smile playing on her lips.

Harmony Banks sat beside her, glancing over at her friend.

"Melody, are you seriously going into business with Sebastian?"

Melody's tone was breezy. "The ink is dry on the contract. It's as real as it gets."

Harmony hesitated. "But with the mess his company is in right now..."

"Their current mess is exactly what makes them so easy to control."

Melody turned to look at Harmony, her voice smooth and unhurried.

"Harmony, remember this. When you partner with someone who's backed into a corner and toss them a lifeline, they'll worship the ground you walk on."

Harmony nodded thoughtfully.

A calculating gleam flashed through Melody's mind.

Did Sebastian genuinely think she cared about this partnership?

His company meant nothing to her. She was simply throwing around some cash to make life miserable for someone she despised.

...

The Urban Development Summit was approaching. The news had leaked a week in advance, sending the entire real estate sector into a frenzy.

Everyone was desperately trying to dig up intel on the zoning plans for the east side.

Sebastian sat in his office.

His assistant asked cautiously, "Mr. Sullivan, will you be attending the summit tomorrow?"

Sebastian stayed quiet for a moment before answering, "Yes."

He didn't respond.

He hadn't planned on bringing her in the first place, but she had relentlessly worn him down until he caved.

At exactly ten o'clock, the summit officially commenced.

Officials from The Department of City Planning took the stage, and the chaotic room instantly fell silent.

The zoning map for the east side flashed onto the massive screen.

The officials began reading out the development blueprint.

A low buzz of murmurs swept through the crowd.

All eyes were glued to the map, every single person mentally calculating the profit margins.

The east side was about to blow up.

Land values were going to skyrocket.

The officials kept reading the proposal, but the audience had tuned them out entirely.

Everyone was frantically scanning the red boundary lines on the map, looking to see where their own investments fell.

Sebastian stared at the screen, his fingers slowly curling into tight fists.

Lucian's plot sat dead center in the most crucial zone of the new development.

The massive new city park was going to be built right next to it.

That single piece of land was now the most valuable asset in the entire eastern district.