Goodbye, Saintess. Novel

Chapter 444 On one side stood her dearest friend . On the other , the man she could not help but care for . Astrid wanted to be happy for them - she truly did . But no matter how hard she tried , she could not bring herself to smile . The tender feeling that had just begun to bloom in her heart was something she had to bury deep , where no one could see it . ' Sebastian , if only you had appeared in my life a little earlier . If I had met you first ... Sebastian , I think I almost fell for you . ' She sighed inwardly , helpless against the dull ache spreading through her chest .

All she could do now was watch her best friend's happiness from afar and silently give her blessing Meanwhile , Claire remained blissfully unaware . She sat across from Sebastian with a soft smile , eyes warm and gentle as she watched him eat . Ten minutes later , I scraped the last bit of food from the lunchbox . Leaning back in my chair , I let out a satisfied burp . " Ahh , that hit the spot . " Claire laughed . " Look at you . Do you even look like a successful young entrepreneur right now ? " Still chuckling , she stood to gather the dishes . I felt guilty and waved a hand .

" Hey , leave it . I'll clean up . " " Clean up what ? Washing the dishes has always been my job . Don't you dare take it from me , " she said , rolling her eyes . I could only surrender with a sheepish grin . Looking between the two women , I asked , " Do you have any plans later ? Since you're here , I could show you around the company . The latest batch of medicine just hit the market today . " Claire's hands froze mid - motion . She had no intention of leaving soon anyway , and now she had a perfect excuse to stay longer . Her eyes lit up . " Sure !

Give me a minute to wash these lunchboxes and utensils , then I'll come right back . Where's the restroom ? " " Out the door and turn left , " I said . Before I could finish , she was already halfway out . Astrid watched her friend disappear down the hall , that radiant smile still on her face . " I've never seen you this happy before , Claire . I'm really happy for you , " she whispered . Just then , Sebastian's voice came from beside her . " Ms. Langley , would you like to take a look around too ? " " Me ? Can I ? " she asked , startled , pointing at herself .

1/2 店 +25 Bonus " Of course , " he said with a light laugh . " We're all friends here . What's there to worry about ? " The image of Claire's beaming face flashed in her mind and dimmed Astrid's expression . She shook her head gently . " I'd better not . I still have things to take care of at the university , I should get going . " For Claire's sake , she knew she had to start keeping her distance from Sebastian . " I see . Alright then , " Sebastian said , nodding without pressing further . As if the universe agreed , her phone rang . It was a call from the university .

She murmured a quick goodbye and hurried out . Moments after she left , one of the staff from the testing department stepped in to report . " Mr. Grimwald , the newest batch of medicine has passed all inspections . The components are perfectly fine . They've also completed the trial observation period . Everything looks safe and stable overall . " I took the report from his hands and skimmed through it . " Good . If there are no issues , coordinate with the sales department and begin the launch . " " Yes , Mr. Grimwald .

" After he left , I leaned back in my chair , waiting for Claire to return . Before I could relax , a rush of footsteps sounded outside the door . The next moment , the door swung open - and instead of Claire , Metis strode in . " Well , well . The great Dr. Fey is finally back ? " ADMINJ