Scarlett was about to reject Justin's suggestion. Even though she felt that staying at a hotel wasn't the ideal solution in her case, it was still better than staying with a single man in his house. Moreover, Justin had tried to pursue her romantically in the past. She didn't feel comfortable being alone with him at his place. Yet, the red tinge of his cheeks clued her into his embarrassment, as if he'd had to muster great courage to voice that mere suggestion. If she said no to him, it would definitely hurt his feelings. Justin was a decent guy. She trusted his character, and wherever she went, it would be the same to her. At least she had Natalie by her side. Nothing was bound to happen if they just stuck together.After discussing for a while longer, they called a cab to Justin's house. Although he was the only one living there alone, the house was relatively clean, far from the messy images she had initially imagined it to be. Scarlett had always thought that all men were negligent
Then, without warning, her phone rang. It was the notification tone for a text, though it sounded unusually piercing in the dark of the night.Unexpectedly, it was from Justin, who was just a few rooms away. "I am so sorry for what happened today. I shouldn't have let you do it, and I should've stopped them while they were talking and pressuring you into doing it. I hope you're not mad at me because, if it's possible, the way I feel about you has never changed. I urge you to reconsider, Scarlett, truly. When the day comes when I can support us both, marry me. Believe me or not, I will spend the rest of my life loving you. I will protect you until I exhale my last breath if that's what it takes," his text read.Scarlett couldn't come up with an adequate response for that. She knew that Justin thought something had happened between her and Jonathan in the car. Otherwise, he would never have sent her a text like this. Even though she was touched by his words, she was understandably bewild
But as Scarlett reached the door, she bumped into Justin, who was as surprised as Scarlett herself. Justin hadn't expected Scarlett to be up so early, and a flush crawled up his cheeks as he remembered the heartfelt text he'd sent her the night before. Even his smile carried tinges of embarrassment. "Why are you up so early, Scar? It's only seven. I got us all breakfast, though—wanna eat together? Or do you want to just sit and wait for a while?"Scarlett had no time nor mood to eat breakfast now that she wanted nothing more than to rush to the hospital. She smiled apologetically to him and told him as she hurried toward the door, "I'm so sorry, Justin, I have some things I have to take care of. I don't think I can have breakfast with you anymore. Oh, and when Natalie wakes up, can you tell her I had something important I have to attend to and left first? I couldn't find my own clothes, so I borrowed hers for now. Ask her to give me a call, okay?"Scarlett's hurry wasn't lost on Justin
Alyssa, too, did not want to accept this as her reality, but she was left with no other choice. Now that her husband had passed, the responsibilities of their household rested on her shoulders. She could not fall or crack under the overwhelming pressure that threatened to bring her down. She was the only one left to support her beloved granddaughter now, the only one left to support their enormous family."Scar—believe me or not, I wish this isn't real either. Oh, how I wish this is nothing but a bad dream, but it isn't. It's real, and it's horrible, but we have to keep living anyway. Your grandfather left us. It's just the two of us now. I know this is terrifying and painful, but the sooner we accept and make peace with this, the better off we'll all be. Your grandad wouldn't want to see us like this, would he?"Her grandfather was the director of the orphanage. He had been nothing but a down-to-earth, benevolent soul who'd wanted nothing but to help make the world a better place. Lot
A deep, magnetic voice queried above her, "Are you okay?"Scarlett remained unaffected by the man's voice, nor did she deign to respond. All she did was lift her head as she gazed steadily at the man, her eyes soulless and empty, the dark mist permeating those irises tugging at one's heartstrings. The man bent down to scoop her into his arms, his umbrella falling to the ground beside her. He carried her into the car in a moment and drove away as quickly as he'd appeared.When Scarlett finally awakened, she found herself overcome with bone-splintering pain, as if someone had run her over and over again until her joints ceased to belong to her. The soreness radiating through her body prevented her from standing. She could only open her eyes groggily, the unfamiliar surroundings startling her for a few seconds. She hadn't the slightest idea of where she was—the bedroom she was in was as foreign as it could be, even as she surveyed the area multiple times.The bedroom was large and spaciou
Meanwhile, in the sitting room, two equally handsome men sat alongside an elegant, beautiful woman. The three appeared deeply engrossed in conversation, a smatter of laughter ringing out occasionally. The atmosphere carried a sense of longing that was bound to entice anyone who bore witness to the magnetic sight, and a servant stood by patiently, refilling their glasses with champagne that must've cost an arm and a leg judging from the way it looked.The golden liquid glistened within delicate crystal glasses, the sight of it exceptionally gorgeous. The importance of their respective statuses filled the room effortlessly, their refinement an extraordinary sight."Come on, Jonathan, Aria, this toast is to our first joint success. Cheers!" Samuel Morrow's handsome face was adorned with a smile, his voice a rich, resounding baritone.Aria Zart was the current president of Zart Enterprise. As the eldest daughter of the Zart family, her disposition was infallible. Her wavy hair rippled down
Aria was interested in seeing what kind of woman could attract Samuel's attention against all odds. Jonathan, too, wanted to see for himself the woman whom his cousin considered her rival. As for Samuel, he was entirely calm as he waited for the girl he had saved by the roadside to appear.In just a few seconds, a pair of long, slender legs appeared to descend the stairs slowly, followed by the sharp click of heels. Its rhythmic nature mesmerized the trio, who shifted their collective gazes to her appearance when she eventually appeared in front of them. Samuel's maid, Janice, guided her into the sitting room, but the sight of the two men and one woman flustered her to no end. Momentarily, Scarlett found herself unsure of what to do in situations as such.The woman who appeared in front of the trio was undeniably gorgeous, her looks conforming to conventional beauty standards, with a sharp chin, high cheekbones, and eyes even more beautiful than Aria's. Those fathomless depths seemed t
Jonathan's gaze turned toward Scarlett, his eyes carrying the same indifference they always had. Yet, as his stare panned toward her, she felt an inexplicable chill that snaked its way down her body, making her tremble. A faint smile had his lips curling upward, reminiscent of gentleness and elegance, but Scarlett knew that it hardly meant anything beyond a superficial mask. Jonathan's eyes were still so cold, devoid of any form of life, no matter how closely she looked.Her instincts told her that he would only look at her like this because he had a plan in mind, but as for what it was exactly, she had no idea. All she knew was something bad was about to happen, something she wouldn't wish on her worst enemies, least of all herself. Regardless, no matter what it was, she would never allow herself to back down or show any sign of weakness. Who did Jonathan think he was? Did he really think he was invincible? Did he think she, Scarlett Langston, was so weak that he could walk all over h