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
Needless to say, Aria was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events that night. Jonathan, like Samuel, was a rare attractive man. While Samuel was undoubtedly outstanding, it was relatively easy to get close to him, for he was a man not short of passion. Any woman with a decent appearance could spend at least a day by his side, though the duration of their relationship would depend on said woman's subsequent capabilities.Truth be told, if it hadn't been for Aria's status that put her above most ordinary women vying for Samuel's attention, she would've made a move on Samuel long ago. She couldn't afford to compete with those mediocre women who called themselves avid fans, nor did she ever wish to sink that low for a man. Contrary to Samuel, Jonathan's demeanor was pure and noble, a kind of otherworldly unattainability separating him from the rest of the world. He was unapproachable at best, his iciness scalding anyone who dared get too close. It was simply his nature—a lone wolf whose
Scarlett itched to dice him into a million pieces. Was he that addicted to toying with her? Not only did he take massive advantage of her just now, but he also had to say such embarrassing things in that infuriating, casual way he seemed to have perfected over the years. His mercurial unpredictability perplexed her—one moment, he was colder than ice, the next, he was breezy and affectionate like they'd known each other forever.It unsettled her, among other things.Scarlett was beginning to see how terrifying Jonathan was. He wasn't a man she could afford to cross—she knew that now. It was as if he harbored two different personalities in a single body, something she initially thought she would only witness in movies instead of in a man who had just had his hands all over her. His behavior had her suspect that perhaps those plots she had seen on screen weren't fabricated after all and that men as perverted as Jonathan really did exist in real life.Regardless of his true nature, Scarlet