Hector is waiting impatiently on the road for Ben. Accompanying him is Jim, who arrived from the Capital a few hours ago and had just heard of the explosion in the mines. He shudders to think that Hector planned it all and he keeps on glancing secretly at his phone.“Where is he?” Hector growls. “He should’ve been here by now!”“Whom are we waiting for s-sir?” Jim dares to ask.“That f*cker Ben!” Hector yells. “He’s supposed to bring Scarlett to me-”Hector stops himself before saying anything else but the beans have been spilled. Scarlett? Jim is alarmed.“Not one word!” Hector warns him. “Ben is bringing Scarlett to me!”
*Twelve years ago*Miranda puts on a coat and picks up her umbrella. It’s nearly 12 AM and her duty ended at the Hawkins mansion. The weather outside seems cloudy and cold, so she pulls her coat closer and heads outside. She’s walking along the lonely pavement when a car pulls up behind her.“Miranda!” a familiar voice calls out. Miranda turns toward the car and finds a familiar face. It’s Elle.“Miss Elle!” She gasps. “What are you-”“Let me drop you off,” Elle offers. “I just got my license!”Miranda is skeptical. “Are you here to visit Master Hector?” She asks. “I think you should head back home. It’s late.”But Elle shakes her head. “I was just in the neighborhood,” she claims.At 12 AM? Miranda wonders. Aloud she says, “Alright. If you insist, Miss Elle.”She gets into the car and they drive off. Elle doesn’t talk much throughout the journey and Miranda is glad. There’s something off about the girl but she can’t exactly pinpoint it.“How’s Miss Scarlett?” Miranda asks, attempting
“Elle wait!” Ryder huffs when she runs far ahead. Elle giggles in joy as she flashes his book in her hands.“You gotta chase me, Hoover!” She taunts him. They’re at the park, on a date. Yes, they’ve been dating throughout the summer in secret. Elle reckons that her parents are very strict and won’t approve of her dating. Moreover, her stepsister is also out to ruin her life which makes Elle reluctant to disclose their relationship.“Elle, I’m reading that!” Ryder claims. Elle sticks out her tongue and flips through the pages until she reaches one. She turns it around to show him. The page has only her pictures, smiling and laughing with him.“You’re just ogling at me!” She laughs. Ryder pouts but smiles and walks over to her. “They’re all mine,” he smiles and kisses her.Elle is ecstatic. She finally found her soulmate. This man is hers and she’s his.Ryder’s phone rings. He takes it out to find that it’s his mother who’s calling him.“Hello, mom?” He greets her. Elle’s blood goes co
*Twelve years ago*Elle is standing in front of the Hawkins mansion. She’s not afraid nor does she have any scruples in what she’s going to do. As long as she has Ryder by her side, she doesn’t care about anything else. “His parents must die for daring to take him away from her!She rings the doorbell. A new maid opens the door.“Yes?” the maid frowns. “I’m here to meet Mr. Hawkins,” Elle says. The maid is suspicious of the girl.“It’s late at night. You can meet him tomorrow-”“I must meet him now! His life is in danger.”Elle sounds desperate now which alarms the maid. She thinks hard. What if the girl is telling the truth? “Alright, come in.”She steps aside to let Elle inside. Elle waits in the living room while the maid goes to fetch Vincent. He arrives a few minutes later, fully dressed. Vincent rarely sleeps, preferring to stay up all night to work. He eyes the young girl with interest. “You’re Elle Swanson,” he states. “Hector’s friend. James Swanson’s daughter.”“You know
Ryder ends his story with a sigh and turns to Scarlett. She has a complicated look on her face, wondering what to say.“You must think of me as a fool!” He muses. “Falling for Elle like that.”“You were a teenager,” she reasons. “You didn’t know any better.”Ryder stares at her in amusement. “You’re telling me that you’re not jealous that I kissed her?” He teases her.Scarlett gives him a look which makes him shut up. “Don’t push my buttons!” She warns. “I’m mad about it but I can’t help it. You were a dumb teen.”That’s the Scarlett I know, he muses. “What’s your story?” He asks. “Your sob story with Elle.”“I have no sob story,” she mutters. “I do have a hate story.”“Tell me,” he purrs. “I’ll listen this time.”Scarlett stares at him for a while before sighing. Since he was honest with her, she has to be honest with him as well.“I guess, I was never really taken by her,” she admits. “It was my reluctance to accept the Swansons which led to all this…”….*Flashback*Isabella is dri
The whole class is abuzz with children’s chatter. Scarlett nervously looks around, feeling lost. The other kids are ignoring her, talking and playing amongst themselves. They’re not even looking at her way which only increases her sense of isolation.It has been over a week since she started the new school and she’s already miserable. No one wants to be her friend because she looks too angry and unapproachable. They whisper behind her back, pointing at her. Everyone knows that her mother married James Swanson, the richest tech moghul in the country. Many of the parents look down on Isabella because of her lower status and this attitude also extends to Scarlett. The parents told their children not to talk to her because she’s beneath them.Scarlett doesn’t tell this to her mother. Isabella is already stressed with office work and the added complications will make things messier. Scarlett is also stubborn, refusing to share her troubles with others. She’s used to doing things on her own
James is in his study, yawning. Isabella is still at the office because she’s handling a big project so he’s taking care of the kids for the night. His session at Elle and Scarlett’s school went well. As Scarlett’s guardian he explained how he’s proud of her work. She didn’t look directly at him, keeping her eyes on her toes all this time.Did I go too far? James wonders. The girl barely talks to him and maintains a distance. She’s still taking time to adjust to her new environment but it seems that she doesn’t want to accept him. It’s not surprising to James because Isabella’s ex had flat out rejected Scarlett. Isabella told him about how Scarlett’s father abandoned her and is now living with another family elsewhere.It’s unfathomable to James that a father would reject his child so cruelly. Seeing Scarlett’s sad eyes only makes him want to create a better environment for her even if she doesn’t want to accept him.Tap! Tap!He’s startled when he hears a soft knock on the door. It m
“Highest score yet again, Scarlett!” The teacher announces as he hands out the test papers. Scarlett merely smiles while the other students glare at her with jealousy. She can feel Elle’s fake smile behind her, making her sigh.“Aww, I’m so jealous!” Amelia moans as Scarlett sits down next to her. “How come you always get the highest grades? And I keep on getting average!”“You hate Biology,” Scarlett points out.“I’d do better if you’d just let me copy your homework!”Amelia pouts at her sixty percent. Her father has no hope for her. Unlike her elder brother, Amelia is ignored because she’s a girl. Vincent scarcely cares for her other than giving her expensive things to use. Other than that, she’s on her own and it’s a blessing of sorts. Hector is highly protective of her and keeps her away from their father’s abuse. But Troy…“Where’s Sara?” Scarlett asks, looking around to find her.“She’s at a modeling audition,” Amelia whispers. “She doesn’t wanna make a big deal out of it yet.