Chapter 2

The dinner was downright awkward. 

Jake hadn't returned, and Scarlett was nervously downing her food. She was eating too fast, close to choking. The pizza was good, but it was unnerving to have Griffin's attention.

So far, he hadn't talked, yet looking at her was all he needed. The man was intense and also wickedly handsome. Scarlett felt his eyes like a physical weight on her shoulders.

Sometimes Griffin would smile at her, making goosebumps prickle over her skin. Scarlett didn't understand why she was so hyperaware of Griffin. He was good-looking, sure, but what else?

She dug deeper into her mind but found no answer.

Eventually, Griffin spoke. "Miss Greyson?"

Scarlett immediately straightened her back, and her voice came out embarrassingly skittish. "Yes?"

Why was she nervous? 

Griffin was a person. Desirable and hot, but he was Jake's dad. Scarlett told herself to get a grip.

"Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?" Griffin asked. 

His demeanor was calm and attentive, and for some unexplainable reason, Scarlett blushed.

"Not at all," she replied. "Ask away."

Griffin eyed her from his seat like a lion taking in its prey. "How long have you been seeing my son?"

Scarlett gulped. Was this the infamous "are you good enough to be dating my son" talk? It was a frightening conversation to have. Scarlett prayed she would pass the test.

"For about two years."

Griffin kept firing. "And you live together?"

"Yes."

"Do you share the same bedroom?"

"Yes."

"And you're comfortable with that?"

"Uh... I guess?"

"Did you live alone before you met my son?"

"Yes..."

"Do you share your incomes?"

"Yes..." Scarlett squirmed in her seat. Griffin's eyes were relentless and too invested in the speed interview.

"And are you studying full-time?"

"I am, but I'm also working," Scarlett was proud of the last part. "I work extra at the superstore. I don't make a lot of money because of my studies, but it has been... Keeping us on our feet."

Griffin's eyes narrowed. "And Jake?"

"What about him?" Scarlett's heart clenched. There was no stopping the questions from coming.

"Does Jake work extra aside from his studies?"

Scarlett didn't know what to say. Jake didn't work extra, but she wasn't sure if she should mention that. Yet... Lying didn't feel right. Griffin also seemed too intelligent to be fooled.

"No," Scarlett said and nervously looked at Griffin. His face was a wall without any hint of emotion. She cleared her throat. "Jake doesn't work anywhere."

"I see."

Griffin didn't ask anything else. Instead, he stared at Scarlett with his palm covering his lips. It made Scarlett straighten her shoulders to appear taller and more proper. Elegant.

She attempted a smile, and Griffin shifted in his seat.

"Let me get this straight: you're studying full-time, and you're also the sole income maker in the household?"

"Umm... I guess?"

"Interesting." Griffin smiled, but he looked vaguely disappointed behind it. His eyes were waging storms.

Scarlett gulped. "Is there... Is there something you're trying to say?"

He looked her up and down, seemingly not pleased. "I'm trying to figure out what someone like you is doing with my son. You seem like a good person, Scarlett. Well-behaved with goals in mind. You even come with a pretty smile. In my opinion, you're way too good for my slot machine addict of a son."

"Wait... What?" Scarlett blinked repeatedly. A wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. "Hold on. I-I don't understand what you're talking about? Slot machine addict? Jake?"

Realization seemed to dawn upon Griffin. 

His eyes slightly widened, and anger ticked against his jaw. "Jake hasn't told you about his habits."

His sentence was spoken as a fact, not a question.

It made Scarlett grow cold. "Told me what?"

Griffin held her gaze. "I assumed my son was here to ask for more money due to his slot machine addiction."

The blood drained from Scarlett's face, and she almost choked. "Slot machine addiction?"

"Jake spends more money than normal on stupid games that he never wins," Griffin said. "You wasn't aware?" 

Scarlett clenched her fists in her lap. They were shaking. "No..."

Darkness took over Griffin's features. Scarlett had a feeling the anger wasn't directed at her, though. Or perhaps it was wishful thinking since she found Griffin scary?

"I see that my son still hasn't changed."

Scarlett stared down at the table. "I thought we were low on money because the landlord raised our rent..."

"I'm afraid not."

Scarlett exhaled. "This is a lot to take in..."

Silence fell for what in Scarlett's world felt like five long years. Her head was about to explode. She had never suspected Jake was even interested in games.

"Are you in love with my son?" Griffin suddenly asked. 

His intense eyes roamed over Scarlett's face as if she were the only thing that mattered. Those piercingly brown eyes burned into Scarlett and compelled her to answer with the truth. It made her shudder.

"I love Jake," Scarlett declared. Her heart was shattering while she spoke. "But... What you've just told me is rather shocking, and to be honest..." she laughed, but the sound spoke of her inner pain. Her entire world was falling apart. "I'm not sure what to do..."

"Understandable," Griffin's eyes were alight with sympathy. He had barely even touched his pizza and rubbed his chin. "I have an offer for you if you're interested."

"An offer?"

Griffin lowered his voice. "I could easily pay off my son's debt, but there is something I want in exchange."

Scarlett took a deep breath. "Alright, what is it?"

Griffin was both handsome and rich. He seemed to have everything a man could ever wish for. Scarlett couldn't imagine what a billionaire could possibly want from her. 

Scarlett was also half-questioning if Griffing was really Jake's dad. While Jake wasn't bad-looking, he hadn't inherited many attributes from his dad. They were like day and night.

"Move into my mansion."

It took a while for Scarlett to process Griffin's words, and shock seeped through her once she did. "WHAT?!"

When Griffin said nothing, Scarlett became confident that she had misheard him the first time. She gathered the needed courage to look at him and blushed when she found him already observing her.

His hand was cupping his chin while the elbow rested on the armrest of his luxurious chair. His long index finger tapped against his skin, and Scarlett judged he was trying not to smile.

It made her blush.

This man was stupidly handsome.

"Sorry for raising my voice," Scarlett said and cleared her throat to regain some of her composure. "Why would you want us to move in with you?"

Griffin shrugged. "Loneliness?"

The tiny smirk on Griffin's lips told Scarlett he was full of bullshit. She would never say it out loud, though. Swearing was beyond her, and she always tried to act appropriately.

And it was more important than ever to act kind and respectful now that Scarlett was faced with possibly the only man who could save her from immediate homelessness.

"I see," Scarlett wet her lips. "It's not my decision to make alone without Jake's consent, but it sounds like a great offer in my ears. The debt would be taken care of, and we would have somewhere to live. How much would you charge us for rent?"

Griffin smiled, it was faint, but it was there. "Nothing."

Scarlett stared at him. She was about to ask him if he was joking, but Jake chose that moment to stroll into the kitchen. 

"Sorry," Jake scratched the back of his head. "The phone call took longer than expected," he grinned. "Hey, dad."

Griffin's mood immediately turned sour, and he stood up from the table without breaking into a smile. 

"I will be upstairs in my room," Griffin's eyes traveled to Scarlett's, and he briefly smiled. It almost seemed warm. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to knock on my door. You know where to find me."

"Noted," Jake said and grabbed a cold pizza slice. He made this "unf!" sound while chewing with his mouth open. "Delicious!"

"Great," Griffin shook his head at his son, disliking his lack of manners, and then headed for the door. "You two have a good night."

"We will!" Jake replied, but Scarlett disagreed with him. 

How could she have been such a fool to trust Jake? Many issues needed to be resolved tonight, and she didn't look forward to questioning her boyfriend. Was Jake really a gambler?

Her stomach was churning with discomfort. Scarlett had saved up money that suddenly had been gone; had Jake spent them on games? If the answer was yes, how could her own boyfriend do that to her?