Chapter 5: Ashley’s Plan

TREVOR

I lied. Her wish isn’t my fucking command.

Ashley is totally messing up my plan and I’m so tired of the girl’s stupid jealousy games.

Halie’s were doing this open mic thing, sort of like a competition for talents and the crowd decides the winners. I guess Scarlett is competing or something and one of the organizers, Ashley’s pal, found out and told her.

If there’s one thing I dislike about Scarlett, it’s the fact that she is too stubborn and determined as fuck.

After Ashley got her fired, which I still think is a dick move by the way, I offered to give her five hundred dollars allowance a month so she didn’t have to work, but in typical Scarlett fashion, she turned it down.

Said she doesn’t want to depend on anyone but herself for her livelihood, but I just wish she wouldn’t be so stubborn so I can take care of her needs. Everything would be so easy if she can play the doll she is.

Right now, I’m sitting at the far left corner of Haile’s public bar where the contest will be held. I bought the whole fucking table so no one comes close. Ashley knows I’m here already but every time I think about openly humiliating Scarlett and breaking up with her, my heart sinks.

I don’t want to do it.

Soon people start to troop in and the DJ starts playing a mix of songs. For a public bar, the place was still up to taste. Nothing too out of the ordinary but it does the job.

Nice upholstery on the couches, expensive wine tables and decorative furniture and whoever designed the sections sure knew how to blend colors with their designs.

Then, I spot Ashley walking in with Amelia. Ashley waves at me several times, signalling for me to come over to their session but I pretend not to see her.

The stupid competition starts and one by one different contestants come up and showcase their talents. I do not pay a lot of attention, just sipping on my whiskey till it got to the fifth contestant, but why does she look like a fucking hipster?

Where did she get this tight ripped denim that salaciously packs her ass? Fuck I just want to rip those jeans off and pound that soft bubble butt of hers. She pairs it with a black halter top, and a black leather jacket. She’s wearing a beanie over what I know is a wig, because her hair isn’t that long and she definitely wouldn’t dye her hair blue, even though it perfectly matches her eye color.

Man….. she looks so beautiful matching her hair color with the color of her eyes.

I don’t really know how to describe the look on her face but it is spooky and sexy, the areas around her eyes are dark. I’ve seen her do something like this before, but not this much. I think the name has something smoke inside it but that’s the last thing on my mind right now. It’s how it brings out her beauty that enthrals me. I’ve seen her on makeup before. But going all out with this look is just too fucking tempting.

I can tell this look is some sort of disguise, she doesn’t want people to know it’s her and that is exactly what Ashley is here to do, to expose her.

Ashley’s really vile.

Ashley tries to cue me again once she recognizes Scarlett but I look away. Something inside me fills me with dread at the thought of what Ashley is about to do. I know I can’t stop her but I don’t have to help her.

As soon as Scarlett strums her guitar and opens her mouth to sing, it’s like she cast a fucking spell on the entire place. Even the waiters and attendants who have been busy walking around, all pause and focus on her.

The whole place goes eerily silent and the only sound you can hear is her melodious singing voice blending in perfect harmony with the sounds from her guitar strings.

She’s signing her favorite love song, one that she sings to me a lot. John Legend’s ‘All of me’. From the passion in her voice, I know she’s thinking of me as she’s singing.

She really has given her all to me and I plan to give her my all too, after I inherit Ashley’s fortune.

Scarlett has a natural talent for music, it comes to her effortlessly. I once asked her why she chose to study business instead of pursuing a career in music and she told me that music was just a hobby to her.

Her real dream was to one day become the CEO of her dad’s growing business empire but that’s not going to happen now. Not with what I have done.

I never really understood it anyway, why become a CEO in a man’s world when her pretty self can just be a trophy wife and be taken care of.

The sound of a mic screeching makes me look back towards the stage, jumping out of my thoughts and I see Ashley standing there holding a mic.

Seriously? She couldn’t even let her finish?

Ashley shoots me a glaring look from the stage and I duck, not wanting Scarlett to follow her gaze and see me. I’m already running out of excuses to give her for Ashley’s behavior.

I don’t want to see that look on her face and if she pushes Ashley, Ashley will call me out. This is really bad. My heart pounds hard, slamming against my rib cage at the thought of Scarlett knowing I’m the one hurting her.

If she finds out before I can remedy things as I plan to later on, I will lose her forever. Three years of patiently waiting for her to give herself to me willingly, would have been for nothing.

I need Scarlett’s affection as much as I need Ashley's money. I just need to get through this horror scene and let Ashley do what she wants.

“She’s got some real talent, doesn’t she guys?” Ashley’s voice covers the room.

“Yeah!!!!!!!” Different voices and responses come from the crowd.

Ashley is the undeniable queen of Halie’s and everyone knows who she is and how powerful her family is, so even if they are aggrieved, no one will dare express it.

“So why then won’t the bitch show us her real face,” Ashley barked, yanking the wig off Scarlett’s head and as her shiny auburn hair cascades down her shoulders, a roar of gasps echoes through the room as almost everyone recognizes her.

“Her dad’s situation must really be worse than we think if she has to compete for just a thousand dollars,” Amelia screams from the crowd.

Damn!

Only a thousand? I can’t believe she is working her ass off for pocket money like this. Positive affirmation rips through the crowd again and I glance at them, only to see as Scarlett’s face falls, tears roll down her cheeks and she grabs her wig from Ashley and runs off, but I don’t think Ashley is done with her, because she goes after her, maybe to drop the bomb that I and her were officially a thing or worse.

I can’t let her do that, not yet.

I get up from my seat, making my way through the crowd and going after them. I keep a good distance but I can see Ashley and Amelia chasing after Scarlett who doesn’t stop to defend herself as she normally would.

This is so unlike her. She’s not a troublemaker but she’s definitely no pushover. But right now, she’s crying and running away from Ashley.

Why?

I brush past Ash and Amelia, damning the consequences, when Scarlett suddenly opens the first car she gets to, a very majestic Rolls Royce Droptail.

I almost ran towards the car but I froze when I saw the plate and quickly hid behind one of the other cars, waiting for the owner to throw her out. There’s only one Rolls Royce Droptail in our entire continent and it belongs to my Uncle, Damian.

Why is the maniac suddenly back in the city?!

Scarlett doesn’t know him and he’s not exactly fond of women, or anyone really. I would have stopped her but I dare not let Uncle Damian see me.

That man is intimidating and I always feel like he sees right through me but this serves me just right. When he throws her out, I can go and play the hero after he leaves.

But to my surprise the engine revs up and the car quickly drives away.