Scarlett's POV
“What was that?” Aurora blinks. My one-sentence phone call amazes her.
I grip my phone, for the second time today, struggling with my plan. I just want to stop being hurt. Is it too much to ask? I close my eyes. A part of me wants to just grab the ticket and leave, letting the world burn behind me.
But I can’t. If mom needs a blood transfusion, I need to be there. That’s what I’m in this family for. Their blood vessel.
Please, lord, please tell me this phone call has nothing to do with my message to Sebastian.
Between Mom really is injured, and Sebastian selling me out... I’m not sure which I hope is the situation.
“I guess I’m not leaving today after all,” I let out a sigh, mumbling to Aurora, “I’m really sorry but...I need you to take me back.”
“That’s great!” Aurora throws herself into me with genuine happiness in her voice, “That was him? What did he say? Is that always how you call each other?”
With Mr. Fuller? Yes.
My “dad”, never loved me. He had a deep flow of hatred behind his eyes when he looked at me since I could remember. I just didn’t know why until I found out I was adopted. And for how I found out I have to thank Ava.
“Scar, don’t worry too much, I’m sure Mrs. Fuller is fine,” Driving faster than usual, Aurora spares mind to comfort me. Well, I guess for a former F1 racer, it’s not too fast.
“I...thanks.”
I can’t say “I know”, nor “I hope so”. Because if mom is not hurt, then it means the only person in the family who ever showed me warmth, lied to me. Just to lure me back to the living hell that they force me to call home.
I don’t want to consider that possibility, but if anything really happened to Mr. Fuller’s beloved wife, he wouldn’t just throw me a sentence. He would send guards to hunt me down.
I tear up my flight ticket, one fold, two folds, three...I throw the million pieces out to the remote road between the airport and the city. Between my almost-touched freedom, and my living nightmare.
I can get another ticket, but I’ll never get my freedom. I'm the blood vessel to my “family”, making leaving something I can never have. I actually thought I could, because Ava is supposed to be cured now, meaning I don’t have to give her my blood when she gets even if just a paper cut.
How ridiculously naive was I?
Mom, I’m sorry but
I hope you really are injured, so that I don’t have to lose you. Please, don’t lie to me. Not you, too.When Aurora pulls up at the Fuller’s Villa to Ava’s fancily decorated welcome home party filled with a happy crowd, I know my wish was not granted.
They knew I was at the airport, hence the phone call.
Sebastian told them after all. Just one word and I would have stayed for him, to be the blood vessel for his love, but even such a small thing he won’t do. He let THEM stop me instead.
Sebastian Knight, good for you.
I walk into the Fuller’s Villa. One of the most luxurious assets in the city. One that I used to call home which it never was.
When I walk by the pool, I see Sebastian. Black suits ironed straight, with his leather shoes at a safe distance from the crazy kids in the water. He sits under the umbrella, a drink in his hand, across to Ava.
He sees me, and he frowns and looks away.
I enter the lobby, and immediately Alfred approaches: “Miss Scarlett, Mr. Fuller is waiting for you in his study.”
“I thought Mom was injured?” I play their game.
He dodges my eyes and just repeats his words. He is just a butler, a paid tool, just like me. No need for one tool to be hard on another.
I nod quietly, and he bows again before leading the way.
“Scarlett,” Mr. Fuller glances at me when I enter before he turns his attention back to the file he was reading, “Richard agreed to make your movie. Starting Monday.”
Richard Hanson. THE director in the movie business. They say that he has got the golden finger -- any script he touches turns into dollars.
“How is Mom doing?” I ignore his generous offer to buy my freedom, and that irritates him.
He finally looks up from his file, glaring at me with his eyes narrowed dangerously. He is not used to me being like this. I mean, to be fair, he never really used the word “blood vessel”.
“She is resting, in her room,” Mr. Fuller says with his stone-cold tone, “you don’t want to disturb her.”
He lured me back with her, and he didn’t even care to go through with his show.
“Or I lose the movie you got me out of pure parental love?”
“Young lady, mind your words,” Mr. Fuller puts away the file, his look gets colder, “Do you want to do this the easy way, or the--”
“Let’s say the hard way,” I cut him off, the last string holding the exhaust I have been suppressing in my chest broke. Shaking at the adrenaline rush, I raise my voice, “I, want, to, see, MOM!”
And the next second I hear mom’s soft, sad, painful mumble from behind me: “Scarlett...”
I close my eyes as pain spread my chest, the pain of my heart being broken, by the last family I thought I had left.
Sebastian’s POVI didn’t reply to Scar’s message. She would never leave. She just manipulates with threats like this.I might have spent too much time on Ava recently, and Scar is throwing a tantrum. She should understand that it’s a life on the line, even if that life belongs to the sister she hates.Not that I don’t understand Scar. I do. Being the healthy one, she is jealous of all the extra attention Ava is getting. That’s why she is the problem child. Always rebellious but proud, acting indifferent but begging for love. She is always looking for attention, with sour messages, tears, or a divorce.I didn’t think she would really give me a signed one. Think of the catastrophe if I dared to really go through with it.Surely enough, Scar came back.No longer with that half-empty suitcase either. I guess her show ends tonight.After all, today we got the best result on Ava’s blood platelet, almost reaching normal level. Today is the day Ava finally gets to live a normal life.“For a m
Scarlett's POVSitting on the cold floor, I realize I made my judgment too early.I thought my life used to be a living hell. How wrong was I. Though everyone treated me horribly, never did they lay a finger on me. After all, I was the precious blood vessel for the fragile Ava. They couldn’t afford to lose me.But not anymore.I palm my face, looking up slowly at the man I once called father, only to realize the coldness in his eyes: I’m still the blood vessel, just not “precious” anymore. I’m now a nice-to-have.After all, Ava is all but healed now.They won’t toss me away because I might still have value. What do they have to lose if I don’t get my chance of a normal life?For that slight “might”, I can’t have my freedom. I’m not allowed to leave the city and have my own life. They don’t care if my heart would be broken a million times every day here, seeing Sebastian with Ava. They don’t care that I might also need love, from somewhere, anywhere.And they can afford to physically hu
Sebastian’s POVThere are broken shards everywhere on the floor. I dare not put down Ava. Her blood platelet might have reached a normal level now, but no one dares to test if the monster that’s been haunting her is still lurking nearby.The last time Ava needed blood from Scar was because of a paper cut, literally. One that Scar caused no less.“...Please?” Scar mumbles when she walks over to me, not looking at me.“I can’t put her down, you know why.”Scar snorts coldly, finally looking up from under her messy hair. Jack must have slapped her really hard, to mess up her hair like that, as well as leaving a scarlet red palm print on her cheek.“Excuse me,” Scar says with a clear but cold tone that I’m not familiar with, “coming through.”I stopped Ava by the door.I frown, hating the sarcasm in Scar’s eyes. She knows why I misunderstood and she is mocking me for it. Every time I even just stood close to Ava she would come up and break us apart.“Where are you going?!” Jack yells behi
Sebastian’s POVI know how sensitive Ava is about her condition. To beg the sister she doesn’t like to save her life, over and over again. That’s why when Scar used that to force my hand, Ava started having real hatred in her eyes toward Scar.“Of course you can say that,” Scar spats at Ava viciously, “you can take the high road all you want, because your army will tie me to the table and drain my blood for you if they need to.”“Scarlett Fuller!” I warn her, and Ava raises her hand again. I dodge to the side so Ava can’t reach Scar, but Scar catches Ava’s arm at the same time. It all happens so fast, and Ava bursts into a painful shout. I have to push Scar away.Scar falls to the ground, her hand pressed on a sharp shard. I see.I didn’t even use too much force. I did push her, but the fall was mostly her way of making me feel bad. I want to put Ava down, but she wouldn’t care about the shards in the room and she would definitely hurt herself.“I’m sorry,” I can only apologize with w
Sebastian’s POVScar shakes her head slowly, throwing her disappointment into my face: “So, she DOES know.”Does she have trouble understanding English? That’s not what I meant!“Saying you want me gone, and yet you report me to your daddy,” Scar sneers at Ava with pure viciousness in her voice, “I guess between your loving Romeo and my blood, you still want the latter just a tiny bit more, huh?”I can understand why Ava would hate her. I want to seal those poisonous lips too at moments like this.“You took him from me!” Ava bursts into a hysterical cry, “You did! You took him! He was mine! We were meant to be together!”“Okay,” Scar is calm while smiling at Ava, too calm for me to recognize. The red palm prints on her cheek adds a touch of seductive fragileness to her, “If you beg your daddy to let me go, I will divorce him, today.”I roll my eyes with a huff.She is just playing Ava, but Ava would fall for it. I would have married Ava even if I couldn’t cure her.Ava cries harder.“
Sebastian's POVI felt that something was off with her, now I know.It’s her loving eyes. She has been looking at me with obvious love in those eyes even before we were old enough to understand what love is, and she never hides that.That love was still there even this morning, when she gave me the divorce papers. But now, that lively light is gone.I could barely recognize her without it.I feel like I lost something important. It’s not supposed to be this way.Her love has always been a bother to me. If she didn’t love me, she wouldn’t have blackmailed me, and I wouldn’t have hated her. I wouldn’t have been locked into a marriage I didn’t want, and I would have been with Ava!If she didn’t love me, none of this would have happened. She would save Ava just like the sister she should be, and I would have been with Ava, just like how I wanted since the first time I met her.But she did give her love to me. She gave it, and now she is taking it back. And I feel at a loss.It’s not fair.
Scarlett’s POVCrushing at Aurora’s place, I slept - more like, blacked out - for three whole days due to a low fever after that horrible fallout with my, well, ex-family.I no longer have a home.Of course, Sebastian didn’t reach out. Surprisingly though, nor did the divorce papers that he said I could expect in two to three days.“Back to life, sleeping beauty?” A big smile crawls onto Aurora’s face when she comes in with a glass in her hand, “How do you feel?”Numb. So, better than most days.“Ginger honey water,” Aurora settles down by my side as I rub my face to try to wake up more, “It helps with the fever. No argument.”I hate ginger, she knows! But I also know I can’t afford to joke with my body, now more than ever. I have a little thing in my womb to take care of.“I guess that means you are keeping the baby?” Aurora’s eyes land on my belly, where I’m stroking subconsciously.“Ohh, I didn’t know I had a choice,” I roll my eyes at her.“We can find you a state that allows--”“N
Scarlett’s POVJust two words. From three days ago. That’s all he has to say after I disappear for three days? If I didn’t have Aurora to turn to, but just died in some dark corner that no one knows, he wouldn’t even know until the cops find me first.So he imagined after seeing that they treat me like shit, I burst out, just to “come home” and everything will get back to how it was?I stare at those two words so hard that my eyes hurt, suddenly having such an urge to laugh--Either he didn’t take the divorce papers seriously, or he doesn’t understand what a divorce means.“Coming home”? Could a house be called a home if the couple sharing it is no longer married? After that ugly fallout, after I saw clearly the true faces of these so-called “family”, after he snatched the divorce papers out of me just in case I would go back on my words, he asked:Are you coming home?To do what? To give him love in exchange for his hatred? To flatter him after his day of being Ava’s loyal knight? To
Sebastian’s POVI didn’t think Scar would agree to see me.She shut down herself ever since the trial, wouldn’t talk to anyone. Johnny Vanderbilt, Damian…even Lilith. Prison became her protecting shell and she is hiding from the world.But when I required to see her, she agreed to the visit.I pulled myself out of all the mess, showered for the day as if going on my pilgrimage. I had to submit everything on my before a tight security check. The emptiness inside the prison walls lowered the temperature 4 to 5 degrees than outside. So did the dead flat faces of the guards.I followed them going deeper and deeper into this hell, failing to imagine Scar’s feelings when she walked thought this knowing she wasn’t coming back out.A chill ran down my spine when that thoughts hit me.“20 minutes,” The guard warns coldly before she pulls open the heavy iron door. A loud beep bursts out as the red light on the top right corner of the door suddenly goes off at her movement.Scar is already sitt
Sebastian’s POVI had a million things to do, but I couldn’t leave the courthouse. Not when Scar was on trial.I thought it would take an eternity, but it ended before I realized it.And it didn’t end well.It felt like I barely settled down on the bench outside the court before Damian came out. Almost as if he forgot something and he just came out for a quick grab. Before I could even ask, he shook his head.How could he lose? He said he was confident! Even just going in there to wave a surrender would have taken longer!“What happened?!”“She...” Choakingly, Damian tried to squeeze some words out, “She pled guilty...”“Then what was the point of you being there?! We need to make an appeal--”“We can’t. It’s going to be a criminal charge, and there is little room to turn this around...” Damian stops talking, looking at a man striding toward us, and his look changes from surprise to fear, “Dad...”Johnny Vanderbilt. King of the Vanderbilt Empire, which he built with Scar’s mom. It’s a
Sebastian’s POVIf Scar stopped loving me when she brought up divorce, she hates me now.When she looks at me, there is not even hatred or anger in her eyes. There was nothing. She doesn’t see me, but just a stranger who she wishes the worst on. I can read those wishes. I don’t mind if she hates me. I don’t even mind if she tries to get revenge on me. I do deserve that.But she won’t. She is not here anymore. When I’m not forcing her to talk, it’s like she is already beyond this world.I should spend more time with her. I should have been there for her when Ava came, but I...“Sebastian...I told you, you don’t have to come to the court,” Damian is surprised to see me, “When is the last time that you got some real sleep?”Two or three days ago? I don’t have time, literally.I have been dealing with the baby, Scar’s assulting charge, AND investigation of the robbery. I believe Scar, but her story is hard to prove. If it was Ava, then it IS my fault. I gave Ava the code once, for which r
197Scarlett’s POVBecause of my special condition, the police didn’t take me in, but just kept me under tight surveillance with two officers guarding my hospital ward.Ava is not happy about it.She wanted me to be charged with attempted murder. Actually, I think she wanted me on the chair the next day.To be honest? I wish I could be charged with successful murder. I’m not living anymore. I’m just surviving, for a revenge that I see no hope of getting. I wasn’t trying to kill her when I lost control and hurt her with the fruit knife. If I wasn’t irritated into that and actually had my right mind, I wouldn’t have missed.I wanted her dead.In that sense, they SHOULD lock me up.“Scar…? Scar…”It took me a moment to realize that Sebastian is talking to me.He has been coming to visit me every day, ever since I stabbed his Ava. Surprising. He hadn’t got time for me after I almost died with out child, but he is free to shed crocodile tears now. I turn to look at him, silently.I think
Scarlett’s POVTheir wedding.Ava just did her hair. In a slit dress showing her curve, and a pair of heels high into the cloud, Ava does look astonishing. I guess realizing your dream does that. I was also this glittering when I had my own, the dream wedding that I thought would start my happy ever after.She is happy. I hate that.She finally got what she wanted. She always, gets what she wants, no matter the price. Because Daddy would pay her bill. She lured me into the woods, stole my white knight and turned him black, lived off my blood, and standing on the dead body of my baby, she finally crawled onto the sacred altar.Not only is she not paying for it, she even has him as her witness. He is the witness for the murderer of his own child!How stupid and pathetic was I to think that such a dog of Ava could ever love me?“I see you are still not in handcuffs though,” I sigh, “it doesn’t sound like he is doing his job right.”“He will never hurt me!” Ava gloats with a proud smirk,
Scarlett's POV“Is it true?” I ask Sebastian.He avoids my question: “I will look into this, I promise!”In that second all sound fade away. I can’t hear anything and I don’t see any one. No one but the man who I loved for over a decade. The man who saved me once, who said that he loved me and wanted another chance with me. The man who was telling me how excited he was about the baby he gave me.“Are you going to be the witness for her alibi?” I ask him, my voice shaking. Anger and disbelief turned my voice into a restrained whisper, “She, MURDERED, our child! And you are telling me you are taking HER side? Really? Sebastian Knight?!”“I’m not taking her side--”“It, was, her!” I burst out, glaring into his eyes, “The alarm system didn’t go off when she barged into our house; she didn’t steal anything valuable and she went straight to me! And do you know why she could do all this? Because you fucking let her! Did you really not know that I was pregnant? Were you trying to get close to
Scarlett’s POVMy belly is empty. The first thing I feel when my mind wakes up, is the horrifying emptiness.Not just my belly. My whole body is emptied by the long, dark dream that trapped me.Sebastian was in it. So was Ava, Jack Fuller, Anna Fuller, Damian Vanderbilt... They tangled into the shadow that wrapped me up so tightly that I couldn’t breath. But I couldn’t die in my dream, so I could only suffocate over and over, like buried alive in my coffin, watching my life passing by in front of my eyes. Literally. In my dream I wasn’t Scarlett, I was a specter watching the little Scarlett suffering through all the lies, the harm, the pain, and blood, all the way till the kid lured her into the dark woods, passing that, and then the crashed car.It wasn’t a dream. It was all real. It was my memory. I couldn’t remember anything from the car crash, but I did witness it. And in this deep dream, I saw my own memory. I keep my eyes closed, trying to savor the dream that’s fading fast. Eff
Sebastian’s POVScott left alone.Vanderbilt covers his face, ignoring me completely as he waits in desperation. So do Scar’s two friends. I would have stayed anyway if that could help, but I know where I’m needed more--I have to go and see Ava.If a whole blood bank wasn’t enough, then one man’s donation would hardly be. I have always worried about Ava’s condition, but we had Scar to count on whenever Ava needed blood, so I have never thought that the healthy, strong woman would one day lie in the emergency room, waiting for the rare blood to save her life.And the only one who can help, is her sister who we just had a falling out with.I knew it would be hard to get Ava to help, but I didn’t know it would be this hard.“What are you even doing here?!” Jack Fuller guards the door, grunting at me. He has been barking at me for five minutes. He is not keeping his voice low, and we both know that Ava heard all of it in there.He is showing me her attitude: she doesn’t want to see me.“
Sebastian’s POVScarlett was hurt.The security system company found her after the alarm was triggered. But there was no sign of intrusion -- even the alarm was triggered because a lamp was thrown through the window, from inside. Apparently, Scar cut her wrist and fell off the stairs.She was taken to the hospital when Miller got there, the same hospital Ava was in no less. All he saw was the pool of blood by the stairs. I couldn’t bear hearing his report over the phone, but I dared not to miss anything either.The walk from Ava’s ward to the emergency building was the longest hell I had to go through, and I would rather die a thousand times just to turn back time.“Where is she?!” I demand Miller the moment I get there, only to notice that he isn’t the only one waiting by the emergency room.Lilith Grey, Aurora Dawson. All made it before I did. Even...Damian Vanderbilt.The girls hus together, trying to comfort each other. The man sits there on the bench with a sullen look, spouting