Scarlett’s POV“Will you lower your voice?!” Sebastian grunts at the knucklehead.When you are rich enough, you automatically become a celebrity. Celebrities like Sebastian, their marital status can make a huge impact on their business if it got out the wrong way. I did think about this, and I thought it wouldn’t be a problem, but I shouldn’t have told Adrian, not before Sebastian made the official announcement.Going to leave, but I stop and add to him: “Sorry I announced it before you could make it official. But you are on a clock now. So you might want to give your lawyer some homework for the night.”Adrian his nemesis, and Gabriel the knucklehead? They just might be the worst two people to know a secret Sebastian doesn’t want out.I don’t know if he was delaying out of distrust of the detailed clauses, or he just didn’t take it seriously. It can feel surreal to him, exactly because it has been something he has been longing for. Just like the baby’s news that I have been hiding beh
Scarlett’s POVI can’t help but glance at Sebastian, and surely enough, he is frowning at her. She HATES him! Why would she be here?! Why would she be here at THE moment I’m stuck with Sebastian? With my heart pounding hard, I turn around slowly.Then Aurora throws herself into me.“Scar! Are you alright?” Aurora grabs me and checks me head to toe, “I’m really really sorry! I was...caught up with somethin--What’s that smell on your hair-- OMG! You are bleeding!”I giggle, can barely breathe in Aurora’s attention in a machine-gun style.In that moment I feel like I traveled back in time. When Gabriel bullied me, Aurora would be the one attending to me while Lilith...I peek in Lilith’s direction sneakily, and her cold eyes catch mine like sharp knives. Those are the cold looks she gave me when she left my wedding with Sebastian. I lower my eyes quickly.Lilith is no longer in the picture.With the skills from her policeman of a big brother and the queen aura from ruling the kids on the
Sebastian’s POVI have never seen Scar so happy with her laughter reaching her eyes...when she left with her friends.She never laughs with me, she just smiles at me -- she used to smile at me, but not anymore. Not for months. But even before when she did, it was different from the laugh she had with her friends. Her smile at me was always timid and restrained, like a puppy scared of being hurt, but also desperately flatters people for food.She wasn’t happy with me. I made sure of that.I thought I was just “not loving” her. I didn’t. I don’t! And because of that, I never cared if I was hurting her. She forced my hand, and I used that to justify everything.The past three days were really rough for me.I couldn’t stop thinking about Scar’s accusation, of how horribly we have been treating her. I felt sick of myself every time I think of the phrase “blood vessel”. I kept searching in my memory for clues to justify my actions. Maybe she deserved it, maybe she brought that to herself, ma
Sebastian’s POV“Gab,” I pull his phone away, demanding, “I thought you want Scar to leave? Ava wants her gone.”“I want her to leave YOU, not the city!” Gabriel fights me for his phone, “What if Ava needs her again?!”My blood runs cold.Is this really the Gab that I know? The popular homecoming king? The nice big brother that Ava always shows off? The friend who I thought could have my back?When he sees a girl, his own baby sister, nothing but an emergency help for Ava?A... blood vessel?“Calm down,” I can’t help my tone dropping cold, handing him his phone, “it was three days ago. By the way, that actually was what the whole fuss was about.”“Huh?” Gabriel calms down and blinks, seemingly surprised, “Ava told me it was something about mom...?”Yeah. About how Anna lured Scar back.“She hasn’t been talking about leaving for a long time now, ever since...” Gabriel glances at me, and immediately I realize the words he didn’t say--Ever since I married her. I feel sick again.“She has
Sebastian’s POVAdrian Dunn is bad news.He inherited from his father not only the biggest newspaper in town, but also his cold dark view of the world from the last century. He believes not in law, but in power; not in just, but in narratives. He hurts people without a blink even if they are innocent, and he protects those whom he cares to no boundaries.I stand against everything he is, and that puts his target on my back.“What do you say, Seb-babe?” Adrian smirks. As if the bruises on his cheekbone doesn’t hurt at all.Right. I also hate his lousy low-taste nicknames.“Fuck off, Adrian,” Gabriel stands up, using his “intimidating walk” on Adrian -- pressing his bulky features into his face.Adrian is my height, but Gabriel is almost 6.5 feet, bulky no less. I think that’s why he got his bully name even though he doesn’t really do the bully shit. Also why Adrian calls him “bear”.Adrian is not flinching.“You don’t want to fight me, teddy bear,” Adrian doesn’t even put his icon fake
Scarlett’s POV“Ewww! That’s the truth???” Aurora exclaims, “You SLEPT with him?! Seriously?!”After running into Gabriel at Nightingale, we couldn’t stay there. Instead, we found a small, random bar down the street. A quiet, cozy small place, perfect for girls' talk.Lilith closes her eyes with a desperate look, dying under Aurora’s judgy looks, “Accidently, okay? The key word is accident!”Now that makes sense. Lilith used to be the one handling most of my “code reds”. I can’t imagine two enemies just suddenly fall in love. But then again, Gabriel looked deeply in love though...“But Gabriel?!” Aurora takes a deep breath to calm herself, only to burst out again, “It’s...Gabriel!”Lilith looks just as devastated as Aurora.“When was that?” I ask. If it’s recent, then we might need to buy another set of pregnant tests. A baby not born out of love is the last thing we want...again.Lilith glances at me before darting her eyes off to her glass.“What?” Aurora and I exchange a confused lo
Scarlett’s POVHer words are too shocking that I even forget to cry: “...what?”“You know how Damon was the constable of the Villa area at that time, right?” Lilith asks.Vaguely.“On that day, he was called to the Knight’s house. The neighbors called it in, or something like that. The point is, the Iron Lady made a huge fuss that day, and Ava was the fuss!”“...what?” I blink, not catching up at all.The Iron Lady is Sebastian’s grandma. She basically raised Sebastian after his parents died in a car accident, while protecting the family business against the sharks. Hence her nickname.“Let me,” Aurora pats me on my back, her tone patient and calm, unlike the anxious Lilith, “that day Sebastian took Ava back to meet with his grandma, because...he wanted to marry her, and he needed his grandma’s blessing.”Sebastian can hurt anyone for Ava, but not Granny. He loves her and respects her to the most.“That’s what you couldn’t tell me?” I frown in confusion. So he proposed to Ava. Not like
Scarlett’s POVThey only knew I had “something” Sebastian wanted, and I forced his hand with it. I only told Aurora three days ago when there was no way to hide anything about my family issue anymore.“Hmmm...” I cut in before Aurora could tell her, hesitating. Aurora purses her lips.I don’t want to let too many know about the blood transfusion thing, because I don’t want to be seen as a victim. That’s Ava’s specialty. Besides, with Lilith’s temper, there is little telling what she would do if she knew about Jack Fuller’s deal.“What?” Lilith darts her eyes between me and Aurora, “What can’t I know?”I suddenly understand why Lilith would struggle to tell me that secret. Sometimes there are things that you keep from your loved ones, only to protect them.“You should have told us, Scar, a long time ago,” Aurora says gently. She is the most sensitive among us, and she is the most mature, “I understand your concern, but we are not ‘people’, we are your friends, and we would understand yo
Even at the top of her anger, all Scar wanted was to take back what she was owed and extend justice. Her eyes open slightly at his words, amazed at Scott’s careless tone.He lost his mom just like she did. He was unwanted by his original family, just like she was. But instead of tormenting himself, he chooses to torment everyone who owed him and maintains his life.“I wish I could be so free, just like you...” Scar murmurs, “How did you turn up well, losing your mom when you were a baby...?”When she became such a mess that she couldn’t hold on to anything good in her life?“I couldn’t do it, not without Mr. Vanderbilt.” Scott shakes his head.Mr. Vanderbilt...Scar lowers her eyelashes, hiding her secret within.Scott lands his gloomy look on Elijah Green, who is socializing with the guests not far from them, “If he didn’t take care of me all these years, the Greens would never have taken a low level orphan boy back, no matter the blood running through my veins.”Scar doesn’t recogni
Bored at the party, Scar leans against the window frame, her lips tainted with wine, her eyes nailed on Anna Fuller.All the guests who came for the Green lady are influencers in the city, if not flew in specially for this event. It’s a huge thing for the Green family, and their first chance to contact the prince of the Greens, meaning, the future of the Greens.“Someone looks happy,”Scar flinches when a voice snaps her out of her bored mind wandering, only to see Scott’s face.“Not as happy as you,” Scar snorts not without sarcasm, “…PRINCE Scott.”Scott’s smile is bright and sunny like any boy in the neighborhood.“Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” Scott makes a bitter face, “I guess I…I wanted you to see me for me, not any title that was coming my way.”“In case I said yes to you for the heritage you were going to get?” Scar folds her arms, sneering, “That was a lousy assumption--”“No!” Scott lets out a surprise laugh, “I thought I would have a bigger chance to woo you! If withou
Ava hasn’t joined any movie in the past five years.She is signed under the Knight Empire, and no other company dares to cross the Knight Empire when it is obviously benching Ava. Or rather, Ava didn’t even dare to reach out for any job just so people wouldn’t realize that she had lost the favor of the Knight Empire. She can blackmail Sebastian, privately, but she can’t force the fans to stick with her.If there is anything more important to her than Sebastian, it’s her career.She had to went to the Iron Lady behind Jack Fuller’s back and returned the ownership of Z-House for this movie. Sebastian can’t just take it! Not like this!“You can’t!” Ava growls at Sebastian, “You can’t just replace me when the shooting is over! I did the job! They have been promoting the movie for months now! You--”“Yes, I can.” Sebastian says simply, still with that polite smile which has not a shred of warmth.“No!” Ava mumbles, her huge eyes filled with tears as if there is a pump behind there, “Granny
One or two guests dart over with awkward glances, but none are coming up to intervene in a mother-daughter chat.Scar’s blood runs cold, watching how Anna Fuller actually justifying what they did to her with not even the slightest shred of guilt or regret in her eyes.“You were never going to honor the deal,” Scar says, her voice empty and light.Anna Fuller lets out a cold snort: “You really are your mother’s daughter. Just like her, you response not to kindness, but only to power. I guess I should have been upfront with you from the start. I will tell you where Jack hid the car, not because we are guilty or afraid of anything, but because we are kind enough, to give you the closure you are looking for.”“What I want is your car, not your fucking lies,” Scar says, still with that calm voice, “You better pray that you knitted your lies well, because I will dig up the truth and send Jack Fuller to the prison.”It’s decreet, but Scar doesn’t miss the slight relief from Anna Fuller when
“Miss Fuller, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Scott bows at Scar with a distant, polite manner, but Scar could swear that he let out the smirk he was holding back when he bent his head.WTF? Scott was the “mysterious prince” the Greens were going to announce today?! He is the son of Elijah Green?! He saw that she was avoiding his father, and he helped her? Does Scott know about Silco? What does this even mean?The million surprises blow up Scar’s mind.“Haven’t seen you for a long time, Scott!” Ava gives him a bright smile, her eyes glittering with such pleasure.“We met just the other day in the Knight building,” Scott returns that smile with just the same excitement if not more, “You might not remember because you glanced at me but didn’t stop to talk when I greeted you. Didn’t recognize me, I presume?”&
Scar is seriously considering it now.She can’t sue them if they just witnessed a car accident, no matter how horrible it is to watch a mom die while taking her baby from her side. They could -- they would, Scar is sure -- claim that Emma begged them to save her baby. In fact, that was Jack Fuller’s first version of the “truth”, when Scar tried to find her own family.But if they were involved in the car accident? She might be able to sue them! Given that IF Scar can prove it, within the deadline of prosecution.How long is it for a hit and run? Scar is not sure.“Tell me what happened then,” Scar demands, but she wouldn’t budge even though the Green Lady is getting suspicious as her eagle eyes dart over at their whispering.“Don’t push it!” Anna Fuller warns.The Green Lady stares at Scar with suspicious eyes, and so is everyone who’s been waiting for Sophia Green’s announcement. No time to hesitate, but can she trust Anna Fuller again? The woman who has been a liar, the best liar in
Granny said that?Anna Fuller is obviously unaware of that, unlike Ava. But Ava, obviously, didn’t think Sebastian would mention that here. Scar shares Ava’s surprise actually--Does he know that he is treading on thin ice of Ava’s lie??But none is as surprised as the Green Lady—“Wait, didn’t you already got that promised wedding five years ago then? I went to your wedding!”Five years ago right after the legal files of his divorce with Scar was done, he married Ava with a grand wedding. The whole city celebrated their blessed day, forgetting about the former Mrs. Knight to the back of their mind to rot in prison.Scar purses her lips, having a hard time limiting her smile.So Ava not only painted herself as Sebastian’s woman in front of her, but actually in front of everyone? A loving mom taking her beloved daughter to visit a big power they wanted to suck up to at Christmas every year, happily painting a loving family picture with Scar out of it.What a perfect lie to blow up in A
The Green Lady turns around, pushing Anna Fuller’s arm away like a bulldog in the ring, and discreetly, Sebastian steps up with a bright grin, blocking Scar from her.“She refused to come today just because I invited you! I didn’t think she would actually do it but she did!” The Green Lady forgets about Scar already, “What a big deal could keep her from even talking to her so well-behaving grandson for years?!”Even Sebastian pauses for a second—Didn’t she do the same thing to her own daughter, too? She didn’t even come to Emma Vanderbilt’s funeral. Actually, no one in the family came, on her command apparently.Her words pause Scar’s anger for a second, too—For years? She thought Granny kicked Sebastian out as a show of attitude, partly to give him a chance to challenge himself without the Knight’s name paving his way. But she didn’t think Granny would actually not talk to him for years.Of all the people who ever cared for her, Scar feels guilty only to Granny.She has never seen
The event has nothing to do with Anna. Well, aside from the fact that she held it, as a way of sucking up to the Green lady.The Green Lady is here for the announcement of the return of the bastard – okay, to the public, the lost son – of Elijah Green. It wasn’t for Anna, and it certainly wasn’t for Scar. She went through all that trouble to keep Scar away from the Green family, and she is not failing now.The only loophole, the one thing she has been wondering about ever since she saw Scar is—How did Scar get the invitation?!To prevent her biggest nightmare from happening, Anna didn’t even invite the Dawsons. That daughter of them is one of Scar’s best friends. Adding to the list Adrian Dunn, who took Scar’s side for no reason out of nowhere. They have been giving the Fullers hell on the business tables. They will have to take a big part in the fall of Z-house, whose profit would have been more than double that of the Fuller family business in these past years.But Scar still got i