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
Scarlett’s POVI choke on my drink. It gets in my nose and tears spout out.“I mean...” After a string of heavy coughs, I finally came back to life with the help of several tissues. Lilith and Aurora glare at me like I’m some criminal, “I told you, unprecedented treatment. The doctor had only a theory in his mind when we started, so...”“Exactly how many times did you donate?!” Aurora demands. She is like a mom again.“Five...” I flinch, feeling guilty though I had no reason to be.Every time it was a failure, all but this last time. And even before it cured her, he kissed her as if he was sure he no longer needed me. I can’t look back at myself to see how pathetic I was.“Every time was within safe range, though.” I add, but they are not hearing it.Aurora loses her cool, ranting to Lilith about any and every bit of “crime” she knows about the Fullers. Lilith ignores my effort to explain as she curses with Aurora, demanding to know more. I enjoy how they defend me, but also worry abou
Sebastian’s POV“Why? Did something happen to Ava?” Scar frowns with a shrug, folding her arms.She is not even trying to be sarcastic, and that’s the most sarcastic part.I thought my words would make her happy, like before. I know she is really hurt this time, but I thought her eyes would light up with sparkles even though she would try to maintain a cold face to fish for more comforting words from me, like before.But there is none.I never knew her watery purple eyes could be so cold like dry ice. It stings to look at her eyes like that.You really want a divorce? I dare not ask. She would only say yes, even just to hurt me.My mind has been in turmoil since Adrian messed it up. I can’t imagine Scar asking for a divorce for real, but she hasn’t been home for almost a week now, and she is not planning to any time soon. I’m not used to this. The whole house feels different now.It’s no longer a home. Just a house.I used to think it was silly for her to stay up for me when I got home
Scarlett’s POVDid I hear him right?!The man who never treated me like his wife, who kept a relationship with my sister on the side when married to me, who tormented me like I was his enemy for five years, is now accusing ME of treating marriage too light?!What is our marriage to him anyway? Nothing but trash!“Fake marriages, yes!” I suppress the urge to shout at him, but I can’t help my tone turning cold, “Still heavier than you have been treating it though.”“Is that how you justify you and Adrian?!” He lets out a disbelieving laugh as if I’m being ridiculous.Adrian??? I sent that guy ONE message and now I’m the one cheating?!“No! How about I justify it with my fucking husband kissing my sister behind my back?!” I finally did it. I didn’t want to bring it up to add to my humiliation, but he just had to force it out of me.I thought I could put it down, but it fucking hurts!He doesn’t hate me saving his Ava over and over, he doesn’t hate me when I stay up with some snack for hi
Scarlett’s POVThis time he pays attention: “You asked me to marry you--”I raise my hand again. This time he catches me before I could slap him: “Enough is enough, Scarlett Fuller! What are you trying to say!”“The deal, was that I give Ava all the blood and bone marrow and any other parts that she wants from me,” I look right into his eyes, speaking as my throat hurts like a knife is cutting in, “and you, my secret crush for years, will give me a chance to win your heart.”“You are the one who came to me with a proposal, Sebastian Knight. Remember?!” I finally said it, and my tears poured out as I finished my condemn with a broken voice, “You are the one who didn’t deliver the deal!”His eyes open wide in shock, and he stumbles back two steps with a disbelieving face.“I--” He stumbles on his words, too, “I thought that’s what you wanted...”“You knew I was in love with you, and you KNEW, that you could just slap me with a marriage on paper and still get my end of the deal,” I say w