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
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
Every year’s Christmas, Anna Fuller would take Ava for a “family” visit, where Jack Fuller wouldn’t go. Something about how her family didn’t approve of her marrying down to him. And Scar would be left with Jack Fuller, in the name of keeping it even between parents and children.If that was the real reason, then Anna wouldn’t have taken Gabrial with her, too.Scar thought it was because Ava didn’t like her. But now she knows the real reason behind it—From how Anna and Ava are sucking up to the Green Lady, of course they wouldn’t want Scar to have any chance to even meet someone this powerful. As Anna’s daughter no less.What if the Green Lady grows to like Scar, right? Then there would be someone who actually treats Scar well in the “family”. God forbids.As much as Scar tries to tell herself that the Green Lady hates her because of years of lies fed to her by the Fullers, she finds it getting harder and harder to stay rational about this old lady when she shows little good judgment
That’s the phrase Scar could never understand: morbid curiosity.Looking around, Scar shakes her head slowly, despise in her eyes when she sees the disdain in the eyes of the rubbernecker. What are they waiting for? For her to cry in embarrassment that an old lady treated her meanly when she didn’t even know her? For her to feel ashamed when this person who called her “sister” just pointed out publicly how to humiliate her, and pretended to be kind with awkward acting?She is not the one who should feel ashamed here.“Thanks for your invite, Mrs. Green,” Scar bows lightly, her tone calm and polite.The Green Lady finally lands her eyes on Scar, as if seeing her for the first time. She observes Scar for a few long seconds, and the frown on her face deepens visibly. Scar is a bit amazed at this point. What could Ava possibly have said that could get the Green Lady to hate her even more just seeing her?!“Hmph,”That, and an almost lazy nod. That’s all the response the Green Lady gives h
Scar’s head goes empty for a second.What the hell did he just say?!For this whole time she thought Jack Fuller had something to do with her mom’s death. The least, he witnessed it and didn’t help, watched Emma die and took her home. Scar has been looking into that car accident with Silco’s resources for a long time now. Not to mention, that resource was a considerable one.Nothing.She couldn’t find any evidence putting Jack Fuller near that car accident, and she thought it was time to erase all the traces. Plus, Jack Fuller must have tried to cover his track, too.But if what Sebastian is telling her is real…“How did you know?! Do you have evidence?!! How long have you known about it and did you hide it from me just so--?!” Scar blows up into a string of questions like a machine gun.Ding, ding, ding!A piercing clink of glass bursts out, pulling Scar to a sudden halt when her intuition felt all the eyes turning toward her even before she could realize why.Then she sees why—The
“I never noticed how cute you are when you are angry.”At that moment, Scar really wanted to smash the head of the ridiculous man and just storm off. But the whole lobby has quieted down, and all eyes are on the people in the center. If she dared to make a move, she would be catching all the attention. Is that why he is so bold right now?!“If you no longer care about that little snake of yours--” Scar clenches her teeth, but she doesn’t get to finish, because Sebastian gives her a confident smirk as he cuts her off leisurely--“You haven’t even heard my offer yet.”Scar turns to storm off, but Sebastian sees through her first, and grabs her waist faster than she could. Though she fails to make a scene, and only catches a few glances from just the little circle around them, she’s now in his arms, solid.“You--!”She almost shouted out. Almost.She never liked make-up, unlike now. She learned how to do make-up in her personal hell. It was commanded by her medical team. They suggested t
Scott left Scar in the room after that line, and taking her time, Scar only went back to the party after a few minutes to calm herself.Sebastian was waiting for her by the door.“How’s the catching up?” He follows up when Scar leaves after a careless glance at him.“Do you have a problem with that?” Scar wheels on him, frowning.Sebastian laughs. He tilts his head a little, curvy eyes filled with a happy glistering. Time left its trace on the man’s face, leaving slight wrinkles as the tail of his soulful eyes, but also sharpened his sharp jaw. He is no longer the boy she once admired, nor the young billionaire that occupies the silly little girls’ dreams.He is a man now. One that has weight over his shoulder, and a story behind those deep eyes. He is no longer the reckless head who didn’t know how to tell a person, or the husband so spoiled by love that he couldn’t recognize it.He knows his heart now, and the deep love twirling in his chest, he contains them well behind those calm