Scarlett’s POVI would have given everything for such a speech from him, five years ago.Hell. I did give everything, when I asked for exactly what he is offering me today. If only he had been less cruel to me anywhere in the past five years; if only he believed Granny and did not let his emotion cloud his judgment. But life has no “if only”. I’m not there anymore. I’m not excited, or happy. I’m just tired.I just want to live my own life without them keep on hurting me.I can’t go back, not for Granny’s wish, not for my coming baby, not for a Sebastian who still doesn’t see me.He still doesn’t know that it was me who he saved in the woods, not Ava.I only found out about this misunderstanding five years ago. When Ava came bragging to me with a recording of Sebastian saying the three scared words to her, promising that he would have no one but her as his wife in this lifetime.In the video, Sebastian looked into Ava’s eyes, and said that all he wanted to do was to protect the little g
Scarlett’s POVI turn to Adrian Dunn, and instantly Sebastian hastes: “Don’t go with him, please!”“I’m sorry I forced your hand five years ago,” Magically, I find myself able to talk to him with peace now, “But we both know you couldn’t have married Ava back then even if I didn’t. So, call it even? Now that Ava is cured, and Granny has given her the approval, too. You can go ahead and do what you want this time. Just...”I feel bad not telling him the truth, but I don’t want him to know about the mistake now. It would only drag on the tie between us that I no longer want, and it would ruin my only good memory of him.“Just, make sure this time it’s what you want...please.”I suddenly understood what Granny meant when she said she could only save him once. I could only save him once. He tries to marry Ava this time, I won’t be there to “speak up”.If Sebastian was going to say anything at all, he wouldn’t now, not with Adrian Dunn’s presence. He raises the folder slowly, reluctance wri
Scarlett's POV“You and Sebastian! You are not exactly ‘nemesis’, are you?!” I should have known from the way he talked to Granny. Even if he didn’t like Sebastian, there was no way he would really hurt the Knight’s empire.Adrian Dunn shoots me a weird look, amused.But that only adds to the puzzle.“Then why did you help me...?” If his goal wasn’t Sebastian’s gossip?“Do you mean why I accepted your movie proposal, or why am I driving you home?” Adrian cocks an eyebrow, pleasure visible on his face.“The former,” I blurt, “actually, make it both!”He burst into laughter.“Welllll,” He drawls tauntingly, his smirking eyes kept on the road, “I’m driving you home to deliver a promise I made to two ladies. I hate to disappoint beautiful ladies. And as the former...”His tone makes me nervous for no good reason. I didn’t notice I was holding my breath until he glanced at me and laughed--“I already told you.”“You said you weren’t doing it just for the gossip...” I hesitate, that’s not ex
Scarlett's POVI do not see the “devil” Aurora paints Adrian Dunn as, at all.It was actually a huge pleasure talking to him. When I first reached out to Adrian, all I knew about him was his “throne” of being Sebastian’s nemesis, AND the million complaints on how “mean and petty” he was from Aurora.Apparently she was in a play and he made fun of her make-up. He messed up her hair, and she fell when she tried to get back at him. Of course that made him laugh at her even more, and then he became Aurora’s enemy, and made it on every one of her blacklists.I guess he grew out of the mean boy he was, opposite to Sebastian.But the better he is to me, the more guilty I feel toward Aurora. I came to him because of our common enemy, but he wasn’t.“You and Sebastian were best friends?!” I exclaim, my jaw on the ground. I never knew! Me! The biggest fan of Sebastian throughout these years, and yet I didn’t know! How?!“We had a fall out...some years ago,” Adrian takes a shrug, looking indiffer
Sebastian’s POV“What do you mean she didn’t make it home?”I barely made it to my office when I got a call from Jack, asking if Ava spent the night with me. Like, why would she? She has never spent the night at any place besides home, including mine. She was that fragile a doll.“You picked her up, so why didn’t you take her back home?!” Jack instantly explodes, shouting at the top of his lungs, “How could you be so irresponsible?! Don’t you know how dangerous it is for her out there?!”I want to tell him that Ava is her own person and a grown-up now, but this is not the right time.“I’m on this,” I tell him instead, “I’ll get back to you.”I put Alfred on the phone next, but he told me he put Ava down at the Fuller’s Villa, and he literally watched Ava go in. So either Jack Fuller lied about her returning home, or she came out on her own after Alfred left, for some reason.Jack Fuller would never joke about Ava’s safety.I tried Ava’s phone, and of course, nothing came up. If she’s
Sebastian’s POV“What-what do you mean?” I frown, my heart speeding up before my brain can process the information, “Scar is missing, too?”“Who else is missing?” Aurora reacts fast, “Adrian Dunn is not answering his phone, and he took Scar yesterday--”“I know!”It took me all my manner to not burst into curses. What the fuck did Adiran do this time?! I wouldn’t be surprised if he took Scar back to his place, against her will even! That guy is fucking crazy! The moment I gave Scar the divorce papers and he already made his move?!I didn’t even fucking sign those damn papers!Five years ago he got into a fight with me right before my wedding day, going crazy about something like I shouldn’t go into marriage with a girl I didn’t love. I thought it was about me, but never did I expect that huge fallout was because of his feelings for Scar.I never even knew they knew each other that well.I hang up the phone and dash out, passing Miller on my way out. He drives too slowly. I think Mille
Sebastian’s POVAdrian kept his gabbling on all the way to the elevator, leaving me drowning in the sour happiness of realizing how hard it is to accept Scar being with someone else, and how pathetic that is.“God damn it, Sebastian?!” Adrain snaps when he enters the elevator only to see me still outside, “Get it together! Are you fucking kidding me?! I sent Scar home and I watched her enter Aurora’s building! Are you sure she’s not with some friend?”“Aurora said she never came home last night,” I finally snap out of it. My head was unbelievably light at the enlightenment that Scar hadn’t spent her night with Adrian, but then it hit me, “You watched her go into the building?”Sounds awful like Ava’s case.“Ave hasn’t made it home either from yesterday’s party. I got Jeremy Rogers on the case,” I tell Adrain as I pull my phone to call Miller, only to see five missed calls from him, “Give me one minute--”“I doubt Jeremy would care,” Adrian lets out a cold snort, shaking his head with
Sebastian’s POVAdrian smirks with a delighted tone at his phone.Did I miss anything here? I would understand if Jeremy Rogers did things by the book if he didn’t agree to help Adrian so quickly without even hesitation.It was a great chance for me to own him, and my help was worth something. It didn’t feel like he helped Adrian out of friendship, but that he chose to not help me out of some personal vendetta.But I don’t even know him personally!I’m pretty sure Adrian was going to hang up, but when he took a glance at me, he sighs lightly and adds to his phone, “Ohh, it came to my attention that the other Fuller girl is not answering her phone, either. Not sure if it’s related to Scar’s missing in any way but, this piece of information might help. Your judgment.”He ends the phone call, and I feel like I’m about to burst at humiliation and confused anger.“What?!” I snap at Adrian, can’t help my mean tone.“Well,” Adrian shrugs with an annoying smirk, “You are welcome.”I want to ar
Prepared for this question, Scar answers unnecessarily fast: “I couldn’t risk anyone helping Ava to get MY Mom’s necklace. That’s why.”Her answer dims the pleasant light in Sebastian’s eyes.“I know…” Sebastian nods slowly, hiding the disappointment in his eyes, “But you didn’t have to come help because of that, did you?”Scar snorts coldly: “I’m doing this for Granny, not you.”“Granny kicked me out of the company for what happened five years ago,” Sebastian lets out a light laugh, “I’m pretty sure she would be the last one who would want you to help me right now.”Scar raises her eyebrows. She didn’t think Granny would be so cruel to Sebastian, but then again, there weren’t too many who could rip Sebastian’s title easily.“What did you tell her?” Scar frowns.Scar blamed Sebastian only because he trusted the wrong person. Legally, or any other aspect speaking, he wasn’t the killer five years ago. He just protected the killer was all. But Ava was never convicted, and Scar didn’t thi
“You want to meet early?” Scar glances at her phone to make sure the caller is indeed Damian, “Sure thing, but how early can dinner be?”She’s a bit surprised that Damian would move their dinner plan forward, but considering how he has been making effort to build a connection, she persuaded herself.“Authur, could you--?”“Yes, Miss Green,” Authur answers swiftly, “After you deliver the card, I will drive you right over.”Scar: “…”This time she’s really not trying to dodge that bullet! Didn’t he hear that it was Damian Vanderbilt who--… Whatever.Standing in front of Sebastian’s new building, Scar is still grumbling Silco’s name, along with his evil loyal driver, Author. Sebastian’s new building is not the same as before – the modern design of Z-house as its own symbol. This time it’s just a normal building, low-key to the extreme, considering its owner’s usual luxurious style.A sour wave washes Scar’s heart.Kind and gentle, Sebastian was never low-key. He was the shining prince of
“Why do I have to do it myself?!” Scar huffs, glaring at Silco.Sitting on the sofa casually with his legs crossed, Silco glances at Scar from above the papers he’s reading, amused. A moment ago the girl was crying in his arms, and now she’s like a kitten with her tail stomped on.“I can send Arthur over!” Scar pouts.“If you can command him,” Silco answers almost gently, but the laughter in his voice is not hidden at all.Scar rolls her eyes.“I’ll just--I--” Scar blurts, fidgeting around, “You already gave up on Sebastian’s company, so why are you making the one last step so hard for me?!”“Sorry, I didn’t think delivering a card to a fancy office building with a driver at your service all the time would be a horrifying chore,” Silco answers, still with that annoying smile.“You KNOW that’s not what I’m talking about!” Scar snaps angrily. If she had been grateful to this man with her full heart a moment ago, she is now annoyed 120%, “You can send anyone but me!”“I’m spending two bi
All the way home Scar feels like something stuffed in her chest. Over and over again she tells herself that she doesn’t care about Johnny Vanderbilt, but it doesn’t seem to work.A car seemed to have followed her for a while, but it was gone at the last turn.She lives in a house in the upper part of the town now, a community better and safer than the Fuller’s villa. Silco rented her this place, along with the guards. When she arrives, Silco is not yet home.Scar throws herself into the sofa, frustrated about Johnny Vanderbilt, and herself. Not only did she have to take all the garbage about him from Jack Fuller, but she also had to see with her own eyes that the man was not interested in making up with her. Not that she cares, but still, it doesn’t feel good.She is getting mixed information about that man.In Damian’s eyes he was a loving husband, a strict father who spoils his own daughter. But Emma left him for cheating, Anna was convinced that he was still into her, and from what
With Ava and Jack Fuller hovering at the front door, Scar doesn’t even step out of the elevator, but just remains inside for the underground parking lot. She is so drowned in Damian’s words that she barely makes it out before the door closes on her—“You are a lot like Mom,”That’s what he said. Even now Scar’s heart is pumping fast at that. Is she? She doesn’t even remember being held in that woman’s arms. She doesn’t remember the home she briefly stayed in. She doesn’t even remember the car accident which should have left some impression even in her childish mind.But she grew up into a woman a lot like her angel-like mother?What did she blurt? She was so daunted in the face that she murmured: “I have always imagined her to be like one of those…”Elegant ladies. Those who would sit in a café at 3pm, watching out the window with 20-dollar-coffee in hand.“Like a lady, huh?” Damian grins, seeing through her easily, “Nahhhh. Far from it. Mom is cool, almost hippy like. She would drive
I got Mom’s necklace. Even when completing the process in the office after the auction, it still feels surreal. Anna Fuller’s appearance was unexpected, but what was the real surprise was how easily Johhny Vanderbilt gave up on the necklace in the end when I called my price.I can’t take the necklace away, not till the bank processes the deal. But I got all the papers the Fuller’s provided for its authenticity. Finally, the first step of my revenge, is grasped in my palm. The plan is to get the papers and send them to prison –Silco would freeze the card after I win the necklace, giving me exactly three days to prove the Fuller’s guilty on faking the files. I want Mom’s necklace, but I don’t plan on making that bloodsucking family billionaires by buying something originally mine from them.It’s them who have to pay.“So…” I turn to Damian, feeling a bit awkward. I have been really mean to him ever since I met him, and yet he came to my help today without hesitation. I’d be lying if I
The love-and-hatred show is still on as Scar and Damian quarrel. Johnny Vanderbilt would raise his plate instantly after the host announces Anna’s call or even faster, and Anna would pout, bite her lips, and glare over before she raises again. Her face is like a painting plate, changing color in seconds as if every one of his calls is like a bomb blowing up on her face.The phone call comes in at that moment--Anna’s phone rings, breaking the silence in the room, loud and clear. She glances at it with an indifferent face, not picking it up. But her hand hesitates to raise her plate again.“Who could be calling her?” Scar murmurs to Damian. All of Anna’s family is down there by her side. Her parents died years ago. So who could be so important to her that a phone call from him could hesitate her decision?Seeing all these, Johnny Vanderbilt suddenly raises his plate again, this time announcing himself: “Two billion.”Anna’s tears break out as her hand drapes powerlessly -- it’s not the
Tears flow down Anna Fuller’s cheeks, the plate raised halfway in her hand is shaking hard because she was not expecting Johnny Vanderbilt to be so cruel to her—He knew she was going for the necklace, and he did not only bid for it, but actually gave her a price that told her to keep away from it.One billion. What a cold number.Jack Fuller didn’t want her to come. In fact, Jack Fuller didn’t tell her about the auction of the necklace. But she knew. She knows everything about Johnny Vanderbilt, the man who was supposed to be on the sacred altar with her. How could Jack Fuller expect her to not come?Ava is beyond excitement at Johnny Vanderbilt’s bid – to Ava, it’s just a number unnecessarily high for an item they stole with a reserve price low as 30 million. But whatever. Maybe the riches just like to brag about how much money they have. The more the better – for her.The item is listed under her name, and she takes the bigger part of the final price.Scar raises her plate in a has
Scar didn’t think it would go this smoothly.She prepared several other reasons and actually rehersed in her head on her speech to persuade Damian, who known to be an ironwrist in the courtroom, shouldn’t be persuaded easily. But maybe just eager to maintain the peace with his long lost sister, Damian jumped on board without so much as a nudge.All parties are set, and now between Scar and the necklace, remains only “the last minute”.Everyone knows “once, twice, sold,” but few know that after the host announces the upset price, bidders have 60 seconds before the item is announced unsold. This time is called “the last minute” because it’s the most crucial battle between bidders—to decide, fake, trick, or hide their strategies over an item.You don’t want to show your cards too early too clearly. Some would wait for the last few seconds to call, and others use this time to feel out the bottom price from other bidders. Once the first call is announced, it’s a bloody war.Ava wants an un