Scarlett’s POV“North Dakota?” Adrian shoots over a surprised look, asking as we head to the parking lot, “That’s far from here. How did know your real parents are there?”The doctor was Adrian’s acquaintance, and at his promise, we left the doctor’s office feeling safe about my secret. I feel bad about hiding this from Sebastian, but before I’m sure I can protect my baby from them, I can’t risk letting any of my “family” know about the baby.Adrain is the third of the only three people that I can trust my secret with.I briefly explained to him about my situation and how Jack Fuller always managed to find me in my earlier attempts to run away from “home”.It started with the time when Sebastian found me in the woods. I just made my first “friend” at that time, and he promised he could help me run away if “you hate your home that much”. He led me into the woods and after a few turns he left me there alone. I didn’t know how to get out, and I didn’t know how to get back home either.La
Scarlett’s POVIs there a kinder soul in this world? I look at Adrian, envying Aurora secretly because she is being loved by such a good person.But I can’t. “I want to be your friend, Adrian Dunn,” I shake my head, feeling pity in my chest, “So I can’t be such a burden to you. You understand, don’t you?”Adrian looks at me plaintively. He understands, I know. Talking to him has been so easy.“You are insulting me by implying that it takes a lot of me to protect just one girl,” Adrian says half-jokingly, “I can’t protect you well if you leave, especially to a place that far away. But here I can promise that they can’t get another drop of blood of yours if you don’t want them to.”That’s really sweet and generous, but I can’t put such a weight on Adrian. I feel guilty enough taking so much of his help as it is. Out of a misunderstanding no less. It’s not right.“I can take care of myself now,” I say as Adrian holds out his arm to block the elevator door for me. He definitely did that o
Scarlett’s POVAdrian remained silent as we settled into the car and drove out of the parking lot.I wonder if I had told him too much.I guess when someone has their partiality for you, then it becomes irresistible to pour out all the grief to them. I start to understand Ava better.But he is not mine. He is Aurora’s, and I’m on my way to finding my real family who I can cry to without a burden.I never wanted to admit this, but I envy Ava, a lot. I envy how she could be loved by so many, and be so capricious without a worry, when even trying my best, I couldn’t get a caring look from the same family and friends she has.Would my parents love me just as much as the Fullers love her?If I was born with such an awful disease but by the side of my real parents, would they also go all the way to buy a slave home just to make sure I would be safe? I don’t want them to be this evil, but I want everything else the Fullers gave Ava.I want a family that would care whether I was happy or sad,
Scarlett’s POV“I will make him pay!”Jack Fuller’s roar came out as my welcome right when I left the elevator. I didn’t even need to ask for directions for Ward 713.“He is already arrested, Daddy!” Ava giggles as the angel she is, “I totally called it when that girl jumped off that building! I guess apples don't fall far from the tree.”A moment of silence.“Anna, the reports should be out by now,” Jack Fuller suddenly says out of nowhere, and in panic, I slid into the room next to it. I wasn’t exactly eavesdropping, but now I’m guilty as hell.She passes my door soon after, and I close the door and put my ears against the wall shared with ward 713. Jack Fuller sent her out on purpose. What could he have to talk to Ava about that his own wife couldn’t hear?“Clean your social media about that girl,” Jack Fuller keeps his voice so low that I can barely hear him through the wall. At his strange command, I pull out my phone and search for Ava’s Faceb00k. Keeping my ear up, I start scro
Scarlett’s POVI don’t think she is going to like what Ava has to say.I was surprised that Jack Fuller seemed to know Ava’s true color, but not for long. He has always been a calculating fox and I doubt he’d let anyone fool him, not even his own daughter.But I don’t think Mom knows about it at all. If she thinks Ava is her angelic tame daughter, then she really believes that. She is a devout believer. And as horrible as Jack Fuller might be, there is one thing I can’t deny of him -- he loves his wife.I guess I shouldn’t feel bad for Mom. I should envy her. She might know all the truth, but she is happy, living in the little illusional bubble where everything is kind, good, and alright. She doesn’t have to feel bad for keeping a little girl at home just to be her daughter’s blood vessel because her husband told her the little girl is an orphan who needed help; she doesn’t have to know that her own daughter broke the ugly truth to the orphan that she was adopted, because Jack Fuller
Scarlett's POVOhh, now that makes sense. No wonder why Ava would reach out to me, at the price of painting a peaceful illusion in front of Mom between us no less. She panicked because she thought Sebastian had a glimpse of her true color.Wait, no, that doesn’t make sense at all.That wasn’t like him at all. Shouldn’t he be beating the shit out of Liam Ryan for smearing the name of his pure angel?Finally, after all these years, Ava stepped on a line that even his blind love couldn’t make him look the other way?Now this is my kind of fun, to see that Ava actually understands what fear is.“I seem to remember that you said it wouldn’t matter even if I told him the truth, and he will still love you no matter what,” I tilt my head at Ava, “That night when you showed off to me about how he proposed to you, remember? In fact, you dared me to tell him--”“You bitch!” Ava snaps at me, but she keeps her face straight. I glance at Mom, and she moves her vicious death stare away from me.“I’l
Scarlett’s POV“Are you sure you are okay? You can cry if you want to,” Adrian asked for the third time I got back into his car. I told him he didn’t have to wait for me, but he was still where he parked when I came out, just as surprised as I was when he saw me.I’m not that sad. Not like when I found out about the truth of my “family”, about how each one of them betraded me and wanted to cut things off me. They bought my life for their beloved daughter, what’s so wrong in that?I’m actually happy now that their daughter is finally cured. They don’t need me anymore.“Ava is perfectly okay now. Her status is stable,” I tell Adrian, feeling a long-lost lightness, “Maybe they won’t even chase after me if I were to tell them that I’m leaving.”“She’s cured only by exploiting you!” Adrian rolls his eyes, complaining resentfully.“I mean, to think about it, they paid for my life and my education, I would have dealt with them if they straight up told me that the condition would be providing
Scarlett’s POVI stare at him, my body freezes because my brain is processing too many questions to give any order.Did Jack Fuller send him? Why does he still want me to stay?? How did he even know I was here??? I didn’t tell anyone, and it was as abrupt and out of expectation as it can be! Ava? Gabriel? Sebastian? None of them knows! Not even Aurora and Lilith!“Scar, breathe!” Adrian shakes me, and I turn to him slowly, tears blurring my sight, “This is Mateo, my secretary. I’m sorry I scared you, but you need to breathe. Scar!”I gasp, supporting myself against his car, blinking as my stunned brain slowly gets around it. Water flows down my face.“I thought--” I say, only to bite my lips. My voice is twisted. One more word and I will burst into a loud cry.“I know, I know...” Adrian hugs me, petting me on the back gently, “You are okay, you are safe...I’m really sorry, but they are not here to catch you...”I can’t believe how stupid I was, and now I can’t look up from Adrian’s ar