Scarlett’s POV“You sure you don’t want to detonate this bomb in the Fullers’ faces?” Lucas throws the necklace case up and down, “Last chance.”Biting my lips, I answer in the end: “No.”“Did you hear that?” Lucas pulls out his phone, asking.What the--?! I charge up to him, and before I can throw a demand, he turns his phone, and on his screen is Adrian’s face.“He is my employer,” Lucas grins at me. Shooting him a glare, I take his phone. I’m not really against Adrian’s participation, but not when he is busy pursuing Aurora, and definitely not in this way!“I just called him to check up on you when you entered. Sorry,” Seeing my frustration, Adrian quickly explains, “I’m not monitoring over you, I swear.”“I guess I could use a friend’s advice...” I roll my eyes, can’t stay mad at the slippery fox, “but...I already made up my mind on this one.”“This is the fastest way to get a result. I know a pretty good lawyer, and maybe we can hear his opinion on this first?”“Do I have to make
Scarlett’s POVIt won’t work if Ava doesn’t leave Sebastian’s side, which is the most cases. Betting on my luck, I sneak to the edge of the staircase, peeking out without exposing myself.The lobby has only the chandelier on, dim mode. The faint yellow light cast an ambiguous spell on the crowd, and the air smells sexy. With the help of alcohol, it’s like everyone’s reason has been taken a bite from, and they are all now shaking their heads at the music, laughing and occasionally touching their bodies.The party is well-done now.In a light dress, I don’t stand out at all. Unlike Sebastian--I’m a bit surprised to find him sitting by the bar all alone, a drink in his hand and no Ava. He looks sullen and bored, but lucky for me, he is not leaving. The moment I look over, as if felt something, he suddenly looks up, and his eyes crushes right into mine. Then he smiles. A clean, friendly smile with little intention behind it. Just purely to be friendly.Just like the day when he saved me.
Sebastian’s POVI was pleasantly surprised that Scar would initiate a talk, only to realize -- Scar wants something from me.She is a free spirit, the opposite of Ava. She says what she thinks, and she does what her heart tells her to. Always. But not when she wants something. She turns into a different person, a tame girl who tries her best to behave, to flatter, to restrain.I used to scorn at that. I felt like she was always asking for something when Ava never asked for things. On top of that, she does it in a timid, almost scared way and I didn’t like it.Scar would ask all my friends but me about what I might like to get me “the right” gift, and ask me if I liked the gift when she gave it to me. If I said “yes”, she would smile so brightly with a timid question -- “Then do I get a full day with you? Just us?”I didn’t like Scar’s “hidden conditions” for the gifts, so I hated it when she gave me gifts. I felt like there were always traps behind it. I never thought about how hard i
Sebastian’s POVAs I watch her trying to engage me in a conversation, to keep me distracted with phony gratitude, I can taste only bitterness in my mouth no matter how much nerve-number I pour down.I know why she could lie to me now -- I’m no longer special to her.I am to her now as is everyone else, a person she can use and not feel bad about it. Honesty is to her a “solid base for marriage”. I ruined that marriage, and she is allowed to not give a damn to its base.She was right. She built a home for me, for us. A real home, not just a house to live in, a harbor where I could relax from my day and recharge, where I was cared for to the extreme without paying anything.I broke that heaven into pieces without realizing what I had.I watch her -- I meant I “not notice” her steal my phone and give it to a guy I don’t even know like the most awkward thief in the world that she is, tasting the bitter pain in my chest as if a thousand needles are piercing me.She has made her bed, then s
Scarlett’s POVIt can’t be Lucas if we are going through the door instead of the window. It has to be me. Even if anyone sees me, it won’t be a crime.“What took you so long?!” I hiss at him when he drags me to a dark corner. In his hand is an old bronze key of a weird shape. The gate of the villa uses a fingerprint lock, but Jack Fuller’s study still uses one of those old-school locks with a complicated physical key.What's he hiding in there?“This kind of lock is very expensive, one lock with only one key, and the key can’t be duplicated,” Seeing my confusion, Lucas explains, “And to answer your question, it’s because you gave me the wrong password for the phone.”“What?! It’s not Ava’s birthday?!” I exclaim, “I swear I have seen him using that.”“Well, maybe it was, but now it isn’t,” Lucas has a weird look on his face, “do you want to know what it is?”“It’s okay,” I wave my hand, “I don’t plan on stealing his phone all the time!”I have never stolen anything in my life. I was so
Scarlett’s POVI cover my mouth in shock, throwing the case into the safe and locking it, only to realize I have got nowhere to escape. How could she be back so quickly?!“Scarlett!” Ava keeps shouting, wracking the doorknob like crazy, “You stole my key, didn’t you?! You dare to sneak into Daddy’s study?! You are dead! Daddy told me you would try something and you certainly did! Open up!”I struggle between the door and the balcony.It’s not safe if Lucas is not there to catch me, if I go with the air way. But if I go with the door...I wanted to play dumb and investigate first, but I guess the beans are spilling. I grip the key in one hand, and the doorknob in another. If this is how it’s blowing out--“Some guy climbed into her window,” I hear a guy’s voice across the door, his words are for Ava apparently. I hold my breath and wait.Some guy? What guy? Lucas? Into my room, not the study??? Wait, they have eyes on the windows???!“The cameraman? Into her room? They are not sleeping
Scarlett’s POV“What was that?!” Ava demands in haste, charging back to the study.Damn it! She heard me.Sebastian knocks on the glass door lightly, pointing at the lock. Luckily with Ava’s frantic shout and turning the doorknob as cover, I unlocked the glass door and opened it smoothly.“What--” I hiss at him but he covers my mouth and pulls me out to the balcony.“What did you text Ava?” He asks directly.“I--I don’t know...” I murmur. Lucas sent it. I didn’t leave until I returned his phone--Wait, he knew?!Sebastian drops that topic fast. “Under the table or cross the balcony’s gap, choose one,” He says swiftly with a strict tone, turning me to the direction of my room, “Under the table is safer, but walking out can be tricky--”“The balcony,” I choose fast. The gap between the two balconies is less than one meter. I think Jack Fuller prepared the bedroom for his little girl from the start, and he never thought danger could come from this direction.But it’s still scary.I look
Scarlett’s POV“You found it on the ground?!” Ava hisses in shock. From the sound of it, she slips into the study and shuts the door, “I-I really lost the key?”“I’m sorry,” Sebastian says.The bitterness in his voice aches me. He hates lying, and now I forced him to lie, to someone he cares about no less. I’m owning him more and more.I stick my head out of my door to peek, just to see Ava’s minion Ethan pasting his ear on the study’s door. We scare each other, and we both pull our heads back.“But why are you here?” Ava demands with full suspicion, “You told me to meet you in the woods where you saved me.”Shit!I stick an airpod in my ear as I charge out of the door. I didn’t know what Lucas texted her, but I knew it was by the lake! Why didn’t I at least tell him that?! I need to warn him!“The woods?” Sebastian asks with a genuinely confused tone, “Did you misread the text? Is that why you didn’t come to the lake?”What?! I freeze in the hallway, staring into each other with Etha
“So…you really trust this…Silco?” Lilith asks Scar with her eyes still on Alice, who’s just a few inches away, laughing on the carousel as it runs around. Spent most of her life on a private island, entertainment parks are like miracle lands to Alice. And the bright smile on her chubby little face makes it so hard for Lilith to say no. Not that she wants to anyway: It’s the best chance to get Scar to spend time with Alice. Johnny Vanderbilt wanted to take Alice back to his city after Scar went to prison. Knowing how Scar felt about Damian, Lilith chose to help Sebastian and took Alice to hide on a private island Sebastian got under Granny’s maiden name. At least this way Alice gets to grow up with her father. The plan worked well at first. Sebastian narrows his work days to 2 in the office, moving most of his work online and spending all five days on the island with them. For quite a long time Alice thought Lilith was her mom, and Lilith didn’t put in a real effort to correct her
Driving for 20 minutes in the car, Scar’s eyes are still cold from the outburst earlier. She has loved that man, and hated that man. He is just to painful to keep in her heart. She wants him out of her life, but he just keep coming and stir things up! “So heartless about him, hmm?” Silco breaks the silence tauntingly, “Sure you won’t regret it? I know how much you loved him before.” “That’s none of your business!” Scar snorts coldly, her tone not at all like the sugar baby she shows others.
“Scar!” Scar left when Sebastian was dragged down by the Fullers. By the time he catches up, she’s already by a pure black luxury car waiting right outside of the Fuller’s gate. Scar wasn’t going to wait for him until Sebastian hurried up a few steps and put his fingers between the half-closed door. If he has to be honest, he is surprised that Scar didn’t close the door on his fingers anyway. But Scar turns visibly impatient at his way of stopping her. “You just never settle for what’s yours at the time, do you?” Scar says coldly, standing behind the door when Sebastian feels like the door is the furthest distance in the world. A cold snort lands quietly in the car. Sebastian hears. On the back seat sits that masked man, Silco. That name upsets him. That man is using Scar, if he is not playing her also, he knows. He looked into that guy, and found nothing. Nothing! That’s not normal, and it's not at the level of resources he has. Maybe that man doesn’t exist on papers, meaning a
The phone call changes Scar back to the vengeful fallen angle. For now. “I’ll go after Johnny Vanderbilt for what he did on his part, thanks but that’s none of your business…” Scar curves her lips, her devil like grin has no warmth, sending chills down the spine of her enemies, “I hope your family really have no trouble with your lousy explanation on cheating, Mrs. Fuller. But for now, I want my mom’s necklace.” Anna shakes her head slowly with mercy in her eyes, as if Scar is just a misbehaving child who doesn’t know better. “What happened to you, Scarlett?” Anna insists on calling Scar the name she gave her, ignoring Scar’s words, “Are you seeing anyone for these episodes? It’s not a light thing. If you need help—” “Not from you!” Scar spats with cold anger, “Stop with the hypocritical act of yours! You just don’t know when to stop even after your true color is exposed, do you? I was wondering where Ava got that from.” “How dare you talk to my mom like that!?” Ava shrills, blow
For years Scar has been wondering where Ava got the lying and acting from without a hint. It was right under her nose. It was Anna Fuller, Ava’s mom who is so good at lying that Scar didn’t even notice anything wrong! Anna cost Scar’s mom, and Anna’s daughter took Scar’s baby! Like mother, like daughter! She won’t let them get away this time! She can’t unite with her mom and baby with peace before she gets justice from this pair of snakes! “You need to talk to your father, honey—” Anna Fuller reaches for Scar’s face like the perfect mom she paints herself to be. Sebastian pulls Scar back a step, blocking her with his body as he grunts warningly: “Anna, stop it.” She turned on the manipulating machine again. But Scar heard Anna already. Letting out a cold snort, Scar murmurs slowly: “My father…” The laughter is full of bitterness, anger, hatred and disappointment, everything but what should associated with that word. “Scar…” Sebastian tries to pull her close, but Scar remains wh
“Gabriel,” Scar suddenly turns to the big dumb bear, “There was a time when you bullied me at school and were caught by the teacher. When my teacher asked you to give her mom’s number, you said the wrong number before you quickly changed it. Except it wasn’t a ‘wrong’ number, was it? It was the number you were told to memorize when you were a kid before it was changed to her current one. Why did she use this phone number for twenty years without any trouble when you had to memorize two?” Gabriel opens his mouth like a big mole who digs through its ceiling to the ground by accident. “Mom…?” Gabriel stammers, looking at Anna like a lost boy. He doesn’t know how he could not fall into Scar’s trap. There is no way because it’s not a trap. It’s an endless dark hole in his mom’s past that as much as she’s trying, she’s failing to cover up. “That’s too stretched, don’t you think?” Ava struggles, “Just because of a name and a random mistake—” “Silco pulled the info of the owner who owned
“Oh my poor Scarlett…” Anna Fuller grips her chest with a hand as if her heart pains, her soulful eyes filled with tears glimmering, “You had a few rough years, I know…I wanted to look for you but…” But Jack didn’t let me? But Ava would be heartbroken? Anna said none of those words, but knowing her too well, Scar knew what the indication was. Scar tilts her head, as if seeing Anna for the very first time in her life. In some way, yes. That’s how Anna Fuller talks. Painting herself as the most pitiful person in the world even when you are the real victim, at the same time indicating that someone else is at fault, anyone but her. She might have never told Scar to hate Jack Fuller, but every time when she “comforts” Scar, she paints another layer of hatred over Scar. Like when Jack Fuller ignores Scar, instead of sitting both of them down and talk it out like a proper mom should, Anna would secretly go to Scar when no one else is around, and say things like, “It’s okay, baby, you st
Looking at Gabriel’s steaming head, Scar giggles, waving her hand indifferently. “I came with big money behind me this time, and that’s why your fox of a father and snake of a sister are treating me with a basic manner. They know they can’t push me around but they are not stopping you from pissing me off because they want to see what I can do about your disrespect. Do you know what that means?” “Bullshit!” Gabriel grunts, but he can’t help but glance in his father and sister’s direction either. “I’ll tell you what I will do to you,” Scar stops spinning her phone, putting it in her purse as she stands up, her look bored and cruel, “That little precious company of yours that’s misleading you into thinking that you are not pure valueless trash? It’s going down in exactly three days. I know it doesn’t exactly hurt them,” She nods in Jack Fuller and Ava’s direction, “I mean, how could it when they never cared about you?” “You—” Gabriel wants to shout, but Scar cuts him off— “BUT, I’m
Scar was already at the Fullers when Sebastian made it. The last time Sebastian was with her in Jack Fuller’s living room was five years ago now, yet he feels like it was only yesterday. It might have something to do with the fact that he barely lived a day since. Just surviving. Sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed elegantly, Scar swings her foot lightly with an indifferent look. She is in a business set: white, tight blouse and straight short skirt. A pair of high heels, of course indicating one thing: She’s here for serious business. Just not the kind Jack Fuller looks forward to. That much is obvious because the owner of the living room sits right across Scar with every line of the muscle on his face stretched tight, as if facing a cannibal monster. He is scared, and he ought to be. Though Scar wouldn’t claim it, she’s still a Vanderbilt. Damian has all but thrown everything the Fuller had into fire in the past five years. Ava and her dad did little to improve Z-House’s