Scarlett’s POV“Hmm...”I mean, nice gesture but, it’s what a husband does for his wife when they actually live together. We don’t.Hesitating at his hand, I’m a bit daunted in the face, not sure how to refuse without being too hostile. I don’t want to make him my enemy anymore. It’s tiring hating a person. But I don’t know how to be friendly without giving him false hope.We can’t go back.“I’m here bearing gifts,” He pulls out two files from behind his back like they are secret flowers, “Take my hand and they are yours. I know for sure that you don’t want to miss at least one of them.”The divorce papers? I almost blurt that, but I swallow them. It’s too mean.“What is it?” I demand before taking his hand. He cocks an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised as he laughs: “I thought you would ask if they are our divorce papers.”It would be a good joke if his smile was not bitter.“It’s the divorce papers of your parents,” He sighs as if a bit disappointed that I didn’t say the mean thin
Scarlett’s POVI stop, but I don’t know how to turn around.For a long moment I pause there, and for a long moment, he waits patiently behind me.How great it would be, if he had asked me this question at ANY POINT in our marriage? If he had doubted Ava just a little bit in the long time window when I kept hope, I would have jumped to tell him the truth. If I had even a shred of confidence that he would have believed me, I would have.But now...I turn around, only to find him standing on the green grass when I’m already off on the cold blacktop. A hard line between us, like the five years that we can leap over. He looks at me with too complicated a look that I can’t quite read. In his eyes are hope, struggle, hesitation, and...fear.Fear of what? Of me being the girl he saved? Or not?“The question is...” I take a deep breath just so I can look into his eyes, “Do you WANT me to be?”Were you taking care of Ava ONLY because of that girl, or was your love for her also because of who sh
Scarlett’s POV“I, owe, you?” I raise my eyebrows, poking his chest with a frown.Sebastian chuckles at my “attack”, holding my waist tighter: “I owe you a million apologies and more. I owe you a good husband, a comfortable home, and five years of happiness, but yes, this one thing, you do owe me.”“I gave you a chance and a million after that,” I humph at him, trying to push him away with my arms as wedges between us. Effort in vain.“You don’t love me anymore, do you?” Sebastian asks and I lower my eyes. He taps my chin up with a hooked finger, but to my surprise, there is a smile instead of sadness in his eyes, “I know you don’t, and I deserve that. But you forced me to marry you when I wasn’t in love with you, and you owe me a chance to pursue you now, when our position is exactly the opposite.”“I just want what you asked of me five years ago, Scar,” Sebastian gazes at me with his soulful eyes, “Every bit of my debt I will pay, but I want to collect just this one debt from you...
Damian’s POV“Surprised to see you without your little pet,”I’m about to be bored to death at Oliver’s party. Well, sort of a “party”. It’s just a club where a lot of actors hang out, and he just invited a few more, and tagged it a “truth and dare” themed night. I enjoy a drink with him occasionally, but a quiet drink, not this type.“I wouldn’t be if I’m not stuck here, so, thanks for that,” I roll my eyes at him, resting my arms and neck on the back of the sofa as I try to ease the sourness in them. Oliver calls Lilith my little tail because I have been working extra hours recently -- something I don’t normally do -- just to spend time with Lilith.I never liked the mentor-apprentice rule in law firms, but when she came to join, I couldn’t help but chase off all the other partners who had eyes on her.I never thought I would want one myself.But how could I not? She’s perfect. Lilith is a great work companion, a kind person and a cute girl. She works herself to the most, but she wou
Damian’s POV“The mean girl? Who’s married? Whose blood type is registered as AB?” I blink at Oliver, can’t quite process what he said, “How much did you drink tonight?”He rolls his eyes at me. He rolls his eyes at ME when he is the one being ridiculous?!“Uncle Johnny always says that I saved your life, when in fact I hesitated about helping you,” Oliver suddenly blurts, coming to sit by my side, “I felt bad taking your help because...I don’t know if I would have saved you, if it wasn’t my team member that hurt you in the first place.”“What do you mean?”“I mean,” Oliver raises his glass, giving me a mysterious smile, “the world is a dark place.”What does that mean?!“You know I lost my parents to a car accident, right?” Oliver leans in, his voice low and his look heavy, which is very rare, if you know him. “A car crashed into him, but it wasn’t an accident. It was murder.”“What?! Why the hell didn’t you say anything?! We can look into it--”“The driver is still in prison,” Oliver
Damian’s POV“So the surprise you invited tonight was Scarlett Fuller?”Oliver gives me his icon smirk: “You said you wanted to get to know her while looking into whether she’s the real Alice, no? So, I invited both of them.”And neither of them showed up.Waited late into the night, Oliver finally began to get nervous. Taking the time to rest, I close my eyes so I don’t have to see his guilty look.“That’s weird...” Oliver mumbles to himself, but makes it loud enough for me to hear, “I was so sure that at least Scarlett Fuller would come...”I can’t help my laugh escaping me, and Oliver hits me on the shoulder with red ears.“What?!” I laugh at him, “You have met them like what, twice?? What makes you so sure that--”“I saw her eyes!” Oliver cuts me off with solemn look, “I recognize a clean look in them, it’s like...like someone who maintains her innocence after seeing real darkness...I don’t know how to describe it, but I just feel her, okay?!”Seeing my taunting nod his solemnness
Damian’s POVI frown at the sight, confused, too.I got her 10,000$ in that fight last time. I didn’t dare give her more because she might get suspicious. So when she didn’t return to the black fight club, I took that as the money being enough to cover whatever problem she was having. So why is she doing another part-time? At such a place no less?!“You don’t work your people too hard, do you?” Oliver says with a sarcastic tone, “I knew there was a dark side in that girl! Not to brag but... I told you soooo.”I click my tongue at him, and he raises both his hands but rolls his eyes at the same time.Oliver doesn’t like Lilith for some reason. He keeps calling her my pet because he sees her as a gold digger. Well, he sees all women around me as gold diggers, and most of the time, I agree with him. But he is wrong about Lilith. She has something special in her. I don’t know why he can’t see that.“Since your surprises are not coming anyway--” I stand up, sorting my suit. Maybe I should
Scarlett's POVI asked Sebastian to come to the party with me. Well, I told Sebastian about it, and he tagged along against my suggestion.“Since when have you been interested in disco bars?” Sebastian tries to hide his impatience. Effort in vain. He prefers quiet ones.“No one even invited you,” I roll my eyes, looking around for Oliver.“I want to be with YOU,” He grunts, following me tightly as he tries to avoid making contact with anyone, an annoyed look on his face, “It could have been at home--”“I couldn’t have been because I wasn’t planning on going home with you,” I wheel on him, somehow, in the crowd, “I said you have a chance, under the condition that you won’t put Ava Fuller above me. I’m not just going back to be your tamed little wife, not again!”“I know, I know!” He raises both his hands, smiling tamely, “I’m sorry. You can at least come home to sleep, no? I won’t be there.”“So what, now I’m chasing you out of your own house?” I shake my head, but before we can get to
Does she really treat Sebastian differently?Scar doesn’t like touching this question. It stings. He is like a wound on her heart that just won’t heal. Every scar he left on her remains hurting, bleeding, and corrupting nonstop, yet she just can’t seem to gouge it out.If only she could.Why is it so hard to just cut all ties with this man? However she warns herself of the danger this man poses, she keeps finding him back in her life, closer and closer.Unlike Ava who has never even apologized for what happened but basically took all the harm she did on Scar as okay, Sebastian apologizes. He puts up the genuine guilt act all the time. Doing the right thing, that’s his brand. He takes all his chances to apologize, but he still doesn’t understand--His fault is not giving Ava a key to his house. It wasn’t even falling for that simple lie when the
Scar couldn’t answer Silco’s question.What kind of a question was that?! She doesn’t treat them differently! They are all her enemies, and they all played a part in that horrifying night five years ago! When Ava bullied her, Sebastian took Ava’s side; when Ava needed her blood, Sebastian was the one plugging the tube into Scar’s wrist; when Ava tried to murder her child, HIS child, he gave Ava the key to their house! So of course she treats them differently! If Ava was a murderer, then Sebastian was just a stupid tool Ava used; if Ava wanted her dead, Sebastian only failed to protect her.So why that question?!Why SHOULD she treat them as equally evil? She doesn’t only because she is a fair person!Having a bloody battle in her mind, Scar couldn’t help but feel angry when she couldn’t pin down where the anger comes from.It was a simple question, one that she does have an answer for.So why couldn’t she?Why did she feel guilty when Silco asked that, and why did she run from that qu
Silco finally nods with a proud smile, seeing Scar had led her to where he was leading her to go: “I think that would raise our chances by a lot, princess.”Scar’s eyes beam, not at the coming win, but at the proud look from Silco.She doesn’t even realize it.Never in the first twenty years of life has she tasted what being proud of feels like, and that’s not because of a lack of trying. For a very long time, she believed so long as she worked hard, she would get the praise from Jack and Anna just like Ava. She never did.It feels amazing.While Scar is enjoying her newfound secret, forbidden satisfaction, Lilith is amazed at the closeness shared between Scar and Silco that her best friend doesn’t seem to even notice herself. Does Scar still remember that she doesn’t even know the identity of this man? Scar looks up at him like a little lamb at her shepherd.What’s with this sudden, almost-father-daughter vibe?!“So we just wait?” Scar asks Silco, “What if they don’t make a move?”“Y
“Silco!” Still in the euphoric state, Scar springs off the sofa, demanding the man like a little girl, “You knew him?! Elijah Green? Did you know what a weirdo he was?! Who tells people that they look like their dead friend on the first time they meet?! Why on earth did you make me go to that horrible party?! You owe me an explanation!”Silco lets out a smirk, “Dead...friend? Interesting...” He laughs at her pout, rubbing her hair as he leads her back to the sofa: “The party was horrible? Then why did I hear that the Fuller’s mother-daughter pair put on quite a show to entertain?”Well, it WAS quite enjoyable when they panicked as their lies spilled all over the floor before Scar picked it up for them.Scar sticks her tongue out.“Sure, she begged me for mercy,” Scar shrugs, throwing herself back into the sofa with a loud sigh, “but they only wanted to keep up their lies in front of the Green Lady. I have been calling her about our deal and she hasn’t picked up yet. Pretty sure I got
“I have heard a lot about you,” Elijah Green grins at Scar, giving a meaningful glance in the Green Lady’s direction.The Fullers are pasting around the Green Lady again, like two buzzing flies that would always come back. Looking over, Scar couldn’t help but let out a snort, “So have I.” She says with a cold voice, “Is that what this conversation is for?”If he is here to fight for Ava, too. Scar frowns. She swears to God! She would—“I think they are lying to mom,” Elijah Green answers tamely, as if he doesn’t even hear the sarcasm in Scar’s tone. In Scar’s surprised look, the man laughs like a marshmallow, with a childish, mischievous shade in there, “Anyone who looks so much alike my dear -- hmm -- friend, couldn’t be a bully.”Every time he says that, he adds a pause in there as if it originally wasn’t a “friend”, but something else there. Weird. Scar thinks.“...but I bet you are fierce, no? I bet you are kind to people, but take the stand if needed,” Elijah Green is still going
Sebastian is afraid.Never in his life has he been so. How could he not? He is in the face of his final judgement. He only got through the past five years lying to himself that Scar hated him because Alice died, when he managed to save Alice. That’s his one shred of hope. That some day, when he could tell Scar that, all will be forgiven and forgotten.But that’s precisely why he dared not touch it. Because deep down, he knows that the answer is likely to be no.He just doesn’t know how to survive that answer. If his actions would never get forgiveness from the one person he can’t live without. Then what?It takes him all his willpower to force his eyes up to meet Scar’s. His throat so dry that it starts hurting. He grips a fist, hides it in his pocket with his whole body stiff like a rock.There is storm in Scar’s eyes.There is anger, of course. Anger for all that has happened. Anger for all his stupid mistreatment and self-righteousness. Anger for all the hurt he used to meet her lo
In so many years to come, Sebastian would be grateful that Scar caved, again.He could see the struggle in her eyes, and the familiar fire that would have driven her to call off the deal. But for several long seconds, she doesn’t say anything.He takes that as an “in” and drags her away.He is not sure what he would have done if Scar chose Scott. It’s not like he could really keep her away from the lead of her mom’s case. He has investigated for so many years, just so he could give her what she wants when she wants it.Just not Scott.Or any other men.“I didn’t know you were interested in eye candy,” Sebastian squeezes Scar's hand punishingly when he notices that long after they arrived at the small table across the room from Scott, she is still gazing in that direction.Scar frowns at his sting. What’s his problem?? Ever since she enter Ava’s proud event, he has been a bother none stop. Just because he has got something that she’s interested, he thought he could walk over her??“I g
“Stop it! We weren’t talking about you!” Scar frowns, stepping up for Scott. She can’t have Scott being a target of Sebastian because of her.Scott might be next in line to inherit the Green empire, but he has never spent a day in his life fighting in the business world. How’s that fair?!Scott smirks at Sebastian from behind Scar.Sebastian is boiling. “Hiding behind a woman? Is that all you got?!”“Am I supposed to be ashamed? For hiding behind Scar?” Scott grins, not seeming to be offended at all as he drawls with that annoying smirk, “I don’t know. It sounds like you are upset that you don’t get to do the same.”Sebastian’s eyes are murderous now.Scar’s eyes open wide. She has never seen Sebastian like this. Losing his cool in front of anyone. Sarcasm and personal attack? Is this man really the white knight who always dominates in any room?He looks like an ordinary, jealous husband.The thing is, he is no longer her husband to have the right to be jealous of men she talks to!“W
Even at the top of her anger, all Scar wanted was to take back what she was owed and extend justice. Her eyes open slightly at his words, amazed at Scott’s careless tone.He lost his mom just like she did. He was unwanted by his original family, just like she was. But instead of tormenting himself, he chooses to torment everyone who owed him and maintains his life.“I wish I could be so free, just like you...” Scar murmurs, “How did you turn up well, losing your mom when you were a baby...?”When she became such a mess that she couldn’t hold on to anything good in her life?“I couldn’t do it, not without Mr. Vanderbilt.” Scott shakes his head.Mr. Vanderbilt...Scar lowers her eyelashes, hiding her secret within.Scott lands his gloomy look on Elijah Green, who is socializing with the guests not far from them, “If he didn’t take care of me all these years, the Greens would never have taken a low level orphan boy back, no matter the blood running through my veins.”Scar doesn’t recogni