Chapter 4 ~ A visit

Easton’s car cruised through the streets, he tapped his long fingers on his thigh absentmindedly as he imagined the first thing he would say once he was face to face with Scarlet.

Five years had passed since they last saw each other, but even after so long, no one had such an effect on him as she did. 

A painful memory he’d kept buried resurfaced.

The image of her walking out on him, her cold words lingering in his mind like a wound that refused to heal. Her beautiful brown eyes which always sparkled when she looked at him looked dead.

Was money her only goal from the beginning?

“Easton! There’s been an accident!” Jade’s frantic voice echoed in his mind, pulling him deeper into his storm of emotions and opening the Pandora's box that held all his memories. One he held onto as a reminder of why he was going to make the two people who ruined his life pay!

 He clenched his jaw, resentment coursing through him. The woman he once loved had shown him how easily love could be twisted into betrayal. He had built up walls, and transformed his heart into ice, all because of her.

Feeling like the car wasn’t moving fast enough, he began to think of ways he would ruin her. He couldn’t wait to see the look in her eyes when she realized how powerful he’d become. 

He was now more powerful than any man she could have, and he was going to make her see that. A sinister smile crossed his features at that thought. 

A soft clearing of the throat pulled him out of his thoughts. “Sir, we’re here,” Kai announced.

He rushed to the door and held it open for Easton as he stepped out. 

“So much for a gold digger.” He scoffed upon looking around the surroundings.

He had been in deep thought, that he didn’t realize how far they had driven. He turned to Kai, 

“Where the fuck are we?”

“In the outskirts of Bayern City, sir,” Kai responded.

They turned to walk towards the old-looking houses and the closer they got, the more his chest tightened. He hadn’t expected to feel nervous. Despite all his bitterness, part of him wondered if seeing her again would bring back everything they once had.

 But he crushed the thought as quickly as it came, reminding himself why he was here.

“I’ll knock, in case it’s dangerous” Kai announced, looking around the entire place, but Easton shook his head.

“No, I’ll do it.” He straightened his shoulders and strode to the door, knocking firmly.

 Seconds stretched, the silence making his heart pump faster in anticipation. 

"I'm coming." A woman's voice came from inside the house, followed by the sound of a woman's approaching footsteps.

The sound of footsteps made him step back as he placed his hands in his pockets hardening his face into a deadly glare as he waited for her to open the door.

The sound got closer and closer until the door opened. He looked up expecting to see brown round eyes looking at him in shock but it wasn’t her. Instead, a stranger looked at him with mild confusion.

It was an older lady, so Easton assumed maybe she had found a relative during the five years they were apart.

“Can I help you?” she asked, with a smile, and despite being in her late 40s, she couldn’t help but blush at the handsome man who was standing in front of her. 

Easton’s voice was flat as he responded, 

“We’re looking for Scarlet Frost.”

The woman shook her head, “It’s only me honey, and I’m single! How about-”

Easton glared at Kai before angrily turning away, frustration simmering in his chest. 

“Hey! Where are you going Sugar?” The woman called out as Easton angrily entered the car.

Kai sighed as he joined him, knowing his boss would kill him for this. 

“I really thought it was her address. I confirmed it three times.” He explained, but Easton wasn’t interested.

“Just fucking drive.”

As Kai pulled away. Easton was lost in thought and didn’t notice the figures walking past just a few steps from where they’d been parked.

Unknown to Easton, it was truly her apartment and they had just been evicted.

Outside, Scarlet who had been sitting with her bags in a corner finally stood and accepted the situation. 

She had called the landlord to beg and beg but he wouldn’t hear it and confiscated her newest design so they could compensate the months she had forfeited. 

“Mama, where are we going to live now?” Jasmine asked softly, her voice full of fear that they would now end up on the streets...

Scarlet wanted to curl up in a ball and cry her heart out. Everything was so hard for her and being an orphan didn’t help the situation. But she couldn’t cry, not when Jasmine was looking at her with such fear. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces as she forced a smile and bent down, gently brushing her daughter’s hair.

 “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re going to stay with Aunt Ariana for a while,” she said, squeezing her daughter’s hand. “Things will get better. I promise.”

Jasmine nodded as she hugged Scarlet, “Okay, mama! I know it will all get better!” She wanted to mention the prize but kept quiet because she was afraid of making her mother upset not knowing he thoughts were already there. 

She had decided to take the prize if she won. 

‘It’s not like anyone will recognize me after five years and Micheal must be so busy to hand it over to me himself.’ She mused deeply because Scarlet wasn’t aware of the changes that had gone on.

She didn’t know that Micheal was in a Coma and the CEO was actually her Ex-boyfriend, Easton Kade Back.