Chapter Fifteen

**SCARLET'S POV**

I nearly choked on my food when the question reached my ears. “What?” I inquired, delicately wiping my mouth.

“You heard me,” he responded, lowering his cup to the table. “Or are you still doubting my affection for you?” That had been his intent from the beginning, but fortunately, I was aware of it. There was no genuine affection, only calculated schemes and manipulation.

My heart throbbed heavily against my chest, as if it might burst in seconds. I took a deep breath, my hand clenching into a fist.

I opened my mouth to speak when my hand inadvertently landed on the table. The contents gracefully flew out of the plate, descending to the ground. I didn’t know how that happened but I couldn't have been more grateful that it transpired at that moment.

His countenance shifted as he observed the food at his feet. "My goodness. I am sorry this happened," he murmured as he rose to his feet.

I managed a faint smile as I looked down at the mess, twiddling with my hands. My