At that moment, everyone but her had raised their wine glasses and drained them. Scarlett's brows were furrowed as she surveyed the treacherous liquid in her own glass, last night's incident replaying in her mind again and again. She had vowed to never drink again, for the consequences were simply not worth that momentary bliss that came forth with alcohol. What if she got drunk here again? She didn't want to humiliate herself in front of three strangers she barely knew—not if she could help it.The sight of alcohol itself made her nauseous, especially when Jonathan was sitting across from her, forcing her to relive those painful memories. She used them to prevent herself from downing the wine no matter how much she wanted to, and Samuel instantly picked up her discomfort. "Ms. Langston," he began in a concerned tone. "What's wrong? You don't look too good. Are you not able to drink alcohol?"His reassuring words calmed her slightly. She couldn't help but wonder why Jonathan couldn't b
Even with Samuel's defense of her, Scarlett didn't know if she should hand the glass in her hands to him after what Jonathan had to say about it. She knew, better than anyone, what kind of person Jonathan was. He needed to have the final say; everyone else be damned. She didn't know what grudge he held against her—he knew she couldn't drink much, and she didn't wish to be subjected to the same humiliation he piled on her that night either. He just seemed intent on not letting her have her way that night when things could have been settled and put to rest without his interference.Just like that, she found herself trapped in a dilemma, her fate governed by that pervert with no visible way out.The tenseness of the situation made even Aria feel awkward. While she understood Jonathan's intentions, she did not wish for them to be involved in another conflict. After all, they were both people whom she loved the most—Jonathan, her favorite cousin, and Samuel, the man she loved. The fact that
Jonathan's current expression was at odds with the man who'd forced her to drink against her will earlier. His concern for Scarlett seemed genuine, which befuddled her immensely. How could a man as temperamental as him exist? She wasn't the only one surprised by his sudden change—even Samuel and Aria couldn't help but gaze at him curiously. None of them could understand Jonathan's intentions or his ever-changing attitude toward Scarlett.Scarlett was beginning to suspect that something was wrong with him. Was he still mad at her for what happened last night? If he was, was it really necessary? It seemed awfully spiteful to hold a grudge against her after all this time, and for something so meager too.The way he treated her was punishment enough, at least in her opinion. Yet it didn't seem that way to Jonathan, who was hell-bent on seeking revenge. Scarlett had never seen a man this vindictive—a spoiled, rich kid who thought of himself as a god amongst humankind.Besides, if what he wa
Many things had happened at home that required the attention of both her and Grandma, so she had to leave soon. After all, none of the children at the orphanage were grown yet, and she couldn't leave her Grandma to shoulder the entirety of the burden. On top of that, with the massive blow Grandma had taken recently, her pain and suffering were beyond what Scarlett was facing right now.Jonathan and Aria wanted to leave as well. As such, the four of them stood outside the front doors of Samuel's villa and waited for the driver to pick them up. Jonathan suddenly pulled Scarlett away while they were waiting, as if he thought that she was a nuisance just by standing there. Scarlett had no idea what Jonathan was trying to do. So what if she was standing there with them? It wasn't as if she were blocking them! Why did he care where she was standing? He was an enigma—no, actually, he was more like a madman. Despite her reluctance, she just let him pull her away. After all, the events ov
So what if Scarlett knew that he was lying? It wasn't like she could just call him out. She had no choice but to pretend like nothing was wrong and smile foolishly at Samuel, neither confirming nor denying Jonathan's statement. In the end, it was of no consequence to her whether or not Samuel knew the truth, so she didn't really care. On the other hand, Aria, who'd been studying Samuel's face closely ever since Jonathan started talking, felt her heart stop when she saw Samuel's carefully blank expression.If Samuel himself had been the one offering to send her home, she would have happily agreed. However, Jonathan had been the one to suggest it, so now she wasn't sure if Samuel was actually willing to take her home. She knew that Jonathan had her best intentions in mind, but she didn't want Samuel to feel obligated to do anything for her. It was true that she was hopelessly in love with him, but she didn't want to seem too desperate for his attention either. She gave an awkward sm
Jonathan, who was focusing on driving, seemed to feel Scarlett's eyes on him. Without looking away from the road, he teased with a light smile, "Take a picture; it lasts longer."His arrogance made her frown. Why couldn't he just focus on driving? "Don't be ridiculous. I wasn't even looking at you. Besides, it's not like you're anyone important to me, so just focus on driving," Scarlett frantically retorted."You seem to have trouble remembering things, considering how you need me to constantly repeat myself. I've already made it quite clear that you are my woman now. So, you can stop denying that there is anything between us. In fact, I'm warning you against trying to deny being mine. You won't be able to handle the consequences." Jonathan threatened nonchalantly.Jonathan's threat brought back bad memories for Scarlett. She knew how heartless and cruel he could be, and sometimes she wondered if he was actually a robot in disguise. Just like a robot, he was completely devoid of fee
Sometimes, Scarlett really couldn't understand how such a heartless man like him could exist. Did he really want to torture her to death? Why did he have to keep forcing her into such situations?"I hope you keep my words in mind and never forget them. From now on, if you make a mistake like this again, don't blame me for being heartless for what I would do to you. I trust that, from the past few days that you've been by my side, you know exactly what I can do. But it's alright if you feel like you still don't know what I'm really capable of. After all, we have all the time in the world for you to get to know me." After his threat, Jonathan returned to his car and sped off without even looking back. Scarlett glared daggers at his car as he left, hoping that she could tear him apart limb from limb to satisfy her anger. How could there be such a shameless man? How could he blatantly bully a weak woman like her just because he had money? Did he really think there was any point in forci
Once Scarlett was settled in her seat, Justin slowly drove them to an area that resembled a military base. Was Justin's family part of the army, or were his family members high-ranking officials in the army?The dread in Scarlett's heart steadily rose as she saw a large mansion, which not only had an incredibly beautiful garden but also a massive swimming pool. Scarlett was completely stunned by the sheer size of the mansion. It was comparable to the castles that she'd seen in the past. She couldn't wrap her mind around just how rich Justin's family was. Though he'd said that his family was well off, she hadn't thought that they would be this ridiculously rich.Scarlett was suddenly filled with annoyance at Justin for not explaining his family background to her before. Now that she was here, she suddenly felt as if she was incredibly underdressed and that her clothes didn't fit in with the lavish mansion at all. After all, she knew how judgmental people from wealthy families co