Chapter 123

Alexander’s POV

I stared into Scarlett's pale gray eyes as she hesitated to approach me.

"Come here," I commanded, my patience wearing thin.

Her gaze flickered with uncertainty, testing the waters between us.

By the time she finally lifted her head to move closer, my patience had evaporated entirely.

I lunged forward, my hand capturing her slender neck. Her pulse raced beneath my palm, frantic and wild.

Without giving her a moment to react, I claimed her lips with mine.

Her body trembled slightly under my control, like a doe caught in a hunter's trap.

Suddenly, my peripheral vision caught the blood-stained knife on the table. The sight ignited the fury in my veins.

I bit down harder on her lip, drawing blood that seeped into our mouths with its sweet, metallic tang.

She winced in pain, tears forming in her eyes as she instinctively tried to push me away. Her efforts were futile.

My arms locked around her like iron bands, leaving her no escape.

Watching her brow furrow in pain gave me a strange satisfaction.

"Believe it or not, I'll make love to you right here and now!" I threatened, my voice low and dangerous.

Her body froze completely. I could feel her heart hammering against her chest, her breathing rapid and shallow.

Just as I prepared to take things further, Luke's voice came from beyond the door.

"Mr. Gray, the Harbers have been waiting for nearly half an hour," Luke urged from outside, anxiety evident in his tone.

Damn it. Reluctantly, I released Scarlett.

Her body immediately retreated, like a drowning person finally breaking the water's surface for air.

"Think about how you'll make this up to me later," I warned her before leaving.

When I entered the meeting room at Velvet Mirage, tension and impatience hung heavy in the air.

Lillian was pacing the room. Seeing me enter, she stopped abruptly, a flash of expectation crossing her face.

Clifford sat on a sofa in the corner, appearing calm on the surface, but his restless fingers kept turning the pages of his newspaper until the edges were frayed.

Interesting. This meeting clearly meant a great deal to him.

"You finally arrived," Lillian's voice carried clear reproach, though she couldn't hide her inner excitement.

"Luke, why didn't you tell me Mr. Harber was also here?" I feigned surprise, casting blame on Luke who stood nearby.

Of course I knew Clifford had come, but pretending ignorance gave me a psychological advantage in the conversation.

Luke immediately adopted a fearful expression. "I'm sorry, Mr. Gray. It was my oversight."

He even symbolically slapped his own face twice. I almost laughed but appreciated his loyalty.

I sat down casually in the main seat, taking out a silk handkerchief to wipe away traces of blood on my hands—Scarlett's blood from her leg had stained my fingers.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was handling some private business," I said deliberately, watching Clifford's expression subtly shift.

In Silverlight City's high society, "bloody business" often implied unspeakable deals or violent settlements.

Clifford cleared his throat. "Alexander, we're here about the project between George and Richard."

His tone was cautious, clearly adopting a humble posture.

I crossed my legs, affecting nonchalance. "Shouldn't you be discussing such matters with my uncle? I've long since stopped managing Gray family investments."

A lie, of course.

"But Mr. Alexander, your influence is irreplaceable," Clifford continued his flattery, the urgency in his voice pleasing me.

I decided to temporarily shift away from business talk and turned toward Lillian. "How is your injury healing?"

Her face showed obvious delight at receiving my attention.

"Much better. Thank you very much for the gifts," Lillian's cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling with hope. "I never expected you to select them personally..."

"Oh, that was Scarlett's doing. I merely had them delivered," I interrupted casually, watching the joy rapidly fade from her face.

I could see her struggling to control her emotions, but flames of jealousy had already ignited in her eyes.

She turned to Luke with a cutting gaze.

"But Luke told me you chose those gifts yourself..." her voice trembled as she tried to salvage her dignity.

I glanced at Luke, watching panic flash across his face.

Interesting. It seemed he had fabricated a small lie to please Lillian.

"Luke, go check on the situation in the wine cellar," I ordered, giving him an opportunity to escape.

Luke hastily left the meeting room. Watching him retreat like he was running for his life, I couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

After another ten minutes of discussion with Clifford—mostly listening to his roundabout attempts to persuade me to support George and Richard's project—my thoughts kept drifting back to Scarlett.

What was she doing now? Had she thought about how she would make it up to me?