Chapter 28

ScarlettPOV

"Well, tomorrow," he conceded, suddenly taking my hand. "I'll text you."

Before I could react, he pulled me close and kissed me on the cheek.

My body froze completely, and I could even smell the tobacco and alcohol on him.

With my hand clenched into a fist, I resisted the urge to push him away. I couldn't let all my previous efforts go to waste!

A few seconds later, he finally removed his lips from my face, still looking somewhat excited.

The other two just stood nearby watching the show, clearly enjoying both the feeling of toying with me and seeing this guy make a fool of himself.

They might have realized I was just going along with it, yet they simply stood there smiling without saying a word.

"I look forward to it," I forced a smile as I yanked my hand forcefully from his grip.

Ethan suddenly spoke up, "Since you've made plans with Evan, let's meet tomorrow at the presidential suite of Elysian Escape."

Watching their satisfied figures departing, I finally let out a long breath.

I quickly stepped away from that secluded corner, thankful that no one had seen us.

But as I looked around, I inadvertently noticed a familiar figure at the entrance of the ballroom glancing in this direction.

Luke! He and Noah often followed Alexander as his trusted assistants.

And now Luke was staring at me with shocked eyes, his phone raised, apparently recording.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on my back, and my heart sank.

Luke was Alexander's man and probably had no connection to Richard, but the relationships among the Grey family personnel were complex, and no one knew if this photo would reach Richard.

Thinking about the consequences if Richard saw the video, the fear in my heart grew like a snowball rolling downhill.

It was also possible that in just a few minutes, Richard would receive a video of me being intimate with another man, and at that point, no explanation would suffice.

My terrified eyes met Luke's through the camera lens.

He was startled at first, then his lips curled into a cold smile as he quickly turned and left.

He was definitely going to find Alexander!

I was too disturbed to stay at the party any longer.

After those spoiled young men returned to report back, who knew what other methods Sandra would devise to deal with me.

And then there was Alexander—what would he do when he saw that video...

Quietly leaving the ballroom, I entered the beautiful garden of the Blair family.

The night was deep, and the garden was empty; only such a quiet environment could make me feel at ease now.

Sitting on a secluded stone bench, I was immersed in my thoughts.

Knowing that Sandra disliked me, I wished I hadn't come to the Blair family party today.

I wasn't even invited to this event; if not for my status as Richard's fiancée, I wouldn't have even qualified to step through the door.

Thinking of this, a bitterness rose in my chest.

"Scarlett..."

A familiar voice pulled me back from my contemplation.

I looked up to see George standing not far away, his face bearing a worried expression.

In the moonlight, his golden hair glimmered with a silver halo, like a prince straight out of a fairy tale.

Too perfect to be real.

"Are you alright? Those guys didn't do anything to you, did they?"

He approached me, his voice deep and gentle, filled with genuine concern.

Despite his concern, I maintained a cool expression, carefully controlling myself.

Even though deep down, I had many fantasies about George, I now had to restrain myself.

"Mr. Harber," I deliberately used this formal address while keeping my distance, "this is the Blair residence. How could anything happen to me?"

I paused briefly, my gaze momentarily turning toward the ballroom in the main building where Sandra was. "As for you..."

I left the sentence unfinished, but my implication was clear. Sandra was his fiancée, and her hostility toward me was undisguised.

And what was I? Besides being Richard's unofficially announced fiancée, my family was already in peril, and I was just an ordinary secretary at the Harper Group.

"Don't worry about that," George's eyes were full of complex emotions—conflict, desire, and even a hint of hidden love.

I smiled self-mockingly, almost doubting if I had seen correctly.

"I just saw you surrounded by those people, and I was concerned..."

He didn't continue, but the clear affection in his eyes made my heart race.

He was a head taller than me, and I could see his lips stiff with nervousness.

Two years. For two years, I had carefully stayed by his side, expressing my feelings through thousands of subtle hints.

And now, when I had finally decided to give up, when I had resigned myself to being caught in the struggle between Richard and Alexander, he suddenly showed a response.

This feeling of narrowly missing happiness was almost unbearable.

Fate sometimes likes to play such cruel jokes.

"I'm fine, I've handled it." As I said this, my voice was somewhat choked. I struggled to stand up, just wanting to leave.

"I have work tomorrow, I should—"

Before I could finish, my wrist was grabbed by a tremendous force.

George's action took me by surprise; he practically dragged me through the winding garden path to a secluded area behind a fountain.

Carefully designed stone walls and shrubs formed a hidden corner that no one would discover unless they deliberately followed.

"Mr. Harber, what do you mean by this?" My back pressed against the cold stone wall, feeling uncomfortable.

His body was too close, the unfamiliar scent mixed with male pheromones making me both familiar and strange.

How many times had I fantasized about being this close to him in my dreams, but this moment in reality only made me feel suffocated.

I pushed him away forcefully and asked again: "What are you doing?"

George stood there, his expression complex, as if he had a thousand words but didn't know where to begin.

This silence was very unsettling, as if he might explode the next second.

His brow was slightly furrowed, his handsome features looking especially profound in the dim light, those usually gentle eyes now flickering with a determination I had never seen before.

"Mr. Harber," I finally couldn't control my emotions, my voice calm and distant, "I am well aware of your relationship with Miss Blair. In the future, I will definitely be mindful of our interactions at the company. I won't cause any trouble for you and Miss Blair!"

I angrily finished speaking and turned to leave, but he stopped me.

His fingers gently locked around my wrist, this familiar touch making my heart race.

"I don't love Sandra," he suddenly spoke, his voice deep and firm, "I've never thought about getting engaged to her, much less marrying her."

As soon as these words fell, my heartbeat began to accelerate, as if I still harbored fantasies about him.

I stopped in my tracks but dared not turn around, afraid I might uncontrollably question why he was only saying this now, afraid I might completely break down in front of him.

My fingertips trembled slightly, the emotions inside me like a lake surface ruffled by the wind, impossible to calm for the moment.

"Scarlett," he gently called my name, the longing in his voice almost making me surrender.

"Do you still have feelings for me?"