Chapter 46

Scarlett's POV

"Scarlett, have you lost your mind! How can you say such things!"

Emily's voice echoed throughout the apartment, her hands trembling slightly with anger.

I could see the disbelief in her eyes, as if the obedient daughter she raised would never dare speak to her this way.

"Hugh once said the same thing to me. Oh, I don't think I've told you how Smith Group ended up in this situation, have I?"

"You should thank your precious son Hugh. Blinded by love, he invested one billion dollars based on empty promises from the Horizon Capital heir. Love truly is a powerful force, isn't it?"

"You... is that true?" Emily's face turned pale as she collapsed into the chair.

I simply smiled and turned toward my bedroom.

Not long after, my phone unexpectedly rang, with Camila's name flashing on the screen.

I answered with some surprise.

"Scarlett, darling! Richard told me you were injured. Is it serious?"

"Nothing major, just temporarily unable to work."

"That's good. I need a favor, if you're feeling up to it. Could you go shopping with me? My husband's sister needs to buy some things for her engagement. Having you there would be meaningful."

Her husband's sister—Sandra.

Thinking about what happened that night at the Blair house made me uneasy.

I wanted to refuse, but Richard's warning echoed in my mind.

The Foster family had an important political network, and maintaining good relations with them would only benefit the Gray family.

Besides, this might be an opportunity to gather more information.

"Send me the address, I'll be there right away," I said before hanging up.

I quickly changed clothes, took the black card Richard had given me, and left.

When I arrived at the agreed-upon mall, Camila and Sandra were already there.

"Scarlett!" Camila was gracious and gentle. Though nearly thirty, she had the best demeanor among the three of us.

She was truly born into aristocracy, without that brassy scent of money.

Camila greeted me enthusiastically, "You don't mind me dragging you out during your recovery, do you?"

"Not at all."

I smiled back, then turned to Sandra. "Miss Blair, lovely to see you again."

Sandra barely acknowledged me, her chin held high, her contempt almost tangible.

Camila immediately positioned herself between us, playing the role of peacemaker.

"Sandra, dear, I know there's been some misunderstanding between you two, but that night was truly just a series of unfortunate coincidences."

The word "misunderstanding" seemed to ignite Sandra's inner fury. Her carefully maintained expression cracked, revealing anger.

"Misunderstanding? Which part exactly? Her flirtatious relationship with George, or having sex with Alexander in our garden?"

Sandra's voice carried throughout the shopping center, drawing curious glances from nearby shoppers.

I maintained my smile, unfazed despite being humiliated to my face.

Camila sighed, leaning close to Sandra's ear and whispering something.

Sandra's eyes widened, her expression shifting from anger to disbelief.

She turned to Camila, "Is that true?"

"Absolutely true, it's all a misunderstanding." Camila nodded solemnly in confirmation.

Sandra's lips tightened, her gaze toward me filled with contempt.

"So you're Richard's... pet. I understand now. Sorry for the misunderstanding."

Sandra dropped those words and walked ahead, arm in arm with Camila.

Watching them, I let out a cold laugh.

This Camila...

Shopping was physically demanding. My body hadn't fully recovered, and after accompanying Sandra around, I was laden with over a dozen shopping bags.

Apparently, they had called me over to be their labor force.

But regardless, I was Richard's fiancée, destined to hold a place in high society in the future.

Yet now I had been reduced to carrying their things—how ironic.

When Sandra finally disappeared behind the restroom door, I collapsed onto a bench, my ribs protesting in pain.

Camila appeared, handing me a bottle of water.

"You must be exhausted."

"I'm fine." I took the water bottle, the cap seemed a bit loose, but I didn't pay much attention and took a small sip.

Camila sat beside me, her smile unchanging.

"Sandra has been spoiled since childhood. Everyone in the Blair family indulges her, so she's used to doing whatever she wants. She's still angry about what happened that night at Blair Villa. Whether it's with George or Alexander—one is her fiancé, the other is her friend's fiancé—how do you think she feels?"

Alexander's fiancée...

Since getting involved with Alexander, I had never heard him mention this fiancée.

"I admit I had feelings for George in the past," I said cautiously, "but since being with Richard, I've made things clear with George."

Camila smiled faintly, "You might think that, but Sandra won't see it that way, unless you quit your job and completely stay away from George."

"Are you here to relay a message for Sandra?" I asked directly.

"Not for anyone but yourself. Offending Sandra isn't good for your future plans. No one wants an extra enemy, right?" Camila's words were suggestive without being explicit.

I pressed my lips together without responding and took another sip of water.

After a while, Sandra returned from the restroom and immediately called George in front of me.

"Let's have dinner together. You can come back with me tonight. Grandfather wants to discuss the engagement ceremony happening in two weeks."

But the voice on the other end wasn't George.

A familiar voice came through, and Alexander responded to Sandra with a simple "okay" before hanging up.

We gathered our things and headed to the restaurant.

After waiting about ten minutes, George arrived, and to my surprise, Alexander came too.

Seeing him appear, I promptly made room for him.

Camila welcomed them to sit down. "We're all friends, no need to be so formal."

The air conditioning in the restaurant was strong, but Alexander wore only a black shirt with red flowers, exuding flamboyance.

I had to admit, most men would struggle to pull off such a style.

But on Alexander, it added a unique charm—wild and devilish.

Simply by sitting there, he drew everyone's gaze, openly or secretly.

Even the married Camila couldn't help but give him an appreciative look.

Alexander playfully raised an eyebrow. "Camila, if you keep looking at me like that, I might have to steal you away from Casey Blair."

Camila's face instantly turned red, flustered by his teasing.

"You troublemaker! Don't say such things. Do you want Casey to become a jealous maniac when he gets home?"

"That's good to hear, after all, my little aunt was almost misunderstood by my uncle."

As he spoke, his gaze turned to me sitting in the corner. "Isn't that right, little aunt?"