Chapter 74

Scarlett's POV

Violet seemed to understand his silence. I knew the arrangement between them—Alexander's kindness toward women like her stemmed from pity, not love.

They were either fallen women or those whose families had lost everything.

Without his protection, many might have already ended their lives. His shelter was enough; they dared not hope for more.

But I was different, I told myself. I didn't need his pity or protection. I had my own mission, my own path to follow. Even if I appeared vulnerable now, it was merely a temporary strategy, not a permanent state.

"Well, I'm going now. Don't forget about me, okay? Love you!" Violet's voice suddenly turned cheerful, with obvious artifice.

As her footsteps faded down the hallway, I slowly exhaled, only then realizing I'd been holding my breath.

My heartbeat remained irregular, and I felt a flash of annoyance—irritated that their conversation had caused such an emotional response in me.

When Alexander returned to the room, I had already packed my things, ready to leave. Deep down, I longed to escape the complicated environment around Alexander and return to my relatively controllable daily life, though dangers lurked there too.

He leaned against the doorframe, examining me with those calculating eyes. I could feel his gaze scanning my entire body like a searchlight, making me uncomfortable.

"Leaving already? Not even a thank you?" he asked, his tone clearly provocative.

I turned to face him directly. "If you hadn't kept me here against my will, why would I need to avoid anyone?" I struggled to keep my voice steady, not wanting him to detect my inner turmoil.

"You're just not as sensible as Violet," he said in a deliberately teasing tone that irritated me.

"Then go find your Violet! Leave me alone." I pressed my hand against his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat beneath.

Alexander purposely sniffed around me. "Such a strong scent of jealousy," he mocked, though I knew he could only smell the faint body lotion on me—something that usually provided me with a small sense of security but now became the target of his teasing.

"Alexander, will you ever stop?" My patience was wearing thin, my voice involuntarily rising.

"Besides, whatever happens between Richard and me is none of your business!" I truly didn't want any further entanglement with this dangerous man.

Walking on eggshells around Richard was already difficult enough, and now I'd provoked Alexander as well.

Worse still, he suspected my connection to Obsidian Palace—who knew what trouble he might cause. I needed to extricate myself quickly and get back on track with my original plan.

He looked at me coldly. "Fine, I'll take you back to Gray Manor right now and tell Richard that you leaked the project bid price to that small company. Guess how Richard will deal with you then? Of course, the Harber family certainly won't let you off either!"

A chill instantly shot through my entire body. I knew this wasn't an empty threat.

Alexander didn't always joke—sometimes he actually meant what he said.

If that happened, Richard would likely have someone bury me somewhere behind the manor! Fear of death suddenly gripped my heart, making me dizzy.

I forced a smile. "Alexander, it's my fault. And thank you for taking me away from Gray Manor yesterday."

I hated my weakness, but this wasn't the time to stand my ground.

"That's better," Alexander looked satisfied, that expression of total control returning to his face.

"Alright, let's go. I'm tired too."

I hurried downstairs, feeling immensely relieved. Tom was already waiting to take me back.

On the way, we encountered Lillian's car racing past from the opposite direction, moving so fast it was almost just a blur.

Seeing her determined manner, I could almost imagine the turmoil in her mind—the anger of betrayal, the humiliation of deception, and the resolve to take action.

A woman's intuition and desire for revenge can sometimes be more terrifying than any weapon.

The scenery flew past outside the car window as I emptied my mind, allowing fatigue to gradually take over my body.

Too much had happened yesterday and today. I needed time to process, to replan my next move.

But most importantly, I needed to figure out why Alexander was interested in me and how long it would last.

He wasn't the type to develop an interest in just anyone—there had to be a reason I wasn't aware of.

After returning to my apartment, I carefully redressed my wounds, then called Richard to report on Alexander's condition.

Every movement caused my wounds to ache, reminding me of the violence I'd experienced last night, but the pain also kept me alert, reminding me of the dangerous environment I was in.

On the other end of the line, Richard's tone was much gentler than before: "Scarlett, I lost control yesterday. Did I hurt you?"

This was typical Richard—showing a measure of kindness when clear-headed, but completely merciless once he lost his rationality.

These extreme emotional fluctuations were difficult to adapt to, yet something I had to learn to manage.

"It's nothing. It was my fault for making you angry. I won't dare do it again!"

I didn't explain in detail, afraid of triggering Richard's sensitive nerves. Every word spoken to him felt like walking through a minefield.

"How is Alexander's injury? Did you encounter Ms. Harber there?" Richard asked, a hint of probing in his voice.

I bit my tongue slightly to stay alert.

"No, after giving Alexander blood last night, I left. What about Ms. Harber?" I tried to make my voice sound innocent, as if I knew nothing.

"Nothing. Rest well. I'll come see you later," he said.

Hanging up the phone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, half the tension instantly dissipating from my body. At least this matter was temporarily over.

I leaned back on the sofa, closed my eyes, and enjoyed a moment of tranquility. For me now, peace was always so brief and precious.