Chapter 76

Scarlett's POV

After closing the door, her voice was shut out. I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling a wave of liberation.

Every meeting with Emily felt like an emotional battle, and this one had been particularly exhausting.

By the time I finished handling the fax correspondences with Hugh, it was already dinner time. I called Cecilia to meet at a small restaurant next to the hospital.

The place was known for its privacy—high partitions and discreet service made it a popular choice for hospital staff who preferred confidential conversations.

When I arrived, Cecilia was already there, devouring the food on the table like a whirlwind. I watched her eat with such abandon, a smile involuntarily forming at the corner of my lips.

She always managed to make me temporarily forget my circumstances, forget the fears and calculations that constantly lingered in my mind.

"Don't rush, eat slowly. No one's going to steal your food," I smiled, sliding into the seat across from her.

Cecilia rolled her eyes mid-bite. "Let me tell you," she said, emphasizing with the fork she was waving, "encouraging people to study medicine is practically a crime! I don't know what my mother was thinking, insisting I become a doctor. Now I spend all my days trapped in the hospital, and she complains that I'm not finding a partner, not taking advantage of my youth to marry someone good. Where am I supposed to find the time!"

I looked at her with both amusement and envy in my heart. Her problems seemed so... ordinary.

At least she had a meaningful profession, a purposeful life, unlike me, living in constant fear, always worried that my past would catch up with me.

My life felt like a never-ending escape, and I didn't even know exactly what I was running from.

After finishing her meal, Cecilia wiped her mouth with a napkin and leaned forward. "Oh right, didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

My hand tightened around the crystal glass, the sadness inside me suddenly becoming more pronounced.

Pregnancy, what a terrifying prospect—being Richard's wife while carrying Alexander's child, forever locked in that gilded cage.

"No, it was just a delayed period," I said, avoiding her inquisitive gaze by staring at my drink.

She nodded, "That's good. Though if you were pregnant, Richard would probably marry you quickly, right? The Gray family needs heirs."

I remained silent, staring at the drink in front of me. Before, I had hoped Richard would marry me soon to secure my position.

But now... as I learned more about his true nature, that desire was gradually fading. The thought of being permanently tied to him made my skin crawl. Just thinking about those eyes of his, filled with calculation and ruthlessness, sent a shiver down my spine.

"Never mind that. When do you get off work? I'll treat you to a movie at the Plaza," I said eagerly, desperate to change the subject, pretending to be casual while my emotions were in complete turmoil inside.

When I looked up from my barely touched meal, I saw a familiar figure walking through the private dining area.

The moment I recognized him, my entire body trembled.

It was him, Alexander Gray.

He was with a woman—not Lillian, nor the Violet I had seen earlier today at Velvet Mirage. Another woman, yet another. I felt something twist inside me, and I refused to acknowledge this feeling as jealousy. Why would I be jealous? He was nothing to me, just Richard's nephew, a dangerous man.

But why did my heart race every time I saw him? Why could his presence so easily break through the defenses I had carefully constructed?

"What are you looking at?" Cecilia asked, following my gaze.

"That's the man who took you to the hospital last time."

She gave me a knowing look, her lips curving into a smile that made me feel uncomfortable all over.

"The illegitimate daughter of some nouveau riche from Silverlight City," Cecilia whispered, leaning closer. "She's pregnant..." She paused, then added, "I shouldn't be so curious, but since it's about Alexander... Scarlett, there's nothing between you two, right?"

"Nothing at all," I smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.

What could I say? That he had kissed me? That something about him stirred my heart? That would be admitting a weakness, even to Cecilia.

I couldn't take that risk, couldn't let anyone know about the wavering in my heart.

After chatting a while longer, Cecilia left for her shift, and I headed toward the valet parking.

The night air had grown considerably cooler, raising goosebumps on my arms beneath the thin blouse.

I quickened my pace, hoping to leave this place quickly, to escape the thoughts that kept flooding my mind.

As I walked down the corridor, I faintly heard someone crying, "Alexander, I want this baby! I don't want an abortion!"

That name made me stop in my tracks. I didn't want to eavesdrop, but if I walked past, Alexander would likely accuse me of hearing about this matter.

I stopped and casually played with my phone behind the wall, pretending to be absorbed by something important on the screen.

From the other side of the wall came the intermittent sound of the woman's sobbing.

Alexander neither consoled nor persuaded her; his voice flatly stated that she could handle this matter herself but shouldn't expect his involvement.

His indifferent tone sparked a surge of anger within me. How could he treat a woman carrying his child this way? But then I wondered: if I were pregnant, would it be any different?

I imagined him speaking to me with the same cold indifference, and felt a stab of pain in my heart. Why did this hurt me? He should be nothing to me.

I heard him instruct Luke to take the woman away in a discreet sedan, followed by the sound of footsteps gradually fading away.

I stared at the puzzle game in my hands, my mind wandering far away.

Suddenly, my phone was snatched from my hands. I looked up in surprise to see Alexander standing before me, a cigarette between his lips, his expression carrying a pleased contempt.

He was always like this—arrogant and imperious, as if the whole world should revolve around his wishes.

"How childish?" he mocked, examining my game.

"Give it back!" I protested, but he acted as if he hadn't heard, his fingers sliding across my phone, checking messages and photos.

I felt a wave of panic. What if he saw something he shouldn't? What if he discovered my secret?

"Don't rush, I'm just checking if you took any videos or photos," his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I'm not that bored to take pictures of you," I said, grabbing back my phone and stuffing it into my bag.

My heartbeat was inexplicably accelerating, but I maintained a calm expression. The more he tried to see through me, the more composed I needed to remain.

Alexander scrutinized me, his gaze slowly moving from my face to my feet, then back again.

"Why do you keep coming to Phoenix Hospital? Are you that weak? Should I find a specialist from Silverpeak City to treat you?"

I frowned, thinking that he was the one who needed treatment—with so many women, how did he keep track of all their names?

Each woman had a story with him, and he was just playing with their feelings.

I wouldn't become one of them, I silently vowed. I absolutely couldn't.