Chapter 79

Scarlett's POV

He had just disappeared from view when the half-real, half-fake sorrow on my face instantly vanished.

I wiped the moisture from the corner of my eye with one finger and let out a cold, bitter laugh.

After leaving the hospital, I went straight back to my apartment and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling every muscle in my body protest.

The Smith family shares I had recently acquired gave me a small measure of comfort—perhaps a potential route to escape Richard's control.

At least I had secured some financial stability for when Yvette and I could finally reunite. But the thought that Yvette's life was still in the hands of the Obsidian Palace made my heart twist into a knot.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself this moment of vulnerability when no one could see me.

This brief calm gave me enough strength to pick up my phone and dial a number I both feared and needed to call.

The phone was answered almost immediately. "Didn't I tell you not to call unless it was absolutely necessary?"

Marvin Thomas's voice cut through the line like a sharp knife, impatient and threatening.

Marvin was primarily responsible for Obsidian Palace's external communications and spy contacts,and he is also my nominal brother.

I instinctively straightened my back, even though he couldn't see me.

"I need to see Yvette. I need to know she's alright, that she's being treated well," I forced myself to sound controlled despite the desperation clawing at my throat, threatening to escape.

He can't know how deeply this is hurting me. I need to show strength, not weakness.

"Listen, we had an agreement. Every day you fail to bring down the Gray family is another day you don't see your sister Yvette. Unless you've decided her life no longer matters?" he replied, his voice filled with arrogance and power.

I gripped the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white, rage and helplessness battling inside me.

My breathing remained steady, but a storm was brewing within, hatred burning in my chest.

Someday. Someday I will crush Marvin's bones with my bare hands and burn the Obsidian Palace to the ground, cleansing the world of its filth and corruption.

But could I really accomplish this alone? The thought filled me with a touch of fear—for so long, I'd never had a true ally; everyone was either a pawn or an enemy.

Alexander's face suddenly flashed in my mind, and I almost laughed aloud at the absurd notion.

Why would he ever help me? If I moved against his family, he'd likely be the first to put a bullet in my head.

But I had glimpsed a vulnerability beneath his cold exterior—something that made me fantasize about him despite myself.

I recalled his blue eyes, like a stormy sea when angry, like the morning sky when relaxed. No, such thoughts were too dangerous.

I quickly pushed these notions aside and softened my voice. "Marvin, I understand... I've kept your words close to my heart. Please, just let me see Yvette once. Just once?"

I knew exactly how to leverage attitudes during negotiations—when to appear submissive and when to stand firm.

After a moment of silence, he finally relented with a sigh. "Fine. Wait for my video call."

After hanging up, I paced around my apartment, anxiety growing with each passing minute.

My mind conjured horrifying images of Yvette's possible conditions. Had they hurt her? Was she eating well? Considering the countless possibilities, fear spread through my heart.

I felt my heartbeat accelerate, my palms growing damp with sweat. Frustration and helplessness surrounded me.

What could I do? I could only wait here and pray they at least treated Yvette like a human being.

Over an hour passed before my phone finally vibrated.

Night had fallen deeply, and the only light source in the room came from the blue glow of my phone screen, casting sharp shadows across my face as I anxiously stared at the latest message.

My heart felt like it might leap from my chest as my trembling fingers opened the video.

The video was brief—barely fifteen seconds of shaky footage.

My heart raced as I studied every frame carefully, squinting to catch any possible detail.

The location had changed from the previous photo—it now looked like a dormitory with multiple beds, but the living conditions were equally shocking. I even spotted rats scurrying across the filthy floor.

The thought of Yvette living in such a place made my stomach churn, nausea rising in my throat.

Would she be scared? I remembered how she used to scream at the sight of cockroaches when we were young. Now, those filthy rats were crawling where she slept... I couldn't bear to imagine further.

The camera had barely captured Yvette's face, moving too quickly for me to determine if she was thin or injured. But I saw her eyes—eyes similar to mine—looking dull and lifeless.

Had they drugged her? Or was she simply exhausted? I remembered how full of life she once was, how her eyes would curve into crescents when she smiled, but now...

I replayed the video repeatedly, trying to capture any detail that might tell me more about her condition or location.

I knew I needed to stay calm and piece together clues from this video like solving a puzzle.

On the fourth replay, I noticed something in the background—voices speaking in a language I couldn't understand at all.

Thai? Burmese or Vietnamese?

As this realization hit me, I felt my blood freeze.

If Yvette was still being held at the Obsidian Palace, why would there be foreign language conversations in the background?

They've moved her. Likely out of the country.

I immediately tried calling back, my fingers trembling slightly as I tapped the screen. But the call went straight to voicemail. I tried again, and again. No response.

I had been blocked.

That momentary hope turned to ashes. Marvin's message was clear—I needed to make progress in Silverlight City before I could get more information about Yvette.

But dealing with Obsidian Palace's people was like dancing with tigers; I wasn't sure how long I could survive.

I fell back onto the sofa, staring vacantly at the city under the night sky outside my window, my mind racing through various possibilities of rescuing Yvette.

The distant city lights blurred through the tears welling in my eyes. I blinked them away.

Tears wouldn't help Yvette. Only action would.

I need a new plan. A better plan.

But first, I needed to survive the next few days at Richard's side—survive safely, remain trustworthy.