Chapter 8 Dangerous Encounters

Scarlett's POV

"Oh my!" Derek and Catherine cried out simultaneously, rushing toward Jack. I blinked in confusion, turning to watch the scene unfold. Catherine lifted Jack, wailing loudly: "Son, who did this to you? Tell Mom, and I won't let them get away with it!"

Derek's veins bulged with fury. "Who dares cause trouble on Rothschild property? Hurt my son, and I'll skin them alive!"

I froze momentarily. So Jack was actually Derek and Catherine's son. No wonder he'd gone completely off the rails. From a poor nobody to the heir of New York's premier business dynasty and nephew to a billionaire CEO—he certainly had reason to feel untouchable.

Jack, his face bruised and swollen, pointed directly at me through his tears. "Her!"

All eyes turned in my direction. No one had noticed me before—the scene had been chaotic, and I was wearing a hotel uniform that made me blend in as just another staff member. Now, as Jack singled me out, they recognized me as Victoria, confusion evident on their faces. Their last image of me had been when I saved the old lady with my vital point therapy. They'd heard I went on to study medicine—so why was I now working as a hotel server?

Catherine stared at me in shock before demanding: "Miss, what is the meaning of this?"

Jack, still oblivious to the unusual tension in the air, felt emboldened by his wealthy parents' support. His expression oozed arrogance, his eyes challenging me with newfound confidence.

I casually brushed the hair from my forehead, amused by the situation. "Derek, Catherine, so this is your newly recovered son? What a coincidence. He was drunk and tried to assault me, so I defended myself."

Jack stared blankly, clearly confused by my familiarity with his parents.

Derek and Catherine exchanged meaningful glances. They barely knew this son they'd just reclaimed, but from his behavior and mannerisms, they'd already guessed his character might be questionable. Just yesterday, he'd harassed one of the maids. So they weren't immediately dismissing my account.

Jack was about to protest when a tall figure emerged from the private dining room, causing everyone to step aside respectfully.

Gabriel cut an imposing figure in his black tailored suit, his long legs moving with confident strides as he approached the center of the commotion. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice deep and authoritative.

"Uncle, she—" Jack began, eager to leverage his CEO uncle's influence against me, still unaware of the tense relationship between his parents and Gabriel.

Before he could finish, I walked over and slipped my arm through Gabriel's, calling sweetly: "Husband!"

The others didn't react dramatically—everyone knew we'd gotten married, so me calling him husband wasn't surprising. Still, the sugary tone made everyone uncomfortable. I'd never acted this way before.

Jack's jaw nearly hit the floor as he stared at the scene before him. As a poor boy, the CEO had been his idol; now, as the CEO's nephew, he wanted nothing more than to worship at his uncle's feet. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the woman he despised would be casually calling his god "husband."

When I pressed against Gabriel's arm, he seemed to freeze completely. If anyone had been watching closely, they might have noticed the ear of the usually intimidating CEO turning bright red.

Adam Hamilton, standing behind Gabriel, looked equally shocked. He remembered how arrogantly I'd behaved when we'd parted ways. Wasn't I supposed to be getting married back in my hometown? How had I ended up as a hotel employee?

Just then, old Mrs. Alice emerged from the private room: "Did I hear my daughter-in-law's voice? Is she back?"

Hearing her, I immediately approached the elderly woman with another sweet greeting: "Grandmother!"

Seeing me, Alice beamed like a child: "It really is my daughter-in-law! Come here, let Grandmother have a good look at you!"

I stood smiling before her, allowing her to hold my hands and examine me carefully.

"My dear, I thought you were studying medicine. Why are you working as a hotel server?" she asked.

"Grandmother, I came specially to see you—I wanted to surprise you," I replied smoothly.

"Really? Oh, that makes Grandmother so happy!"

Gabriel turned slightly, watching me feed the old woman one lie after another, making her beam with joy. "Little liar," he muttered under his breath, even as curiosity flickered in his eyes, wondering what I was really doing here.

Jack stood thunderstruck. First, I'd called Gabriel "husband," and now I was acting intimately with Alice. This couldn't possibly be the same Scarlett he'd kicked to the curb.

Confused, Jack turned to Catherine and whispered: "Mom, who is she?"

Catherine leaned close to answer: "She's your uncle's wife, Victoria Langley, heiress to Langley Pharmaceuticals. They recently got married. Don't worry about her—she's just a trophy wife who's good for nothing except making your great-grandmother happy. Your uncle doesn't even like her. Once the old lady passes, he'll divorce her immediately!"

Jack narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. How had I, Scarlett from Maple Creek, transformed into Victoria Langley, pharmaceutical heiress?

After some consideration, he concluded I must be using a false identity. He'd always assumed my money came from sleeping with men at nightclubs, but perhaps I'd also been impersonating Victoria Langley to scam the Rothschilds. What talent—nearly marrying him as Scarlett while simultaneously marrying his CEO uncle as Victoria! He decided to expose me.

Before Jack could speak, I turned to Alice and said: "Grandmother, I accidentally hurt your newly found great-grandson. Are you upset with me?"

"Hmph!" Alice looked genuinely annoyed. "I understand what happened. This boy has developed some terrible habits during his years away from the family. He needs discipline. As his aunt by marriage, you were right to teach him a lesson."

She waved Jack over imperiously: "You rascal, come here and apologize to your aunt. Kneel and beg forgiveness!"

Jack erupted in fury: "Great-grandmother, you've all been deceived! She's a fraud!"