Chapter 4

The air thickened, suffocating.

I almost saw my sixteen-year-old self, just as frantic, pushing Scarlett away, only to be held close as she whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Scarlett held Leo, gently stroking his back, murmuring.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm here."

"I'm here," Scarlett’s eyes met mine, wary and defiant. "I won't let you hurt Leo. If you won't agree, then don't blame me."

The day Scarlett had all her belongings moved out, she took Leo to the West Indies. Leo mentioned wanting an island of his own, so Scarlett, without a second thought, bought him one.

She took Leo to Iceland to chase the Northern Lights.

Leo posted photos on Ins of the sapphire Scarlett bought him, even snapping a picture of a star with the caption:

[From now on, whenever I look up, there will be a star just for me. Scarlett and Leo, a romance for life.]

Scarlett’s love was passionate and overt, her affections never hidden; she wanted the whole world to know. I watched Scarlett’s blatant favoritism towards Leo.

I looked at the villa, now largely empty, and the plain silver ring on my ring finger, the one Scarlett had ordered that year for 520 dollars. I smiled.

"James."

My butler poured me another cup of tea. I spoke softly: "If I'm not mistaken, the largest supplier for Scarlett Inc. should be one who owes a debt of gratitude to my parents."

James immediately placed a contract in front of me.

"Young Master."

He pointed to the clauses within.

"Your father and mother dedicated their lives to you. These were all paths they paved for your future."

I gazed at the document, recalling the sunsets in the West Indies, the Northern Lights in Iceland, and that star. I dialed Scarlett's number, but it was busy. I tried her SnapChat video call. Finally, Leo's bare, red-marked torso appeared on screen.

"What do you want?"

"Scarlett's in the shower."

Leo’s camera panned towards the bathroom, the steamy glass hinting at something intimate.

"I thought you'd understand Scarlett's attitude by now. Why are you still clinging on?" Leo sat on the bed, deliberately biting his lip. "Actually, there's something I shouldn't tell you, but I don't think keeping it a secret is a good idea either."

"Adrian."

"Guess why Scarlett loves me and not you?"

The video call ended.

I sat in the living room, feeling the air tighten around my throat, then noticed my heart beating erratically. I dialed a second number.

Scarlett and Leo hosted a gala that made local headlines. Everyone said Leo had finally achieved his wish, becoming Scarlett's partner. No one dared to call him a sugar baby anymore.

Instead, they respectfully addressed him as:

"Mr. Leo."

The more sycophantic guests would even smile and say, "Ms. Scarlett, you two are a perfect match."

In the ballroom.

Leo, arm-in-arm with Scarlett, ascended the stage. Under the glare of the spotlights, they truly looked like a prince and princess from a fairytale. Their mere presence brought a thunderous applause.

"Tonight, I want to use this occasion," Scarlett looked at Leo tenderly, "to introduce him to everyone."

"He, Leo—"

The main doors were violently flung open. Countless men in black suits streamed into the ballroom. The leader, holding a stack of debt papers, threw them directly at Scarlett's face.

"You're Scarlett, right?"

Scarlett looked utterly bewildered, her fury reaching its peak. Just as she was about to call security, she realized there wasn't a single one of her own people in the entire ballroom.

"The debt you owe," the man pressed a gun to the still-unhealed scar on Scarlett's brow, and smiled, "it's time to pay."

The bandage on her brow began to seep blood.

The scene erupted into chaos. Screams pierced the air. Someone shouted, "What the hell is going on?! Isn't today Ms. Scarlett's big announcement for her boyfriend?"