Chapter 3

After dinner, I was called to Mr. Hayes’s study.

Mr. Hayes, abandoning his usual stern business demeanor, asked me patiently and kindly, “Scarlett, you’ve loved Julian since you were a child. Do you still love him?”

I immediately shook my head, so vigorously that the muscles in my face began to ache.

Seven years of loving Julian, seven years of humiliation, seven years of pain. But I never learned my lesson, did I? That’s why this time, this time I went through a hellish cycle of revenge and torment.

I couldn’t dare to love Julian anymore.

Mr. Hayes pondered my answer for a moment, then sighed regretfully. “Ah, never mind. If you can’t be a daughter-in-law of the Hayes family, you’ll always be a daughter of this family. Scarlett, you’re so kind, so beautiful; it’s Julian who’s unlucky.”

He pulled a bank card from his drawer. “This is from your parents. There’s four million dollars in it. They asked me to keep it for you, saying it’s for your dowry when you grow up.”

Four million dollars. The ransom was also four million dollars.

During the kidnapping, I had sometimes resented my parents, wondering why they hadn’t taken me with them, leaving me to suffer such torment.

But now, I realized. They had already left me a guarantee for a good life. They loved me so much.

I bit my thumb to stifle a sob, preventing myself from crying out loud.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

It was already eight o’clock in the evening when I left the study. I walked towards my own room, but halfway there, I ran into Julian.

He seemed to understand my intention and spoke with an unexpectedly gentle tone. “Valerie is staying in your room tonight. You can use the guest room next to mine.”

It was for Valerie, then.

I nodded and began walking in the opposite direction. When I first moved into the Hayes mansion, Julian disliked me so much that he moved to the furthest room from mine, one at the east end, one at the west.

But my room had been decorated by a top luxury designer; the guest room couldn’t compare.

Still, everything in this house belonged to the Hayes. If Julian asked me to give way, I would.

I hadn’t walked two steps when Julian called out to me. “Scarlett, why are you so obedient now?”

I turned back to him, noticing his expression held both mockery and a hint of worry.

“I… I’m sorry…” I stammered, unable to think of anything to say to Julian other than a constant stream of apologies.

“This is the third time you’ve apologized to me today. You’re acting strangely.” Julian walked closer, leaning down to reach out a hand to my forehead.

I recoiled as if electrocuted, bouncing away so fast that my legs went weak, and I could barely stand as I gripped the hallway railing.

Julian looked at me as if I were insane, his expression growing impatient.

I forced back the tremor in my voice and said, “I… I’ll move out tomorrow. I’ve already spoken with Uncle Hayes about it.”

I had expected Julian to be relieved at this news, to finally let me go. But instead, he grew angry.

“Move out? Why?… I just let Valerie stay in your room for a night. She’s a guest, what’s wrong with you letting her have it?”

I shook my head frantically. “No, it’s not that.”

Julian’s face darkened, and he strode towards me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the room at the east end.

“Come with me. I need to talk to you.”

A tidal wave of terror engulfed my mind. With a sob, I pulled out the bank card Mr. Hayes had given me earlier. “I’m sorry, I have money. Please don’t hit me.”

“I have money, please don’t hit me.”

Julian looked back in astonishment. I had already collapsed to the floor, my wrist still raised, clutched in his hand.

“Scarlett, what are you talking about?”

My lips were now bitten purple. Watching Julian’s face grow closer, I began to recall the kidnappers’ taunts: *A dog of the Hayes family, daring to cling to its master.*

“Julian… Mr. Hayes, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll never dare again.”

Julian finally seemed to realize that my mental state was off. His movements became much gentler as he put an arm around my waist, lifting me from the floor.

The feeling of weightlessness made me instinctively cling to Julian’s neck. His stern expression finally softened a bit.

“Scarlett, I’m not saying I don’t want you around, it’s just…”

Before he could finish, the hallway door clicked open. Valerie Stone poked her head out of my room, the bright light from inside spilling into the hall.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, feigning surprise. “Mr. Hayes, Miss Scarlett.”

Julian looked annoyed. “I gave you the room. What else do you need?”

Valerie replied, a hint of feigned hurt in her voice, “It’s a video conference with the US branch office, Mr. Hayes. They need you to attend personally.”

Julian glanced at me in his arms, then reluctantly set me down. My body was rigid, unable to speak.

“Wait for me in my room.”

Julian left those words, then walked towards Valerie. They entered the room, and the door closed.

The bright light vanished from the hallway. I felt like I had narrowly escaped disaster, cold sweat already soaking through the back of my clothes.

Julian wouldn’t come back. I knew Valerie’s tactics. Countless times—on my birthday, at my graduation ceremony—he had been called away by Valerie like this. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to leave, and truly didn’t want to come back.

And I had to leave quickly too, to a place where I would never see Julian. I was terrified that any further contact with him would push me to a mental breakdown, to madness.