Chapter 40
“You’d better hold on tight to Scarlett, Cedric,” one of his relatives said, their voice full of sly intent.
“Better yet, have a kid with her. Once she’s a mother, she’ll be easier to control.”
The others chimed in, offering similar advice,” their greed thinly veiled. Cedric nodded thoughtfully, their suggestions planting seeds of an idea.
Earlier at the exhibit, Cedric had been irritated by Leroy’s presence and the lingering tension between him and Scarlett. With this reminder, Cedric felt the stirrings of a plan to finally put Leroy out of the picture for good.
“Don’t
worry.
Cedric assured the group. “I’ll take care of everything. When the time is right, you’ll all benefit from this.”
After finally ushering his relatives out the door, Cedric leaned against the wall, a cunning glint in his eyes as he thought about his next move.
That night, Scarlett returned to her villa. The house was unusually quiet and dark. She paused, puzzled.
“Cedric? Are you asleep?” she called out, her voice uncertain
There was no response, only the stillness of the empty living room. Scarlett frowned, wondering if he’d already gone to bed.
Suddenly, a soft glow appeared on the table, followed by the warm flicker of candles lighting up around the room, Scarlett’s lips curved into a faint smile, her curiosity piqued.
“Welcome home, Lettle,” Cedric’s voice came from the staircase.
She looked up to see him descending the stairs, a bouquet in his hands and a wide smile on his face.
Scarlett couldn’t help but chuckde “What’s all this for? Are you feeling romantic tonight?” she asked, crossing her arms.
Cedric reached for her land, his eyes full of what he hoped was charm. “Lettie, I’ve been thinking about how much you mean to me. Can you give me a chance to prove myself?”
His tone was eamest, but Scarlett’s expression shifted to one of mild discomfort. She immediately understood the subtext of his words. “Cedric, I’m exhausted. Let’s talk about this another time,” she said, gently pulling her hand away
nut Cedric wasn’t ready to give up. “Lettle, I’ve got this, he insisted, his tone growing more insistent. Her patience thinned, and her voice took on a sharp edge. “Cedric, I said I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Without waiting for his reply, Scarlett turned and walked toward the stairs.
Frustrated, Cedric tumed abruptly, accidentally locking over a candle. The flame caught the edge o fabric
of the cu
curtain, and within moments, the fire spread across the
“Ordric” Scarlett screamed as she spun around, her heart pounding
But Cedric bolted toward the door without a second thought, leaving Scarlett frozen in shock. Her mind went blank as she stared at the flames licking the curtains Snapping back to reality, Scarlett called for the security team and grabbed a nearby water pitcher, dousing the flames as best she could. Thankfully, apart from the curtains, there wasn’t much else to fuel the fire, which was extinguished quickly.
Still shaken, Scarlett stood in the charred room, catching her breath. Cedric rushed back inside, arms open.
“Lettie! Are you okay? I’m so sorry–I ran out to get help,” he said, pulling her into a tight embrace, his words tumbling out in rapid succession.
Scarlett stiffened in his arms, her voire calm but detached. “I’m line, Cedric, Don’t wony,”
Though she reassured him, her gaze was distant, and the warmth she once felt for him dimmed.
By the time the house was cleaned up, it was well past midnight. Lying in bed, Scarlett f The chaoticture left her wondering if it had been Leroy, would he have stayed and protected her instead of running off?
t found her thoughts drifting back to the art exlubit, A bitter unile crossed her lips as she realized how often her thoughts returned to bim
the
hospital
Meanwhile, Leroy was unaware of the drama unfolding at the villa. Early the next morning, his phone buzzed with a call from They had an important patient aniving, and Leroy, eager to get back to workatter a few days ott, was quick to head in. By the time he antved, Zoe was already at her desk, her eyes bright with anticipation, “Big day, Dr. Olson. Ready to get back to it?” she asked, her tone chipper.
