Chapter 26

In Scarlett's perspective:

I went to bed feeling troubled, had a restless night, and dreamt of people pointing and cursing at me. 

When I woke up, I got out of bed with a sore back and rushed to school.

I thought that many people at school had witnessed my confrontation with Alexander firsthand, and they wouldn't misunderstand the situation.

But to my surprise, I was shunned as soon as I arrived at school.

People began to avoid me, whispering among themselves. Their glances were filled with malice. 

I couldn't comprehend the reason for their behavior. They clearly knew what had happened that day.

"Good morning, Scarlett." I sat in the classroom as my classmates trickled in and greeted me. They seemed friendly, but I knew they must hate me now.

"Excuse me, can you tell me when class starts?" I softly asked the girl sitting next to me.

"In ten minutes." She immediately became nervous, pointed at the clock, and shrank back.

Her attitude towards me was strange. It seemed more like fear than respect.

When class ended, Sienna immediately came over to me.

"The impact of that news article is huge," She looked flustered and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Let them say whatever they want." I watched others whispering and occasionally glancing at me. I knew they were talking about me.

However, I couldn't defend myself. They were right. Lucas was my boyfriend. Regardless of my words, my association with Lucas would lead them to view me as connected to the Mafia.

"Then what right does Scarlett have to stand up for others?" Suddenly, a boy's voice rose above the murmurs. It seemed he was so agitated that he raised his voice.

"What do you mean?" I was about to speak up when Sienna rushed over and pointed at the boy, challenging him, "Scarlett is not like that!"

The boy just looked at Sienna disdainfully. 

"I advise you to stop hanging out with her," He said, giving me a provocative look, "She's the Mafia Boss's lover. Who knows when she'll kill you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the classroom cast wary glances at me. They were confident that I would never harm her or anyone else. However, once my relationship with Lucas became public, it would undoubtedly cause complications.

"You all know Scarlett is not that kind of person. How could she do illegal things with the Mafia?" Sienna retorted.

But the others didn't listen and started cursing even more harshly.

"She's so hypocritical! She should be kicked out!" The people who had been whispering were no longer quiet.

"Get her out of the school!"

Several boys grabbed me and pushed me towards the classroom door, causing chaos. In order to avoid further conflict, I had to walk out slowly.

"This isn't what you think!" Sienna was still defending me.

"There must be some misunderstanding. Calm down, please." I tried to stop the others' violent actions.

However, they remained unmoved and shouted even more fervently, convinced of my alleged wrongdoing. In the midst of the crowd, I was jostled and eventually forcefully pushed to the ground by someone.

My head hit the corner of a desk, and blood blurred my vision.

The chaotic crowd suddenly quieted down. Then, I heard a familiar voice. "Scarlett!" 

I vaguely saw a figure stop in front of me. Was that Lucas? Why was he here?

"Who pushed her?" Lucas's figure gradually moved away; he stood up.

I wiped the blood from my eyes and barely managed to see the scene in front of me.

Lucas questioned the surrounding students, his face filled with anxiety and anger, intimidating everyone into silence.

"Forget it." I immediately grabbed Lucas and stopped him.

I knew he didn't want me to be wronged, but his intervention would only cause me more trouble.

If Lucas really laid a hand on the students, I wouldn't be able to explain myself.

"Let's go. My head is spinning." I tugged at his clothes, urging him to leave quickly.

Lucas looked around at the others, then just held me in his arms and headed to the hospital.

"The patient seems fine. But since she hit her head, she needs to rest for a few more days." The doctor bandaged my wound, provided some instructions, and then left the room.

I lay in bed, still feeling a bit dizzy.

"Not even a day away from me, and you're hurt again." Lucas held my hand, looking at me with a pained expression. "How can I trust you to live alone?"

"I'm fine." I hooked my fingers around his and smiled at him. "It was just an accident."

"I don't want such accidents to happen again." Lucas was clearly unhappy with my nonchalant attitude.

"I've already settled Emily in. You can move to my house tonight," Lucas mentioned Emily with a fatherly tone, "She's very well-behaved, and her condition is improving. She even mentioned her mom at school today."

I listened to him while receiving an IV. Hearing that Emily was okay, I felt much more at ease.

"That's good." My tense emotions relaxed a bit.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." Lucas held me, gently warming my wrist with the IV. "I'll support your career, and we'll always be together."

His embrace made me feel safe. Maybe I was too tired these days. I fell asleep in his arms without realizing it.

In Lucas's perspective:

Scarlett fell asleep in my arms.

I looked at her sleeping face, feeling a bit bitter.

Gabriel wasn't really a heartless person, and the Bennett family wasn't as terrifying as she thought.

Not long ago, Gabriel called me to his study and talked to me.

"You've just become the head of the Bennett family. Are you confident you can protect Scarlett?" Gabriel's question caught me off guard.

I had believed Gabriel could overlook family connections, but my perspective of him has shifted.

"My wife was killed by the family's enemies," He said, showing an unprecedented look of sadness, "You should know that you've offended the Cole family and other groups. This will only harm Scarlett."

I didn't answer Gabriel. Because I didn't know what the answer was.

"Sleep well." I gently helped Scarlett lie down and covered her with my jacket.

As I stood up to stretch my legs, I heard rustling outside the door. I walked over quietly and discovered Isabella eavesdropping.

"What are you doing here?" I looked at her in surprise.

"Did you cause Alexander's car accident?" Suddenly, Isabella questioned me.