Chapter 32

**SCARLET**
Luke pulled away from one of our longest kisses and whispered, “I hate to break it to you, but I kinda have someone to talk to. This won’t take long, I promise.”
I frowned. “Do you often have a meeting at this hour? It’s seven-thirty.”
“Mm.” He pressed a quick kiss on my lips. “Will you wait for me here?”
“Where would I go?”
“Don’t walk out on me again, please.”
I chuckled. “Okay.”
Whenever I was in the same room as him, I tended to lose myself, like there was no point in resisting. It was frustrating. He didn’t even get to tell me about Stacy. All I got was his reputation for being honest—or maybe he was just like me. He wasn’t ready to share this part of his life, just as I wasn’t ready to tell him about my past.
It shouldn’t be a big deal for him. Our relationship would be over in two months, and he’d be my stepbrother forever.
While waiting for him, I took out my phone and called Katherine. She knew I was going to return the earrings, but she didn’t know I wouldn’t be home tonight. I could already imagine her reaction. She would be furious, but I still needed to tell her everything.
She answered the phone in one ring.
“Hey Kath, I’m sorry–uh–I won’t be home tonight,” I informed him.
“Kath’s in the bathroom, Scar.” It wasn’t her who answered. It was Nate. Damn it.
“Hey, Nate…”
“Where are you?” he asked in a hard tone.
Did Katherine tell him about the earrings? No, Kath would not do that to me.
I cleared my throat. “I just... I’m staying out tonight. You don’t need to know.”
He exhaled sharply. “You’re with your stepbrother again, aren’t you? Anthony’s here looking for you, you know?”
“What?” I exclaimed in panic. Anthony was certainly moving fast. “Why would he be there?”
“Sorry. I didn’t know you wouldn’t be here. And why would you go there again, Scar?” he sounded even more furious.
Ugh, there’s no point in lying. “Fine. I’m with him in his office at AT. So what?”
“Listen to me. You are digging your own grave again. This time, I might not be able to save your ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “Will you stop worrying about me? I’m fine.”
Ugh! There was no point in reasoning with him now. Katherine might have even told him about the earrings.
“Come home right now. I won’t ask you again.”
I heaved a frustrated sigh. “God, Nate! I don’t get why you act like this all the time. You’re not even my brother—”
He groaned. “And if I was your stepbrother, I wouldn’t fuck my sister.”
I gasped, shocked by the words he used. Nate and Katherine had been the rescue of my issues in life, so I understood where he was coming from. He was the one who cleared up my mess with Raoul, or whenever I got wasted or ended up sleeping in a police station for disturbing a neighborhood... I wasn’t very proud of what I was in the past, and I could admit it. But it wasn’t every time I needed his freaking permission to do what I wanted with my life.
“I’m hanging up, Nate. I’m thankful for your concern, but this is my life, and it’s my choice whether I am coming home or not—”
“Anthony and I are coming to get you.”
He hung up.
He’s got to be kidding me.
Immediately, I composed a text and sent it to him.
What is wrong with you? I don’t want you to come over.
We’re on our way. Expect me in 15 minutes – Nate
What the hell? Damn it. I replied again.
Are you out of your mind? Are you really going to make this complicated?
No, no. I erased the message and called his number again. Fortunately, he answered. “Are you out of your mind? Are you really going to make this complicated?”
“I’m driving, Scar. You don’t want me to get into an accident.”
“Then stop the car!” I screamed. “Luke won’t like this. You don’t know him.”
“No, I don’t, so I’ll tell your stepbrother to fucking back off.”
“Come on, Nate! You did this once to our classmate—”
“That guy was trying to get in your pants. That bastard already tried to seduce Katherine. You knew what had happened. I don’t have to repeat the story. I’m just afraid of the aftermath if you choose to continue your relationship with him.”
“And it’s okay for you to take Anthony? Are you saying those words right now in front of him? How could you be so unreasonable?”
“Because, unlike those guys you were with, he’s not an ass.”
“Why are you doing this to me? Ugh!” I groaned.
This time I hung up. I didn’t want him and Luke to meet. Nate could be violent. Paul ended up in the hospital for three days after Nate beat him half to death. I wasn’t expecting Nate to do that with Luke, but he could hurt him too.
I pulled out a paper from Luke’s table and wrote a note.
Totally not running away. There’s something important I need to do. I’ll call you – Scar
I left the paper on his table and hurriedly left the office. I heard the secretary calling my name, but I ignored her.

**LUKE**
I told Scarlet it won’t be long, but the meeting took thirty minutes. I couldn’t get out since it was the Japanese partners.
Rapidly, I stepped inside my office but did not find her.
Shit! Where did she go?
I squeezed my temples. My eyes darted at a small piece of note on my table. I picked up and read the note. I let out a deep breath. I clenched my fist.
What the fuck, witch.
I scowled. I immediately came out of the office to ask my secretary.
“Alexia.”
She looked up, surprised. “Yes, sir?”
“When did she leave?”
“Miss Carter?”
“Yes, who else?”
She bit her lip nervously. “It was ten minutes ago. She seemed to be in a hurry.”
Ten minutes. She could still be in the building.
“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath and brushed my hair harshly. I hurried to the elevator. This woman had the skill to get me upside down all the time. I don’t fucking chase a woman. This wasn’t me.
When I reached the ground floor, I paced toward the reception desk and asked if they had seen her. I didn’t know the employees at the reception desk were incompetent. They did not fucking see her. I sprinted outside the building.
I pressed my phone in my ear, calling her number, but until the third ring, she was still not answering.
Come on, witch.
I tugged my hair in frustration. This isn’t me. I don’t do this kind of shit.
I roamed my eyes around, but what made me stop looking was a scene I couldn’t be wrong. I narrowed my eyes at the witch in front of my building with another man. Her body pressed tightly against him.
The usual thing I would do was to get away since I don’t deal with fucking liars—not to mention unfaithful ones. But my blood boiled instantly when I found my feet pacing towards them.
I had seen this kind of scene before. This thing happened to me a long time ago.
“Scarlet…”