Chapter 56

**SCARLET**

You’re coming home to us soon… to me…
That was Luke’s last message to me last night. I pressed my phone on my chest. He still thought that I’d come home after I graduated. The time was getting close. The tension in my chest continues to grow.
“Hey.” A pat on my back interrupted my thoughts. It was Sean.
“Hi.”
Sean put a glass of red wine in front of me. “Here. Have a drink.”
“Thanks.” I smiled a little.
“We’re about to start. You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m just thinking about my graduation.”
“I heard from my brother. He’s graduating too. Congratulations.” He flashed a grin.
I grinned back. “Are you coming to graduation?”
“Yes. I’m Joseph’s guardian.”
“How about your parents?”
“They’re not around here anymore. It’s just me and Joseph.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. Is there something wrong? You seemed in too deep. Boyfriend problems?” he grinned.
I chuckled. “It’s not like that.”
“So, you do have a boyfriend?”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it like that either.”
“Ah, so the mystery girl has a boy problem.”
“Mystery girl?”
He chuckled softly. “You’re too hard to read. There are times you’re staring too long in a blank space. Like right now. Why did you come here anyway? I didn’t ask you before.”
I laughed. “Maybe because this is the only place in Cambridge I think I could fit in. A mystery girl like me.”
“I like that.” He grinned again.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Go on.”
“What if you receive a great opportunity—a job after you graduate, but you can’t seem to leave your family behind, for example, Joseph. What will you do?”
“Hmm… Well, that is a hard question. If you’re asking me, I’d rather stay with Jo. But if an opportunity comes like that for him, I’ll be glad to send him away. He needs to grow on his own. A family is still a family even if you’re far from each other. Why? Are you going through the same situation?”
I smiled and nodded. “I can’t tell Mom or my stepfather. I’ve been away from them since I started college.”
“And you’re worried about telling this to your boyfriend too, is that it?”
I nodded.
“Well, Scarlet.” He took a deep breath. “I think you know the answer to your question. You’re just afraid. You must tell them, so they won’t be too surprised.”
“I have an option, though. I can stay with them, work as an intern at my stepfather’s company, and—”
Sean held my shoulders. “Hey…” He looked at me sincerely. “A real job is still better than an internship. This is the real world, Scar. You need to grow.”
I smiled. “Why? Have you worked in a company before?”
“Of course. Now, I hope I have answered your question. We need to get ready. The customers are coming.” He grinned.
“Thank you, Sean.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you on stage.” Sean winked and walked towards the backstage area.

**LUKE**

“Boss, we found him,” Ryan said.
“I’ll be in the car. Keep Rebecca close.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ryan had found the infamous Raoul Velazquez. The fucker was undeniably wealthy. The club he owned was well-known to the elites. He was hard to catch. He never stayed in the same place twice. We’d been following him for almost two weeks in London, which was the first time we got close to him. I was eager to see the person who ruined Scarlet, but it wasn’t the right time to show up. I might even crush the man’s skull if I saw him now.
Ryan found him at a casino. I was in front of the brightest building in the street, waiting for Ryan’s signal. We found a way to get into the business with a price. Rebecca was going to play the cards.
It’s seven in the evening in Cambridge. London was five hours ahead. It means she’d still be awake. The time zones were messing up my head. I already missed her smart mouth, her body, and her skin. All I saw was her face in my mind whenever I opened my eyes or fell asleep. I was already consumed. I didn’t know what I was doing anymore.
I composed a message to Scarlet. You’ve been busy.
She replied two minutes later. I’m sorry. I told you about my part-time job, right? I’m on my way to the bar. We have a lot of guests today. I miss you.
I clenched my fist. The last time she went to a bar, she found a man who ruined her, and I was chasing that lunatic man right now. Why does she keep going back to the same field? The last time I saw her at that bar was also when I saw her face.
When will you stop going to that bar? You don’t need to work. I’m pretty sure Dad left you enough money in your bank account.
It’s not like that. You saw the bar, and it wasn’t like the others. It’s peaceful. I love to sing, and I keep going back to the music.
P.S. I said I miss you. Don’t you miss me?
I smirked. Even in text messages, she always had a way of getting through to me. I typed my message.
You will stop going there eventually. What graduation present would you like? P.S. I miss your legs around me.
After I hit send, a call came from Ryan.
I pressed the phone to my ear. “Yes, Ryan?”
“Rebecca is playing right now, sir.”
“How’s the game?”
“It’s getting intense. Rebecca’s starting to make a deal.”
I exhaled a breath of relief. “Keep me posted.”
“Yes, sir.”
I hung up. Another text from Scarlet came.
Are you coming to my graduation?
I smiled and replied to her text. Of course. I’ll call you later.
I got out of the car. I dialed my assistant’s number.
“Good evening, Mr. Alejandro.”
“Good evening. Please have the money ready. I need it tomorrow.”
“I can send it now, Sir.”
“Better. Thank you.” I ended the phone call. I narrowed my eyes at the building.
You’ll be in my hands soon. I’ll watch how you fall, you bastard son of a bitch.
I texted Ryan, telling him to “Make it fast,” and then made my way inside the building.
“He’s going to meet with us this afternoon, Luke. We got his attention. I made him win the game last night. It was almost a million dollars. Nine hundred twenty, to be exact,” Rebecca explained.
It’s another part of their plan. They’re going to make it appear that he won the game. And we will make him win a few more times. Make him believe he’s good at the game until he takes the bait. The plan was to bring his wealth down until he agreed to sell his club. His wealth was our biggest obstacle. At his own hand, he was going to fall. And once he was down, he’d do whatever I wanted.
“Good job.” I blew out a sharp breath. “How long do you think this plan is going to take?”
“No lead on time, Mr. Alejandro. It depends on how he responds to us,” Ryan said.
“I didn’t see him last night,” I informed him.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I came inside.”
“Luke, that’s dangerous. Once he recognizes you, he’ll find out we’re targeting him,” Rebecca countered. “The world knows about you and your family. Ryan and I believe he came to your stepsister because of that.”
“What makes you think so?”
“We found this recently. The woman he married, his first wife, is the daughter of an Australian politician. She’s rich. We believe that his wealth came from his first wife’s family,” Ryan explained.
I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth.
“It is possible that he approached Miss Carter because of your father’s wealth,” he added.
Damn. That could be possible. Alejandro Technologies was one of the top IT companies in the United States. He knew what he would get from Scarlet after marrying him, but his plan did not succeed because of his marriage to his first wife.
That greedy bastard. Not only had he destroyed her life. He was even planning to get something more from her.
“We need more information,” I ordered. “And I need to go back to Cambridge tonight.”
Rebecca interjected, “Luke, but our mission—”
“You both can do this. Just keep updating me.”
I brushed my fingers over my scalp. This was too frustrating. I need to see Scarlet. I had to hold her again.
“Luke, can we talk?” Rebecca said.
“About what?”
“Ryan, can you leave us alone?” Rebecca asked Ryan.
“Oh, sure. I’ll just make a phone call then.” Ryan stood and took his folders and documents with him. We waited until he exited the room.
“Luke.” Rebecca gazed up at me. “Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“You’re not doing this just because she’s your stepsister.”
“That’s not a question.” I looked at her.
“Do you have feelings for her?”
I blew out a deep breath. “We’re in some kind of relationship.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t notice? I know you. We’ve been working together for a long time.”
“Just don’t tell my father.”
“I know, but Luke, what if your father finds out?”
“Rebecca, stop lecturing me.” I snapped. “I know what I’m doing.”
No, I didn’t. I was too confused right now. I just wanted Scarlet.
“Do you love her?”
“What?” I clenched my jaw.
My heart throbbed strangely. My stomach twisted in an unexplainable way. I swallowed hard.
“You heard me. Do you?”
I looked away from her gaze. She could see right through me. I massaged my temples with two fingers.
“Luke…”
“That’s enough.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Maybe my question is wrong. Let me ask you again. Does she know?”
I looked at her again. I shook my head and clenched my fist at the same time.
“She doesn’t.”