Scarlet froze. It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to her.
“I’m fine,” she said after a pause. “People talk no matter what. When you hear enough of it, you stop caring. I was more worried about you-
“As long as you’re not bothered, that’s all I need to know.”
Ryan looked a little uneasy. He didn’t quite dare meet her eyes, so his gaze drifted slightly downward, settling on the bridge of her nose.
“I should apologize. I actually came here on purpose tonight. When Xyla called you, I overheard it.”
Scarlet caught the implication immediately. She’d assumed this was just Xyla acting on impulse, trying to play matchmaker. She hadn’t expected Ryan himself to feel this way, much less say it out loud.
She was instantly awkward.
Ryan seemed even more nervous than she was. He cleared his throat, pressed a fist against his face, and glanced away.
The restaurant was warm, and Scarlet wore a soft, creamy–white cashmere cardigan that looked light and cozy. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, her face fair. She hugged her coat and fiddled with her phone, the silence thick and tense.
That was the exact moment William walked in.
His gaze paused on Scarlet for half a second, slid indifferently over the man standing beside her, then returned to her. His eyes darkened slightly as he stared at her flushed earlobes. “What are you doing standing here? Working as the restaurant’s after–hours security?”
Only then did Scarlet and Ryan notice him, and the woman behind him, Nicole.
Scarlet looked away, not even bothering with basic politeness.
“Scarlet? Ryan?” Nicole looked surprised. “Did you come here for a meal, too?”
Ryan had gone to school with them, but he wasn’t as close to William as Silas or Shaun. He exchanged a brief greeting. “What a coincidence.”
William seemed distracted. His deep, unreadable gaze fixed on Scarlet, who was pointedly ignoring him.
Nicole said, “William was worried my knee injury might leave a scar, so he set me up with the best cosmetic specialist from Amriva. We happened to meet here tonight.”
Scarlet acted like she hadn’t heard a word, eyes fixed on the direction of the restroom as she waited.
William clearly wasn’t used to being ignored. Her indifference annoyed him, and the more she brushed him off, the more he insisted on making his presence felt.
“Where are your manners? Don’t you know how to greet people?”
Scarlet finally turned her head and glanced at him. “Why should I? Not greeting you at all is already me being polite.”
Ryan and Nicole both froze.
Honestly, William often seemed casual and carefree, always with a hint of a smile, but even his closest friends knew better than to push his boundaries.
Silas wouldn’t dare. Shaun wouldn’t either.
William smirked, his voice cold but lighter than usual. “So aggressive. What did I do now to get on your nerves again?”
GOSSY Harbor
finally found a game
that can help mother and daughter renovate
A broken hous
Play now
X CLOSE
Chapter BT
2/2
Scarlet replied flatly, “Just looking at you gets on my nerves.”
William laughed through his frustration, reaching for her wrist and pulling her away from Ryan. He looked down at her casually “Then keep looking. Maybe you’ll get used to it.”
“You’re crazy.”
At that moment, Lancy and Xyla squeezed their way out of the restroom, jostling each other. Seeing the two extra people by the entrance, Xyla lit up. “Nicole!”
She’d idolized Nicole since she was young, always trailing after her. However, Xyla was four or five years younger, and Nicole’s usual friends didn’t want a kid hanging around.
Nicole had been watching William and Scarlet’s physical back–and–forth with pursed lips. Hearing Xyla’s voice, she reined in her expression and put on a smile. “Did you come here to eat with Ryan?”
“No, I came with Scarlet.”
Nicole paused, then smiled. “Since when did you and Scarlet get so close?”
Only then did Xyla realize she was in trouble. She’d always been on Nicole’s side, but now she was hanging out with Scarlet all the time. That basically made her a traitor.
Oh no. She should’ve stayed in the restroom and never come out.
Feeling guilty, she said weakly, “When I was in the hospital, Scarlet took really good care of me…”
Lucy saw her wavering and immediately stabbed her in the back. “Are you a hypocrite or something? Wasn’t it you who clung to us and insisted on joining?”
“I” Xyla opened her mouth, looked at Nicole, then at Scarlet. She’d never been stuck in a situation like this before and didn’t know what to do.
Scarlet said calmly, “You don’t need to feel pressured. It’s your freedom to be friends with whoever you want. You’re old enough now to take responsibility for your own actions.”
Harbor
End of the Contract,Start of His Obsession
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