Chapter 4

"Honey!" Tobias's voice called out from a short distance away.

Darius frowned slightly before dropping Scarlett's wrist. "You can go," he said.

Scarlett didn't hesitate. She turned and walked off, though she slowed her pace just enough to catch their voices over the rustle of the garden leaves.

A bodyguard stepped up to Darius, handing him a handkerchief. "Sir, is everything alright?"

Darius took the cloth and slowly wiped his fingers, his face an unreadable mask. "Nothing. For a second, I thought she seemed familiar, like the woman from that night. I must have been mistaken."

"Don't worry, sir. Just give me some time. I'll find out who snuck into your room."

"Alright." Darius's gaze drifted into the dark, a distant expression settling over his features. He couldn't shake the memory. She had seemed so untouched, trembling beneath his hands, tears silently slipping down her cheeks. Her eyes had been clear and bright, drawing him in without any effort.

Ahead, Scarlett spotted Tobias looking around the grounds. She drew a deep breath to steady her nerves before stepping into view.

"Hey. I'm over here," she said quietly.

Tobias hurried over, his hands gripping her shoulders tight. "Where were you? I thought something happened to you. I was worried sick."

She instinctively took a step back, putting space between them. "I'm fine."

Tobias glanced past her as if he wanted to say more, but Scarlett was already moving toward the exit, cutting the conversation short.

**

Sleep completely evaded Scarlett that night. She tossed and turned in bed, haunted by the sight of Darius's face.

She never pictured the stranger from that hotel room turning out to be Tobias's uncle. Just dwelling on it made her stomach churn.

She had heard the stories about Darius Aldama. He was ruthless, the kind of man who crushed competitors without a second thought. The kind of man no one dared cross.

Scarlett's hand rested on her stomach. She couldn't keep this baby. If the Aldama family ever caught wind of this, the fallout would be far worse than anything she could handle.

She swore to herself that she would head to the hospital first thing tomorrow and handle it quietly before things blew out of control.

Her mind made up, she slid out of bed to grab a glass of water. As she neared the top of the stairs, Tobias's harsh, furious voice carried up from the main floor.

"This project has to go through, no matter what! I don't care how you handle it. Find a way to cover the shortfalls. We've invested way too much into this. Failure isn't an option!"

He sounded stressed out. When the call ended, he slammed his phone onto the side table. Scarlett couldn't help but wonder what kind of mess his company was actually in.

The front door opened and shut, echoing through the foyer. Tobias started his car and sped off into the night.

Scarlett walked down to the quiet kitchen, filling a glass with water. Her phone buzzed on the counter with a text from her private investigator.

From: Investigator Carl

'Mrs. Aldama, Mr. Aldama just arrived at Vivoree's place. He will likely stay the night.'

A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. There was no pain left inside her, only a flat, numb quiet where her heartbreak used to be.

The next morning, Scarlett drove herself to the clinic alone. She expected the visit to be quick and straightforward, but the doctor's words shattered those plans in an instant.

"Are you sure you want to go through with an abortion?" the doctor asked, looking over her file. "Your uterine lining is thin. Given your condition, proceeding with a termination carries severe risks. It could make it nearly impossible for you to conceive again."

Scarlett went numb as the warning hung in the air. She couldn't go through with the procedure, but carrying the pregnancy to term was a risk she wasn't sure she could take either.

She was completely trapped.

The doctor's tone softened. "I suggest discussing this with your husband first. It's not a decision to take lightly."

"I understand," Scarlett whispered.

She walked out of the consultation room with her head spinning. If she couldn't terminate the pregnancy, she would eventually show. Tobias couldn't be allowed to find out.

There was only one way forward: she had to divorce him before her bump became obvious.

Lost in thought, Scarlett didn't notice the figure standing in the corridor until she walked straight into his chest.

"Mr. Aldama, are you alright?" a voice asked nearby.

Scarlett's heart slammed against her ribs. She looked up to find Darius towering over her, still as a statue. His dark eyes fixed on her, calculating and intense, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

Panicking, she swept the medical folder behind her back.

"U-Uncle... Darius?" she stammered softly.

He didn't answer. Instead, his gaze lingered on her, sensing that something was off. Her strange behavior from the night before was still fresh in his mind, and she looked just as unsettled now.

A bodyguard pointed toward the floor. "Sir, your medication dropped."

Only then did Scarlett notice the tote bag lying at her feet. A few plastic bottles had spilled out, their labels clearly indicating supplements for sexual stamina.

Darius looked completely imposing and full of energy, yet he relied on performance pills. But that night in the hotel, his stamina had been overwhelming. He hadn't seemed like someone who needed any extra help.

Scarlett shot a quick glance back up at him, a trace of quiet disbelief in her eyes.

Darius's expression darkened, turning sharp and frigid. His voice cut through the quiet hallway like a blade. "What are you staring at?"

She flinched, quickly shaking her head. "N-Nothing... I'm sorry. Let me pick those up for you."

She crouched down to gather the scattered bottles, but in her haste, her neckline dipped forward, revealing far more than she intended.

She knew Darius caught it. The sudden shift in his gaze was impossible to miss.

As she stood back up, trying to compose herself, Darius stepped forward and casually draped his heavy jacket over her shoulders. The faint, clean scent of sandalwood drifted off the fabric.

"Did Tobias tell you to dress like this and throw yourself at me?"

His tone was sharp and accusatory, leaving no room for a defense.

Before Scarlett could utter a single word, he turned and walked away, leaving her stranded in the hallway. Her mind raced to process the insult, but the sting of his words hit hard anyway. A sudden flush crept up her cheeks, quickly turning into annoyance.

What was his problem?

The rumors were dead on. He was cold, arrogant, and impossible to deal with.

She hurried down the hallway after him, accidentally catching his conversation with the bodyguard up ahead.

"Tell my father's doctor to deliver the medication straight to my residence from now on," Darius commanded. "I'm not coming back to this hospital."

"Understood, sir."

"Any updates on that woman? A name? Age? An address?"

Scarlett blinked, her breath catching in her throat.

Darius wasn't letting this go. He was going to keep digging until he tracked down the woman from that night—and at any moment, he could figure out it was her.