Lucas glared at Maria grudgingly. The atmosphere was tense. Claire immediately excused herself and ran straight to her room. She knew how angry Lucas can get and she was not ready for it.
“What was that all about ?” Lucas asked Maria.
“Wh what what?” She stammered.
“Why were you causing problems?” He shouted, banging the wall with his fist.
Maria was scared. She knows lying was not going to help her get out of the situation.
“I only wanted to have a discussion with her. I didn't mean to cause any trouble.” her forehead glistened with sweat.
The disappointment written all over his face was glaring. “I didn't expect this from you.”
“But I thought you didn't love her, I thought you wanted her out.”
“I never told you to cause her any trouble.” He roared.
“I'm so sorry Lucas”
“Enough! Just let it go.”
“Scarlet sure has the nerves. How could she pronounce divorce? Good riddance anyways. I'm glad she's gone already. You and I can finally have our marriage. Right Lucas?” She said,flirting with him.
“I don't want to talk about this.” He said with an air of indifference.
Maria was mute.
Lucas went to his room and fell on his chair. He was in deep thoughts. He hadn't expected Scarlet to mention divorce. He never wanted to divorce her either even though she was brought in and married to him by his uncle.
Lucas had always wanted a girl he could control easily, lonely, dejected with no family and Scarlet was just the perfect choice.
She was submissive and humble, a good cook too. The image of her wearing lingerie the other night when she saw him and Maria came to his head. She had full, succulent boobs, the lingerie hugged her body which further enhanced her curves.
With a wave of his hand, he told his secretary to find out where she had gone.
“Make sure to lead her back to this house, unharmed. I need her back by tomorrow.”
His secretary looked at him with an uneasy look on his face.
“But but sir….”
“Speak up!” Lucas said impatiently.
“I saw her leave with an old man in a black limousine earlier.” he said in a low voice, scared of things getting out of control.
“What did you just say?” Lucas banged his fist on the walls and turned his table upside down, all its content came crashing on the floor. “Bring her back by any means.”
Scarlet felt she was dreaming. Her fingers caressing the soft fabric she was laying on. Her nostril picked up a familiar scent. She opened her eyes at once.
“Finally, you are awake.” a husky voice said.
Recognizing the voice, Scarlet sat up on the bed immediately.
“Grandpa…” she called out, “Will you ever forgive me for what I did?” She cried.
“Well, you were only in love. I mean why else would a young beautiful lady like you let go of all your riches and assets just to be with a man that has no value for you.”
“I was stupid grandpa. I'm sorry.” She said as she hugged him tight.
Mr Trump, a retired psychologist, with a smile on his face, hugged his granddaughter. He was happy she was back, to where she truly belongs.
“He will pay for this” he said, petting his granddaughter's back who could do nothing but to only sob.
Scarlet buried herself in her grandpa's arms, crying. She was releasing all the emotions she had buried deep inside of her all these while.
Trump brushed her hair slightly with his fingers. “You are the only heir I have remaining, do not cause any more trouble, please. you are really precious to me and I can't afford to not have you be under my watch again.”
Scarlet felt her body get lighter. Her cheeks flushed as she received the love and care Lucas never gave to her all these while.
A figure suddenly rushed in and crashed on Scarlet.
“Scarlet! Oh my goodness, you are finally back. I have missed you so much.”
Scarlet hugged her sister so tight. “Lyssa! Oh my goodness. I've missed you.”
Lyssa Andy, Scarlet's sister, wrapped her hands around her neck tightly, snuggling deep into her arms.
“Grandpa called me, he told me you were back. I came rushing immediately.”
Scarlet's eyes filled with tears. She hugged her sister tight again.
“I'm sorry I left you all alone Lyssa. I'm sorry. I was just being foolish. Living with Lucas has been hell. It was hell.
Just because of Lucas, she had given up her identity, her wealth, her luxurious life and worst of it all, her precious family.
Lyssa hated to see her sister cry. She wiped the tears off her face and pecked her cheek. She felt instant disgust for Lucas.
“We warned you, Scarlet. He was no good for you. He doesn't even match up to your taste. I'm gonna punch him in the face, like this.” She made a fist and threw punches in the air, three times. “ Pow! Pow!”
Scarlet laughed at her sister's silliness. She drew her close and rubbed her hair. “You are so silly, Lyssa.”
“But Scarlet, how did he allow you to leave the house?” Lyssa asked, looking at the bag her sister had brought her clothes in.
“I asked for a divorce. I'm divorcing him. I don't need a lowlife like him. Not anymore.”
“Yes.”, Lyssa leapt up in joy, “This is what you should have done since. Give him back all the ill treatment he gave you. I'm glad you made that decision. You can now have a bunch of men lining up to have you. Oh my goodness.”
Lyssa picked up Scarlet's phone just to open a dating app for her.
“No no Lyssa, stop that. I don't think what I need right now is a man. I need to take over my company back. I need to be the high-class woman I was before.”
Scarlet trembled slightly. Her mind was still filled with the horrible treatments Lucas meted out on her. She was not ready to go through such a situation again.
“Okay then. I'll speak to Grandpa and Uncle Thomas to arrange something. The President is back.” She said, throwing her arms up in the air.
“No Scarlet. I don't want that.”
“But why?”
“I'm okay with being just the vice president. I can still work for the company effortlessly in that position. Moreover, I do not want to be in the spotlight yet, let's make it low-key.” Scarlet said in a hushed tone.
“So you are not willing to take over our father's company yet?”
“No, I want to start from somewhere and find my way to the top. I want to know I got to the top position by merit." Her level of confidence was obvious.
Lyssa smiled. She was glad a different Scarlet is back now. Confident, bold and assertive.
“I know you will do just fine. You were born just for this. Your talent is topnotch, out of this world. And after all this, Lucas will come crawling at your feet, begging.”
Scarlet chuckled hearing her sister's words. “Lucas! We are over. I don't want to ever set my eyes on him or have anything to do with him. Our path ends here.” She said with an air of indifference.
“That's the Scarlet I know.” Lyssa said joyfully.
“I'll speak with Uncle Thomas myself, I'll let him know how I plan on coming back to the company.”
“But will you be fine? I mean, trying to come back to the company and at the same time handling a divorce proceedings? I bet Lucas is already thinking you want his money when you can buy his company over and throw him out of it.”
“I'll be fine, trust me and I don't need to buy his company over. I don't want to have anything to do with that family anymore.”
“But what if he comes back for you? What if he wants you back?” Lyssa asked, looking at Scarlet.
Scarlet felt her heart sting. She doesn't think Lucas can ever come back for her. He treated her like trash and it was obvious he could not wait to discard her. “But what if Lyssa is right?” She tried not to get her hopes high. Lucas had never cared about her, not for once, so what will make him do that this time?
“He won't come back.” Scarlet said gazing at the ceiling, her head propped up against the wall.
For the past one year of their marriage, she had been a submissive wife. She cared for him and honored him. But he rubbed it in her face by always choosing Maria over her. “Well let's see how he comes with Maria.” Scarlet thought to herself.
Lyssa looked at her and noticed she had gone dark. The suffering she endured had taken a huge toll on her once beautiful skin. Her face had eyebags and her cheekbones were so evident.
“Were you not feeding well too? You look so sick..” Lyssa said, gazing at her sister.
Scarlet looked at the divorce papers placed on her desk. She looked at it and grabbed a pen. Her hands trembled as she held the paper in her hands. She wished she didn't have to do this but she was not willing to allow Lucas and his family to cause her more pain.
She appended her signature on the divorce papers.
“Get the secretary to send this to his office. I need his signature on it.” Scarlet said to Lyssa.
The morning of the wedding bloomed with golden sunlight and a sky so clear it felt like heaven had pressed pause. A soft breeze whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of roses and jasmine, while doves nestled on branches like nature’s blessing.The garden venue looked like a dream carved into the earth — tall white arches wrapped in ivory flowers and draped silk, chairs arranged in perfect symmetry, and a floral aisle lined with petals that shimmered like snow.A vintage quartet played quietly, their strings echoing through the crisp air as guests arrived, dressed in soft pastels and quiet elegance.It wasn’t just a wedding.It was a rebirth.---**Scarlet stood inside the bridal suite**, her back to the mirror, veil gently pinned by her stylist. Her heart pounded — not from fear, but awe. The woman staring back at her in the mirror wore no sorrow. She wasn’t the shattered soul she used to be.She was radiant. Whole.And in love.Lyssa stepped in with a breathless smile. “Eve
Lucas wasn’t used to feeling nervous. Not anymore.Not in conference rooms. Not in front of the press. Not even in courtrooms when his world was crumbling piece by piece.But tonight, as he stood in front of the full-length mirror adjusting his shirt for the fifth time, a flicker of old nerves stirred in his chest.Loretta.It had been years since they'd last spent time together without the noise of their past. No wealth, no pain, no expectations. Just two people who used to race bicycles down dusty roads and laugh under mango trees.And now… they were both grown. Changed. Bruised, but standing.His driver pulled up in front of the **Moonflower Café**, a rooftop garden restaurant bathed in warm string lights and soft bossa nova music drifting through the open air. Lucas stepped out, dressed in a dark blazer and gray turtleneck, a quiet bouquet of white gardenias in hand.She was already there.Sitting at a corner table with a view of the skyline, her hair twisted elegantly, gold earri
The office of Lucas Enterprises buzzed with the usual Monday morning rhythm — phones ringing, shoes clacking across tiled floors, and assistants moving in and out with updates and reports.Lucas leaned back in his chair, reviewing a marketing pitch when his secretary entered holding a slim black box and a single rose wrapped in silk paper.“Sir,” she said, smiling. “This was delivered for you.”He frowned slightly. “From who?”“No name. Just a note.”She handed him a small card.Lucas opened the envelope, curious.***“Happy Birthday, Lucas. Some things are timeless — like a rose, and memories of us riding bikes down Iverson Street. – L.”***Lucas blinked.L?He opened the box. Inside was a luxurious bottle of **Santal Absolu** — a rare fragrance he hadn’t worn since he was twenty-one. The scent brought memories flooding back.He hadn’t even realized it was his birthday.A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts.The door opened.And there she stood.**Loretta James.**Her hair was lon
Lucas had never rehearsed so many times before dialing a number.His fingers hovered over Scarlet’s contact on his screen, the name as familiar as the ache it carried.*Just do it*, he told himself.He hit call.The line rang twice before she picked up, her voice calm and guarded.“Hello?”“Scarlet,” he began, his tone gentler than usual. “I know I’m the last person you want to hear from. But… I was wondering if we could talk.”She was quiet. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lucas.”“I know,” he said. “I get it. I just… I need to say some things. Just once. Please.”A long pause followed. Then she sighed softly.“Fine. One hour. Public café. Nothing dramatic.”Lucas smiled faintly. “Thank you.”---She was already seated when he arrived — calm, beautiful, and composed in a beige blouse and black trousers. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and her eyes met his with cool detachment.Lucas sat across from her, nervous in a way he hadn’t felt in years.“I know you don’t owe
Lucas sat at the head of the long mahogany conference table, the blinds behind him half-drawn, letting in thin beams of mid-morning light. A steaming cup of coffee sat untouched beside a folder of projections, his mind miles away from numbers or meetings.He kept replaying Peter’s words over and over — *“Scarlet chose me because you lost her.”*No matter how much he tried to bury the ache, it gnawed at him. It wasn’t just the sting of jealousy, or even the shame of watching his ex-wife move on.It was the realization that Peter — the brother he once mocked for growing up in the shadows — had become everything he was not.A leader.A man Scarlet could actually love.A knock on the door jolted him.“Yes?” he said, voice low.His secretary peeked in. “Sir… I think you’ll want to hear this.”She stepped aside for his personal assistant, Daniel, a sharp, well-informed man with his tablet in hand.“Investors,” Daniel said, eyes gleaming. “We’re seeing activity again.”Lucas blinked. “What k
The scent of fresh lilies and the soft hum of jazz music filled the open space of *SCARLET Holdings*. The sun poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm, golden hue across the polished floors. Staff moved with energy and pride, not with fear. Laughter echoed from the creative department; someone had just brought in homemade cupcakes.Scarlet stood at the center of it all — calm, focused, glowing.Her office had no doors.That was intentional.She had insisted on a layout that allowed her to stay accessible to her team. A symbol that no one would be silenced or diminished within these walls.“Ma’am,” her assistant called, walking briskly. “The expansion proposal is ready for your review, and the charity team wants to know if you’ll be attending the gala.”Scarlet glanced up from her desk, already reviewing numbers. “Yes, and yes. Send me the drafts. I’ll go through them on the flight.”The assistant paused. “Flight?”Scarlet blinked. “Wait — what flight?”Just then,