Lucy’s POV:
At the small tea pavilion on the second floor, Miley was the last to arrive.
Scarlett now occupied the seat of honor. Having studied tea ceremony, she began preparing tea for us. She bent her head, concentrating on brewing. I sat beside her, my eyes filled with tender admiration for this rare glimpse of my daughter’s elegance.
My daughter was so accomplished, yet she had to hide like an undocumented thief. As a mother, I had endured ten years of heartache and guilt.
All of this was that person’s fault.
Only by dealing with that person sooner rather than later would my daughter finally return to normal.
Mason sat on the single sofa, his tall frame leaning against the European-style backrest. His long fingers held a cigarette as his dark eyes swept indifferently toward Miley.
Under his gaze, Miley seemed uneasy. She lowered her head and silently walked over to sit on the other single sofa.
From start
Lucy’s POV:At the small tea pavilion on the second floor, Miley was the last to arrive.Scarlett now occupied the seat of honor. Having studied tea ceremony, she began preparing tea for us. She bent her head, concentrating on brewing. I sat beside her, my eyes filled with tender admiration for this rare glimpse of my daughter’s elegance.My daughter was so accomplished, yet she had to hide like an undocumented thief. As a mother, I had endured ten years of heartache and guilt.All of this was that person’s fault.Only by dealing with that person sooner rather than later would my daughter finally return to normal.Mason sat on the single sofa, his tall frame leaning against the European-style backrest. His long fingers held a cigarette as his dark eyes swept indifferently toward Miley.Under his gaze, Miley seemed uneasy. She lowered her head and silently walked over to sit on the other single sofa.From start
Eleanor’s POV:At 12:30 PM, a stretch Rolls-Royce pulled into the courtyard of the villa.I was the first to rush out upon hearing the car’s approach.After the car stopped, John Clarke, Uncle Mason’s personal assistant, stepped out of the driver’s seat and opened the rear door.Uncle Mason stepped out, dressed in a bespoke suit. His closely cropped jet-black hair gave him a sharp, energetic look. Though past fifty, he still radiated vigor. The faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, etched by time, only added to his mature, masculine charm.He turned and reached out to support his wife, Lucy Murphy.A fair hand rested on the man’s broad palm, and immediately, an elegant figure stepped out of the car.The woman stood beside her husband, her slightly wavy long hair framing a delicate face. The shape of her eyes and nose bore a striking resemblance to Scarlett’s, though her gaze was gentler. Especi
Scarlett’s POVI was resting after the massage when my phone, lying on the coffee table, rang. I glanced at the caller ID; my eyebrows twitched slightly before I tapped to answer.“Dad.” My tone softened more than I intended — an involuntary hint of affection.“Scarlett, your mom and I just arrived in L.A.”“You’re here?” I was genuinely surprised. “Why the sudden visit?”“Miley called your mother last night, said she needed to discuss something urgent with us.”At those words my gaze cooled instantly. “She certainly has ulterior motives.”“Yes. Your mother and I discussed it and agreed we should come.” My father paused, then added, “Your eldest brother will be here in a couple of days. Your second brother is abroad.”“Overseas?”“Yes. Your second brother traced the approximate location of t
Scarlett’s POV:After all the commotion, Davis finally completed his task for the day.Uncle Donald and Miss Mona were both kept on, along with the nutritional supplements.I immediately drafted an agreement. My only condition was that Everett must not interfere with my private life or relationships under the pretext of the child.I handed the handwritten agreement to Davis.He accepted it, checked the time, and said, “If Miss Scarlett has no further instructions, I will return to report. As for Uncle Donald and Miss Mona, though hired by Mr. Robinson, from now on they will follow your arrangements in all matters.”I gave a faint nod before turning my gaze to Donald and Mona. “There is no need to be overly formal. If you have any questions, feel free to ask my personal assistant, Eleanor.”Donald nodded hastily. “Miss Scarlett, I am responsible for your nutritional meals. May I assist Miss Eleanor n
Scarlett's POV:Alicia walked over and sat down on the single sofa, crossing her long legs encased in leather pants. She pulled out a pack of ladies’ cigarettes from her coat, lit one with a lighter, and took a drag.Her neatly manicured fingers held the cigarette as she lifted her eyelids and looked at Eleanor.“It’s just an amateur hobby of mine.”Eleanor seemed utterly charmed by her seamless routine, covering her mouth with a low gasp. “You are hands down the coolest woman I have ever seen smoking! I think I’m turning lesbian…”At those words, Davis’s eyebrows twitched. He cleared his throat with a loud cough. “Eleanor, please refrain from making dangerous remarks.”“How is that dangerous?” Eleanor shot him a sideways glance and snorted. “Things are different overseas. People aren’t too rigid about personalities!”“…&rdquo
Scarlett’s POV:“…” Great. Was this a veiled threat? Meaning if I refused these arrangements, Everett would come before me every single day, aggressively asserting his presence? This man truly never changed his ways. That overbearing streak in his bones just wouldn’t go away!My expression remained impassive as I addressed Davis, “Go back and tell Everett that threatening me is useless. Take both the person and the item with you now.”He looked at me with pleading eyes. “Miss Scarlett, for the sake of our three years as colleagues and our relatively smooth collaboration, have mercy on me. Please let Uncle Donald, Miss Mona, and these things stay. Mr. Robinson said if I can’t convince you, he will send me to Africa…”“Is that so? Should I buy you a plane ticket then?”“…”I arched an eyebrow, my lips curving into a smile as I looked at him. &ldq