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14.

Author: Nee Nee
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-12 18:17:38

~SCARLETT.

*~FLASHBACK~*

EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD.

I clutched my small bag tightly, the strap digging into my shoulder. It held everything I had left, which was just a few clothes thrown together in a hurry. Everything else was gone.

It had only been a month since my parents died, and my life had unraveled faster than I thought possible. At first, I couldn't leave the house. I spent days locked in my room, crying until I couldn't anymore.

Then came the knock on the door.

The men in suits were cold and clinical. They spoke about bankruptcy, debts, and legalities with practiced detachment, while I sat on the couch, numb. My father—Roy Everett—had been one of the richest men in California. But according to them, his wealth had been built on shaky foundations. Everything was being seized: the cars, the mansion, the bank accounts.

"You're eighteen," one of them said bluntly. "An adult by law. We can't provide further assistance."

They left me sitting in an empty house, surrou
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  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   66.

    ~SCARLETT. God is a woman. No seriously, that’s the only explanation. Because after the hellstorm that was yesterday—the punch, the rage, the ball-clutching silence—I woke up this morning feeling like I could conquer the damn world. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was the sight of him limping out of my house, clutching himself like I’d just ended his bloodline and erased his family tree. Maybe it was the rare thrill of seeing him take it without barking back: no shouting, no rage. Just... pain. Silent. Stunned. Deserved. He left without a word. And somehow, that silence was louder than anything he could’ve said. For once, I had the power. And God, I liked it. So when I woke up still high on that delicious, smug afterglow, “God Is a Woman” started playing in my head, and I didn’t question a thing. I just let it soundtrack my morning. An hour later, I was suspended halfway up my pole, upside down in nothing but a black thong and

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   65.

    ~LIAM. Pain. Fierce, pulsing, vindictive pain. It radiated through me like a curse as I doubled over, slipping from the couch and crashing onto my knees, hands instinctively guarding what was left of my dignity. Speechless, I stayed down: breath knocked out of me, furious, stunned, and aching in places a man should never ache. “This is the last time you ever lay a hand on me,” she said calmly, still seated like nothing had happened. “Next time, I won’t be so nice.” Air wouldn’t come. Thoughts scattered. But her voice pushed through the fog, clear and unshaken. “I think it’s time for you to leave now, neighbor.” That smile—smug, cold, satisfied—turned the word into a blade. Not a word left my mouth. What the hell could I possibly say? Still hunched, I pushed myself to my feet and exited the house. Every step sent a fresh wave of agony through me, but I didn’t stop until I crossed the street and nearly collided with the moving truck parked outside the

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   64.

    ~SCARLETT. Can I be considered a bad person for playing with this kid’s emotions just to keep Liam in check? Maybe. Probably. Okay… yeah. Definitely. But if stringing Lucas along was the only thing keeping Liam from breaking through every boundary I’ve built… then so be it. Let him see I’ve moved on. Maybe then he’ll stop trying to claw his way back into my life. “You’ll what?” Liam and Lucas said at the same time. Lucas sounded thrilled. Liam sounded like he was about to start throwing furniture. I bit back a smile. Trust the universe to hand me not one, but two L-named headaches. Figures. Still smiling, I pushed to my feet and sauntered over to Lucas. “Yes,” I said, syrupy sweet. “I’ll go as your date.” I didn’t spare Liam a glance. Lucas lit up like a damn Christmas tree. Liam? He was radiating heat like a ticking bomb. Lucas, clearly reveling in it, threw Liam a smug glance, then turned back to me, grin still wide. “The barbecue’s tomorrow, around noo

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   63.

    ~LIAM. I always thought I was a rational man. In all my thirty years of life, I’d never let jealousy crawl under my skin. Why would I? Relationships weren’t part of the plan. They were distractions. Messy, emotional time bombs I was trained to avoid. After Marcus pulled Jake, Kelvin, and me out of that hellhole at eighteen, everything became singular: serve the Foundation, bleed through the training, and rise to the top. Attachments? Never in the blueprint. Sure, I had flings. Easy. Forgettable. No mess. No risk. No one who mattered. So someone explain to me… Why did I have this burning urge to smash this kid’s face in? The moment I saw him holding her—like he had any fucking right—one thought lit my brain like wildfire: Another man was touching what was mine. And not just any man. The same little shit I’d punished her for grinding against. If she hadn’t pulled away when she did, I swear to fucking God, I would’ve shattered his jaw

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   62.

    ~SCARLETT. I blinked at him. Once. Twice. “You like me?” I echoed, like he’d just spoken in Morse code. And then I burst into a full-blown, body-shaking laugh that echoed across the yard and made him flinch. “Good one,” I said, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “You really had me there for a second.” But he didn’t laugh. Just stood there, clutching that awkward little bouquet, amber eyes painfully sincere, like he’d just confessed something sacred. Oh God. He was serious. The laughter died on my lips. “Wait… you’re not joking?” He shook his head slowly, and I stared at him, stunned. “How do you even like me?” Shifting the flowers from one hand to the other, he said in a quiet voice, “I’ve been watching your performances for months. Every time, I asked for a private dance… but they always said you didn’t do those.” He gave a nervous little laugh. “It felt like the un

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   61.

    ~SCARLETT. I lay flat on my stomach, chin resting on my crossed arms, staring at the scratched-up headboard in front of me. I’d been fixating on those faded streaks in the wood for four days straight because if I didn’t, I’d start thinking about other things. Dangerous things. Like Liam’s hand. My body still remembered every inch of it, burned into me like a brand. After he left me on the floor, I didn’t move for ten solid minutes. Couldn’t. I just lay there, heat pulsing through every nerve ending, legs trembling, and chest rising too fast as anger coiled deep in my gut. When I finally stood, my thighs were jelly and my ass was on fire. Performing that night? Not a chance in hell. I limped to Rick’s office, mumbled something about food poisoning, and braced for the explosion. He didn’t disappoint: face red, stapler slammed, ranting about “lost profits” and “useless girls.” I tuned out halfway through. Told him I’d be out the nex

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