Chapter 13~. The past re-emerges

Scarlett’s POV

I swallowed hard as Alaric's intense gaze lingered on me. I couldn't move; my legs seemed to be replaced with a lead of bricks. His lips curled upwards into an enigmatic smile, and even though I felt at ease around him, I couldn't help but be reminded of the past. He was a very good friend of Ethan, but I've been accused of having an affair with him.

And now that he showed up at today's event, Ethan seemed to be watching us both like a hawk, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read between the lines.

Heck! I'm not supposed to care, or be concerned about that since he chose to believe those lies. But a part of me was eager to correct everything, to show everyone that there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Alaric.

It's been such a long time since I set my eyes on Alaric. It's been ages since we last spoke and he had no clue about my identity as the Scott's Heiress or my return to the city.

“You're - you're back, Scarlett.” Alaric eyes shone with surprise as he spoke, a warm smile stretching his lips.

I returned a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.

He could sense my uneasiness. When he looked up and noticed Ethan's presence, his smile vanished, his expression twisting into shock and confusion.

He's definitely wondering if we've gotten back together.

“I guess you're busy, I should leave now,” He spoke before turning to leave but I held his hand, stopping him right on track.

“No. I'm not busy,” I informed him politely, my voice laced with certainty.

Silence stretches between us and I saw Ethan's gaze settling on my hands which were on Alaric’s wrist.

His eyes betrayed a flicker of jealousy before he swiftly masked it with a neutral expression, his gaze piercing as he swallowed hard.

“I don't want to be a bother. I thought you were in the middle of a conversation with..” Alaric mumbled, the rest of his words shoving down his throat at Ethan's intense gaze.

Smiling, I replied in a reassuring tone, “No, Alaric. You're not a bother. Let's find a quiet spot and chat..”

“Okay. If you say so,” Alaric replied, his voice steady.

Turning to Ethan, I spoke, “I'll be taking my leave,”

Ethan's expression was unreadable, his eyes studying our interactions, searching for answers. Every smile, every glance, or gesture was scrutinized, his heart heavy with unspoken questions.

As we left, I could feel his burning gaze on our back.

When we finally arrived at the hall, we were crowded with crazy fans wanting to take pictures with us.

I caught a glimpse of Dylan speaking with some top directors. He was still busy.

I wanted to inform him of my plan to leave early because of my daughter.

“Urm,” Alaric cleared his throat, a gentle reminder of his presence.

Turning to face him, I nodded, eager to hear what he had to say.

“I never knew you were McKenzie’s granddaughter. I mean, I heard the news and I was surprised to say the least. You'd never mentioned the connection before..” He mumbled, still struggling to process everything.

“I had no idea until recently, Alaric. To be honest, I'm still getting used to it myself, to this kind of life and…. you know,”

He paused, his eyes glinting with pride. “I totally understand. I'm just glad to see you again, Scarlett. I know It's hard to take in but I'm glad to see you're flourishing and thriving with your new life as a Scott.”

“Thanks, Alaric.” I replied, gazing at the crowd in the hall. Several cameras flashed in our direction as we conversed with each other.

Silence lingered but the next word he spoke broke the stillness, his voice low and measured. “Are you back together with Ethan?”

I froze a bit, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Alaric was aware of our divorce,. He knew why Ethan chose to divorce me and that was because he believed that I cheated on him with Alaric.

After a brief hesitation, I spoke up, “No. We're not back together. What you see back there is not what it seems. He was only questioning my relationship with Dylan. What a hypocrite and a nerve, given how things ended between us.”

“Ethan is such a fool to believe those accusations against you, Scarlett. You were such a good wife and ….”

“It's okay, Alaric.” I cut in, my voice gentle.

“I've learnt to move on. It's his choice to believe whatever he wants to believe. I owe him no explanation. After all, he's already done the worst.”

Alaric heaved a deep sigh, his fist clenched.

“His suspicions hurt more than he'd ever known. Our friendship wasn't enough to dispel his doubts. His trust issues ruined our friendship. I wish there is a way you can prove your innocence to him, Scarlett. I don't care if I lost my friendship with him forever but I want him to know that there was never a thing between us and that you were faithful from the beginning..”

Alaric mumbled, his voice laced with emotions.

Reaching for his hand, I replied, “I understand how it hurts, Alaric. I believe someday, the truth will come to light and he will realize his mistake and regret his accusations. He will come to terms with what really happened and apologize for the doubts and the pains he caused.”

When I heard footsteps, I took my hands off Alaric, and quickly pulled away, a mixture of guilt and caution washing over me..

Paparazzi cameras clicked wildly as reporters' hushed whispers turned to excited murmurs.

“Someone did try to frame you, Scarlett. Someone framed us. Not just that, they succeeded in poisoning Ethan's mind and ruining our reputation.. We can't even stay close together for fear of sparking another media frenzy.” Alaric said, his shoulders sagging from exhaustion.

“I know right, it's suffocating. It's hard to breathe with them always watching..”

“Scarlet..” Alaric called, his voice firm

“I'm glad for where you are today but it's best we stay away from each other for the time being. I've been trying to reach you some months ago but now, I'm relieved you're doing fine. With your newfound status, I'm sure you're more confident than ever..”

“Thank you for your understanding, I think it's for the best too.”

“Yeah. But one thing is certain, I won't stop until I find out who is responsible for framing us in the past…” He spoke, his face etched with determination.

And then, he took a step forward and asked, “I know we have no clue who it is but I'm beginning to suspect it's someone close to us. I believe there is more to the story than we know,”

His words hang heavy in the air, a reminder of what's at stake.