Semua Bab My Ex-Boyfriend is my New Step-Brother: Bab 41 - Bab 50

The house was too bright. Every chandelier was turned up, and the smell of expensive steak filled the halls. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the straps of my dress. Chloe was behind me, her hands shaking as she tried to fix my hair."Stay away from him, Scarlett," Chloe whispered. "Leo Hart is a shark. He’s here to talk about the movie, but he’s really here to see if you’re still a 'safe' investment after that video.""I know," I said. "I’ve seen how he looks at the girls on set. He’s been creepy since day one.""Just smile. Don't go anywhere alone with him," Chloe warned.I walked down to the dining room. Marcus was already there, pouring a glass of dark red wine. Leo Hart was already sitting at the table, looking like he owned the place. He looked at me and his eyes traveled up and down my body like I was a piece of fruit he wanted to buy."There she is," Leo said. His voice was oily. "The star of my next picture. You look beautiful, Scarlett. Come, sit next to me like a g

I didn't sleep at all after Roman left. I just sat on the floor and stared at the letters. Every time I thought about Marcus paying that girl to lie, I felt a hot, itchy feeling in my chest. But then a scary thought popped into my head.How did Marcus do it all alone? My mom was always with him. They shared everything.I waited until the sun started to come up. I walked down the hall to my mom’s room. She was sitting in a big chair by the window, rubbing her stomach and drinking tea. She looked so happy."Mom?" I said. I was still holding one of Roman’s letters behind my back."Scarlett! You’re up early," she said. She patted the chair next to her. "Come sit. We need to talk about the baby's room colors.""I don't care about colors, Mom," I said. I walked right up to her. "I found Roman’s letters. The ones he wrote from Switzerland."My mom stopped rubbing her stomach. Her face went very still. "Letters? What letters?""The ones where he says Marcus paid a girl named Elena to lie," I

The smoke was thick and smelled like hot metal and burnt rubber. I ran as fast as I could toward the tree. Roman’s car was upside down. The wheels were still spinning, making a soft whirring sound in the quiet night."Roman!" I screamed. I fell on the dirt next to the driver’s side window. "Roman, please talk to me!"I heard a groan. It was low and painful. I saw a hand reach out from the broken glass. There was blood on his knuckles, but he was moving."Scarlett?" his voice was shaky. "Are you... are you okay? Did the truck hit you?""I wasn't in the SUV, Roman! I was on the road! I’m safe!" I cried. I tried to pull at the door, but it was stuck. "We have to get you out. There’s a fire starting near the engine!""Get back," Roman said. He sounded stronger now. I heard him kick the door. Bang. Bang. On the third kick, the door flew open with a loud pop.He crawled out of the car. He looked like a mess. His forehead was bleeding, and his leather jacket was torn. He stood up and wobbled

The mansion felt like a cold box. Marcus had guards at every door, and nobody was allowed to talk about the hospital or the crash. My mom was busy talking to florists, pretending like her daughter wasn't on the front page of the gossip news."Scarlett, come here!" Chloe called from the dressing room. Her voice sounded high and shaky. "The tailor is here for the final fitting! We have to move fast!"I walked into the room. There were big mirrors everywhere. In the middle of the room, on a gold hanger, was supposed to be my dress for the Gala. It was a beautiful emerald green dress, the color of a deep forest."Is it ready?" I asked.Chloe didn't say anything. She just pointed at the floor.I looked down. The green dress wasn't on the hanger anymore. It was in a hundred little pieces on the rug. It looked like someone had taken a pair of giant scissors and gone snip, snip, snip until there was nothing left but green strings."Oh no," I whispered. I knelt down and picked up a piece of th

The gold dress felt like a heavy suit of armor. I stood in front of the full-length mirror while Chloe pinned a lace mask over my eyes. It was stiff and scratchy. Downstairs, I could hear the music starting. It was loud and fast, like a heartbeat."You look perfect, Scarlett," Chloe said. She was shaking. "Just keep the mask on. Nobody can see your eyes. Nobody will know you’re scared.""I'm not scared," I said. I looked at the digital lock on my door. It was green now. Marcus had opened the cages because it was showtime. "I’m just waiting.""Marcus is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs," Chloe said. "The press is already inside. The 'Angel' is back."I walked out of my room. My mom was in the hallway. She was wearing a silver dress and a mask that looked like a cat. She didn't say anything to me. She just adjusted her pearls and pointed toward the stairs. We walked down together, looking like a perfect family.Marcus was standing there in a black tuxedo. He held out his hand