“For how long?” I sulked.
“One year!” “Marcus White, I have my life to live too! Don’t push it.” Just my luck to have met him.
“Half a year!”
“Half a year of cooking in exchange for the one month that saved your life. You got a good deal.” He looked towards me confidently.
“Deal!” I was tired and flustered. All I wanted was to end the episode and move on.
He did not stop me as I walked away. He just stood behind me and said, “The best way to handle a bully is to give them an eye for an eye. If you want Sally to disappear, just let me know. I can make her vanish from your sight.”
I was baffled by his words, so I turned around for clarification. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged and nonchalantly declared, “Nothing much. I just felt sometimes you are too indecisive. Some people are plain revolting. Their existence is a mistake in the first place.”
“You are the one behind Nancy’s incident?” I instantly pieced the puzzle together.
He stubbed his cigarette and replied impassively, “She asked for it.”
“Marcus White!” I was aghast at the person he has turned into.
“She serves no purpose anymore. She will only get in the way,” he spoke without any emotion.
Slap! I hit him so hard my hand hurts.
A man jumped out of the black Bentley and darted in front of me to shield him from any further strikes.
Marcus pulled the man aside and unperturbedly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth. “You feel for her? Or are you disappointed in me?” he probed.
I took a deep breath and stepped back in despair. “Marcus, don’t go overboard.”
“So Ashton Fuller will toe the line? Do you think he is really the generous, forgiving gentleman you think he is? Have you seen how he deals with his business competitors?” Marcus accosted me.
He bent towards me and uttered gravely, “I am no match for his ruthlessness, Scarlett. There is more to him than meets the eye.”
“That is enough! I gotta go.” Disturbed by his words, I hurried away.
I was relieved he did not come after me. How did one become so incorrigible?
Ashton was not home when I got back. What Marcus said gave me the chills. I bundled up in a blanket and stayed in bed.
Ashton called in the afternoon and said he was going out of town for business. He had a hectic schedule. Sometimes, he even brought work home.
His busy schedule did not bother me as I have my hands full as well.
Alas, there was always a curve ball in life.
The following day, I was supposed to go to my class at K University. When I woke up, there was a crowd gathered outside the gate.
Paparazzi! Ashton’s villa was in a secluded location. Not many people knew about this place.
Obviously, someone has maliciously spread the news and attracted the paparazzi’s attention.
I grabbed my phone to call Ashton.
From the pop-up screen of my phone, I saw a photo of Marcus and me. It looked like it was taken when we met yesterday.
Whoever leaked the photos did it with ill will as all the photos published hinted at an intimate relationship between Marcus and me. The earlier incident with Nancy had barely blown over and now a scandal with the CEO of White Corporation made headlines.
I was sure the affair between Ashton and I would be uncovered too.
Guess I would have to lie low for a couple of days.
Ashton called to comfort me. “Fret not. I have tightened the security at the villa. Those paparazzi would not dare to trespass. You just stay put at home till I come back.”
Surprisingly, I was not worried, even though this was the first time I had to deal with such a crowd. “Ok. You get on with your work. I can do my revision at home.” I calmly reassured him.
There was sufficient food at home so it would not be an issue to be trapped in the house for a few days.
I grabbed some food and sat down to surf the headlines. The keyboard warriors were indeed impressive. Details of my background and the incidents that happened four years ago all surfaced.
Luckily, my relationship with the Moore family was not exposed. The affairs at the Stovall’s were a little complicated and touchy so the paparazzi did not go big on that. They probably would not want to risk getting into legal trouble with the Stovall family.
So the focus was on my love affairs with Marcus and Ashton.
I was expecting the paparazzi to hound me for a couple of days. Surprisingly, when I peeked on them in the evening, more than half of the crowd has dispersed.
I could not be sure what happened to the paparazzi. I assumed Ashton was helping with the damage control. Summer was not able to come home to me. John had to bring her to the Stovall residence.
