Chapter 32: Chapter 32

THIRD POV

Scarlett locked herself in her room because she couldn’t accept the death of her employee, so she separated herself from everyone except her children.

Because of the sun on her face, she closed her eyes.

She stretched out because she had done the right thing to protect others.

She dressed because she needed to discuss her intentions with Carter, and she will allow no one to be involved in this.

‘If she has to risk her life to protect her family, she will do so.’

She exited her room after her routine and saw her children, who appeared to be waiting for her, so she smiled at them.

“Where are you going, Mom?” asked Carrie. Scarlett stroked her hair and kissed her on the cheeks.

“Mommy’s just going somewhere. I’ll be back,” she said, smiling to Carrie, who snorted, so Scarlett just shook her head and turned to Agustin, who was staring at her.

“You look after your sister, Agustin, and I'll be right back.”

Agustin nodded, and they went downstairs to have breakfast with the kids, but her mother noticed them. It surprised Sharlene to see her daughter.

“Scarlett.”

Scarlett nodded and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’m just going somewhere mom, you look after the kids,” said Scarlett. It surprised Sharlene when she noticed her daughter was acting strangely.

“Scarlett?”

Scarlett smirked. “I’m leaving,” she said as she exited the mansion.

“Hey girl!” said Claire as she handed Scarlett the key. “You’ll pay!” she yelled at Scarlett, who smirked.

“OK! OK! I'll treat you a next time!” Scarlett shouted back. Claire smirked while rolling her eyes.

“I’m leaving! Look after that.”

She just nodded and watched Claire walk away. She put on the helmet and hopped on the motorcycle.

“Not bad,” she whispered as she started the engine and drove towards Carter’s company.

When she arrived at the company, she removed her helmet and parked the big bike.

“Ms. Scarlett?”

She turned to face Carter’s secretary.

“The boss has been waiting for you.”

She nodded and handed the key and helmet to the secretary before entering the company, and every employee greeted her, but all she did was nod.

When she entered his cousin’s office, she noticed him standing in front of the glass wall.

“Brother.”

Carter smirked at her.

“What do you need from me?” asked Carter, raising an eyebrow.

Scarlett shook her head and went inside to sit in front of Carter.

Scarlett said, “I will be the only one to handle the business in San Martín,” because she wanted to avoid talking too much.

Carter sat in his swivel chair, frowning at Scarlett’s words.

“You own a business in Manila, Scarlett; why did you choose the province?”

Scarlett bowed her head, unable to respond.

“Don’t tell me you have a plan?”

Carter smirked as Scarlett looked up at her older brother. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath before returning her gaze to his cousin.

“I must enter the enemies’ lairs. That's better, so I can protect my family and my children.” Scarlett swallowed and fists clenched. “I have to keep my distance because I know I’m their target.”

Carter just stared at Scarlett, but he could tell she was determined. He sighed and shook his head, knowing he couldn’t stop her.

“You know you’re the target, but you’re not telling us,” said Carter, glaring at Scarlett as she bowed. “But… Are you the actual target, or are they just out to bring down the chairman?”

Scarlett came to a halt and looked at her brother. “What do you mean?” she asked. Carter chuckled and loosened his necktie.

“There are many traitors in this world; many who want the chairman to fall, but they will do nothing against our family,” said Carter as he threw a dart pin at the dartboard.

“That’s why I know they are not the perpetrators of all this, but there is someone who really wants to bring the chairman down to get off the throne.”

Scarlett frowned and shook her head because she couldn’t understand what Carter was saying. That’s also not why she came here.

“I know that, and I know them, but… There is a plan. I’ve been silent for a long time, so maybe it’s time for me to go back to whom I used to be,” said Scarlett, looking at her cousin. “That’s why I want you to give me our San Martín business,”

Carter let out a sigh and crossed his fingers. “Scarlett, don’t forget you’re not alone. We're here for you, and I don’t want you to carry it alone,” he said as he placed some papers in front of Scarlett.

Scarlett examined the files. “What exactly is this?”

“You’ll see.”

Scarlett sighed and looked at the documents as she stared at Carter, who was smirking. Her eyes widened as she went through the folder’s contents one by one, looking at his older brother, who was smirking at her.

“S-Solen Madrid? Ferdinand Smith?” she asked, and Carter responded with a nod.

“While our family remains silent, Rios and I have been investigating Ken’s death threats and the woman who is doing this to him.”

“And then what?”

Carter shook his head. “I have no information about his death.”

Scarlett asked with a frown. “How about Solen Madrid?”

“No, it’s another person.”

Scarlett’s eyes widened as she examined the contents of her hand.

“The Solen Madrid who entered your business is a fake; she pretended to be that girl so that no one would suspect even one of us,” said Carter, shaking his head. “She also planned to invest in my business, but I declined; no one knows or sees Solen Madrid because only her voice communicates with them."

Scarlett gave a nod. “Like Ken said,” Carter agreed.

“In chess, Solen Madrid is one of the right hands of a king.”

She turned to face Carter, but he stood up and walked over to a table with a chessboard. Scarlett stood up to approach her older brother as well.

“A King? What do you mean?”

Carter smirked and moved the black king into the game of chess.

“Fernando Smith. No one knows him except that he leads a group that is causing trouble in our family right now,” Carter smirked, returning to his swivel chair. “I have found no information about him yet, not even a picture of him.”

Scarlett’s jaw tightened as she realized Carter had gone ahead of her to find out who the enemy was. What she discovered only made her head hurt more.

“Don’t worry about your business; I’ve fixed it, and you can reopen the bar.”

Scarlett raised her head. “I’m not opening it, brother, until it solved the mess.”

Scarlett closed the folder and placed it in the bag, while Carter frowned.

“Thank you for this; I know what to do,” said Scarlett as she turned around, but Carter stopped her.

“Wait… What are you going to do?”

She smirked. “I’ll do it… by myself,” she sighed. “Transfer all of San Martín’s property to my name, but not as a knight, but as someone else.”

Carter raises an eyebrow.

“Would you mind doing that for me, brother?”

Carter exhaled a sigh. “Of course,”

Scarlett’s lips lifted as she approached and hugged her brother.

“You look after our family while I’m away; I can’t rely on you for everything,” Scarlett said, breaking down in tears. “I have the blood of a knight, so I’ll do it alone,” she whispered, tapping Carter on the shoulder.

“Remember, Scarlett, you are not alone; there are many of us here to help you,” Carter said, stroking Scarlett’s cheek. “If you need my help, please call me, okay?”

Scarlett gave a nod. “I’m leaving because I have a lot to take care of,” she said, looking at him. “Rios knows a lot, doesn’t he?”

Carter smirked. “I’m not sure where that one came from.”

Scarlett laughed, thinking that Carter was right because Rios was more knowledgeable about what was going on, but she remembered something.

“If he’s careful, he can get involved in the mess, especially given how much he knows,” said Scarlett. Carter came to a halt and shook his head.

“Rios is intelligent, so he knows what he's doing.”

Scarlett smiled and shrugged. “I’m leaving; I’ll call you when I need your help; for now, it’s best if I do it alone.”

“What about the children?”

Someone called Scarlett as she was leaving Carter’s office, and she just smiled and waved.

Scarlett answered on the other line because it did not register the number on her phone.

(“Hello, Scarlett?”)

Scarlett frowned as she recognized the voice.

(“This is Dominic’s mother, Ashley Stone.”)

Scarlett came to a halt and took a deep breath.

“Mrs. Stone, what do you need from me?” asked Scarlett, but it cut off when she heard her crying on the other side of the line.

(“Can you come here? I don’t know what to do, and I know only you can stop my son.”)

Scarlett sighed and raised her brows because Dominic appeared to have caused her parents’ worries.

Scarlett bit her lower lip as she debated whether to visit Dominic.

She also paused for a few moments before agreeing to Dominic’s mother's wishes.

“I’m on my way,” she said, hanging up the phone and riding her motorcycle to Dominic’s house.

Even though she doesn’t want to, she has no choice because this could be the last time, she sees her husband.

When she arrived at Dominic’s house. As she looked at their mansion, she was in tears, as many memories came flooding back to her, and she will never forget those memories.

She just smiled bitterly, removed her helmet, and wiped her tears before getting off the motorcycle.

“Scarlett…”

Scarlett approached Dominic’s mother, although her chest was heavy as she approached their house.

She came to a halt because, despite several years, everything that happened, particularly in his relationship with her ex-husband, was still haunting her.

***