Chapter 12: Bernard’s Betrayal

Tension permeated the evening air as Scar stood in the darkly lighted corner of the drawing room, a glass of wine neglected in her hand. The guests' laughing and conversation felt so far away, so detached from the turmoil whirling about inside her. She turned to see her childhood buddy Bernard, her rock since the death of her parents. Her existence had revolved around his consoling presence; tonight, as the weight of her circumstances sank in on her, she needed him more than ever.

Bernard moved forward, his face wrinkled with apprehension. Usually warm and full of fun, his eyes suddenly seemed to be darkened. "Scarlet, you do not have to go through this by yourself," he replied, his voice gentle but firm. "You know I have always been here for you.” At the words, her chest contracted. Though they had always been close, something about Bernard's tone tonight made her uncomfortable. She knew him her whole life. She hadn't expected something more under his words, yet there was a touch of it. Scarlet answered, "I'm OK, Bernard," trying a grin as she passed him, but he reached out and grasped her wrist, stopping her. You're not, he insisted, softly dragging her toward him. Though his hold was not strong, there was urgency about it.

"I am familiar with you. I detest seeing you like that; you are caught in an unreachable game. Scarlet felt her heart rush as Bernard's remarks approached her personally, far from what she would have admitted. Though deep down she was struggling, she had imagined herself strong, competent of managing the disaster her life had become. She knew she might not be able to stop the walls she had erected around herself from collapsing. She began, "Bernard, I'm not," but he cut her off, his voice low and sincere. "I'm not talking about that," he murmured, his palm still tenderly gripping her wrist, causing her breath to stop. "I am discussing this." Her eyes met his, and she shocked herself to see the depth of warmth in his stare exceeded by something more. "Scarlet, I have always stood at your side. constantly eager. She shivered coldly down her spine. Time appeared to halt momentarily as the truth of Bernard's words sank into her head. Benevolent under years of platonic companionship, his feelings for her had always been there. And now, with her marriage to Tucker disintegrating all around, Bernard's confession felt like a weight she couldn't avoid. She heard the unmistakable sound of footfall behind her before she could reply, and then a voice deep, forceful, and most definitely chilly.

Bernard, you are playing with fire. Tucker's voice cut across the moment like a razor. He stood in the doorway, his jaw closed with resentment while his eyes were fixed on clasped hands. "Stay away from her." Like a slap, the words hit Scar. She could not ignore the tension in the air, the envy that suddenly surged off Tucker in waves. Tucker was there, his presence hovering over them like an iron wall, before she could try to distance herself from Bernard. Bernard stayed his stance and silently defied Tucker's look. His voice firm, yet with an edge now, he replied, "I'm not doing anything wrong." "She is a friend of mine, Tucker. I have been her friend always. The quiet that followed was laden with unsaid words and boiling resentment. Tucker's lips curled into a tight, nasty smirk as his eyes darkened. "I don't care what you were to her, Bernard," Tucker said, his voice poisonous. "This is my partner. And you would want to keep that in mind. Scarlet felt the fire of Tucker's wrath, but beneath the surface, she sensed a flickering something else that worried her. Though his eyes were raw with jealousy, there was also a possessiveness that made her doubt what she knew about their marriage. Standing before the old wooden desk in Tucker's private office, Scarlet's heart hammered as the papers she had found lay out in front of her like a terrible confession. She could see the evidence, a web of lies and deception spun by none other than Wyatt Lockwood, Tucker's father. Now the unusual events, the cryptic warnings from her parents, and the reason she had been driven to leave Tucker in the first place made sense.

Her palm shook as she grabbed the papers; her mind flew with a wrath she had not let herself experience in years. Though she had always sensed something was off, this was the evidence she needed. Using their debts as leverage, Wyatt had guided her away from Tucker, therefore directing the financial collapse of her family. And now she realized all she had thought was a lie as she gazed at the paperwork in her hands. She had been controlled from the very start, not only a pawn in their game. She rushed out of the office without thinking, her pulse racing as she headed toward the private library Tucker was usually seen in. She was no longer interested. She had to face him to compel him to see the truth of what his father had done. Tucker was staring at the flames in the fireplace when she came in, his back to her. His stiff posture suggested that he could feel the storm building inside her. When he turned, his eyes flicked over her face, and she detected something like uncertainty in them for the first time in days. "What is it, Scarlet??" His voice low but fierce, he questioned. She shoved the papers at him, seeing as his face grew hard from a mix of doubt and mistrust. "You are your father. Wyatt: He carried out this. I left in part because of him. As Tucker reviewed the papers, his face went white and his jaw tightened with every word he turned over. He said, "What is this?" his voice like a growl. "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying," Scarlet's voice broke with passion, "that I was never meant to be in your life. Me, your father used, under control. I loved you, Tucker, he knew. And he turned that around against me.

Tucker dropped the papers, his hands quivering as he incredulously raked them through his hair. "No, this cannot be true." Scar glanced at him, her heart bleeding for the guy she had once loved with everything she had, and the surroundings appeared to slow. Though she wanted to reach out to console him, she was unable. The truth had already broken the brittle illusion of control they had been living under. Tucker's eyes darkened like a tempest building within her. "Wyatt... Has he not been using me all along? He murmured, the weight of the awareness falling on him. Not able to talk over the lump in her throat, Scarlet nodded. "Yes, Tucker," says Over all these years, he has been using you, and I " She was unable to complete, though. Tucker was already headed toward the door, his motions deliberate and weighty. "I will handle him." This comes to an end now. 08.