Chapter 43: Sparks of Betrayal

The background quiet hum of the city buzzed as Scarlet sat across from Bernard in the dimly lit café, the walls of the little room closing in on her. The files opened out before them, full of facts that, until now, had seemed too far off from her life. But the weight of the plot became more real by the second as she turned over the pages. Though her mind was consumed with the reality of Wyatt's participation in her father's death, another idea, another anxiety ate at her with every instant that passed. Bernards. She could sense his eyes on her, not with the coldness of Wyatt's control but with an intensity that both calmed her down and disturbed her. In this tempest, he had been her lighthouse. He had guided her in compiling the fragments and given her the tools she required for retorting. Benevolently, though, under his consistent demeanour, was something different. a link.

Unquestionably, a pull. Scarlet fidgety in her seat, her fingers tapping nonstop against the table edge. She added, "Bernard," her voice quieter than she intended, "You've been more than simply an ally." You've been... there. When I felt someone was required. His eyes darkened somewhat, and he leaned forward to lay his hands on the table. Scarlet, you are not obliged to thank me. We are here with each other. But something about his remarks made her uncomfortable even now. Was it thankfulness, or something else totally that had attracted her to him? More especially, could she completely trust him? Uninvited, the uncertainty started to leak in. She gazed at the documents before her, the proof against Wyatt getting denser on every page. She knew her job was clear-cut. They have to reveal Wyatt. She couldn't overlook, though, the likelihood that she might be using Bernard to get near to Wyatt, much as he had used her family for his own benefit. Was it all business, or had she let something else slink in something hazardous, something she was powerless over? Between them hovered a tight quiet. Though loyalty comes at a cost, Bernard had never been anything except devoted. "I have to ask," she murmured, her words hardly audible. Can I count on you, Bernard? really? His eyes clouded with a mix of surprise and something deeper, his jaw tightened. "Scarlet, you not have to ask. Unlike him, I am not like Though his remarks were forceful, his tone changed subtly to not quite match the intensity in his eyes. Scarlet somewhat pulled back from the table, as if the question itself had revealed too much.

She required him, indeed. But what price would it pay? With white knuckles, Tucker's fingers clutched the edge of his desk and fixed his gaze on the paperwork before him. The usually silent office was filled with the typical sound of papers flitting, but his head was elsewhere. Though it had crept dangerously near to the surface, the truth about Wyatt's manipulation was not what dominated his thoughts. She did it. Scarlett. Her name rang in his head like an old, terrible song he could not stop listening to. He had seen her approach Bernard for days; every time their eyes locked, she leaned in to listen to something Bernard said, something twisted deep inside him. Though he detested the sensation, he was unable to overcome it. A jealous attitude.

Though there was no denying it, the word tasted bad in his tongue. Every time he watched Bernard place his hand on her arm or the way she laughed at his jokes, something inside Tucker seized. He had no right to feel how he did. For years he had kept her at arm's distance, pushed her away. Now, watching them together and the link developing between them, he felt as though he was losing her permanently this time. Rising suddenly from his desk, he moved the room with a restless intensity. What was he expected to do with this emotion? His thinking urged him to keep concentrated; avoid allowing her, him, any of it to divert his attention. Their battle to prevail was more grandi. Wyatt, But his heart was dragging him in another direction the one that had never really let her go. Wishing the ideas to vanish away, he massaged his eyes, but they simply got louder. Having spent too much time persuading himself that he would be better off without her, he came to recognise how mistaken he had been as he watched her approach someone else.

He was not ready to part from her. Tucker hardly had to look up to find out who it was when someone knocked at the door. She seemed to him as a gravitational pull, sucking him in. Scarlet arrived, her stance stiff and her eyes revealed her guarded thoughts. She hesitated then, her voice low. "Tucker, we need chat.." At seeing her, his throat constricted. Though the words stayed, he wanted to reach out to tell her everything. In what way might he explain this? Share his feelings with him. She was very entitled to be with Bernard and to trust him. Tucker couldn't handle the idea of losing her to him of seeing her vanish from his reach though. His voice thick, he continued, "I know." "We do. She stopped with a steady glance. Now there was no way to avoid the reality. He had to face it, negotiate the conflict between them, the emotions that had never entirely disappeared.

Scarlet drew nearer, her eyes darting over his. She uttered no words at all. She did not require. Between them, the quiet said volumes. The weight of the choice loomed large in the air the next morning as Scar entered Tucker's workplace. The data was unequivocally clear. Though the hazards were too great, they had enough to expose Wyatt and bring him down at last. She could not accomplish it by herself. She required Tucker. Standing before his desk, the weight of what they were about to do pressed down on her. In the hush between them, the subdued buzz of the office sounded intolerable. "We cannot wait any more," she remarked, her voice calm but firm. "We have all we need to call this off." We owe it to Wyatt to face her. Just now.

Tucker gazed up at her, his face insensible. His quiet served to accentuate the weight of the choice. Scarlet said, "I know you're terrified," her voice trembling slightly, "but we can't allow him get away with this." We will be too late if we delay any more. We had to move right immediately. Tucker tightened his jaw and darkened his eyes. He got up and moved slowly towards her. Unspoken words and unsolved tension filled the distance separating them. His grasp strong, he reached for her hand. "I'm not terrified, Scarlet," he answered, his voice low and his eye focused. "I fear I will lose you. What this will do to us, to all we have battled for, scares me. Her breath seized her throat, but she did not withdraw. "Tucker, you have me right here not lost. We are qualified to achieve this collectively. We owe it. Not moving for a long moment, neither of them. Tucker nodded once more, then his resolve sharpened. "Okay." Let us bring him down. Overall. And Scarlet saw everything was about to change at that instant.