Chapter 125 Coercion and Temptation
Scarlett's words had been a stark reminder: they were equals now. He couldn't dictate her actions, couldn't control her choices. Ambrose knew that.
So, he'd have to find his leverage in the bedroom, to remind her in the most primal way possible that he was her man.
And when Scarlett had willingly walked into his domain, Ambrose had taken full advantage, leaving her utterly drained, without an ounce of strength left to even make it back to her own room.
In the end, he'd held her as she slept.
The next morning, Hayden and Yara, who had been eagerly anticipating a slumber party with Scarlett, woke up to a space beside them. Yara was the first to stir, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she scanned the room.
Beside her, Hayden was also awake, his gaze fixed on the empty spot on the bed. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as if he'd already put the pieces together. In the next second, he was climbing out of bed.
"Hayden," Yara's small voice piped up, "was Mommy not in our room all night?"
"I don't know," he replied, a little too nonchalantly.
Yara scrambled off the bed after him, her bare feet pattering across the floor to the bathroom. Empty. She turned and rushed to the bedroom door.
"If Mommy didn't sleep here, where did she sleep?" Her small hand was already on the doorknob, twisting it open.
Hayden took her hand. "Let's check my dad's room."
The two of them padded down the hall to Ambrose's door. They tried the handle, but it was locked from the inside.
Their little fists started pounding on the wood.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Yara's voice was a high-pitched plea.
"Dad, open the door!" Hayden added, his voice firm.
The noise finally pierced through Scarlett's exhausted slumber. She blinked her eyes open, the sight of Ambrose beside her making her frown instantly. She shoved at his chest.
"You didn't take me back to my room?"
Ambrose, also woken by the commotion, pulled her into his arms, his voice thick with sleep. "It was late. You were exhausted, and so was I. It just slipped my mind."
Scarlett gritted her teeth, her eyes darting towards the door. "And what do you suggest we do now?"
For once, Ambrose was at a loss. He could handle almost anything, but when it came to the kids, he was powerless. Especially Yara. If she found out he'd monopolized her mother for the entire night, the resulting meltdown would be epic.
"I have no idea!" He was, for a moment, completely out of his depth. He tightened his hold on Scarlett, as if this might be the last time he'd ever get to hold her like this.
The pounding on the door grew louder, now accompanied by the unmistakable sound of Yara's heartbroken sobs. A knot of anxiety tightened in Scarlett's chest. She scrambled out of bed, pulling on her silk robe and hastily gathering the shredded remnants of her new lingerie before darting into the en-suite bathroom.
Ambrose sighed, steeling himself to face the music and run interference.
After Scarlett was safely hidden, he opened the door. Yara stood there, her big eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at him.
"Ambrose, is my mommy in your room?" She asked, her voice hitching with a sob.
The sight of her looking so miserable made his heart clench. He crouched down and scooped her into his arms. "No, sweetie, she's not. Don't cry. Your mommy isn't going to just disappear. I'm sure she'll be back in a minute."
Yara swiped at her tears with the back of her little hand. "I want to see for myself."
Ambrose had no choice but to set her down. "Tears don't suit a pretty girl like you," he murmured, trying to gently wipe her cheeks.
She ignored him completely, her little legs carrying her straight into the room. At the door, Hayden stood his ground, staring at his father with an accusatory glint in his eyes.
"Liars get long noses, Dad."
Ambrose felt a surge of helplessness. He leaned down, whispering urgently in Hayden's ear.
"Listen, if you want to keep living here, you need to get Yara out of this room. Now. If she figures out Scarlett spent the night with me, she'll have us both kicked out."
Hayden's response was immediate and self-assured. "She wouldn't kick me out."
"Maybe not," Ambrose threatened, switching tactics. "But if I have to leave, I can take you with me. You know I have the right to decide where you live."
Hayden's tiny eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown. He glared at his father for a long moment before finally capitulating with a sigh. "You're the worst, Dad. You're supposed to be going on blind dates, and you're still making moves on Scarlett."
"What blind dates? If I wanted to go on a blind date, I would've done it years ago. Use your head, son. Now go stop her."
Hayden let out an indignant huff and marched into the room. He caught up to Yara just as she was about to try the bathroom door and grabbed her hand.
"Yara, let's go ask Rhea. I bet Rhea knows where she is."
Yara had searched the entire room, even peeking into the walk-in closet, with no luck. Defeated, she let Hayden lead her out of the room to find Rhea.
Ambrose let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, quickly shutting the door. He signaled to Scarlett, who seized the opportunity to slip out and make a beeline for the study.
When Yara found Rhea, the housekeeper immediately understood the situation. Seeing the little girl's bare feet, she swept her up into her arms.
"Yara, honey, where are your shoes? You'll catch a cold."
"I can't find Mommy," Yara sniffled. "Rhea, tell me where she went."
Rhea carried her to the living room sofa and sat her down, her expression gentle but firm. "Yara, you're a big girl now. You can't be stuck to your mommy's side all the time."
Yara fidgeted, poking her two index fingers together, her lower lip trembling. "But, Rhea, she's my mommy. Why can't I be with her? She always sleeps with me."
Rhea sighed softly. "Well, look at Hayden. He doesn't cling to his dad all day. Hayden's very independent."
Rhea's words seemed to make Yara waver, but her primary mission remained unchanged. "Rhea, did Mommy go out?"
"I don't think so, I haven't seen her leave," Rhea said. "Have you checked the study?"
That was all the prompting Yara needed. She slid off the sofa and sprinted towards the study. Twisting the knob, she pushed the door open and there, sitting at the large desk, was Scarlett.
"Mommy!" Yara cried, running into her arms.
Scarlett slid off the chair to catch her, hugging her tight. Yara's voice was thick with hurt. "Mommy, did you sleep with us last night?"
A pang of guilt shot through Scarlett, but she nodded anyway. "Of course, I did, sweetie. I just had some urgent work to do this morning, so I got up a little early."
"Then why didn't you hear me when I was calling for you?" Yara looked at her with suspicion. It was a rule of their universe: whenever Yara cried, Scarlett would appear instantly to comfort her. But this morning, she had cried and cried, and Scarlett hadn't come. It was all wrong.
Scarlett forced a casual nod. "I guess I didn't hear you."
"No way," Yara said, her voice suddenly sharp with accusation. "Mommy, did you sleep in Ambrose's room?"
Scarlett froze. She knew Yara was sharp, but she never imagined her daughter could unravel the truth from such a small discrepancy.
The flicker of guilt in Scarlett's eyes was all the confirmation Yara needed. Her mouth crumpled, and a loud, wailing cry erupted from her.
"Mommy doesn't want me anymore!"
Scarlett's head throbbed. She clutched Yara tighter, trying to soothe her. "How could you say that? You're my treasure. How could Mommy ever not want you?"
"Then why did you sleep with Ambrose instead of me?"
The question made Scarlett's face flame. How on earth was she supposed to explain this?
Yara's heartbroken sobs brought Ambrose into the study. He saw Yara's face, a perfect miniature of Scarlett's, streaked with tears, and it felt like watching Scarlett herself cry. His heart ached.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly.
Yara turned on him, her small body trembling with rage. "You're bad, Ambrose! You're trying to steal my mommy!"