Chapter 275 Beauty
Ambrose fell silent.
"That woman is a dead ringer for Scarlett. It's easy to lose your head when you can't tell them apart."
Ambrose was already on edge. Cody's nagging only added fuel to the fire. He let out a heavy breath. "Grandpa, please don't make things any more complicated for me right now."
Cody tilted his head, catching the hint of conflict in his tone. "Are you and Scarlett having relationship problems?"
Ambrose didn't want anyone to know about their current situation, so he shifted the topic to the kids.
"She found out that Hayden is the baby she lost. She's furious that I kept it from her."
Cody paused for a few seconds. As if realizing something, he asked, "Does she know I was in on it too?"
Ambrose's gaze grew complicated. Seeing right through Cody's panic, he let out a dark chuckle. "I didn't tell her, but she's smart. It wouldn't be a surprise if she figured it out."
Cody slapped his thigh. "I'm doomed. Looks like she's definitely going to give me the cold shoulder from now on."
Ambrose fell silent again.
The room was quiet. The faint, rich aroma of coffee lingered in the air, bringing a touch of clarity to the drowsy afternoon.
After finishing his coffee, Cody steered the conversation back to business. "You punched Tobias. This isn't going to blow over easily. You need to watch your back in case the Reynolds family comes looking for trouble."
Ambrose leaned back in his chair, his posture lazy and relaxed. "If the Reynolds Family dares to cause trouble, Tobias's scandal will be exposed to the world. They know this better than anyone else. They wouldn't dare make a reckless move."
Cody's worries eased a little, but then he sighed again.
"It just goes to show how important it is to educate the next generation. One child can ruin an entire family. The Reynolds family might look strong on the surface, but they've completely failed at raising their kids. Sooner or later, they'll be dragged down by their own heirs."
With that, he looked at Ambrose, his tone shifting to earnest persuasion. "You need to keep a clear head at all times and raise those two kids right. Scarlett has raised Yara wonderfully, and Hayden has been getting better and better since he's been by her side. You two should go get your marriage license soon and give the kids a stable environment to grow up in."
'Get a marriage license?'
Ambrose scoffed inwardly. He wanted to get married, but Scarlett wasn't willing. She even wanted to break up with him. And after what happened last night, who knew what the future held?
The thought alone made him fiercely irritable.
"Grandpa, I know what I'm doing."
Cody sat for a while longer before getting up to return to his room for a nap.
Not long after, Ambrose left the Boleyn Manor and headed back to Lakeside Garden. But when he arrived, there was no sign of her.
Rhea informed him that Scarlett had gone to meet up with Briar.
Scarlett and Briar were at the movie theater watching a blockbuster thriller. It was about a female lead whose husband plotted to murder her, only for her best friend to avenge her.
"After watching that, I'm terrified of getting married. It's too creepy. Best friends are definitely more reliable," Briar said, patting her chest with lingering fear as they walked out of the theater.
The movie's plot echoed in Scarlett's mind, inevitably drawing parallels to her own experiences. Her emotions were a tangled mess.
Getting married nowadays really felt like a dangerous gamble for a woman.
While she couldn't generalize, she, at the very least, had ended up with a total scumbag.
Wesley had married her with an ulterior motive from the very beginning, using her for his own gain. That was exactly why their marriage had ended up in ruins.
Briar turned to ask Scarlett, "Scarlett, if you actually met someone who treated you incredibly well, would you still dare to get married?"
She knew that Scarlett's previous marriage bore a striking resemblance to the movie's plot. Yet right now, Scarlett and Ambrose seemed to be doing really well together.
"I wouldn't jump into it easily. I'm living my life with my kids right now. Isn't that so much easier than getting married and having to take care of a man and his entire extended family?"
"True. With the way things are now, you really have no reason to get married. You have your kids and your career. Why tie yourself down with marriage? If Ambrose ever treats you poorly, you can just dump him and date as many guys as you want," Briar laughed out loud.
Scarlett offered a faint smile, responding only with silence.
Their next stop for entertainment was the mall. But Scarlett seemed completely checked out as they browsed the stores. Noticing this, Briar asked.
"You seem distracted. Did you two get into a fight?"
Not wanting her friend to worry, Scarlett hid the truth and instead said.
"It's probably just because of the movie. It reminded me of what I went through, and it's making me feel a bit heavy."
Honestly, Briar wasn't feeling great either; the lingering negativity from the movie was still hovering over her. To shake it off, she suggested.
"Should we go-karting?"
Scarlett agreed, and the two immediately headed to the track.
Scarlett loved go-karting. Even though she had been hit by a car recently, her passion for the track hadn't faded one bit.
The moment she got behind the wheel, her blood began to pump. It felt like she was back in her student days, recapturing that fiercely driven, competitive spirit she used to have for her studies.
So, once she started the engine, she floored it. She left everyone in the dust, her worries vanishing alongside the sensory thrill of the speed.
The best part about go-karting was how it released pent-up stress and unhappiness. Sure enough, after one lap, the dark clouds in Scarlett's mind parted, letting the sun shine through again.
Afterward, riding that high, they went and treated themselves to some incredible food.
It was a pure, carefree kind of happiness, just like when they were back in school.
As night fell, Briar's energy was still off the charts. She announced she was taking Scarlett to her friend's grand opening party.
The two little ones were still at the Boleyn Manor. Scarlett figured that since she was already out, she might as well make the most of it, so she agreed.
Around eight o'clock, they did a quick outfit change and headed to the venue.
Briar's friend had opened a bar. Wearing the trendiest slip dress, Briar strutted into the club looking absolutely sultry and gorgeous.
Scarlett wore a form-fitting maxi dress. While it wasn't overtly revealing, in this kind of setting, the sleek silhouette hugged her curves perfectly, making it far more captivating than anything skin-baring.
The moment they stepped into the bar, all eyes were instantly on them.
Especially Scarlett. The way her body moved in that fitted dress was pure elegance—an absolute feast for the eyes.
Looking extremely smug, Briar led Scarlett inside. Spotting the bar owner from a distance, she called out.
"Quinlan!"
A short-haired woman wearing a short-sleeved jacket and a micro-leather skirt turned around. Spotting Briar, she called back.
"Briar!"
Then, she turned back to whoever she had been talking to and said.
"Enjoy yourselves."
Dropping the conversation, she made her way over and pulled Briar into a hug.
"Babe, you made it."
"Of course I did. It's your grand opening! Plus, I brought a friend."
The two pulled apart, and Briar tugged Scarlett forward.
"Scarlett Mellon."
She then introduced Scarlett to the owner.. "Quinlan Bennett."
The moment Quinlan laid eyes on Scarlett, a flash of pure, shocked awe crossed her face. Under the bright lights of the bar, Briar caught the reaction perfectly.
"What, did her beauty break your brain?"
Quinlan quickly gathered herself and offered a compliment. "She really did blow me away. I thought she stepped right out of a painting."
"Ms. Mellon, welcome." Quinlan held out her hand.
Scarlett reached out and shook it. "Ms. Bennett, congratulations on the opening."
"Okay, that is way too formal," Briar teased from the sidelines.
Quinlan was blunt and straightforward, immediately dropping the titles and using Scarlett's first name. Scarlett, just as easygoing, did the same.
The three of them instantly hit it off. Suddenly, a waitress carrying a drink tray walked up to them.
"Ms. Bennett, here are the drinks you asked for."
Quinlan glanced over. When she saw the waitress's face, an unnatural expression flickered across her features, and her eyes darted toward Scarlett.
Scarlett didn't understand the look, but she was sharp. She followed Quinlan's gaze to the waitress. The moment she looked, she froze.
Why did this woman look exactly like her?