Scarlett nodded.
“You’re not as simple as you seem.” “You’re wrong,” Percy said with a grin, waving his finger playfully.
“I’m actually very simple.
The complicated one is Uncle Xavier.
This estate is his family’s legacy.
I’m just here for the ride!” Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
“You’re pretty shameless.” Percy chuckled.
“It’s hereditary.” Just then, Xavier walked over and gave Percy a light tap on the head.
Percy quickly ducked, clutching his head and darting into the mansion without a trace.
Scarlett instinctively took a step back, maintaining a polite distance from the mysterious Xavier.
At first, she had only suspected that Xavier held an important position.
Now that she saw the grandeur of the mansion, she was sure that Xavier was undeniably a powerful and mysterious figure.
She couldn’t afford to mess with someone like him.
As Xavier noticed Scarlett subtly avoiding him, his gaze darkened.
“Come inside,” he calmly said.
He walked toward the mansion while Scarlett maintained a respectful distance, following him from behind.
Once inside, Scarlett was once again stunned by the opulence that surrounded her.
A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Meanwhile, the walls were adorned with paintings by renowned artists, and the floors were covered in luxurious red velvet carpets.
This place was nothing less than an extravagant mansion.
“You’re back, Mr.
Stroud,” a sharply dressed middle-aged man greeted, giving Xavier a respectful nod.
“Arrange a room for her.
She’ll be staying here to tutor Percy,” Xavier said.
He then glanced over at Scarlett and added, “This is the butler here, Edmund Barrett.
If you need anything, feel free to ask him.” Scarlett was stunned.
She never mentioned that she was planning to stay here.
“Mr.
Stroud, I was planning to…” she began to protest.
Xavier cut her off.
“You’ll stay and help Percy with his lessons for now.” He turned to Edmund and ordered, “Edmund, go fetch Percy.” Scarlett was speechless.
She hadn’t planned on staying at all.
She had wanted to head back to school.
How had she ended up in this situation, living in someone else’s mansion without even realizing it?
At first, Edmund was surprised that Xavier would bring a young woman back to the mansion.
However, when he saw her face more clearly, he suddenly understood and felt a slight thrill of excitement.
He quickly set off to prepare a room for her.
Xavier told Scarlett to rest in the living room while he headed to his study.
Even though his study was secure, he locked the door behind him and then walked toward the hidden space behind the bookshelf.
It was a secret room, cleverly concealed by the strategic placement of bookshelves.
On the desk were several sketches of a young girl.
Each sketch had subtle differences, as though the artist was trying to capture every nuance of her appearance.
However, each one looked strikingly similar to Scarlett.
Xavier picked up the one that most resembled her.
A gentle, faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Ten years ago, when he was 18, he had participated in a private off-road race.
During that event, he had suffered a serious accident.
Someone had tampered with his car, causing the brakes to fail, and then deliberately forced him off the track.
The car had plunged down a cliff and crashed into a lake below.
He thought he was done for.
The excruciating pain in his body nearly crushed his will to survive.
In his foggy state, he saw a nimble little girl trying to smash his car window with a sharp rock.
He couldn’t help but chuckle.
After all, this was a race car, with laminated glass and two layers of bulletproof film.
There was no way she could break it.