Chapter 123

Chapter 123

The butler's report sent the temperature in the lobby plummeting to absolute zero.

The security convoy—that was Brandon's way of showing he meant business.

Alex's expression turned ice-cold. He handed Stella to the butler behind him and turned to handle this messy situation.

But Scarlett reached out and stopped him. "Don't go."

Her voice was calm, laced with a world-weary exhaustion that came from seeing through it all. "He's here for me. I'll go out and deal with it."

"Scarlett, this is the Upper East Side. He wouldn't dare pull anything." Alex frowned.

"He's a lunatic." Scarlett's lips twisted into a humorless smile, her eyes devoid of warmth. "I won't drag you and Stella into this."

She pushed through the apartment building's revolving door. Imperial City's winter wind, laced with fine ice and snow, hit her face like tiny needles.

Both ends of the street were completely blocked by black SUVs.

Brandon stood beside his Maybach, his black coat whipping in the wind.

When he saw her emerge, the tension in his jaw eased slightly, but the fury burning in his eyes only blazed hotter.

"You'd rather go to him than swallow your pride with me?" Brandon strode forward, his words coming through gritted teeth.

He stared at the thin trench coat she wore, wanting to crush her into his bones, yet driven half-mad with jealousy that whenever something happened, she ran to hide behind Alex.

Scarlett stood on the steps, looking down at him.

The man before her seemed both strange and ridiculous.

"Swallow my pride?" Scarlett didn't back down an inch, her clear eyes filled with mockery. "Brandon, what gives you the right to question me? You're tangled up with Elizabeth, you'd throw away my life for her, but now you have a problem with my perfectly innocent friendship with Alex? Don't you find yourself disgusting?"

"I told you, there's nothing between us!" Brandon shot back urgently, his voice going hoarse in the cold wind. He stepped forward, trying to grab her hand. "Before, I was honoring old debts—that was my mistake. I promise you, from now on I'll cut Elizabeth off completely. I won't let her appear in front of you again. Scarlett, come home with me."

This belated promise, if made three years ago, might have moved Scarlett to tears.

But now, it didn't create even a ripple in her heart.

Her heart had died long ago in that cold emergency room in Shadow City.

She looked at the armed bodyguards surrounding them, knowing that if she didn't leave today, Alex would face relentless retaliation from the Robinson Group.

She already owed Alex too much. She absolutely couldn't drag innocent people into this quagmire.

"Fine. I'll go with you." Scarlett's tone was utterly flat. She walked past Brandon, pulled open the car door directly, and settled into the Maybach's back seat.

Brandon's heart lifted, thinking she'd finally given in.

He immediately got in the car and ordered the driver to return to Long Island Estate.

The car interior was silent as death.

Half an hour later, the Maybach pulled through the estate gates.

The car had barely stopped when Scarlett pushed open the door and got out, walking quickly into the main house and heading straight for the master bedroom on the second floor.

Brandon followed behind her.

Pushing open the door, he watched Scarlett go directly to pull out a black suitcase from the bottom of the walk-in closet and snap it open efficiently.

She didn't take any of the expensive haute couture gowns or jewelry—just stuffed a few everyday clothes and toiletries into the case.

"What are you doing?" Brandon's expression changed drastically. He strode over and grabbed her wrist. "Stop!"

"Packing." Scarlett yanked her hand back forcefully. "I'm moving to the hospital."

"I won't allow it!" Brandon's fury erupted. He kicked the suitcase away. "You agreed to come back with me! What is this supposed to mean? You're still trying to fight me?"

Scarlett stopped moving. She straightened up and looked at him.

Those eyes held no anger, no sorrow—only undisguised, bone-deep revulsion.

"Brandon, I agreed to leave with you only to keep Alex out of this." Scarlett's voice was cold as ice. "I came back to get my own things. As for you—looking at you even one more second makes me sick."

That look was like a rusty, dull knife stabbing into Brandon's heart, cutting back and forth.

His pride and need for control, which he'd always treasured, shattered into nothing under her emotionless gaze.

The two faced off in the quiet master bedroom without a word.

Brandon's hands clenched into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Watching her resolute face, he suddenly felt a powerlessness he'd never experienced before.

He couldn't keep her anymore. Whether through force or leverage, he'd completely lost her.

"Do whatever you want." Brandon's voice came out hoarse and broken.

He closed his eyes and stepped aside to let her pass, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant.

Scarlett didn't hesitate for a second. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out of the room without looking back.

Haven Healthcare Hospital.

Ethan brought Scarlett to a high-end staff dormitory on the top floor.

The door's security system was connected to an independent network—without fingerprint authorization, no one could get in.

"Stay here for now. Focus on your research. Don't worry about what's happening outside." Ethan looked at her pale, exhausted face, his brow furrowing. As her mentor, he was deeply concerned about Scarlett's current mental state.

"Thank you, Mr. Cavendish. I'm fine." Scarlett responded flatly and turned to organize her luggage.

Ethan sighed and left the dormitory. He'd just reached the hallway when he heard the crisp sound of high heels clicking.

Elizabeth, wearing a designer coat with her wrist wrapped in gauze, had used a follow-up appointment as an excuse to make her way to the top floor.

Seeing Ethan, Elizabeth immediately put on a pitiful expression and hurried toward him.

"Ethan." Elizabeth sighed with fake concern, her tone full of worry. "Scarlett's had such a rough few days. Brandon has a temper, but he does care about her—he just can't bring himself to show it. Don't worry too much. Scarlett will be fine. They'll make up in a few days."

Ethan stopped and looked coldly at this woman putting on an act.

He knew Elizabeth's true nature all too well. Her cheap tricks were downright laughable in front of him.

He didn't bother responding with a single word. Instead, he waved to the security supervisor behind him. "Escort this unauthorized person out. From now on, she's banned from the medical center's top floor. Not one step."

The fake smile on Elizabeth's face froze instantly.

Security personnel stepped forward without ceremony and firmly escorted her into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, the pretense in Elizabeth's eyes completely shattered, replaced by uncontrollable wild joy.

Scarlett had actually moved out of Long Island Estate.

This meant she'd finally been kicked out of Brandon's world for good.

That evening, Elizabeth dressed herself up carefully, changing into a sexy silk slip dress covered by a heavy coat, and headed straight for Long Island Estate.

Brandon hadn't given orders to stop her, so she made it smoothly into the main house.

The living room had no lights on—only the faint glow from logs burning in the fireplace.

The heavy smell of alcohol hit her immediately.

Brandon sat on the carpet, his back against the sofa, several empty whiskey bottles scattered at his feet.