Chapter 113 Encounter at the Bar
Scarlett sneered inwardly, realizing that the term 'messy fight' was utterly inappropriate for her relationship with Ambrose.
"A transaction without feelings doesn't qualify for a messy fight," she stated, her voice flat.
The dim, pulsing lights of the bar danced across Scarlett's flawless face, casting her features in a fleeting glow of melancholy and irony. Watching her, Briar felt a wave of protectiveness surge past her initial anger.
A man of Ambrose's status, he was probably just taken with Scarlett's looks. How could there be anything real there?
But then again, Scarlett had sought out Ambrose to escape Wesley. She couldn't really blame him. Men were all the same.
"I used to not get it," Scarlett confessed, her voice dropping lower. "Those girls who sold themselves for money or for some advantage. I even looked down on them. It wasn't until Wesley backed me into a corner with no way out that I understood. Sometimes, your hands are tied. And I became one of them."
"Of course, our initial deal wasn't physical. That night it just happened. And things spiraled from there. I'm just as much to blame for how this relationship turned out."
Scarlett lifted her glass and took a long swallow.
"Briar, I'm going to fix this."
The unspoken understanding between best friends clicked into place. Briar's eyes widened in comprehension. "You're going to hire a gigolo to make Ambrose disgusted with you?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Scarlett shot back.
Of course, there were other ways, but they needed to figure out which would be the most effective.
Just then, a singer took the stage. His smoky voice wrapped around a slow, heart-wrenching ballad. Scarlett didn't recognize the song—she hadn't kept up with pop culture—but the melody was beautiful. She leaned back, sipping her drink and letting the music wash over her.
Beside her, Briar's mind was racing. Suddenly, she slapped her hand on the table of their booth. "I've got it! Hire a fake boyfriend."
The music's spell was broken. Scarlett shook her head, dismissing the idea. "I need a clean break. Something money can solve in one go. Quick and decisive."
Briar pouted. "Hiring someone is using money!"
Scarlett crossed her arms and slumped forward, resting her chin on the cool tabletop with a sigh. "But that means dragging another guy into my life long-term, and I don't want Yara to know anything about this."
Briar couldn't argue with that logic. As they sat in a stalemate, a sudden, cheerful voice cut through the bar's ambient noise.
"Scarlett? Is that really you?"
They both looked up. The lighting was moody, and Scarlett had to straighten up to see. As a beam of light swept across the newcomer's face, her own face lit up with genuine surprise, and she shot to her feet.
"Finnian!"
"So you haven't forgotten me," the man said with a grin. He raked a hand through the dark hair falling over his forehead, and the stud in his earlobe glinted, as bright as his smile.
Finnian Wallace. He had been a student at Celestial University, the same as Scarlett, but two years ahead of her in the computer science program. They'd kept in touch after working on a collaborative project back in college.
"You're back?" Scarlett took a step forward, her smile unreserved.
"Just got back today. Running into you feels like fate," Finnian said, his smile widening.
Scarlett's gaze shifted to the man beside him, and another gasp of delight escaped her. It was her old classmate, Sawyer Miller. "Sawyer!"
"I was starting to think you'd forgotten me," Sawyer teased.
"Never," Scarlett laughed.
Introductions were made. Finnian and Sawyer greeted Briar. As fellow Celestial U alumni, they all knew each other, and the conversation flowed easily, free of any awkwardness.
What followed was a warm and easy reunion. They learned that Finnian and Sawyer had been at the bar for a client meeting and were about to leave. On impulse, Scarlett invited them to stay for a drink.
"You did say you owed me a drink last time we talked," Finnian said with a charming lack of ceremony, sliding into the booth. Sawyer followed suit.
Briar, though not an architecture major, had spent enough time with Scarlett to know both men. The four of them fell into the comfortable rhythm of old friends, the atmosphere light and happy.
"A while back, I heard the Boleyn Group won the new art museum contract with your design," Sawyer said, his expression full of admiration. "When I heard the news, my first thought was, 'The prodigy is finally back.'"
Back in the architecture department, Scarlett wasn't just known for being the campus beauty; she was the brilliant mind who consistently outshone her peers in a male-dominated field. As one of the few women in the program, she had been a treasured, fiercely protected member of their class.
Hearing this now, Scarlett offered a faint smile. It all felt like a lifetime ago, though it had only been four years. Thankfully, she was finally getting back to being herself.
The earlier, heavy conversation with Briar was completely forgotten in the joy of the unexpected reunion.
They drank and reminisced, the years falling away until it felt just like college again. A vibrant energy returned to Scarlett, a youthful spark reigniting in her eyes. I need to do this more often, she thought. No more hiding away.
She was laughing, truly happy, her entire being seeming to radiate light. And that was the exact moment Delta walked into the bar. The sight of Scarlett, so carefree and dazzling, made Delta's teeth ache with resentment.
She pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and quickly typed out a message to Ambrose.
[Ambrose, I'm at Midnight Oasis Bar, and I see Ms. Mellon. Is that a gigolo she's with?]
As Delta was taking the photo, Finnian noticed. He followed her gaze, saw the phone, but said nothing. He watched the direction she headed and then leaned toward Scarlett.
"I'm gonna hit the restroom."
Scarlett was deep in conversation with Sawyer, who was trying to convince her to come to a class reunion he was planning. She wasn't keen on the idea—she preferred smaller get-togethers with her close circle—but she gave him a noncommittal answer.
"If I can free up the time, I'll be there."
Finnian caught up to Delta and blocked her path. He leveled a cool gaze at her, then gestured with his chin toward her phone. "Delete the picture you just took."
Delta recognized him as the man from Scarlett's table. She tilted her chin up, her expression dripping with disdain. "Who do you think you are? Get out of my way, or you'll regret it."
Finnian, dressed in a stylishly rugged workwear jacket, looked unimpressed. "So you're not going to delete it?" He pulled out his own phone and started tapping away at the screen.
Seeing he wasn't making a move to grab her, Delta got an idea. "Are you Scarlett's lover?" She asked, her tone probing.
A cold smirk touched Finnian's lips as he worked on his phone. "Just because you like playing the other woman, you assume everyone else is a 'lover.' Your projection is seriously impressive."
Delta's face went rigid with fury. "You think Scarlett is some kind of saint? She seduces men left and right. You're probably just the latest in a long line of suckers."
Finnian's head snapped up, his eyes flashing with sudden, sharp menace. "Say that again. I dare you."
A shiver went down Delta's spine. "Help!" she shrieked, seeing other patrons nearby. "Somebody's going to attack me!"
Back at the table, Scarlett, Sawyer, and Briar were laughing when Scarlett's phone buzzed. She picked it up and glanced at the screen.
The caller ID read: "Lollipop Provider," the contact name Yara had saved for Ambrose.
Why was he calling me now?