Chapter 109 The Relationship Is Broken!
"Brielle's suicide attempt could be her get-out-of-jail-free card," Ambrose stated, his gaze fixed on Scarlett.
Scarlett nodded. She knew he was right. A suicide attempt was exactly the kind of leverage Tatum would use to shield Brielle from legal consequences.
"What about Wesley?" Scarlett asked after a long moment.
"His lawyer keeps trying to post bail, but I've been blocking it. So far, it's working," Ambrose replied.
Scarlett mulled this over, then let it go. "Keep me updated on Brielle. First sign of any change, I want to know. I'm heading out for the day."
As she stood to leave, Ambrose remained seated, his eyes tracking her. "Still mad about earlier?"
She paused, her body stiffening. His gaze made it clear what "earlier" he meant. "You were right," she said, her voice laced with ice. "Why would I be mad?"
Suddenly, Ambrose's expression darkened. "This sudden offer to help me, it's not just about repaying a debt, is it? You have other motives."
The abrupt shift in his mood threw her. She couldn't read him. "I don't know what you mean," she hedged, stalling for a second.
He rose from his chair, rounding the desk until he stood directly in front of her. He loomed over her, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "What are we, Scarlett?"
What were we? The question hung in the air. What could they possibly be, other than a transaction?
But seeing the storm brewing in his eyes, the words caught in her throat. She could only stare back, mute.
Ambrose gripped her shoulders, his face deadly serious. "In your mind, this is just a business arrangement, isn't it?"
Her own expression turned cold. "And what else would it be?"
"Then why were you angry about what I said?" He pressed, his voice a low growl.
A humorless laugh escaped her lips. She decided to play along. "Fine. Yes, I was angry. Furious. Happy now?"
"Why?" He persisted, refusing to let it go.
His stubbornness ignited her own temper. "Mr. Boleyn, haven't you ever heard of reading the room?" She snapped. The implication was clear: hearing him spell out the transactional nature of their relationship so bluntly had stung.
His face went rigid, his grip tightening. "When did I ever say you had to pay me back for helping you?"
"Didn't you say you'd see how I performed? When I made the first move, you went along with it. So what's wrong with me proposing to settle the debt with a project?"
The air crackled with tension, a battlefield of unspoken words.
"That was a joke," Ambrose gritted out, his jaw tight.
"Well, I took it seriously," she retorted. "And besides, there's no such thing as a free lunch. We're not family. Even if my father helped yours in the past, you've done more than enough for me recently to square that away. From now on, if I want to achieve something, it has to come at a price."
She paused, a decision solidifying in her mind. "That's why I'm offering to repay you. Think about it. I'll help you secure the Serene Bay Peninsula project, and you'll help me find my son. After that, our physical relationship ends. We'll be nothing more than colleagues."
Her final words were delivered with unwavering resolve.
A dead silence fell over the office. Ambrose's hands were still clamped on her shoulders, his face a mask of thunder. He stared at her for a long, heavy moment, searching her expression for any hint of a bluff and finding none. When he finally spoke, his voice was a shard of ice.
"No. We're keeping things exactly as they are."
The silence returned, heavier than before. Just then, Scarlett's phone buzzed, shattering the tension. She wrenched herself free from his grasp and fumbled in her purse for it. It was Rhea. She answered immediately.
"Scarlett, Hayden has a fever, too."
The news that Hayden had caught it made her glance at Ambrose. "Okay, I'm on my way back now," she told Rhea.
Hanging up, she turned to Ambrose. "Hayden's sick."
His face was impassive. "Go," was all he said.
Scarlett nodded and walked toward the door. Ambrose grabbed his coat and phone, following her out and dialing as he walked.
"Dr. Watson, I need you to get to Lakeside Garden now. Hayden has a fever. It might be the flu."
They rode the elevator down to the underground parking garage in silence. Ambrose wanted her to ride with him, but she refused, getting into her own car.
They drove back to Lakeside Garden one after the other, Ambrose arriving first. By the time Scarlett pulled in, the family doctor he'd called, Paxton Watson, was already there.
Paxton was in Hayden's room, finishing his examination. He prescribed some medication. "His fever will likely persist for a bit," he explained. "I've given him a fever reducer. You can give it to him every four hours, but no more than three times a day. You can also use cool compresses to help bring his temperature down."
Scarlett committed his instructions to memory while Ambrose stood by, surprisingly calm.
As Ambrose walked him out, Paxton's curiosity got the better of him. "Ambrose, is she Hayden's mother?" He asked, nodding back toward the bedroom.
Ambrose just gave him a faint, noncommittal smile.
"It's been years," Paxton continued. "You're a patient man, waiting this long to bring her back."
Ambrose didn't clarify their relationship. "Dr. Watson, there's another child. Could you take a look at her?"
Paxton blinked, confused, but followed as Ambrose led him to Scarlett's bedroom.
When Paxton saw the adorable little girl lying in the bed, he looked at Ambrose in disbelief. "Ambrose, you have a daughter, too?"
Ambrose wished. But he didn't correct the assumption. "Dr. Watson, could you please just check on her?"
Paxton quickly composed himself and leaned over Yara. "Where does it hurt, sweetie?" He asked kindly.
Yara blinked her big, watery eyes. "My head is a little dizzy," she said in a sweet, childlike voice. "And I feel like I have to cough."
Paxton examined her carefully. "This one's fine," he concluded. "She's past the worst of it and is on the mend. I'll prescribe something to help her along, and she'll be back to normal in no time."
Scarlett, noticing they had gone into the next room, soothed Hayden. "You rest here. I'm just going to check on Yara."
When she entered her room, Paxton was writing a prescription. She asked a few more questions and felt a wave of relief when he confirmed Yara was not in any danger.
After everything was settled, Ambrose walked the doctor out. In the living room, Paxton stopped. "Ambrose, I had no idea you had twins! Congratulations!"
A small, tight smile touched Ambrose's lips. "Thanks, Dr. Watson. But do me a favor and keep this between us for now. Don't mention it to my grandfather or anyone else. I don't want them to know just yet."
Paxton frowned. "Why not? This is wonderful news!"
"She's not ready," Ambrose said vaguely. "We'll tell them when the time is right."
Paxton understood "she" to mean the children's mother and didn't press further, promising to keep his secret.
When Ambrose turned back, he nearly collided with Scarlett, who was just coming out of her bedroom. They both stopped, their eyes locking in the quiet hallway.