Chapter 16 Seeking Out Ambrose
After hanging up the phone, Scarlett sat on the sofa, replaying the conversation in her mind. Finding nothing amiss, she began contemplating how to break the news about moving out to Briar.
As if by telepathy, the moment Scarlett thought of Briar, her phone rang.
Briar called to check if Yara had been safely brought back, and upon learning what had just happened with the Ross family, she exploded with anger on the other end.
"The Ross family is absolutely vicious. How could they do that to a child?"
"I'll make them pay a hundredfold. Starting tomorrow, the Ross family will have plenty to worry about," Scarlett said, sitting on the living room sofa, watching Yara eat at the dining table with concern in her eyes.
The Ross family had been starving Yara. When she returned home, she'd been crying from hunger. If Scarlett hadn't gone to get her, who knew what might have happened?
She couldn't allow the Ross family another opportunity to harm Yara, which meant she needed to end her relationship with them quickly.
"What's your plan?" Briar asked curiously.
Scarlett had been unsure how to tell Briar about moving out, but now that the conversation had turned in this direction, she decided to explain her entire arrangement with Ambrose.
After she finished, Briar remained silent for a few seconds before asking worriedly, "Scarlett, are you sure Ambrose doesn't have ulterior motives for helping you like this?"
Although Ambrose had been clear about his motivations, nothing in life came free—especially considering he'd repeatedly tried to proposition her. Scarlett had her concerns, but she didn't dare voice them to Briar, or she'd never be able to move out.
Instead, she feigned nonchalance. "Ambrose just wants my help securing the new district art gallery construction project. What other motives could he have? I'm a woman with a child. Given his status, what could he possibly want from me?"
"Your beauty, of course!"
Scarlett fell silent.
"You're gorgeous. If I were a man, I wouldn't care if you were married before or had a child—I'd want you all to myself."
"Thanks for the flattery," Scarlett laughed, leaning back against the sofa and staring unfocused at the ceiling.
She could believe Ambrose appreciated her talent, but the idea that he was attracted to her? That she couldn't accept.
A man who couldn't even tolerate women at business dinners, interested in female companionship?
Besides, a man of Ambrose's status and position would pursue heiresses if he were looking for someone.
What would he want with a woman like her, with a child and bad relations with her husband's family?
But Briar disagreed. "Don't sell yourself short. You're the best in my eyes."
Scarlett smiled. Briar truly thought highly of her.
"Fine, I know your love for me is real."
"Mommy, I'm done eating," Yara suddenly called out in her sweet childlike voice. Scarlett stopped smiling, stood up, and couldn't help but contradict Briar.
"You're overthinking it. He made it crystal clear—this is just about the international art gallery project."
"Whether I'm overthinking it or not, Ambrose is handsome with a great body. Even if you did sleep with him, you wouldn't be losing out."
Scarlett retorted, "Your mind is always in the gutter."
Raucous laughter erupted from the other end as Scarlett hung up. She walked to the dining table, phone in hand, and seeing Yara's empty bowl, asked gently, "Are you full?"
"Yes, I'm full," Yara responded sweetly, nodding her little head enthusiastically, back to her usual adorable, lively self.
Scarlett had worried the earlier incident might have traumatized Yara, but seeing her return to her cheerful state, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Her lips curved into a smile as she lifted Yara from the dining chair and set her on the floor, instructing, "Go wipe your mouth and rinse."
Yara happily complied, running toward the bathroom.
Watching Yara's adorable figure, Scarlett began clearing the dishes. Regarding Briar's concerns, she had already thought everything through on the way home with Yara.
Her marriage to Wesley could hurt Yara again at any moment. She couldn't delay any longer.
To end this marriage quickly, only Ambrose could make it happen. They already had one deal; she didn't mind making another.
She chose Ambrose because in their interactions, she'd found that while his methods were ruthless, he wasn't despicable, nor was he as frightening as rumors suggested. Most importantly, he didn't seem interested in women—for that reason alone, she could make another deal with him.
That afternoon, Scarlett packed up her belongings for herself and her daughter. She had planned to wait for Briar to return to say goodbye, but Wesley kept calling, making it clear he intended to find her. So she decided not to wait for Briar to finish work and left directly with the bodyguards.
Lakeside Garden was an upscale residential development, also built by the Boleyn Group, with first-class facilities in Silverlight City.
Ambrose had arranged a large flat of over 1,000 square feet. Though not enormous, it felt quite spacious for just mother and daughter.
Standing in the center of the apartment with Yara, Scarlett looked around the vast space and momentarily wondered if she'd made the right decision.
"Ms. Mellon, we've checked everything in the house. It's all in order. You and Yara can choose any room you like," one of the bodyguards said, approaching them from inside.
Scarlett nodded with a smile. "Thank you!"
"We'll be next door. Call us anytime if you need anything."
Learning that the bodyguards would be nearby, Scarlett finally relaxed. The fact that bodyguards were stationed here suggested Ambrose truly was helping her for the sake of the project.
After the bodyguards left, she led Yara by her small hand and found a large bedroom to put their things.
"Mommy, are we going to live here from now on?" Yara looked around the new place, her bright eyes full of curiosity.
Scarlett surveyed the surroundings. With her designer's eye, she appreciated the decor. "For now, yes."
Hearing this, Yara climbed onto the bed, using both hands and feet. Once seated, she patted the mattress with her little hand and blinked her big eyes. "Mommy, let's sleep."
At Yara's suggestion, Scarlett finally realized how exhausted she was.
Between the stress of rescuing Yara from the Ross family and being struck by Opal, now that she could relax, both her body and mind felt drained.
She sat on the edge of the bed and put an arm around Yara.
"Okay, let's sleep."
Yara happily stretched out on the bed, joyfully rolling around before ending up in Scarlett's arms.
"Mommy, the bad people said you're going to divorce bad daddy. Does that mean we never have to go back there?" Yara suddenly asked in her sweet, childlike voice.
Scarlett was startled. Looking down, she saw the hope and brightness in Yara's eyes.
Those were happy eyes.
She hugged Yara closer and asked, "Yara doesn't want to go back there?"
Yara nodded. "Yes. Bad grandma and bad daddy don't like me, and I don't like them either. I only like Mommy. It's better if I live with Mommy from now on."
At the Ross family home, Opal constantly hurled insults, frequently using the word "tramp" in front of Yara.
Yara was intelligent and sensitive. She could read people's expressions and understand when words were meant to hurt her, which was why she genuinely disliked Opal and didn't want to live with them.
Scarlett felt an indescribable pain in her heart. While other children hoped their parents wouldn't separate, her child wanted the opposite—a testament to how wrong this marriage had been.
"Alright, from now on it's just us," she said.
Satisfied with the answer, Yara smiled happily, nestled in Scarlett's arms, and quickly closed her eyes.
Holding Yara, Scarlett felt a sense of peace. A life with just mother and daughter—that was what true happiness looked like.