Chapter 269 Saying No, But the Body is Honest
The partnership was signed smoothly.
Right after the signing, the news had already spread throughout the circle. Although the Anderson Group replacing the Mitchell Group had been kept low-key, it was still a major development and caused quite a stir.
Everyone was saying that Ambrose had quietly kicked Ulysses out of the game, clearly he was superior after all.
In Ambrose's eyes, Ulysses had never been qualified to compete with him.
When Ambrose initially agreed to work with Ulysses, his plan had been to catch him off guard midway through the partnership. Using private fundraising as an excuse, he intended to pin charges on him, force him out of the project, and allow the Boleyn Group to take full control.
But things had changed. Ulysses was dropped by Indigo midway and replaced by the Anderson Group. With that shift, Ambrose had no choice but to adjust his plans.
Caspian's abilities were even better than Ulysses's.
Because of that, the Boleyn Group could no longer monopolize the project.
Ambrose had to recalibrate everything. With all these changes piling up, he became incredibly busy. Every day after work, he returned to Lakeside Garden, barely setting foot in Silver Oak Heights anymore.
Cody knew that both father and son were now living at Lakeside Garden, which meant she could no longer visit the children at Silver Oak Heights. So, ahead of the scheduled dinner at Boleyn Manor, she specifically called Ambrose, asking him to bring Yara and her daughter along too.
The night before their return to Boleyn Manor, Ambrose made a point of coming home early, arriving at Lakeside Garden before Scarlett went to bed.
By the time he got back, Scarlett’s bedroom door was already closed. When she opened it after his knock, he tried to step inside, but she stopped him. The two remained standing at the doorway as they spoke.
"Whatever you have to say, say it here." Scarlett said, standing firmly in place without budging an inch.
Ambrose stood at the door, his collar undone by two buttons, jacket draped over his arm. He looked exhausted as he gazed at her.
"Can you let me come in and sit for a bit? I was worried you'd be asleep, so I rushed back."
Seeing how tired he looked and hearing the faint pleading in his voice, Scarlett replied, "Then let's sit in the living room and talk."
Ambrose fell silent.
Just as she was about to walk toward the living room, he pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke weakly.
"Grandpa called. Tomorrow we're going back to the Boleyn Manor. He wants you and Yara to come too."
The mention of old issues made Scarlett stop in her tracks. "Just explain our situation to your grandpa. Taking Yara is enough."
They had been at odds for quite some time, yet nothing had improved. Her attitude, in particular, remained as unyielding as ever.
During this period, Ambrose had been overwhelmed with work and plagued by poor sleep, leaving him frustrated and exhausted.
He had been holding back because of her kidnapping, but it had been over a week now, and she was still as cold as ice. He could no longer restrain himself.
"How long are you going to keep this up? I was wrong to hide the children from you. During those days I didn't come back, I gave you an answer. What more do you want? Tell me."
He was clearly anxious, his tone sharp and aggressive.
Scarlett let out a cold laugh. "I already told you what I want, but you didn't take it seriously."
The implication was clear that when she said they should separate, she meant it.
Those words were cold and cutting. Ambrose rubbed his forehead in frustration before turning to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Scarlett let out a slow breath. This time, he should finally leave in anger, right?
She couldn't quite make sense of her feelings. Slowly, she closed the door. Not long after, another knock sounded.
The moment she opened it, Ambrose stepped inside so quickly that she had no time to react. Before she could process what was happening, his hands were already gripping her shoulders, pressing her against the wall as he growled through clenched teeth,
"I've never met a woman as heartless as you."
With that, he lowered his head and captured her lips.
The woody, fresh scent of him filled her senses as he deepened the kiss, catching her completely off guard.
She tried to push him away, but before her hands could reach his chest, he pinned them against the wall. His movements were forceful, urgent, almost desperate.
Scarlett struggled, but she couldn’t match his strength and was soon completely restrained.
Ambrose kissed her fiercely, as though pouring all his pent-up frustration into that single act.
Anger and irritation surged within her. Unable to break free, she bit down hard in defiance.
The metallic taste of blood quickly spread between them.
Ambrose let out a muffled groan but didn’t stop.
In that charged moment, neither of them was willing to give in.
He had been restraining himself for too long, and now, provoked, he seemed almost unhinged; his actions intense, relentless.
Scarlett soon found herself losing ground.
Her strength faded, and with it, the resistance she had clung to. Deeply buried emotions began to stir, awakening something she could no longer ignore. If she had never known intimacy, perhaps she could have resisted it—but having experienced it before, even a kiss was enough to awaken that instinct.
Though she had struggled at first, her body gradually softened when resistance proved futile.
Sensing the shift, Ambrose pulled her closer, burying his face in her neck as his kisses trailed downward.
Scarlett felt a rush of heat flood her senses, leaving her lightheaded.
"Ambrose, stop." she managed hoarsely, clinging to what little rationality remained.
But it was useless. Ambrose turned a deaf ear.
"See, your body is more honest than your mouth." He looked down at her from above.
She couldn’t deny the conflicting sensations within her, but his mocking tone felt like a slap.
Scarlett knew he was losing control, but she hadn’t expected things to go this far. If he insisted on pushing things to this point, then she would treat it as nothing more than a transaction, detached, emotionless.
She bit her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
"Look at you, don't you like it?" he said, a trace of smugness in his expression.
She didn’t want to engage, but his constant provocation wore on her patience.
"So now your true colors are showing… you scumbag."
"Scumbag? This makes me a scumbag? Then what about this?"
His words dissolved into the tension between them, pulling her further into a storm of conflicting emotions until she could no longer respond.
After the intensity of it all, Scarlett lay there, dazed, unable to gather her thoughts for a long moment.
When she finally came back to herself, she raised her hand and slapped Ambrose hard across the face.