Chapter 8 Ambrose Wants to Be a Mistress
"I'll handle this," Ambrose said flatly as Chase ended the call decisively.
After working alongside Ambrose for over a decade, Chase had witnessed his ruthless side but had never seen him show leniency toward anyone who offended him.
Was this a sign he was falling for her?
But Scarlett was a married woman.
Was Ambrose considering becoming the other man?
At Briar's house, after getting Yara settled, Scarlett joined Briar in the living room. Briar immediately asked about Ambrose, and Scarlett briefly recounted what had happened.
When Briar heard it involved Ambrose, the most influential man in Silverlight City, she let out a shocked cry.
"Do you realize that the night you were drunk at the bar, you mistook him for a male escort?"
Scarlett knew this all too well. Later that night, she and Ambrose had even gotten a room with the intention of sleeping together—something Briar remained blissfully unaware of. If she knew, she'd probably have a heart attack.
Seeing Scarlett holding her head in her hands, Briar quickly tried to reassure her.
"It's not like you touched him, and he didn't mention pressing charges then. Don't psych yourself out."
Scarlett shook her head stiffly. "Tonight I used his name to secure this contract, but he found out. When you called, he was confronting me about it. Now I realize I offended him that night too. With these old and new grievances, can I even safely stay in Silverlight City?"
Now Briar looked concerned as well. "How did he discover what happened tonight?"
Scarlett drew in a sharp breath and shook her head. She wished she knew the answer to that herself.
"Don't be so pessimistic. I noticed he seemed quite fond of Yara, so he probably won't come after you with everything he's got."
Thinking about Ambrose's attitude toward Yara, Scarlett was puzzled too. Did Ambrose have a soft spot for children?
But she quickly returned to the main issue—tonight's events clearly wouldn't be resolved easily.
"If he didn't take serious action tonight, it means he's not the type to be unreasonably harsh."
Whatever happened, all she could do now was wait. She had rejected him again, and she had no idea what his next move would be.
The next day, Scarlett took the signed contract to Wesley. When Wesley saw Aiden's signature on the document, he slammed his hand on the desk.
"Scarlett, you're truly pathetic. You really did trade your body for a contract."
Scarlett maintained her composure, ignoring his theatrical display. "Not as pathetic as you. Now keep your promise!" She handed him the divorce papers to sign.
Wesley exploded with rage. "I don't have time for this right now!"
Scarlett fixed him with an icy stare. "You have one day. If you don't sign by the end of today, this contract will fail despite the signature."
Wesley was no longer trustworthy, which was exactly why she had dared to use Ambrose's name—to prevent Wesley from going back on his word.
Wesley stared at Scarlett in disbelief. He had clearly underestimated her. How could a completed contract possibly become void?
He was determined to see if she actually had that kind of power.
News that Scarlett had secured Aiden's contract spread quickly through the company, along with rumors that she had traded her body for the project.
Scarlett didn't hear about the gossip until the afternoon. As she went to the break room for water, she overheard people talking.
"Scarlett always seemed so dignified. I can't believe she'd trade her body for a project."
"Aiden has money and power. Now that she's hooked up with him, she can strut around Silverlight City like she owns it."
"Aiden is nothing compared to Ambrose. If she could land him, that would be impressive."
"Haven't you heard? Apparently, Scarlett offended Ambrose, which is why she had to seek Aiden's protection."
"Did any of you witness me selling my body for this project?" Scarlett's voice cut through their gossip.
The two women turned around, embarrassment washing over their faces when they saw Scarlett.
"You were quite talkative just now," Scarlett said with a cold smile. Though she typically kept to herself, once someone crossed her line, she wasn't one to swallow her pride.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire. If you didn't do it, these rumors wouldn't exist," one of the female employees said, head held high with an air of superiority.
"Didn't you just call it a rumor yourself?" Scarlett pointed out.
After that exchange, no one dared mention the matter again. Scarlett added, "If I hear any more gossip about me behind my back, don't expect me to maintain professional courtesy."
With that, the two women slunk away.
Scarlett could guess who was spreading these rumors about her.
She just hadn't expected Wesley to stoop so low as to use such underhanded tactics against her.
But considering how deeply he had hidden his true nature all these years, perhaps nothing was beneath him.
Still, he couldn't stop her from claiming her shares in the Ross Group.
By the end of the workday, Wesley was nowhere to be found in the office. Scarlett decided to follow up with him tomorrow morning and headed out to pick up Yara.
As usual, she stood at the kindergarten entrance, waiting for her little one to come out. Other parents had gathered, discussing which teachers they thought were most responsible.
Scarlett never took such discussions seriously. She believed you could only judge someone's character through direct interaction.
After waiting about ten minutes, she finally spotted Yara coming out. When Yara saw Scarlett, she immediately ran toward her.
"Slow down," Scarlett said, catching Yara in her arms, all the day's unpleasantness melting away.
Yara happily took Scarlett's hand and turned to say goodbye to her teacher and classmates. As they prepared to leave, Yara doubled back.
"Hayden, hasn't anyone come to pick you up yet?" Yara approached a tight-lipped little boy with an expressionless face.
Hayden looked up at her, waited a moment, then shook his head. Yara trotted back to Scarlett on her short legs.
"Mom, his name is Hayden Boleyn. His parents haven't arrived yet. He doesn't speak, which is sad. I'm his only friend. Can we wait with him until his family comes, and then go home?" Yara's big eyes blinked hopefully, bright with compassion.
Scarlett felt proud. Her Yara was righteous and kindhearted—how could she not support that? She nodded in agreement.
Hayden was a cute child, taller than Yara. Scarlett noticed that he rarely looked at anyone. Except for occasionally glancing at Yara when she spoke to him, he remained quiet as if he existed in a world of his own.
Yara had mentioned that Hayden couldn't speak, and Scarlett felt a pang in her heart.
Perhaps it was simply that mothers couldn't bear to see children hurt or hear about any disabilities they might have.
Gradually, most of the children were picked up, with only a few still waiting. As the kindergarten teacher prepared to lock the outer gate, she invited Scarlett to wait inside.
Once inside, Scarlett approached Yara, who proudly introduced her to Hayden.
"Hayden, this is my mom."
Hayden looked up at Scarlett, and upon seeing her smile, his eyes fixed on her face without blinking.
Yara noticed Hayden's transfixed gaze and said proudly, "My mom is beautiful, isn't she?"
To their surprise, Hayden nodded. Scarlett crouched down to his eye level.
"You're very handsome too—the most handsome boy I've ever seen."
Hayden didn't react at first, but soon his face flushed red.