Chapter 126 *
Scarlett’s POV
If these people moved my bed and found it, I was screwed.
How would I explain it? A twenty-two-year-old college student with a concealed firearm? In the mob boss's house?
The questions would never stop. Damon would want to know where I got it. Why I had it. What I planned to do with it.
And I couldn't tell him. Couldn't tell anyone.
My breathing was getting faster. I forced myself to slow it down.
I stood up abruptly. The chair scraped against the floor.
"So you just decided to go through my stuff without asking?" My voice rose. "Without permission?"
Arthur blinked. Taken aback by the sudden anger.
"Mrs. Wolfe, we were just tryingâ€""
"I specifically told you last time." I cut him off. My voice was getting louder. Sharper. "Nobody touches my room. Nobody goes through my things without my explicit permission."
"Do you understand what privacy means?" I was almost shouting now. "Or is that concept completely foreign to you?"
Maria stepped forward. Her hands up in a calming gesture.
"Mrs. Wolfe, please. We're just following ordersâ€""
"Whose orders?" I spun to face her. "Because I sure as hell didn't give them!"
The room had gone completely silent. Everyone was staring at me.
I grabbed my laptop bag from where I'd dropped it. Shoved my laptop inside.
My hands were shaking. I was done. Completely done with this conversation.
"Fine." I walked toward the door. "You guys love moving shit around so much? Go ahead. Have fun."
I didn't look back. Didn't wait for a response.
"Knock yourselves out."
I was in the hallway now. Walking fast. My footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor.
"I'm done here."
Behind me, I heard Arthur's confused voice.
"Wait! Mrs. Wolfe! Where are you going?"
I didn't answer. Just kept walking.
Down the stairs. Through the main entrance. Out the front door.
The driver was still there. Leaning against the SUV. He looked up in surprise when he saw me.
"Mrs. Wolfe? Did you forget something?"
"Yeah." I pulled open the back door. Climbed inside. "My sanity."
"Take me to my apartment."
He looked confused but nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
The SUV pulled away from the estate. I watched it disappear in the side mirror.
My phone buzzed. Probably Arthur. Or Maria. Or both of them freaking out.
I silenced it. Shoved it in my bag.
I wasn't going back there tonight. Maybe not tomorrow either.
They wanted to move my stuff around? They could deal with the consequences.
Back at the Wolfe estate, Arthur stood in Scarlett's now half-packed room.
He was completely frozen. His mouth was hanging open slightly.
Maria walked up beside him. Gave him a long, pitying look.
"Where is she going?" Arthur asked. His voice came out small. Confused.
Maria sighed. The kind of sigh that said you really screwed this up.
"Where do you think?" She shook her head. "You just made her so mad she's leaving."
Arthur turned to look at her. "But I was just followingâ€""
"Mr. Wolfe's orders. I know." Maria patted his arm. "But maybe next time, you should ask the lady first before you start packing up her entire life."
She walked toward the door. Stopped. Looked back.
"Good luck explaining this to Mr. Wolfe."
Then she was gone.
Arthur stood there alone. Surrounded by half-packed boxes and bubble wrap.
"I'm so fired," he whispered to the empty room.
_ _ _ _ _ _
I was halfway through a greasy pepperoni pizza when someone started pounding on my door like the building was on fire.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
I set down the slice. Stared at the door.
The pounding got louder.
"Scarlett! Open the door!"
I froze.
That wasn't Graham or Lorenzo.
That was Damon.
Oh hell no. How did he find me this fast?
"I know you're in there!" His voice came through the door. "I can hear you moving!"
The pounding continued. "Scarlett!"
I stood up. Walked to the door. Didn't open it yet.
"Go away!" I yelled through the wood. "I'm eating!"
"Open. The door."
His voice had that dangerous tone.
Too bad I'd heard it too many times to be impressed.
I unlocked the door. Pulled it open.
Damon stood there. Still in his work clothes. His tie was gone. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone. His hair looked like he'd been running his hands through it.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was tight.
I raised an eyebrow. "I can stay here if I want."
His jaw clenched. "You left without a word. You're not answering calls."
"Guess you should've thought about that before you had people go through my stuff."
I turned around. Walked back to my pizza. Sat down. Picked up a slice like he wasn't even there.
Damon followed me inside. Closed the door behind him. I could feel him watching me. Could feel the tension radiating off him.
I watched a bead of orange grease slide down the pepperoni before taking a slow, deliberate bite. This is actually really good. Shame he's here ruining it.
"Scarlett." He said my name like a warning.
I looked up, chewing slowly. "Yes?"
"We need to talk."
"I'm eating."
"I can see that."
"Then you can also see I'm busy."
His hand moved to his temple. He rubbed it like he had a headache.
"You can't just run away every time something bothers you."
I finally looked at him properly.
"You can't just order people to pack up my life without asking me first."
The words came out cold. Flat.
His expression shifted slightly. Like he knew he'd screwed up.
"We're married," he said. "Married couples share a bedroom."
"We have a contract. That's different."
"My grandfather is coming to visit. His heart condition—"
"Don't." I cut him off. "Don't use Santino's health to manipulate me."
He stopped. Took a breath.
I could see him recalculating his approach. Trying to figure out how to handle this without making it worse.
"Look." I stood up. Faced him properly. "I'll help you with Santino. I like him. But that doesn't mean you get to control my life."
"I'm not trying to control—"
"You literally had Arthur pack up my room while I was gone. How is that not controlling?"
Damon's mouth opened. Closed. He had no good answer for that.
"I agreed not to divorce you," I continued. "That's already more than you deserved after what your family put me through."
His face went carefully blank. That mask he wore when he didn't want to show emotion.
"You want my cooperation?" I crossed my arms. "Then you need to respect my boundaries."