Chapter 136

Scarlett’s POV

Alexander's gaze cut into me like a blade.

"Say that again?" he demanded.

I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but the words refused to leave my lips.

Luke suddenly pushed open the door, then froze in place when he saw me.

"Feeling sorry for her?" Alexander coldly questioned.

Luke hastily denied it: "I wouldn't dare... I've brought the knife. That vase downstairs is too heavy for me to carry up."

"Useless!" Alexander snapped.

Luke fearfully shrank his neck, then cautiously asked, "What should we do with Miss Smith? Are we really going to cut out her tongue and chop off her limbs?"

"Take her to the basement. Looking at her irritates me." Alexander stood and walked toward the door.

Luke carefully helped me up. "Miss Smith, you should talk less next time. Mr. Gray is unpredictable and suspicious by nature. This time, because of you, he lost many investment opportunities..."

He didn't finish his sentence as he escorted me down to the basement.

The basement was colder than I had imagined, with a shabby office chair as my only "furniture."

Before leaving, Luke left a few bottles of mineral water, then hurriedly locked the door behind him.

Sitting alone in the chair, my thoughts were still jumbled.

Richard, Alexander, Ralph... what exactly was the relationship between these three men?

And if this Ralph was working with the Obsidian Palace, why did he want to take me away?

That day at the dock, his eyes didn't look like he was acting.

At this moment, my mind was in chaos, and my stomach felt uncomfortable.

I recalled the night I left the yacht, when the contact person Camila arranged suddenly demanded more money, and I was nearly drowned in the sea.

Fortunately, I was lucky enough to struggle to the shore.

It took several days of hardship before I encountered Alexander. If I were to die here now, wouldn't that be...

And after all the suffering Yvette had endured over the years—just hold on a little longer, it would all be over soon.

I don't know how much time passed before the basement door opened again. Luke walked in carrying a tray.

On it were neatly arranged slices of mango, the golden flesh looking particularly vibrant under the dim light.

"Miss Smith, why don't you just give in to Mr. Gray? You've been with him for so long now, and he's usually quite forgiving with women. There was once a woman who was pregnant with another man's child, and Mr. Gray didn't say anything about it."

I raised my eyes, briefly glancing at the mangoes on the tray, but I had no appetite.

Luke added, "Mr. Gray is still thinking of you. He specifically asked me to bring you mangoes. I'll bring you different fruits later."

"Thank you," I responded softly, not wanting to say anything more.

The tray on the floor remained untouched throughout the night. I didn't even drink any water.

The next day, Luke returned to the basement with more mangoes.

I was still sitting in the chair.

"Miss Smith, you should eat something. If you don't like mangoes, I can bring you something else to eat when Mr. Gray leaves," Luke said with concern.

I leaned against the chair, my eyes hollow as I looked at Luke.

He's so naive it's almost stupid, I thought.

"Would you dare to let me out?" I asked, my voice hoarse from not speaking for a long time.

Luke quickly shook his head: "Miss Smith, please don't put me in a difficult position. You know Mr. Gray seems approachable, but actually..."

"Tell me, will your Mr. Gray really kill me?"

I looked directly into his eyes, without a trace of fear in my heart.

Luke hesitated before speaking: "Miss Smith, I don't know if I should say this... Mr. Gray has had many women come and go over the years, but he regards you differently. On the yacht, you dared to attack Vernon, and Mr. Gray protected you without hesitation. But you should never, ever have betrayed him!"

I lowered my eyes.

Betrayal?

I wanted to laugh, but felt a bitter sensation in my heart.

Being by his side for so long, when had I ever done anything beneficial for him? After repeatedly plotting against him, Alexander's murderous intent toward me that night wasn't without reason.

Yet he still protected me at the crucial moment.

Did he... also have some genuine feelings for me?

After a moment of silence, I finally asked, "Who exactly is Ralph?"

Luke looked very surprised: "Miss Smith, even at this point, you're still pretending with me?"

I smiled faintly. "As you said, at this point, what could I be pretending about? Either way, I'll have my tongue cut out and my limbs severed and stuffed into a vase by your Mr. Gray. What would I be pretending for?"

Luke stared at me for a long time before finally speaking: "Ralph is Richard's only son. Richard sent him to South America when he was little. Later, somehow, he started doing business in Colombia."

"What else?" I pressed, my gaze unconsciously sharpening.

Luke pursed his lips. "Actually, I don't know much. A lot of what I know was told to me by Noah. They say Ralph is ruthless, kills without bloodshed, and is the FBI's number one wanted person around here. He's been opposing our Mr. Gray for years."

He added: "I heard that Mr. Gray's mother was killed by Ralph."

My hands unconsciously tightened. No wonder Alexander became so enraged at the mere mention of Ralph's name.

If I had truly left with Ralph that night, I would have been walking straight to my death.

But this information also gave me a glimmer of hope.

Understanding the source of Alexander's hatred for Ralph, I at least knew how to avoid stepping on Alexander's landmines.

Moreover, if I could cleverly utilize this grudge, perhaps I could create an escape route for myself.

"Luke, help me bring that tray over. I'm hungry," I said, my voice seemingly regaining some strength.

Luke's face immediately lit up with joy: "Of course, right away!"

He handed me the tray, his eyes filled with relief.

"Miss Smith, go ahead and eat. I'll bring you something else later," Luke said before leaving, his footsteps noticeably lighter.

Watching Luke leave, I smiled wryly. He really was quite naive.

Looking down at the mangoes on the tray, I still hesitated.

Why was Alexander only giving me mangoes to eat?