淑女的欲望

A long sigh fills the modest-sized bedroom, which features contemporary furnishings and modern décor reminiscent of a single room at a five-star hotel. This was the room Scarlett would be using in the next few days.

Scarlett's fingers trembled as she watched the footage, and her heart sank with what she saw.

As Scarlett stared intently at her phone screen, her face seemed frozen in a state of rigidity. However, as the CCTV footage from Xander continued playing, her worried expression began to ease, and a faint smile soon emerged at the corner of her lips.

"Scarlett Piers, how could you be so foolish? You're running away from everything, including Xander," she scolded herself in frustration. "You need to start trusting him and stop making silly decisions."

She placed her phone on the bedside table and collapsed onto the bed, pressing her face against the soft mattress. 

Almost instantly, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. And the tightness plaguing her heart dissipated gradually as if a blockage had been removed.

Scarlett's mind was at peace for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. The fog that had clouded her mind since yesterday lifted, and she felt herself slowly returning to her usual self. 

Her mind was now clear, like the endless expanse of a clear blue sky.

As the weight of yesterday's events began to lift, Scarlett's eyes, which had stubbornly refused to close, now felt heavy. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, making her body feel lighter and more relaxed than before.

Despite feeling more at ease, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she buried her face in the soft pillow. She recalled her immature and insecure act when she left Xander's office in shock. She's a well-trained assassin, for crying out loud!

She scolds herself for acting like a foolish teenager and escaping her problems. She should have faced them head-on calmly and composed, found out what actually had happened, and found a solution if there was a problem.

GOSH!!

Lost in the sea of happiness, Scarlett completely forgot to contact Xander. Overwhelmed by the wave of exhaustion she had ignored for the last 24 hours, she finally drifted off to sleep, her body unable to endure the fatigue any longer.

Scarlett's eyes closed briefly, but she fell asleep immediately, overwhelmed with peace and joy.

****

While Scarlett sleeps peacefully in X Country, someone in New York City is pacing nervously through his apartment.

Xander was getting impatient. It's been a few hours since he left Rex's apartment, but Rex still hasn't contacted him.

Unable to wait longer, Xander retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Rex's number.

"Have you spoken to her?" Xander skipped to greet him and got straight to the point. Scarlett was the only thing that mattered to him at the moment. He needed to know if she had seen the CCTV footage or not.

Rex is surprised to receive Xander's call, having completely forgotten to tell him that he had spoken to Scarlett.

"Umm... Xander, sorry for forgetting to call you earlier. Scarlett's doing fine, and I've already sent her the CCTV footage," Rex said, his voice apologetic.

Xander's grip on his phone tightened as he listened to Rex's words. "Where is she now? I need to see her," he exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.

"I'm sorry, Xander, but I can't disclose her location at the moment," Rex replied faintly, hearing the exasperated sigh from the other end. "Scarlett told me she will call you once she has watched the CCTV footage."

"Thank you so much, Rex!" Xander exclaimed with gratitude towards his friend.

Xander firmly believed the CCTV footage would prove his innocence and clear up this misunderstanding. Zoey had manipulated the situation to cause friction between them.

"Scarlett wants you to wait for her in Astington," Rex added. Hearing Rex's words could make Xander's face light up with a smile at the thought of seeing Scarlett soon. 

However, his smile faded as he realized it had been three hours since Scarlett was supposed to contact him.

'Has she watched the CCTV footage?' Xander couldn't help but worry, wondering if Scarlett was still angry with him even after seeing the evidence.

"Rex, why hasn't Scarlett contacted me yet?" Xander asked, his tone worried.

"Oh, you're right! Why hasn't she called you yet?" Rex replied, his eyebrows furrowed. "She should have finished watching the CCTV footage by now. I've emailed her..."

Xander's disappointment is evident. "Is Scarlett still mad at me? Why hasn't she called yet?" 

He didn't want this matter to drag on. He needed to talk to Scarlett and clear everything up. He pleaded, "Rex, please tell me where she is. I need to speak to her in person."

Rex hesitated momentarily, torn between his loyalty to Scarlett and his desire to help his friend Xander. 

He knew that Scarlett was stubborn, and he couldn't say no to her. However, he also understands Xander's desperation to clear up the misunderstanding. Sigh!

"Let me check what's going on with her," Rex finally said, sounding as reassuring as possible. "There might be a good reason why she hasn't called you yet. Just give me a few minutes to find out."

As he typed a message for Seven, Rex couldn't help but curse Scarlett in his heart for making his morning hell. He can't believe that she hasn't called Xander, despite her promise to do so.

After a while, he received a text from Seven.

[Seven: ] She is sleeping. Please don't ask me to wake her up. I didn't dare to wake her up. Also, I think this is the first time she could sleep since I saw her yesterday.

A small smile appeared from the corner of Rex's lips. He types another text.

[Rex: ] Okay. Let her sleep. And make sure you carry out your mission carefully. Don't let anything happen to her. I believe in you, Seven!

[Seven: ] Don't worry!! I will protect her with my life!

After Rex finished sending short messages to Seven, he returned with his cell phone still connected to Xander.