淑女的欲望

Scarlett's nervousness melted away as she saw Carter sitting inside the room. 

Carter's smile grew wider when he noticed Scarlett and Xander enter the room. He stood up and called her, "Sister-in-law! You finally come..." 

"Hey, Carter!" Scarlett said as she walked towards the room, following Xander. 

Alex's eyes lingered on Scarlett, feeling a sense of familiarity. 'Why does this woman look familiar?' he thought while observing Scarlett. It felt like he had met this woman before but had forgotten where and when.

Scarlett, whose attention was on Carter, didn't notice Alex's probing eyes. She continued to talk with Carter, "Brother-in-law, I can't believe meeting you in this country!" She chuckled and sent her tiny fist to Carter's shoulder.

Carter laughed before saying, "I know, right? While in Astington, it was tough to meet you, sis..." But when he realized something he paused, his brows furrowed slightly, noticing Scarlett's appearance was different. "Huh!? You changed your hair color?"

Scarlett flinched as she heard Carter's words. It had been so long since they met. The last time they met was when she was wearing a gray wig with a pixie cut. 

"Yeah, I'm tired of the gray hair," Scarlett casually replied as she sat beside Xander. 

However, her eyes drifted towards Alex Hill, sitting opposite Xander, and she was struck by his familiar face. Scarlett was surprised to see him there but quickly composed herself, not wanting to reveal her surprise. She smiled politely at Alex as Xander started to introduce them.

"Scarlett, it's a pleasure to meet you," Alex said, extending his hand for a handshake. "And congratulations on your wedding," he added, flashing her a smile.

Scarlett rose to her feet and accepted his handshake, "Thank you, Alex!" she replied, feeling awkward. Although it's only a bit, Scarlett knows they will get along in time.

Alex turned to Xander with a playful smile. "Congratulations, man! Your wife is stunning. I can hardly believe you're already getting married!"

Xander chuckled, his hand finding its way to Scarlett's back. "Thank you, Alex. Yes, my wife is beautiful," he said, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on her back. 

Scarlett couldn't help but feel shocked by his touch. She lowered her head to hide her blushing face. 

As Xander and Alex's conversation continued, Scarlett focused on savoring her late lunch. 

She listened intently, silently attempting to recall where she had met Alex Hills. The more she tried to remember, the more elusive the memory became. Something about him seemed familiar, and she was determined to learn more about him.

Scarlett couldn't shake the feeling of unease, wondering if Alex had ever met her under her covert codename, Three. The mere thought of such a possibility made her anxious. She knew she couldn't let him find out about her true identity, no matter what.

Later...

Lost in her thoughts, Scarlett was startled by Carter's voice calling her name. 

Scarlett looked up to see him opposite her. He asked about her plans for staying in the city. She took a deep breath and composed herself before answering him. 

"I'm not entirely sure how long I'll be staying," Scarlett replied, sipping her drink. "Most likely a week at most, as I have some work to do in town."

She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease when it came to the Withers family case. Although she was almost sure that Rosalie Withers was her mother, she didn't feel proud that Withers' blood was flowing in her veins. 

She despised that she was getting involved with a family known to rule the underworld in the country.

From what Xander had told her, the two factions of the Withers family were battling for power, and Scarlett had no desire to be caught up in their dangerous and messy feud. 

"That's great, Sis! I'll accompany you for a food hunt in this city. I know a lot of good places to eat..." Carter was so excited about taking Scarlett on a culinary tour.

"Carte, I would love to try some good food around here," Scarlett replied, her mouth watering at all the delicious culinary delights. "You're also staying at this hotel, right?" she continued.

Carter nodded eagerly. "Yes, I am!"

"Perfect! You can arrange our food hunt then," she exclaimed excitedly.

"No worries, sis! I will take care of everything..." 

She felt a surge of happiness as she looked at Carter, grateful for his company in this unfamiliar city. "I'm pretty free during the day. Usually, I work at night," she added.

Scarlett failed to notice the subtle change in Xander's expression as she spoke — She was too focused on planning her food adventures with Carter.

Xander felt angry towards his brother for volunteering to spend time with Scarlett. Still, he managed to control his emotions when he heard Alex's voice.

"Scarlett," Alex spoke up, interrupting Scarlett and Carter, "May I know what field you work in?" he asked, hoping to jog his memory.

Scarlett opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Carter jumped in. "My sister-in-law owns a company," he said proudly.

"Really?" Alex's interest was piqued.

"Yeah! She owns Red Animation Studio. You've heard of it, right? Well, it's quite a big company!" Carter explained his enthusiasm for Scarlett's success was evident.

Scarlett was taken aback by Carter's words, who revealed her secret to Alex. She could only scold Carter in her mind.

'Stupid Carter!! Why did you have to tell Alex about my company? Not everyone needs to know that!' she fumed silently, shooting a disapproving look in Carter's direction. Unfortunately, he seemed oblivious to her anger.

Xander noticed Scarlett's distress and shook his head in disapproval of his brother's behavior. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her lap, gently patting it to offer his support.

He whispered, "Don't worry. Alex is someone you can trust. That honorable man will never expose the real you!"

Xander's reassurance brought comfort to Scarlett as she smiled softly. She turned her attention back to her dessert, trying to push aside the anger towards Carter for sharing her secret.

****

AN: If you want to know about Alex Hill, you can read my first book — Title: Damn! I Fall In Love With Him