淑女的欲望

Scarlett's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. While she was undoubtedly tempted, this was one city she had never felt comfortable in. The Withers ruled here, and their influence made her restless. She didn't want to get involved in anything in this country.

"I already have too many restaurants, so I can't add any more, or my financial advisor will scold me," Scarlett replied nonchalantly, continuing her lunch.

Carter's shoulders slumped in disappointment, but he quickly regained his composure and resumed eating.

After finishing their meal, they stayed a while longer to chat. 

"Sis, do you want to check out a cafe with me? They supposedly have the most delicious cheesecake in town," Carter offered, learning from Cruz that Scarlett liked coffee and cake. Particularly Caramel Macchiato and Cheesecake.

Scarlett's eyes lit up at the mention of dessert, but her phone began to ring before she could respond.

Her heart began racing when she saw the caller's name on her phone screen. "Nine!?" she murmured, her mind whirling with a million questions. 

She quickly got up from her seat and walked to a quiet corner to take a call.

Scarlett had been on edge since yesterday, waiting impatiently for news from Nine. Although she was already 99% certain of the results, she needed concrete proof to confirm her suspicions that her mother had not stolen Rosalie's identity.

"Any news, brother?" she asked eagerly.

Finally, Nine's response came through. "Yes! Congratulations, little sister. Rosalie Withers was your birth mother. So, you've found your mother's family," he announced.

As the news sank in, Scarlett felt like a whole zoo was dancing inside her stomach. She struggled to keep her emotions in check and maintain her composure.

Her mind raced with plans and questions. All the plans she had laid out before suddenly vanished. What was she supposed to do now? How should she approach the Withers?

She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Nine's words on the other end about waiting for her instructions before deciding to return to the US. Scarlett also ignored Carter and Logan, who watched her with concern as she stood frozen in silence at the end of the room.

...

Carter's eyes fixated on Scarlett's back in the corner of the room as he grew increasingly worried. She had been standing there for more than ten minutes, lost in thought. 

"Logan, do you know where sister Scarlett got the call from? She looked pale when she received it earlier."

"I have no idea," Logan replied, mirroring Carter's expression of concern. He hadn't heard what Scarlett was talking about on the phone. Still, her body language suggested that she had received important news that had left her feeling down.

"Do you think I should ask her?" Carter raised an eyebrow. "She looks like she's lost in thought right now..."

"You can give it a try," Logan agreed.

Carter stood up from his seat and walked over to Scarlett, concerned, framed his face. "Sis, is everything okay?" he asked softly.

Scarlett was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Carter's voice behind her. She tried to put on a casual expression in front of Carter before she turned around to look behind her.

"Uh, sorry, Carter, I made you wait," she said, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. However, it looks like we have to skip dessert hunting. I have some important work to do now." 

She didn't want to reveal the details of the call to Carter, but she knew she needed to leave and take care of the situation as soon as possible. She turned to leave but paused and added, "Thank you for your company today. I really appreciate it."

Carter sensed something was off with Scarlett, but he didn't push her to reveal what was bothering her. "No worries, sis, we can always go dessert hunting another time," he said with a smile.

As Scarlett approached the exit, Logan stood up from his seat and joined her. "Ma'am, do you need any help?" he asked.

Scarlett appreciated Logan's concern but didn't want to burden him with her problems. "No, thank you, Logan. I just need some time alone to think," she replied. Let's go back to Hotel.

Logan nodded understandingly. 

With that, Scarlett and Logan left the restaurant and headed back to the Hotel. 

She needed to come up with a plan to handle her newly discovered family without causing too much disruption to her current life. She didn't want to let her guild members and Xander down by staying in this city for too long.

...

When Scarlett arrived at the R Hotel, she immediately locked herself in her bedroom. She was alone in the spacious room. Xander at the Riley Group office in the city. He had a packed schedule for the day and would only return to the Hotel for dinner. 

Scarlett's fingers moved quickly over the laptop keyboard, her eyes scanning the various information she had been searching for. She was curious about Salvatore Withers and Noah Withers.

A few days ago, Scarlett had heard from Xander that these two people had sided with her mother before her death and had drastically changed the Withers family after she passed away. 

She was curious to meet them but didn't want anyone else to know her true identity as Rosalie Withers' daughter.  Because she was worried that her mother's reason for running away from her family could still threaten her life.

So, Scarlett made a cautious plan, not wanting to let her mother's enemies know about her.

It was not difficult for Scarlett to find a schedule of Noah Withers' activities, as he was still an active political activist in the government. 

However, it proved to be a bit of a challenge to locate Salvatore Withers's whereabouts, as he was no longer active in the company, and there were no records of his current location. Scarlett could only speculate that her grandfather stayed at the Withers Mansion on the city's outskirts.

After considering it, Scarlett decided that meeting her uncle, Noah Withers, was the most practical choice for now. Despite the tight security surrounding him, she was determined to find a way to meet him.