淑女的欲望

Alistar immediately carried out Xander's orders. After a few minutes, he looked at Xander again. "The Empire Apartments are under the Hill group."

"Huh! So it's owned by Alex Hills' family?"

"Yes, Boss," Alistar said. 

"Okay. Now proceed to find something in the occupant list!" Xander said. He doubted that Alex would meet Scarlett now because he knew Alex was on a mission.

After ten minutes, Alistar chuckled.

He finally found something interesting on the list. He offered his laptop again to Xander. "Boss, you have to read for yourself."

Xander was surprised to see what Alistar found, "Noah Withers!" he muttered softly.

"Indeed. Even though his name isn't listed on the building as the owner, he lives in one of the units. I think Ms. Scarlett met him," Alistar said.

"You guys, I want someone to stand by that building and make sure it doesn't draw attention!" he ordered Ben and Logan.

Xander knew Noah Withers was not a threat because he was not involved in the family's criminal activities. But he was worried that Jude Withers' people might monitor and bug the apartment.

After watching Logan and Ben leave the room, Xander turns his attention back to Alistar.

"Monitor the CCTV around and inside the building. If you see anything suspicious, let me know immediately," Xander orders. 

After moments, he stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the bustling city below. He needed to devise a plan to protect Scarlett from Withers's family and keep her out of harm's way.

****

Scarlett rushed out of her uncle's apartment, cursing herself several times as she walked fast. 

When she decided to visit her uncle, she deliberately didn't bring her phone, worried that reading Xander's messages would affect her plans. However, now, she deeply regretted her decision because she didn't know whether Xander had returned.

She had been too engrossed in talking to her uncle that she hadn't realized it was already late at night. 

"How could I lose track of time? Gosh!!" She muttered to herself. She hoped Xander had not yet returned to the hotel and was still at the Riley Group headquarters. 

...

Scarlett was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone following her from behind.

After a few minutes of walking, Scarlett entered the lobby of the R Hotel, and her vigilance heightened when she saw the reflection of a man behind her in the mirror in front of her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stopped and turned back, a clear wrinkle appearing on her forehead.

"Since when did you follow me?" Scarlett finally spoke when Logan stopped two steps away from her.

"Since you left that apartment building, ma'am," Logan said.

Scarlett couldn't believe she hadn't noticed him. 'How could I not notice him?' she scolded herself for being so reckless.

She took a deep breath, realizing she hadn't covered her tracks when she left earlier. And she was sure Logan had investigated her as soon as he realized she wasn't in the room.

Later...

Scarlett continued her step to the elevator.

As they got into the elevator, Scarlett looked at Logan again. "Is Xander back yet?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. He's in the room. I think he's waiting for you for dinner..." Logan said awkwardly. "And, Ma'am, could you not do something like this again? I might move somewhere far from civilization if you do it a third time..."

Scarlett almost laughed when she heard that, but she held it back.

"Did Xander punish you like that?" Scarlett felt sorry for Logan, but at the same time, she found it funny imagining the punishment Xander would give him.

Logan shrugged. "Yes, ma'am. He usually does that to us if we make a mistake."

"But it's all in good fun, is it?" Scarlett playfully said, "...well, I mean, you get to relax and have everything taken care of, and he still pays you, right?" 

She chuckled when she saw Logan widen his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he just heard.

Logan hesitated for a moment before replying, "But, ma'am..." He can't finish his words.

"Hahaha, I was just kidding!" Scarlett laughed before continuing, "I won't do it again, Logan. Next time, I promise to let you know wherever I go!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Finally, a smile appeared at the corner of Logan's lips, and no more worry was in his eyes.

"When Xander assigned you to work for me, he promised me he would not interfere with your work. So, he can't punish you. Only I can do that. So you don't have to worry!" Scarlett reassured Logan as they stepped out of the elevator.

Logan nodded, but a slight frown appeared on his forehead. 

'Xander is my master, and I owe my loyalty to him, even though I work for you now. I was born as Logan Lee to replace my father as the butler in the Riley family when Mr. Xander took over. I am not just an employee but a member of the Riley family. It's not something I can ignore easily,' Logan said to himself as he saw Scarlett into the room.

***

Scarlett stepped slowly into the presidential suite. 

The living room and dining room appeared dark, making her wonder if Xander had fallen asleep. 

As she made her way towards the bedroom, the lights in the living room and dining room suddenly flicked on.

To her surprise, Xander sat on the sofa, grinning at her. "Baby, you're back!" he said. "Come here, let's eat first..." He got up from the sofa and headed towards the dining table.

"..." Scarlett.

She felt a twinge of guilt as she followed Xander to the dining table. He didn't say anything, but she could feel his gaze on her. She sat down beside him and tried to act casual.

Scarlett glanced at Xander, hoping to gauge his emotions as they began to eat. But he was inscrutable, giving away nothing. As if he didn't care that she had disappeared for several hours without Logan's escort or telling him.

The silence between them was deafening, and Scarlett began to regret her decision to leave the hotel without informing anyone. She knew she needed to explain herself to Xander but didn't know how to start it.