淑女的欲望

Scarlett hastily grabbed her cell phone and noticed a secure app notification, the same one she typically used to communicate with her uncle.

Without hesitation, she dialed his number and anxiously spoke into the phone, "Uncle Noah..."

"Scarlett?" Noah's voice held surprise and concern as he noticed the strain in her tone. It was clear that she had been crying. "What's wrong? Why do you sound so sad?" he asked worriedly.

"Uncle, I..." Scarlett paused, trying to gather herself and hold back the tears. After a moment, she continued, "I'm okay, Uncle. But something terrible has happened to my family on Island B."

"Island B? You mean your father?" Noah asked, his voice filled with shock.

"Yes. Jude Withers discovered my mother's whereabouts on Island B, and..." Scarlett's voice trembling with emotion. She took a moment to catch her breath as her chest felt heavy and constricted.

"Yesterday, several assassins mercilessly slaughtered my entire family, including my father..." Scarlett continues to recount the horrifying events to her uncle.

A heavy silence was on the line before Noah finally spoke, "I will fly there immediately. We will discuss our next plan when I arrive..."

After seeing Scarlett ending the call, Xander gently urged Scarlett to have her breakfast before paying her respects to her late father and everyone who had tragically lost their lives in her house.

****

At the Beachfront Hotel, precisely at 2 p.m., Noah Withers arrived. Scarlett and Xander will welcome him in their presidential suite.

And, for the first time, Xander had the opportunity to meet Noah Withers. He courteously greeted Noah and opened the door for him.

"You must be Xander Riley, my niece's husband, am I right?" Noah smiled as he looked at the handsome young man standing before him. He had seen Xander in business news and magazines before, but seeing him in person made him realize that this man's attractiveness exceeded his expectations. Even in casual attire, Xander's charisma was undeniably strong. He was happy for his niece to marry Xander Riley.

"Yes, Mr. Withers, it's me, Xander," he said, accepting Noah's warm handshake. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Noah smiled. "...Can I call you Xander?"

Xander nodded. "Yes, of course, Mr. Withers."

"That's good, Xander. And you can also call me Uncle Noah, just like Scarlett does."

Xander nodded again, feeling more at ease. He gestured for Noah to enter their suite. As they entered the living room, Xander excused himself to call Scarlett, who was still in the bedroom when Noah arrived.

...

When Xander entered the room, Scarlett emerged from the bathroom, dressed neatly in mourning attire—a black shirt and matching culottes.

The remnants of yesterday's tears were still clearly seen, her eyes red and swollen. Although her complexion remained pallid and her expression somber, she appeared slightly better than the day before. After tying her hair back, she followed Xander out of the room.

Scarlett felt her tears were about to weep again upon seeing her uncle. However, she fought to hold them back as she accepted her uncle's embrace.

"Thank you for coming, Uncle," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Noah Withers gently patted Scarlett's back and whispered in return, "I'm sorry for your loss, Scarlett. Your father and all the victims are at peace now." He sincerely said.

"Thank you," Scarlett replied before settling into her seat across from her uncle. While Xander sat beside Scarlett in silence and heard them chatting. 

After Scarlett finished recounting again to Noah Withers what happened that day, she felt her heart aching, like someone had just poked her heart with a sharp nail. 

"My father's burial will take place tomorrow. As for the other victims, their families have been informed, and they are handling their arrangements..." Scarlett said, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and sadness. 

Scarlett paused briefly, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I will stay on this island for a while to take care of everything. I must take care of my father's house and company. And also, I have to assist the police with their investigation report." She lowered her head, concealing her teary eyes. 

Noah Withers nodded weakly, understanding what Scarlett's said. But now, he struggled to find words of comfort as this tragic incident cast a dark shadow over their families, the Withers. He felt ashamed to discuss it in front of Xander Riley.

After a moment, Scarlett slowly raised her head to meet Noah's gaze. "Thank you, Uncle, for coming to the island," she said with a hint of gratitude in her voice.

"I will stay here until your father is laid to rest," Noah replied, though he hesitated to continue. He feared that discussing what lay ahead would only upset Scarlett further. He decided to talk about the topic tomorrow after everything was settled.

However, Noah Withers' worries proved unnecessary as Scarlett raised the subject herself.

"Uncle, how did you manage to come to this country?" Scarlett asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern. Since yesterday, she had been pondering over this matter, suspecting that Uncle Noah's arrival might have inadvertently alerted Jude to her mother's presence and led to the discovery of her father's whereabouts.

Noah was taken aback by Scarlett's question. "It's a long story," he replied, gathering his thoughts. "When I was about to board a flight to New York, I sensed I was being followed. I detoured through several locations to lose my pursuers before finally arriving in the United States. Once I was confident that no one was trailing me, I entered this country..."

Scarlett listened attentively, refraining from interrupting.

He continued, "I didn't dare to contact you. Not unless I was confident that the phone line was secure and that I wasn't being followed by anyone else. And today, I felt that everything was safe, so I reached out to you..." 

"I understand," Scarlett replied slowly, her mind working to process all the information her uncle had shared. 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Scarlett finally made a critical decision. She will keep the secret for herself that she has hacked her uncle's computer and found secret documents.