淑女的欲望

Chapter 475 Surpised Encounter (2)

Everyone turned their attention to the confused Alex.

Simon was the first to respond. But he didn't answer Alex. Instead, he asked Mel, "You haven't told him yet?"

Mel answered with a gentle shake of her head.

Alex was growing increasingly confused. His gaze alternated between Simon and Scarlett, looking intently at their eye and hair colors. It didn't take long for him to notice their resemblance.

He had encountered Scarlett several times before, but on each occasion, this girl appeared to change her appearance, making it challenging for him to discern her actual look. Now, he was confident that this was Scarlett's original appearance, and seeing her side by side with Simon, he was convinced they were related.

"Don't tell me... Are you two really siblings?" Alex asked, still struggling to believe his own words.

"Yes, we are!" Simon confirmed, his eyes glancing briefly at Scarlett. He gave her an encouraging smile as he saw her a little uncomfortable in her seat.

Alex was shocked to know that Scarlett was connected to Gilwynn. His curiosity now extended to Rosalie Withers, Scarlett's missing mother. He shot a questioning glance at Mel, but she subtly shook her head as if cautioning him against speaking further.

"Alright, you boys can continue your chat here. I need to have a private conversation with Scarlett," Mel announced. She rose from her chair and directed her gaze at Scarlett. "Let's talk in my office, Scarlett."

Scarlett readily agreed, following Mel to her home office at the rear of the house. She had been waiting for this moment—an opportunity to speak with Mel about finding her mother.

****

Soon, they both entered the spacious home office.

Scarlett felt at ease as she stepped into the room, spotting a familiar blue lake through the expansive glass wall. The blue lake appeared to be the same one behind her house since Mel's residence was just a few minute's drive from her house.

"Would you like something to drink, Scarlett?" Mel asked from her seat.

Scarlett turned to Mel and smiled while shaking her head. "No, thank you, sister," she replied politely. Scarlett preferred not to have anything to drink before their dinner. She couldn't wait any longer to discuss matters with this woman about her mother.

Ever since she had discovered that the hacker Simon wanted to introduce to her was Mel Tan, she had become even more convinced of what she had suspected: that this woman was her idol, Queen, the formidable hacker who had shaken the hacker community a few years ago. She became confident that Mel could help, her Hacker skills were unmatched, and in fact, she herself was not yet at her level.

"Sister Mel, I won't waste your precious time," Scarlett finally began to speak about her intention to meet her. When she saw Mel nod, she continued, "You might have heard about me from Simon or my father, Roland Gilwynn—" She was silent, swallowing hard. It felt strange the first time she acknowledged Roland as her father.

"I do hear from him and also Simon that you're looking for your mother, Rosalie Withers, right?" Mel smiled, gazing at the nervous young girl before her.

"True. I've heard that you also had a similar case to mine—you searched for your mother using the technology you developed. I hope you can assist me in finding my mother with your technology. Sister, I'm willing to pay whatever you ask," Scarlett said with a slightly trembling voice.

When Scarlett noticed that Mel didn't respond immediately, it made her nervous, fearing that Mel might be unable to help her. Furthermore, she could see that Mel was lost in deep thought and avoided eye contact with her.

Scarlett slowly clenched her hands into fists, anxiously awaiting Mel's response. After a while, she finally observed Mel's gaze returning to her.

"I really want to help you, Scarlett... but it appears that your case is somewhat different from mine," Mel paused briefly as she noticed the disappointment flicker in Scarlett's eyes. She continued, "In fact, long before we crossed paths, I was searching for a woman, and I harbored suspicions about that woman's identity. I believe she is Rosalie Withers, your mother..."

Scarlett was utterly shocked by Mel's words but refrained from speaking and patiently awaited Mel to finish her statement.

Mel went on, "I guess... Alex has already informed you about the person who provided information about the Withers family, right?"

Scarlett nodded, recalling what Alex had shared with her before they captured Jude Withers.

"I am now convinced that this woman is Rosalie Withers after hearing your story. Unfortunately, Scarlett... since that time, I have been unable to uncover any trace of her," Mel paused again, narrowing her eyes as she saw Scarlett.

"Why, sister? Has something happened to her?" Scarlett asked, her confusion growing as she observed Mel's reluctance to continue her explanation.

"No, but if I'm not mistaken, she's even more skilled than I am... ugh... You do know I'm a hacker, right?" Mel asked.

Scarlett nodded eagerly. "If I'm not mistaken, are you Queen?"

Mel was taken aback by Scarlett's knowledge of her hacker ID. Few knew her hacker name, not even Roland and Simon Gilwynn. How did she find out? Had Alex told her about this?

Seeing Mel's surprise, Scarlett quickly continued, "Sister Mel, in fact, I'm a hacker too..."

"Really?" Mel was astonished to learn that this young girl was also a hacker. However, she still remained suspicious of Scarlett. Now, she regretted not doing a background check before their meeting.

"And I'm also a member of the Hacker Community," Scarlett added.

Instantly, a faint smile graced Mel's face. She felt somewhat relieved hearing that. If Scarlett was indeed a member of the Hacker Community, she might possess the talent to know her real identity.

"Only a few female hackers are members of that community, and I know them all. Are you a newcomer?" Mel asked. She had rarely visited the Hacker Community since she married. If she recalled correctly, the last time she had checked the community was five years ago.