The following night, Scarlett and Adrian met in a five-star restaurant as planned for their dinner date. Although Scarlett kept denying that she still had feelings for Adrian, she found herself getting all dolled up for him.
“You look beautiful,” Adrian said softly as he sipped from the cocktail in front of him.
“Oh.. thank you.” Scarlett blushed, pushing back her hair. She glanced at him and noticed his intense stare. It only made her cheeks burn, she had missed that look in his eyes, the look of sheer passion and devotion. The look that always made her feel warm and safe, she couldn't help the lump that formed in her throat but she swallowed it and blinked her sadness away.
“I still remember the first time we met, your unwavering desire to get me to dump your mother.” Adrian chuckled and Scarlett smiled. She could remember it vividly.
“Don't remind me of how much of a child I used to be.” She rolled her eyes. The waitress came with their orders and placed their different foods on the table.
“Is there anything else you need?” The waitress questioned, smiling courtly at them.
“No, thanks. I think that'll be all.” Adrian told her and the waitress left.
“You know, your childish charms were irresistible, and even now, I can't seem to resist you.” He picked up his fork and started to eat. Scarlett stuffed her mouth to avoid blushing, but she was doing a bad job.
“So.. how's everything going? About your uncle and the boy posing as your father's son.” He inquired and she sighed.
“Honestly, I'd rather not talk about it. I came out for this dinner because I want to forget about it for a while.” She replied and he nodded.
“I respect your decision.” He said and they continued to eat.
Adrian's phone started to ring and after he checked who the caller was, he ignored it. He tried to start a conversation with her but his phone rang countless times, making it hard to hold the conversation. They were constantly distracted and it was driving Scarlett nuts.
“Aren't you going to pick up the phone?” She had to ask, already fed up with the incessant calls. He told her to ignore it and she shrugged.
“When did you open a new art gallery?” She asked after swallowing the food in her mouth.
“That would be a year ago. My love for art is immeasurable, I just can't stop myself. And it gained a lot of recognition in such a short time, you'd be surprised to know how many art pieces I've sold in just a year.” He smiled, obviously proud of himself.
All he needed to do was get the grudge of his mother's death out of his heart and channel all of that energy into growing his various businesses and it actually worked. Things were moving fine for him, but one thing had always been missing.
“That's great. I'm happy you've made such progress.” She beamed.
His phone rang again and she rolled her eyes. It was obvious who was calling him, his girlfriend. Adrian refusing to answer the phone simply confirmed her doubts and it made her blood boil. She couldn't stand the fact that there was another girl.
“Just answer the phone and see what she wants.” She scoffed.
“That's not necessary.” He ignored the call again but she had heard enough already and rose to her feet.
“I don't even know why I'm on a date with you when I know that you have a girlfriend. That is so below my standards! Just go to her, she's probably on the bed, waiting for you and you're here with a random girl, I don't think that's fair on her!” Her eyes were red with fury, tears lingering in them.
Adrian watched with raised eyebrows, a part of him feeling excited.
“Calm down Scarlett, please.”
“Don't fucking tell me to calm down. Go cuddle your girlfriend or something. You should have stayed away from me instead of making me hurt more.” She snapped at him, grabbed her purse, and quickly made her way out of the restaurant, her heels kissing the floor loudly.
“Scarlett! Scarlett!” Adrian called into the quiet night, running towards Scarlett who was struggling to get into her car.
“Wait!” He banged her door shut and she glared at him.
“What!? What do you want!?” She was pissed off.
“She's not my girlfriend.” He sighed.
“Don't stand there and lie to my face.” She huffed, doubting his words.
“She's Lydia, a friend's sister. She's completing her master's degree in a college near here and my friend asked if she could stay with me until she's done.” He explained and she seemed to calm down.
“Scarlett..” he took her hand. “I don't think you understand that I can never love anyone else. I love you, only you. And it has always been that way.”
Scarlett's heart skipped a beat, she had no idea how to react to what she had just heard. Her heart fluttered, but she refused to let it show.
“I have to leave.” She quickly got into her car and drove out, her hands shaking on the steering wheel.
“What is wrong with me? Why did I run?” She groaned as she slowly drove along the busy road. Adrian's words replayed in her head and she couldn't help but blush, her lips spreading across in a wide smile.
“I should have just told him that I feel the same way, why did I run away?” She smiled again, filled with excitement.
The surrealism of Adrian's confession filled her, she couldn't believe it happened and she was mad at herself for bailing on him like that.
She made up her mind to call him as soon as she got home. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too and she just couldn't wait.
Soon, she arrived home and skipped happily to her room, preparing herself to call Adrian. She practiced what she was going to say to him several times before actually picking up the phone to call.
She was distracted when one of the maids came in, handing her a few emails that came in for her. She recalled that the DNA test results were supposed to come on that day so she hurriedly searched for it and found it.
She took a deep breath before opening it, but what she saw shattered her heart. The results clearly stated that Jacob was Mr Davenport's son! She had taken her dad's hair which she stored for years, along with Richard's hair, but Jacob matched with her dad.
“No.. no.. this cannot be happening.” Tears fell from her eyes, onto the paper in her hands. She collapsed on the bed, her whole world seemingly coming to an end.
“No..” she sniffed, her heart squeezing in pain and hurt. How could she survive the shame of being kicked to the curb and a total stranger being given the position that was originally meant for her?
She hoped this was all a dream, and that she would wake up to the reality she was meant to live in the first place.
~~~~
Monday morning came, the day that Vivian and Scarlett dreaded. They headed to the office for the handover, since they had no hope. Scarlett was quiet, she did not speak a word and her expression was stern. She was cold and bitter, feeling nothing but hatred for her uncle and the illegitimate son he brought home.
Vivian, on the other hand, couldn't control her tears. She was losing everything in the twinkle of an eye and she blamed herself for everything. Maybe if she had just paid attention to her husband and remained loyal, this wouldn't be happening.
Soon, they arrived at the office and walked straight to the conference room where all the employees were already waiting. Jacob, Richard, and Gwen were not there yet, giving Scarlett even more anxiety.
“I feel like throwing up.” She whispered to her mom who held and squeezed her palm, trying to calm her down. All eyes were on them, the employees were happy, thinking that Scarlett would be the one taking over.
The tension in the room rose more with every passing minute as they awaited Richard's arrival.