Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 244

As Scarlette stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into Clara, who was heading downstairs to toss out the

trash. Scarlette quickly adjusted her collar and smoothed her hair, trying to keep it together. She hadn't realized

Clara had already caught a glimpse of them in the club's private room last time.

Clara felt awkward too, thinking she must have picked the worst timing ever to take out the trash. Trying to

break the tension, Clara said, "I parked your car in the garage. I'll hand you the keys in a bit."

Usually calm and collected, Scarlette found it hard to keep her cool this time. She was well aware of Nicholas's

possessive streak. If he left marks on purpose, they'd linger for a week. And tonight, she wasn't even wearing a

turtleneck, so Clara must have seen everything.

Scarlette wanted to explain, but the nature of her relationship with Nicholas was tough to put into words. Sensing

the discomfort, Clara quickly stepped into the elevator. "I'll just go dump the trash. You should head back inside."

Scarlette exhaled a sigh of relief and gave a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Back in her apartment, Scarlette rushed to the bathroom mirror, her fears confirmed by the marks on her neck.

She checked her phone and saw a message from Morgan, which drained her instantly. If Nicholas kept this up, it

would surely ruin things with Morgan.

From their school days to now, Nicholas had been the cause of so many of her broken relationships. At first, she

thought it was just him being overly controlled by the Greenard family, plus his clinginess and insecurity, worried

she'd abandon him if she started dating.

Scarlette had always been mature for her age, knowing exactly what she wanted. Growing up in the Greenard

household, she was acutely aware of her precarious position, so she worked hard at school, excelling in both

academics and skills. The truth was, she didn't much like the Greenard family's vibe. Everyone seemed to look at

her as if she was an outsider. From a young age, she had to be exceptionally nice to Nicholas to prove her worth

to the family.

Initially, she didn't like Nicholas, but spending so much ttogether softened her resolve, making her care for

him more than she intended. But Nicholas seemed to grow more attached, which the Greenard family noticed,

resulting in their coldness towards her. Wisely, she distanced herself from their company and started her own

venture.

She hadn't expected Nicholas to suddenly act out. Rumors now swirled about their estrangement, easing the

Greenard family's worries. Previously, there had been whispers about Nicholas's feelings for Scarlette, which

would've been scandalous given their pseudo-sibling relationship and Scarlette being raised by the Greenards.

Being labeled a "child bride" would've been even more awkward.

Sitting on the couch, rubbing her neck, Scarlette received a message from Nicholas. She usually ignored his

texts, as they were often just him talking to himself. She had blocked him before, but his recent antics made her

wary of provoking him further, so she unblocked him.

Nicholas had sent a photo of himself this time. As inappropriate as it was, she couldn't deny he'd grown up quite

well. Her forehead throbbed, and she couldn't resist replying.

[Nicholas, are you nuts?]

No immediate response came. Scarlette tossed her phone aside, fighting the urge to block him again. His call

csoon after.

"Hey sis, you home?"

No matter how many times she lectured him, he seemed to forget instantly, calling her like nothing happened.

Scarlette gave a curt "Yeah," puzzled by his heavy breathing.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Nicholas scoffed, "Why do you care? You lit the fire and won't put it out. Can't I handle it myself?"

Scarlette gritted her teeth, at a loss for words. She felt utterly powerless. She abruptly ended the call, feeling her

whole body heat with frustration.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Composing herself, she opened the door to find Clara, returning her car keys. Clara's

gaze fell on Scarlette's phone, and only then did Scarlette realize the screen hadn't locked, displaying Nicholas's

latest photo. Mortified, her cheeks flushed as she wished fervently for the ground to swallow her whole.

Clara averted her gaze, calmly handing over the keys. "Goodnight." Then she swiftly retreated, shutting her own

door with a decisive "thud."

Back in her room, Clara took a deep breath. She recalled the media's sensational reports about how the

Greenard siblings had supposedly turned against each other, unaware of the fiery reality behind closed doors.

Scarlette seemed uninterested in Nicholas, leaving Clara to wonder how their story would end.

Unable to sleep, Clara tossed and turned in bed until her phone chimed. Expecting a message from Z, she was

surprised to see it was from Ryan.

[Clara, the Ferguson family has called off the engagement. Quinn is holed up in her room, possibly stirring up

trouble.]

Clara frowned. Simon had indeed taken a beating and called off the wedding? She felt detached, ready to turn off

her phone and sleep, but then another message from Simon arrived.

"Don't you think you should investigate the accident that caused your amnesia, Clara? | suspect someone

intentionally made you lose your memory."

Clara had been ignoring him, but when she saw this message, she slowly sat up straight.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

Simon knew that if he veered off-topic now, Clara would lose interest and stop listening.

"Your amnesia wasn't caused by the accident. It might have been induced by medication."

He already had a suspect in mind but was hesitant to say it out loud. He couldn't shake the feeling that Dylan

was capable of anything, and his calm demeanor was just a facade.