Revenge of the Billionaire's Dead Fiance

Chapter 14

Scarlet

Lysander leaned back in his chair, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. His eyes stayed on me longer than I wanted them to.

“Would you mind coming with us tomorrow?” he asked quietly. “It’s just a few hours. It won’t take much of your time.”

My throat went dry. “I… I…” The words tangled on my tongue. I wanted to say no. Everything in me wanted to scream it, to run from the very thought. I was supposed to be taking him down, not playing family with him and his perfect little son.

Before I could form an excuse, Leo ran to me, wrapping both arms tight around my legs. “Please, Aunt Scarlet. Please come. Say yes. Please.”

His green eyes blinked up at me, shining with hope. My chest squeezed. Damn it. I didn’t know what else to do.

“Alright,” I muttered, grabbing the glass of water on the table. I took a long sip, hoping it would wash away the heaviness pressing into me. It didn’t.

Lysander’s smile deepened, his voice soft. “Thank you.”

Leo squealed, hugging me once more before bolting upstairs, chanting, “She said yes! She said yes!”

The room grew quiet. Too quiet. My eyes met Lysander’s, and for a moment, we both just sat there smiling like strangers who suddenly forgot why they were enemies.

I cleared my throat, searching for words to cut through the tension. “Leo’s a lovely boy,” I said. My voice softened on its own. “You’ve raised him well. He’s… full of light.”

Something shifted in Lysander’s face. His jaw trembled, and then, to my shock, a single tear slipped down his cheek.

My eyes widened. “Sir… are you okay?”

He wiped it away quickly, forcing a faint smile. “Yes. I’m fine. Really.”

I didn’t believe him, but I didn’t push. Instead, we both bent back over the papers, pretending the moment hadn’t happened.

Later, back at my apartment, I couldn’t focus on the files spread across my desk. My mind kept drifting back to Lysander, to the tear he tried to hide, to Leo’s bright eyes that mirrored my own. Something was strange. Too strange.

I was so lost in thought I didn’t even notice Amanda creeping in until she shouted, “Happy birthday!”

I jumped, clutching my chest. “Amanda! What the hell—”

Ryan’s laugh echoed from the kitchen. “Don’t blame me. She made me do it,” he said, stirring something on the stove that smelled far too delicious to ignore.

Amanda bounced onto my couch, waving a tiny sparkler like a lunatic. “You didn’t think we’d forget, did you? After everything you’ve been through?”

My heart skipped. Birthday. I had forgotten. I always forgot these days.

Ryan emerged with plates in his hands, the smell of roasted chicken and fried rice filling the air. “Sit down. Eat. Drink. Tonight, you’re not plotting or brooding. Tonight, you’re just… Scarlet. Our Scarlet.”

I smiled despite myself. They dimmed the lights, we sang, we ate. There was wine, too much laughter, a little dancing in the living room with Amanda twirling until she almost fell on her face.

At one point, I just stopped and looked at them—Ryan with his easy grin, Amanda humming off-key—and I said, “Thank you. For being the only family I have left.”

Ryan clinked his glass against mine. “Always.”

Of course, Amanda couldn’t hold back. “So… how’s work with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody?”

I groaned. “Dramatic, as always. Seraphina threatened to fire me today. And now Lysander and his son want me to play mommy at his school’s family day tomorrow.”

Amanda burst out laughing. “You? Mommy? Oh, that’s rich.”

Even Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, Lysander has a son?”

“Yes,” I said, lowering my voice. “That’s what I’ve been wondering about too. Whose son is he? He’s not Seraphina’s—that much I’m sure of. Leo practically said it himself. Even Lysander… he got emotional today. Different. And he wouldn’t say a word about the boy’s mother.”

Amanda frowned. “That’s strange.”

“Exactly,” I muttered.

But Ryan clapped his hands, ending the topic. “Forget them for tonight. Birthday girl deserves better conversation.” He set another dish on the table, his smile softening. “You’ve spent your last five birthdays in a hospital bed, rebuilding yourself piece by piece. To become who you are now. Don’t let him—don’t let any of this—confuse you.”

His words hit me like a knife. For a second, the laughter drained out of me, leaving only that cold reminder of why I’d rebuilt this life in the first place.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice steady. “You’re right. I can’t forget. My revenge starts soon.”

And as I said it, the room felt colder, even with all their warmth wrapped around me.

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By the time Amanda and Ryan finally left, my body felt like lead. The laughter, the food, the wine—it had worn me out more than I realized. I dragged myself into the shower, letting the hot water run over me until my muscles loosened. When I stepped out, steam clung to my skin, curling my hair at the ends.

I pulled on my nightwear—just a loose T-shirt and shorts—then slid under the duvet, sighing as the cool sheets touched my skin. Sleep was already pulling at me when my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

I frowned. Who the hell was calling me this late?

The screen lit up. Lysander.

My stomach flipped. For a second, I considered ignoring it, but curiosity won. I picked up, pressing the phone to my ear. “Sir?”

“Hey,” his voice came, low and a little rough, like he’d been resting. “I just wanted to check if you got home safely.”

I blinked at the ceiling, thrown off balance. That… was new. He’d never called me like this before. Never sounded this—soft.

“I—uh—yes, sir,” I stammered, biting my lip. “I did. Thank you.”

“Good,” he said, and I could almost hear him smile. “And about tomorrow… Leo’s family day. We’ll be expecting you. Thank you once again, Scarlet.”

Before I could respond, the line clicked, the call ended.

I stared at the phone in my hand, my heart pounding faster than it should. Was that really Lysander? Checking up on me like—like he cared?

I let the phone drop onto the sheets and buried my face into the pillow. Unbelievable. Just a few days of working for him, and he was already acting different. Almost… falling for me.

I shook my head hard, closing my eyes. No. Don’t go there, Scarlet. Don’t forget what he did to you.