Chapter 13
1480 Words
Scarlet
“Make yourself comfortable,” Lysander said, his voice even, calm as always.
Comfortable. Right. As if that was possible in a house this enormous, with marble floors gleaming under crystal chandeliers, and him standing there looking like he owned not just the mansion but the entire world.
But what really threw me wasn’t the house. It was the boy. His boy.
I sat down slowly on the edge of a couch, still replaying the moment Leo’s arms wrapped around me. A son. Lysander had a son. How? Was he married before? Or—no. Could he be Seraphina’s child? My stomach tightened at the thought, but almost instantly I shook it off. No. Impossible. The boy looked nothing like Seraphina. His eyes alone told me that. Those piercing green eyes—eyes that mirrored mine.
So if not Seraphina… then what? Did he get some woman pregnant, and she had the child for him? The thought made my chest ache in ways I didn’t understand.
“Leo,” Lysander leaned close to the boy, his tone softer now. “I need to work for a while, alright? Go upstairs, play with your toys. And remember, you’ve got school tomorrow. You should finish your assignments too.”
Leo’s lips pushed into a small pout. “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow. I want to stay here and watch you.”
I couldn’t help it—I smiled. The way the boy clung to him, the way Lysander’s eyes softened when he looked at him. It was… beautiful. Unexpected. And for a brief moment, I adored them both.
“You’re stubborn,” Lysander chuckled, ruffling his son’s hair. “Go on, little man. I’ll see you at lunch.”
Leo sighed dramatically, then trudged toward the stairs. He glanced back once, gave me a shy grin, and disappeared.
When the silence settled again, Lysander turned to me with a faint smile. “Sorry about that.”
I shook my head quickly. “No need. He’s… wonderful.”
A pause hung between us before I said, almost too softly, “I didn’t know you were married. With a child.”
The corner of his lips curved. “I’m not married.”
The words made me falter. I stumbled, heat rising to my cheeks. “Oh, I—I mean… so how—how did you… I mean—”
He brushed it off smoothly, waving a hand. “Let’s get on with work, Scarlett.”
I coughed, awkward, trying to swallow the embarrassment that burned at the back of my throat. “Of course, sir.”
He sat across from me at the desk, leaning back in his chair. “Alright then. What’s on the schedule today?”
Grateful for the distraction, I opened my folder. “You have two virtual meetings lined up this afternoon—one with the legal team, another with Mr. Chen in Shanghai regarding the merger. There’s also a pending contract that needs your review and signature, and your finance manager sent updated figures for the quarter. I’ve prepared summaries for all of them.”
He nodded. “Good. We’ll start with the contract.”
We fell into work mode quickly, papers passing back and forth, his sharp mind dissecting details, my pen scratching notes. I was almost starting to feel steady again when he suddenly spoke.
“My security called me this morning,” he said casually, though his eyes studied me.
I froze. “Oh?”
“They told me about… your situation today. With Seraphina.”
I smiled lightly, shrugging. “Oh, that.”
“I want to apologize for that,” he said, surprising me. “She had no right to treat you that way.” Then, after a pause, “Have you and Seraphina ever crossed paths before? It seems… personal with her. Like she doesn’t want you anywhere near the company.”
My breath caught. For a second, I wondered if he suspected something. “Why do you ask?”
He leaned back, thoughtful. “Because it feels like she doesn’t just dislike you. She… resents you. That’s different.”
I forced another smile, steady but thin. “I wouldn’t know, sir. Maybe she just doesn’t like my boldness.”
We worked a bit longer before he finally pushed back from the desk. “Come. Let’s have lunch.”
I followed him through the hall into a dining room that looked more like a gallery, a long polished oak table gleaming under the light. Edmund, the butler, had already set out dishes.
Roast turkey sandwiches stacked high with lettuce and cheese. A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. A plate of cornbread, golden and soft. And glasses of iced tea that glistened with condensation.
It smelled warm, hearty. My stomach growled before I could stop it.
As we sat, Lysander watched me with quiet curiosity. “Tell me about yourself, Scarlett. Your life. Where you’re from.”
I lifted my fork slowly, hiding behind the food. I couldn’t tell him the truth. He must not know who I really was.
So I lied. Smoothly. Casually. With a smile.
“My parents moved a lot,” I said, picking at the cornbread. “I grew up in different places. It made me adaptable, I suppose. Nothing too exciting.”
He studied me as though he wanted to see through the words. My chest tightened, but I kept my mask in place.
We went back to working after lunch, the silence filled only by the shuffle of papers and the occasional sound of my pen scratching across the notepad.
But then I heard quick footsteps pounding down the stairs.
“Daddy!” Leo’s voice rang out as he burst into the room. He ran straight to Lysander’s chair, tugging at his sleeve with both hands.
Lysander set his papers aside immediately, giving the boy his full attention. “What is it, Leo?” His voice softened in that way I’d already started to notice—different, gentler when it came to his son.
Leo’s green eyes sparkled as he leaned closer. “I just wanted to remind you about family day tomorrow at school. Is Aunt Seraphina still coming?”
The air tightened. I felt it. Lysander cleared his throat, forcing a smile. “Hmm, let’s see. Why don’t we call Aunt Seraphina now and ask her, hmm? See what she says.” His tone was playful, the kind you use to make things lighter for a child.
Leo grinned, nodding eagerly. “Yes, call her, Daddy!”
Lysander pulled out his phone and hit the dial. I sat frozen in my chair, trying not to look as though I was eavesdropping, but every nerve in my body was alert.
The line clicked, and Seraphina’s voice came through sharp and high-pitched. “What do you want now, Lysander?”
“I just wanted to ask if you’ll be joining Leo and me tomorrow for family day,” he said evenly, glancing at his son with a small smile.
The calmness lasted all of three seconds. Then Seraphina’s voice rose, spitting venom through the speaker. “Are you insane? After what you did? After giving that b***h the power to disrespect and look down on me?” Her words dripped with hatred, and though she didn’t say my name, it was obvious. “You’re a fool, Lysander! A blind fool!”
I stiffened in my seat, fingers curling against my lap. What on earth was wrong with this woman?
Lysander’s jaw tightened. He shot me a quick look, as if silently apologizing, then pressed the call to an abrupt end. He turned back to Leo, smoothing his son’s hair with steady hands.
“Looks like Aunt Seraphina won’t be coming this time,” he said gently. “But don’t worry, little man. I’ll figure something out.”
Leo’s smile dimmed for a moment, but then his eyes flicked toward me. He tilted his head, studying my face with startling curiosity.
“How about Aunt Scarlett?” he asked brightly. “She can come with us. We both have the same green eyes.” He grinned wide, almost proud of his observation. “She matches my mother figure.”
My heart stopped.
The room fell into a silence so thick I could hear the clock ticking on the wall. Lysander froze, his expression unreadable, while I sat there with my pulse hammering against my ribs.
I forced a smile, though inside I was trembling. “Oh, Leo,” I said softly, my voice just steady enough to pass.
Lysander finally looked at me, his dark eyes unreadable, and for the first time, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.
All I knew was my heart was racing—and I wasn’t sure if it was from fear, or something else entirely.
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