Scarlet Enchantment

Chapter4

Emily hurriedly said goodbye to Damian before he could, not bothering to shake his hand. She didn't even glance at his reaction and quickly walked to her car parked by the roadside. As she unlocked the car, she noticed that the front left tire was flat. She had no idea when it had been punctured.

The tire was completely deflated, leaving her with no choice but to change it. It was fine when she had driven over, so how did it go flat so quickly? She couldn't help but feel frustrated and kicked the tire in annoyance.

Damian's car glided over from a distance and stopped behind her. He rolled down the window and asked, "What's wrong, Ms. Carter?"

Startled, she turned around and quickly said, "Nothing."

He tilted his head, looking past her to the flat tire, then back at her. "Ms. Carter, where do you need to go? I can have my driver take you there."

Without thinking, she refused, "No need." Seeing Damian raise an eyebrow, she realized she had been too abrupt and added, "I need to handle something with my class. You go ahead, I'll walk."

It was obvious she was lying; she had just said she had urgent matters to attend to outside. However, he didn’t call her out on it. He merely smiled and politely said goodbye, "Alright then, goodbye, Ms. Carter."

He signaled to his driver, and the car quickly disappeared into the campus.

Emily stood by the roadside, watching until his car was out of sight, then rolled up her sleeves to change the tire herself. In a technical school, there was never a shortage of energetic and helpful male students. Soon, a couple of passing students came over to help, and she didn't refuse, directing them to help change the spare tire.

She didn't go to her alma mater to pull strings or go home. Instead, she drove to Serenity City Police Department.

Officer Mitchell was surprised to receive her call but didn't refuse her invitation to meet at a teahouse near the police department. "Is there something you need?" he asked.

Emily didn't know how to explain. They weren't exactly familiar, and her decision to find him was made on impulse. "Do you remember me?" she asked.

Officer Mitchell smiled, "Yes, I remember."

Of course, he remembered her. She was the victim in a case he handled four years ago. In that case, facing three vicious criminals, she had killed one with a fruit knife after being assaulted, then driven over another’s legs to escape. The first thing she did after escaping was call her boyfriend to report the incident.

There were many beautiful women, and plenty who were both smart and beautiful, but there were few who could remain calm and ruthless in a critical moment. So even after years, he still remembered her.

Emily was still thinking about how to narrate her situation, knowing it might seem unbelievable and make people think she was mentally unstable. She looked into Officer Mitchell's eyes and asked, "The case from four years ago, the last criminal you caught, you're sure he was executed, right?"

Officer Mitchell was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Sebastian Lane, I mean," she said, her voice speeding up. "I recently saw someone who looks a lot like him, his voice, appearance... not just similar, exactly the same!"

Her evident tension evoked sympathy from the middle-aged officer. "Emily Carter, right? Calm down. I can assure you, Sebastian Lane is dead. He was executed two years ago."

Emily bit her lip and asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Officer Mitchell nodded solemnly. "I remember him well, not just because of his crimes, but because he did something surprising before his execution."

"What was it?" she couldn't help but ask.

"He volunteered to donate his corneas."

Emily was also surprised. It was indeed unexpected that such a vicious criminal could suddenly display nobility before his death. She fell silent, then said, "But that man really looks like him."

"There are always people who look similar in this world. There are even those who look like twins without being related. Maybe, somewhere out there, there's a girl who looks exactly like you," Officer Mitchell said.

"But he... he approached me, asked for my phone number, tried to strike up a conversation, and later wanted me to get in his car. Please, don't misunderstand me, I'm not being conceited. I can feel it," she said, trying to find the right words.

Officer Mitchell couldn't help but laugh. "Emily, you're very beautiful. Surely, you've had your share of men trying to chat you up on the street."

His meaning was clear. Even if a man approached her, it was probably just ordinary flirting.

Emily couldn't argue. She was indeed very beautiful and had been pursued by boys since elementary school. This favorable attention from the opposite s*x continued even after marriage, with a wedding ring on her hand.

Officer Mitchell, seeing her silent, kindly advised, "Don't overthink it. Put the past behind you and live well."

She was genuinely grateful to the officer and thanked him again.

"If you ever have any trouble, feel free to find me," Officer Mitchell said with a smile. "If that guy bothers you again, I'll help you out!"

In all fairness, the previous two encounters couldn't be considered harassment. After confirming that Damian Blackwood and Sebastian Lane were two different people, Emily saw things more rationally and understood that her fear was baseless.

Damian didn't contact her again.

Once, she met the young female colleague from the academic office, who disappointedly told Emily that Damian hadn't come. She had called him, and though he answered, he didn't show up. Instead, another man, tall and burly with a rough face, came to collect the documents.

Emily immediately knew it was the man who had driven Damian's car before, likely his bodyguard.

She comforted her colleague and felt even more relieved. Life seemed to return to normal after Damian's sudden appearance and equally sudden disappearance.

Emily applied for the doctoral program at her alma mater, choosing her old master's advisor as her mentor. The old scholar, who had spent a lifetime in academia, was upright and rigorous. Though he liked her as a student, he made it clear that she had to pass the entrance exam on her own merits; he wouldn't open any back doors for her.

Emily sent her advisor a crying-with-laughter emoji, describing her mixed feelings of sadness and helplessness.

Her parents didn't support her pursuing a Ph.D. Although not wealthy, the family was well-off enough, thinking she could live comfortably without such hardship. Fortunately, she had Ryan's support. He helped with everything from gathering materials to running errands. Emily only regretted that he wasn't in the same field as her, unable to tutor her directly.

While she struggled with her studies, her family encountered good fortune. First, her parents won a grand tour prize and set off to explore the beautiful landscapes of their country. Then, Ryan received a valuable opportunity for training abroad.

Emily felt both envious and jealous. While packing Ryan's suitcase, she couldn't help but feel sour, tossing the suitcase aside and complaining, "I'm going to become a resentful woman soon. Why pretend to be a virtuous wife?"

Ryan couldn't help but laugh, pulling her down. "If you don't want me to go, I won't. With Mom and Dad away, I'm worried about leaving you alone."

These were just words. She wasn't a child needing constant supervision, and this opportunity was too good for his future. She clutched his collar and said, half-jokingly, "Don't worry, I won't hold you back. Go learn what you can, and I'll bury myself in my studies. One day, we'll both soar high together."

Ryan laughed heartily, kissing her repeatedly. They joked until they were both in the mood, and he playfully undressed her. "Let me plant some seeds before I go, so we'll have a good harvest next year."

They rolled on the bed, most of the time with him on top, but sometimes she took control, pinning him down and asking smugly, "Do you surrender?"

"How could I not?" he replied, breathless but with eyes full of love. "Emily, I love you."

She leaned down to kiss him, "Ryan, I love you too."

She loved him very much.

After sending Ryan off, she really packed her bags and went to school to study. Blending in with the students, she often got mistaken for one of them, even having unfamiliar boys offer to save her a seat in the library.

She proudly told Ryan about this over the phone, "Ryan, you really scored by marrying me. I look so young that when you're almost fifty, I'll still look like I'm in my thirties. People will think you're a successful man for snagging such a young wife!"

Ryan laughed, reminding her to take care of herself. "If it gets too hard, just quit. I can support you. If you don't pass this year, there's always next year."

"Nonsense! Who says I won't pass? Don't underestimate my intelligence. I was a genius girl back then!" she retorted, but then softened, not wanting him to worry. "The school isn't too busy now. The students are mature and don't cause much trouble."

Fate has a way of proving us wrong. The day after she said this, one of her students caused an issue.

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