Scarlet Enchantment

Chapter 11

Emily stayed in the hotel for five days, only daring to return home on Sunday night. When she entered, Ryan Collins was in the study, surfing the internet. Hearing her, he came out, leaning against the door with his arms crossed, a faint smile on his handsome face as he teased, "You finally decided to come back, huh?"

She stood at the doorway, silent, her eyes slowly turning red.

Ryan's teasing expression vanished as he hurried forward to hug her, gently patting her back and soothing her, "It's okay, sweetheart, it's my fault, all my fault."

The familiar scent and his tender voice made Emily feel safe, yet deeply aggrieved. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down. Ryan, alarmed, gently wiped her tears with his thumb and asked with concern, "What happened, Emily? What's wrong?"

She desperately wanted to tell him everything but dared not. It wasn't about him rejecting her; she didn't want to drag him into danger. No husband could bear knowing his wife had suffered such an assault, even someone as gentle as Ryan. What would he do? And what would that bastard Damian do in response?

Emily couldn't imagine, even the thought made her shiver. If she was already dragged into the dark hell by Damian, she would keep Ryan safe in the light. Smiling through her tears, she clung tightly to his neck, whispering, "I missed you, Ryan. I just missed you so much."

He missed her too, intensely. He had been away for over two weeks, and then she was gone for another five days. It was their longest separation since they met, driving him nearly insane with longing. He held her, soothing her, his hand initially caressing her back before moving downward.

"You've lost weight!" he said, troubled.

She couldn't tell the truth, so she laughed awkwardly, "I've been dieting."

"Dieting, my ass!" Ryan cursed, impatiently pulling off her clothes.

They tangled together, barely making it to the sofa before collapsing.

One was passionate as fire, the other nearly frenzied. Eventually, he had to hold her waist to control her wild rhythm, gently soothing, "Slow down, sweetheart, let's take it slow." He changed their position, covering her with his body, kissing her tenderly.

Emily, her face flushed, whimpered, "Kiss me, Ryan, kiss me everywhere, don't miss a spot."

She needed him to kiss her, to use his presence to erase the bastard's traces, to cleanse her soul.

They made love half the night. The next morning, Emily woke with an aching body, her movements so sluggish that it made Ryan laugh. He adjusted his tie, ready to leave, but turned back to ask, "Can you drive? Want me to take you to school?"

For a moment, she forgot all her sorrow and hardship, throwing a hair tie at him in mock anger, "Get lost! Come back tonight and let's see who's afraid of whom!"

He returned to kiss her deeply once more, savoring it, "The orange juice isn't sweet enough today, get it from another store next time."

"Got it," she replied seriously, adding, "Try to come home early tonight, we're having dinner at my parents' place."

After Ryan left, Emily drove to school, first to check in after her leave, then to hold a meeting with the class leaders about the New Year's party. When someone mentioned Mark's excellent singing but reluctance to join group activities due to multiple part-time jobs, Emily nodded, noting the suggestions and explaining, "He might be too busy. Tell him to come see me when he has time; I'll talk to him."

The class leader agreed. By noon, Mark was in her office.

With no one else around, she locked the door and carefully disassembled both her phones, comparing their internals. They looked identical, confirming Damian hadn't installed any bugs, just controlling it with software.

Having figured that out, she quickly reassembled the phones. Just then, Mark Benson called. Startled, she saw the number and relaxed, telling him to come to the office.

Soon, Mark arrived, looking uneasy as he asked, "Ms. Carter, what do you need?"

Due to her recent experiences, Emily was extremely sensitive and cautious around people. Noticing his discomfort, she talked about the New Year's party while watching his expressions. She suddenly asked, "Why did you switch to a job so far from school?"

Mark's eye twitched slightly, a detail she didn't miss. She probed further, "Was it because of what happened at Blackwood Enterprises?"

After a pause, Mark admitted, "Yes. I didn't want any more contact with them."

Emily, still suspicious about the earlier incident, asked, "What exactly happened? Did you know that secretary before?"

"No, not really. She just ordered food a few times, and I delivered it. She suddenly made a move that day, and I panicked and ran," Mark explained, embarrassed.

"You fled in panic," Emily chuckled.

Mark laughed too, looking more relaxed.

Seizing the moment, she asked, "Did she know you were a student here?"

"I'm not sure. The company security asked where I was from, and I gave them your number. Ms. Carter, I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

This is clearly a trap, with each step leading to her as the ultimate target. Mark Benson is just the bait to lure her in. But where did Damian Blackwood find and manipulate Mark?

Emily was puzzled, though she smiled and said, "It's nothing. You're my student; it's my duty to help you. It's not a bother."

After a pause, Emily casually asked, "Does anyone in our class know you work at that fast-food restaurant?"

"Many people know," Mark answered.

Emily raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh?"

Mark smiled awkwardly and explained, "I often post photos from work on my social media, so many classmates know I deliver food. Miss Carter, I'm poor, so I have to work multiple jobs to earn money, but I don't think it's something to be ashamed of."

Emily felt touched and smiled, "Mark, you're doing great."

Suddenly, she realized that if Damian Blackwood was investigating her, he would likely look into the students she was teaching. The internet does make such investigations easier, just as she had previously searched for information about him online.

With this in mind, it seemed possible that Mark was simply being used by Damian. Of course, there was also a chance he was an exceptional actor.

Emily decided not to press further. She didn't want to raise any suspicions. So she smiled, "Alright, that's all. You can go back to your work. Oh, by the way, a professor from the management school needs a translator. It's not very difficult, and the pay is good. If you're interested, I can recommend you."

Mark was pleasantly surprised. "Can I do it?"

"I think you should be able to," Emily replied. "I'll recommend you for a trial. How about that?"

Mark quickly agreed and thanked Emily.

Emily smiled and waved him off. "Go to class now, don't interrupt my work."

Mark stood up to leave but stopped at the door, turned back, and hesitated before asking, "Miss Carter, you and your husband have a good relationship, right?"

Emily was taken aback, instinctively raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Mark looked a bit embarrassed. "I've heard from the girls in our class. They say your husband is very handsome, and you've been together since high school, dating for over ten years before getting married. Everyone is very envious."

Emily didn't know why he was bringing this up, but she nodded slowly, "That's right."

"I feel envious too," Mark said, seemingly out of nowhere. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage and added, "I think in today's society, having such a relationship is very rare and should be cherished."

"Thank you." Emily sensed a deeper meaning in his words, slowly putting away her smile. "What are you trying to say?"

Mark looked at her with the stubbornness of youth. "Miss Carter, I don't think Mr. Blackwood is a good person."

Emily was momentarily stunned but quickly understood that he had misunderstood her relationship with Damian. She didn't feel offended by his seemingly preachy comment; in fact, she felt a bit warmed. He was a stubborn yet kind-hearted boy. Looking into his eyes, she said softly, "I don't know Mr. Blackwood well. He's Julia's cousin, who came to school to handle her leave of absence, and that's how we met."

"Julia's cousin?" Mark was surprised. "Julia has such a cousin?"

Emily had a thought and asked, "Do you know Julia well?"

It seemed Damian had used two of her students to approach her without raising suspicion. If Mark was merely used, what about Julia? She didn't believe Damian was truly Julia's cousin. How did he convince her to leave school? Was it through coercion or incentives?

If she could uncover the truth, could it be a piece of evidence to expose him in the future?

Mark returned to her desk and said, "Not very well."

This answer disappointed Emily.

"However, I did encounter her while working," Mark continued, hesitating before adding, "Miss Carter, Julia might have worked as a hostess. I don't want to gossip, and I'm not certain, but I did run into her twice."

This surprised Emily, but thinking it over, it made sense.

Mark, unaware of Damian's true nature, continued, "If Julia had a cousin like Mr. Blackwood, how could she be doing that? He wouldn't allow it."

Emily's mind was a whirlwind; she desperately needed time alone to think through everything. If Mark was simply being used, she didn't want to drag him further into this mess. She looked at him and said, "Alright, go back. Don't mention this to anyone."

"Miss Carter, think about it. If Mr. Blackwood isn't Julia's cousin but pretended to be to help her take a leave, doesn't that prove he's not a good person?" Mark seemed eager to convince her of Damian's ill intent.

Emily already knew Damian wasn't a good person. He was far from it; he was a scoundrel. She smiled, "I'll handle this. You focus on your studies."

Mark hesitated but ultimately left quietly.

All afternoon, Emily pondered how to investigate Damian Blackwood. The information available online was too limited; she needed to start from the real world. But where should she begin? With Julia? Would Damian notice? Or should she investigate Damian directly? But her phone was being monitored, revealing all her actions. One wrong move could alert him.

If she couldn't act, who could she trust to help without arousing Damian's suspicion? Emily was at a loss.

As she was about to leave work, she received a call from Damian. He simply said, "Miss Carter, join me for an event tonight."

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