Scarlett’s POV
I didn’t tell Jasper about the second envelope.
Not yet.
I tucked the letter away in the folds of my coat, pressed it to my skin like it might offer warmth, or maybe answers. Neither came.
Instead, I walked the long way back to the house, letting the night wrap around me like silk. The garden was quiet, touched by moonlight, the scent of roses lingering faintly in the breeze. Even Carrington Estate, always so cold and composed, seemed softer tonight, like it too needed a break from its own secrets.
Inside, I found Jasper in the sitting room, a low jazz melody humming from the vintage record player in the corner. He’d changed into a black cashmere sweater, barefoot, reading something from his tablet.
He looked up when I entered. “You were gone a while.”
“I needed to wa
