Over the next two weeks, Scarlett went to work as usual while secretly preparing to find a location for her new company.
One evening after work, as Scarlett was browsing properties online, her assistant sent an urgent message.
Assistant: Ms. Vale! Alistair is personally hosting a dinner for Mr. Arledge and the others tonight. It looks like he's planning to forcibly strip you of the project!
Scarlett's expression remained calm.
Scarlett: Stick to the plan. No need to panic.
Sure enough, around ten that night, she received a call from Cassian.
He had dropped the aggressive tone he'd used at the manor, his voice now measured and mild. "Are you free tomorrow? It's our seventh wedding anniversary. Let's have dinner and celebrate."
Scarlett knew exactly what he was after. "Sure. Where?"
Inwardly, Cassian felt a flicker of contempt. Just as he'd expected, she was waiting for him to make the first move.
The next day, Scarlett left work and went straight to the restaurant. Without waiting for Cassian, she told the server to bring out the food. She'd just taken her first bite when the door to the private dining room swung open.
Cassian walked in carrying an elegant luxury gift box. Seeing that she'd already started eating, he frowned slightly. "That hungry?"
"I came straight from work," Scarlett said without looking up.
Cassian swallowed his irritation and slid the gift box toward her with a condescending air. "Here. Your seventh-anniversary gift. I had to check several boutiques to find it."
Scarlett opened the box. Inside was a jewelry set worth several million dollars. Compared to the hundreds of millions in profit she'd brought the Blackthorne family, it was a drop in the bucket.
"Thanks," Scarlett said flatly.
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "Where's mine?"
"I forgot," Scarlett replied bluntly.
Cassian's face darkened, but he forced down his anger. "It's fine. I forgive you."
He sat down beside her, took her hand, and slipped a custom diamond ring onto her finger. "Do you like it? I'm also having someone draw up plans for a new wedding ceremony. As long as you hand off the rare disease project to Elowen, you'll still be Mrs. Blackthorne in name and title."
So after all that circling, it still came back to Elowen.
Scarlett slowly withdrew her hand, pulled off the ring, and set it on the table. "If it weren't for Elowen, would you have even remembered today was our anniversary?"
Cassian's expression soured as he leaned back in his chair. "Scarlett, I'm discussing this with you out of respect for what we once had. Don't refuse kindness and invite punishment."
A cold smile tugged at Scarlett's lips. How delusional he was to think he still held any power over her.
The door suddenly swung open.
Verity burst in, her eyes blazing with fury.
She grabbed a wine glass and smashed it over Cassian's head. "You really think you're the only man in the world? Without you, our Scarlett could have as many men as she wants!"
Cassian, who prided himself on being a gentleman, didn't dare fight back.
Scarlett set down her glass and looked coldly at Cassian, whose head was now streaming with blood. "Let's go. I'll take you to the hospital."
As much as she loathed him, the divorce hadn't been finalized yet. He couldn't have an incident just yet.
Scarlett took a photo of Cassian's bloodied face and sent a message to Elowen.
Scarlett: Location.
Elowen: What happened to Cassian?
Scarlett ignored her, locked her phone, and said casually to Cassian, "Elowen will come take care of you in a bit."
Cassian's forehead was wrapped in gauze. He frowned at her words. "Your friend just attacked me, and you're washing your hands of it? You're making a sick woman come take care of me instead?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes internally. "What else do you want?"
"You should stay and take care of me, obviously," Cassian said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Elowen is both a patient and not my wife. Why should she have to look after me?"
Scarlett was almost amused enough to laugh. She turned and walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Cassian demanded, his voice rising. "You're just going to leave me here alone in the hospital?"
When the same thing happened to him, suddenly he couldn't stand it.
But how many times had he abandoned her for Elowen's sake?
Right on cue, the door opened. Elowen appeared in the doorway, holding Ryan's hand, her expression full of concern. Scarlett couldn't help but think that Elowen and the Blackthorne father and son looked more like a family of three than she ever had with them.
The cold edge to Scarlett's smile deepened. "Since you're here, I'll be going."
As soon as she left the hospital, her assistant called.
"Ms. Vale, the ribbon-cutting for the Hearthlight Initiative is all set. Tomorrow, both the press and the beneficiaries will be in attendance. I've scheduled the ceremony at the grand ballroom. Does that work for you?"
"Perfect. Thank you for all your hard work," Scarlett said warmly.
Her assistant laughed lightly. "If the ceremony goes well, from now on, whenever people think of the Hearthlight Initiative, you'll be the first person they remember."
Scarlett felt his excitement. "Exactly. I want everyone to remember who founded this project, and to understand the true business value of Scarlett Vale."
Aksara