Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 244

As Scarlette stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into Clara, who was heading downstairs to toss out the trash. Scarlette quickly adjusted her collar and smoothed her hair, trying to keep it together. She hadn't realized Clara had already caught a glimpse of them in the club's private room last time.

Clara felt awkward too, thinking she must have picked the worst timing ever to take out the trash. Trying to break the tension, Clara said, "I parked your car in the garage. I'll hand you the keys in a bit."

Usually calm and collected, Scarlette found it hard to keep her cool this time. She was well aware of Nicholas's possessive streak. If he left marks on purpose, they'd linger for a week. And tonight, she wasn't even wearing a turtleneck, so Clara must have seen everything.

Scarlette wanted to explain, but the nature of her relationship with Nicholas was tough to put into words. Sensing the discomfort, Clara quickly stepped into the elevator. "I'll just go dump the trash. You should head back inside."

Scarlette exhaled a sigh of relief and gave a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Back in her apartment, Scarlette rushed to the bathroom mirror, her fears confirmed by the marks on her neck. She checked her phone and saw a message from Morgan, which drained her instantly. If Nicholas kept this up, it would surely ruin things with Morgan.

From their school days to now, Nicholas had been the cause of so many of her broken relationships. At first, she thought it was just him being overly controlled by the Greenard family, plus his clinginess and insecurity, worried she'd abandon him if she started dating.

Scarlette had always been mature for her age, knowing exactly what she wanted. Growing up in the Greenard household, she was acutely aware of her precarious position, so she worked hard at school, excelling in both academics and skills. The truth was, she didn't much like the Greenard family's vibe. Everyone seemed to look at her as if she was an outsider. From a young age, she had to be exceptionally nice to Nicholas to prove her worth to the family.

but spending so much time together softened her resolve, making her care for him more than she intended. But Nicholas seemed to grow

had been whispers about Nicholas's feelings for Scarlette, which would've been scandalous given their pseudo-sibling relationship and Scarlette being raised by the

texts, as they were often just him talking to himself. She

sent a photo of himself this time. As inappropriate as it was, she couldn't

[Nicholas, are you nuts?]

fighting the urge to block him again. His call

"Hey sis, you home?"

times she lectured him, he seemed to forget instantly, calling her like nothing happened. Scarlette gave a curt "Yeah," puzzled

you doing?" she

care? You lit the fire and won't put it out. Can't I handle

utterly powerless. She abruptly ended the call, feeling her

doorbell rang. Composing herself, she opened the door to find Clara, returning her car keys. Clara's gaze fell on Scarlette's phone, and only then did Scarlette realize

her gaze, calmly handing over the keys. "Goodnight." Then

breath. She recalled the media's sensational reports about how the Greenard siblings had supposedly turned against each other, unaware of the fiery reality behind closed