Am sorry Lucian...

As they neared the company, Scarlet shifted in her seat, withdrawing her gaze from the scenery and glanced at Bryan. "You can't drop me off at the company entrance. Stop a little distance away."

Bryan raised a brow but complied, slowing down the car. "Why?"

She sighed. "I don't want my colleagues asking questions. Besides, your car isn't exactly low-key. It'll attract unnecessary attention."

Bryan lips curled upwardly. Some other ladies would have preferred to be taken into their office being in such a car but she chooses to stop some distance away. He scored her in his heart.

"But isn't it possible to have a friend with such car?" He asked.

She let out a tired chuckle. "I have enough on my plate already so I will pass"

The car rolled to a stop at a quieter street near the company. Scarlet reached for the door handle but paused briefly.

"Also," she added, "I'll be crashing with my friend Mario for a few days. I hope your Boss won't mind?"

Bryan tensed, gripping the wheel, he didn't know how to break the news of not returning with his Boss wife. "Why?"

A mocking smile played on her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I never signed up for this marriage. But since their lives were on the line, I had no choice."

Bryan studied her carefully. There was something heavy in her voice—resentment, exhaustion, and perhaps a trace of bitterness.

Probably she had been there to be married to someone else but mistakenly he had taken the document to her. Seems fate has a hand in this journey.

She exhaled, rubbing her temple. "I just need time to calm my mind and slowly accept the reality."

Bryan nodded lightly. He could see it—this wasn't just some rebellious act. She truly hadn't wanted this. Yet, she bore it with quiet strength.

As she reached for the door again, he spoke, his voice softer this time. "Scarlet."

She turned to him.

"I don't know what you've been through, but…" He hesitated before continuing, "You seem like a good person. And for what it's worth, I hope Boss gives you a fair chance."

Scarlet blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his sincerity. But what she didn't know was that Bryan hopes his boss will not press for divorce because she is not the intended bride.

She gave a small nod before stepping out of the car. "Thanks, Bryan."

"You're welcome, do you need me to come around to take you to your friends house?" He asked.

"There's no need, I will cope." She said.

He watched as she walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Bryan didn't know why, but something about Scarlet told him she was the right woman for his boss. Maybe it was the way she carried herself despite the weight of her circumstances, or the quiet resilience in her voice. Whatever it was, he had a feeling that she would change things—whether his boss liked it or not.

Scarlet, on the other hand, felt lighter after talking to Bryan. The tension that had been suffocating since the night before had started to lift, even if just a little.

That was just who she was—talking to someone always helped her release pressures of life—be it work, family or life.

But then she had never found consolation in her so-called family. Not once had they offered her warmth or comfort or even bothered to care about what she is going through.

Instead, her peace and consolation she always derived from outsiders—people like Lucian (her online friend), Mario, and now Bryan. He seemed like a genuinely good person.

"It is really ridiculous", she thought as a bitter smile danced on her lips.

She sighed, shaking her head. No use thinking about it now.

As Scarlet walked toward the office, her thoughts swirled like a storm drifting from one problem to another. She didn't want to think further because her head is already aching.

She exhaled sharply, " I'll stay with Mario for a few days… then go home to Boss and see what the future holds but what do I expect when he is a boss to the loan sharks" She mused.

Home? The word left a bitter taste in her mouth. Could she even call it that? Would it be a place of peace, or just another prison where she had no control over her own life?

She shivered lightly at the thought of spending the day and night with a man who will dictate her life for possible as long as she is live but then —how certain is it that she won't be sold again.

Her pace quickened. The closer she got to the office, the more she tried to suppress her thoughts. There was no use worrying about things she couldn't change.

For now, she just had to survive and tomorrow? Tomorrow will take care of itself.

After Bryan dropped Scarlet off near the company, he pressed down the throttle and sped past her with a whoosh. Within minutes, he arrived the Sterling Group.

He drove to the underground parking lot and took the CEO elevator to his office, his breathing coming in gasps as he can't wait to explain the situation.

"Sir, ...." Lucian raised his hand for him to hold on as he is on a call.

His fingers drumming rhythmically against the polished surface of the desk. His expression was unreadable, but the sharp glint in his eyes sent a chill through Bryan.

He leaned back in his chair, "Oh? Do go ahead. I'm dying to hear why my supposed bride and fiancée never showed up to sign our marriage certificate after we both agreed to it."

There wasa brief silence on the phone, followed by a hesitant sigh. "I had an emergency that needed me and I had to leave the country on a last minute notice", the lady said with a calm tone.

Lucian chuckled at the response, his eyes dancing with amusement "An emergency, you say? ...And yet, you didn't think it was necessary or wise to inform me?

"Lucian, I did plan to inform you but..." The lady stammered over the phone.

"But what? Abandoning our marriage registration at the last moment even when we had unanimously agreed to that?" Lucian asked, his tone a way too calm that it sent shivers down Bryan spine.

It was clear the lady was Scarlet Robert. Now it made sense why it never occurred to him they might be a mistake. She had abandoned the marriage registration with informing his Boss.

"Am sorry Lucian but It wasn't my intention to abandon it. I—", she said with bit of frustration tinged in her voice.

"Well, no need for being sorry. It is all for the best." He smirked.

"What do you mean, Lucian? She asked, fear settling in her tone at his words. Lucian is never someone to let go easily unless...

"What I meant is clear, you abandoned it and thanks to your little stunt, someone else signed in your place though by a mistake but I am happy and grateful she had."

"What?!" She shrieked, her voice so loud on the phone that Lucian has to take the phone away from his ears to save his ear drum.

Having achieved the result he wanted. He ended the call.