Explanation...

Chatting loudly, the ladies made their way back to Mario's cozy living room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Mario and Mirabel settled on the couch while Scarlet disappeared into the kitchen to prepare a cup of warm milk for them all.

She knew that after this discussion, exhaustion would take over, and they'd likely doze off. But even as she moved about the kitchen, her thoughts spiraled endlessly around the pressing problem before her—living with Lucian, working with him, dining with him.

She shivered at the mere thought. She had always prayed for a good husband, someone with a stable livelihood, someone with whom she could share responsibilities and love. She never dreamed of marrying into wealth, nor did she possess any high qualifications or the status of an heiress. All she had ever wanted was a peaceful, loving home.

The sharp whistling of the boiling kettle yanked her from her thoughts. With a slow, deliberate motion, she prepared the milk and carefully carried the cups into the sitting room, placing one beside each of them.

Just as she was about to sit down, Mario's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"No, no, no. You stay standing." She smirked mischievously.

Scarlet didn't need to be told—she was in for a long night. Glancing at the clock, which now read 12:00 a.m., she smirked back. "Talking about me might make you late for work tomorrow, you know."

Mario waved off her concern. "That's a small price to pay. I could even give up this month's bonus if it means getting to the root of the matter."

Scarlet blinked, momentarily stumped by her friend's determination.

"You don't have to worry about the bonus, Mar. I have enough dividends to cover several months of it," Mirabel chimed in.

Scarlet sighed, feeling a slight headache coming on. "Fine, I'll tell you. But I have to sit down—I've been on my feet all evening." Her lips pouted in a childish manner, something she only did around her close friends.

For years, Scarlet had been forced to take on multiple roles—guardian, daughter, employee. But only with Mario and Mirabel, and perhaps Lucian—her online friend—could she let her true self emerge.

"Alright, sit," Mario conceded with a teasing smirk. "Let it not be said that a minor staff member is forcing her boss lady to stand."

Scarlet rolled her eyes but gratefully sank into the chair. Taking a sip of her milk, she set the cup down and stared into the distance, her mind replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours.

"Yesterday," she began, "I had just finished work and was heading home. I had already told Mario about my plan to move out and get a place of my own, away from my adoptive family. But then, Ruby texted me."

She paused, her expression turning cold. "I still have the message on my phone. She urged me to return home because our parents were being held hostage."

Mario and Mirabel exchanged shocked glances but remained silent, allowing Scarlet to continue.

"I wasn't expecting it," Scarlet admitted with a bitter chuckle. "I thought that after everything I had done for them, there would at least be some sense of responsibility or care. But I was wrong."

Her fingers tightened around her cup.

"When I got home, I found them being held captive by loan sharks. I've been paying off their debts for some time now, but they just keep borrowing more and more." She exhaled heavily. "And to make matters worse, my mother and father came to a unanimous decision—they agreed with the loan shark's boss that I would marry as repayment for the loan."

"What?!" the two ladies shrieked in unison.

"Unbelievable!"

Mario and Mirabel gawked at Scarlet, their expressions a mix of disbelief and fury.

"You mean Pauline Winter actually traded you to pay off their debt?" Mario's voice was laced with pain, hurt, and disappointment.

Scarlet nodded. Mario clenched her fists, struggling to process everything Scarlet had endured. Mirabel, on the other hand, felt a pang of guilt for not being there when Scarlet needed her most.

"So what happened next? How did you end up as Lucian's wife?" Mirabel pressed, unable to fathom the turn of events.

Scarlet let out a humorless laugh. "That's the funniest and scariest part," she said, shaking her head. "When I arrived at the marriage registration center, a young man handed me the marriage documents and explained that his boss was too busy to attend the registration."

"What?" Mario and Mirabel exclaimed again.

"I didn't think much of it at the time," Scarlet continued, "so I signed the papers. Only for me to discover—at the banquet hall tonight—that the man I had married was Lucian Sterling."

Scarlet shrugged, a deep sigh escaping her lips. She was just as bewildered as they were. Why, of all people, did it have to be Lucian?

Mario and Mirabel sat in stunned silence for a moment. Then, Mirabel burst into laughter.

"You mean this happened just tonight?"

Scarlet nodded.

"You are truly fated with him," Mirabel teased, nudging her playfully. "What kind of luck is this? Marrying your online friend without even knowing it?"

Mario remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Scarlet as she processed the situation.

They continued chatting for a while longer before finally calling it a night. After a warm bath, they each retired to bed.

~The Next Morning~

Scarlet was jolted awake by the persistent ringing of her phone. Groggily, she reached for it, but the moment she saw the caller ID, her heart plummeted.

Pauline Winter.

The phone continued to ring, each vibration sending a wave of unease through her. After a brief moment of hesitation, she decided to ignore the call. But it didn't stop. Different numbers flashed across her screen—her father, Ruby, unknown numbers.

Scarlet let out a slow breath, coming to one chilling conclusion.

"The loan sharks have come for reckoning."

Her eyes darted around Mario's apartment, a wave of regret washing over her. What if they came here? What if she had put Mario in danger by staying the night?

"If I had gone home with Lucian last night," she mused bitterly, "maybe—just maybe—he would have taken care of this."

Determined to leave before trouble arrived, she hurriedly got ready for work. Mario, who had been watching her with concern, finally spoke up.

"Scar, will you be okay?" Her voice was laced with worry.

Scarlet forced a smile. "I'll be fine."

She knew this was her battle to fight. She had no right to involve Mario or anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, she approached the front door. Slowly, she unlatched the lock and pulled it open.

Her breath hitched.

Her handbag slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

And there, standing right before her, was the last thing she had expected.