As Ethan spoke, the phone in his pocket rang. Scarlett immediately put the necklace down and pressed her hand against his wrist. "Ethan, you promised today would be just for me."

At this, a flash of malice crossed her eyes. She had thought Ethan truly cared for her. To her surprise, when he returned from abroad, he had said seriously:

"Scarlett, given the current situation, it’s not suitable for you and Clara to live under the same roof. I’ll send you and Mrs. Barker back first, and we’ll figure things out once she calms down."

But how could she be satisfied with being chased away again?

Ethan looked at the name "Assistant Zhang" on the screen and frowned slightly. "It might be urgent business at the company..."

"What could be more important than me?" Scarlett poked his chest playfully, her eyes full of grievance. "Sister hates me; she can only be happy with you if I’m gone. Just consider today your compensation to me, okay?"

Thinking of Clara’s hostility toward her, Ethan went silent for a moment before finally nodding. Just as he was about to put the phone away, it rang urgently again. Scarlett was quick, snatching it and hanging up.

Before Ethan could speak, it rang a third time. Scarlett frowned and simply hit the answer button. Assistant Zhang’s voice came through:

"Mr. Miller, it’s bad! The mistress has been in a car accident..."

Hearing it was about Clara, her fingers tightened instinctively. Before the other side could finish, she interrupted with deliberate arrogance.

"Ethan said today is only for me. Even if the sky is falling, wait until tomorrow. Don't disturb us!"

She hung up, switched off the phone, and stuffed it into her bag.

But the unease in Ethan’s heart was growing. Assistant Zhang was a professional; unless it was an emergency, he would never disturb him on a non-working day. Now, he had called several times in a row.

Just as Ethan was about to ask for his phone back, Scarlett took his arm and shook it with a smile.

"There, now no one can bother us. Let’s go look over there. How about we buy a new outfit for Sister? Maybe she’ll forgive me if she’s happy."

Looking at her excitement, Ethan’s unease gradually subsided. Lately, he and Clara had argued countless times because of Scarlett. He vowed in his heart that once he sent Scarlett away, his debt would be fully paid. From then on, he only wanted to make it up to Clara.

He spent the entire day shopping with Scarlett. Ethan was so exhausted that he leaned back in the restaurant chair, barely having the strength to lift his hand.

As the waiter set dinner on the table, Scarlett smiled and summoned a server, uncharacteristically ordering a bottle of red wine.

"Ethan, thank you for staying with me."

"I know it’ll be hard to see you after today. I’d like to toast you."

Ethan didn't think twice, taking it and drinking it in one go. Scarlett then toasted him again and again. Soon, a strong wave of dizziness washed over him, and the lights began to spin. He tried to stand by bracing himself against the table, but his body felt weak. Scarlett caught his arm.

"Ethan, you’ve had too much. I’ll take you back."

Ethan felt a feverish heat throughout his body. He could only let her support him into a room, where he collapsed onto the large, soft bed. In his haze, he felt someone sitting by the bed, slender fingers sliding down his shirt buttons.

Thinking it was Clara, his voice was husky.

"Clara... I knew you wouldn't leave me."

The woman’s movements paused for a split second before she pressed down on him.

"Ethan, I’ve always been here."

The woman’s cool body temperature made him lose control. He began hurriedly removing her clothes when a heavy scent of perfume hit his nostrils. Ethan snapped back to a semblance of sobriety and grabbed the woman’s wrist.

"Who are you?!"

Scarlett’s wrist hurt from his grip. She struggled to look up, her eyes instantly turning red.

"Ethan, you kept saying you were hot. I just wanted to use a wet towel to wipe you down and make you more comfortable..."

Ethan looked around and realized he was in a hotel room. He shoved Scarlett away, stumbled into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on his face. The biting cold finally brought him back to his senses.

When he stepped out of the bathroom after changing, Scarlett was still sitting by the bed, looking at him with red eyes as if she had been deeply wronged. Thinking of his loss of control just now, Ethan felt a sudden wave of guilt. His throat felt tight.

"Just now... I mistook you for someone else. I’m going back."

He didn't dare look into Scarlett’s eyes as he spoke and practically fled the room. He didn't notice the resentful, unwilling glare from the woman behind him.

The black Rolls-Royce sped through the night. Ethan leaned back, his mind a mess and his heart full of dread. It wasn't until the car stopped at the villa that he took a deep breath and hurried into the courtyard.

Hearing the door, Assistant Zhang, who was sitting on the steps, looked up sharply.

"Mr. Miller, something has happened!"

Chapter 10

When Scarlett caught up, this was the scene she encountered. Her heart tightened, and she immediately rushed forward to demand:

"Assistant Zhang, didn't I tell you? No matter how big the matter is, it has to wait until tomorrow. What exactly are you trying to do by coming to the house to corner someone?"

Because of her nervousness, her voice rose sharply, making her seem like a completely different person from her usual gentle self.

The unease in Ethan’s heart grew even stronger. He shoved Scarlett aside, grabbed Assistant Zhang’s arm, and asked urgently:

"What exactly happened? Speak!"

Assistant Zhang stole a glance at Scarlett and gritted his teeth. "Mr. Miller, the mistress... she’s been in a car accident!"

"But no one was found at the crash site, and the nearby surveillance footage was destroyed. I couldn't get through to your phone, so I could only rush here to wait for you."

Hearing this, Ethan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. While he was out shopping with Scarlett today and ignoring Assistant Zhang’s calls, he had actually missed such a massive tragedy. Fury rushed to his head as he pointed at Assistant Zhang and roared:

"If you couldn't get through, couldn't you come find me? Are you a blockhead? Couldn't you think of a way to contact me?!"

Assistant Zhang trembled under the verbal assault and defended himself in a small voice:

"I told Miss Scarlett over the phone, and she was the one who told me not to disturb you. But this matter was too big; I really couldn't rest easy, so I dared to come to the gates to wait for you..."

Ethan whipped his head around, looking at Scarlett in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

The moment the question left his mouth, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind. Scarlett had repeatedly stopped him from answering the phone; could it be...

Scarlett was frightened by his icy gaze and took a step back, immediately squeezing out a few tears. "Ethan, don't listen to his nonsense. He’s just trying to shift the blame to me because he failed his responsibilities. I had no idea Sister was in a car accident!"

Assistant Zhang tapped a few times on his screen, and a recording immediately began to play.

"Mr. Miller, it’s bad! The mistress has been in a car accident..."

Following that was Scarlett’s arrogant voice: "Ethan said today is only for me. Even if the sky is falling, wait until tomorrow. Don't disturb us!"

Assistant Zhang gripped his phone, his tone resolute. "Mr. Miller, I record all important calls. Miss Scarlett, these were your exact words at the time."

Scarlett’s face turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled, and for a long time, she couldn't utter a single complete sentence. "Ethan, listen to my explanation, I..."

"I just didn't want to be disturbed at the time. I didn't know..."

But no matter how she defended herself, her words were hollow. Looking at her like this, Ethan’s rage finally exploded. He turned and shouted to the butler, "Take Scarlett inside! No one is allowed to let her out without my permission!"

Finding Clara was the most urgent priority now; as for the reckoning with Scarlett, he would settle it with her slowly.

Ethan rushed to the accident scene. When he saw the vehicle, mangled beyond recognition, his heart felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing it tight. The car body was twisted and deformed, with glass shards scattered everywhere. With a crash like this, Clara...

Ethan didn't dare think further, but his fingertips trembled uncontrollably. "Assistant Zhang, has she been found?"

Assistant Zhang lowered his head, his voice heavy. "Mr. Miller, we’ve searched every hospital in the city. They all say they haven't admitted anyone named Clara Miller."