And she indeed had played with daggers in front of him before.

Therefore, the "maid" he was referring to... could only be her.

A surge of burning fury rose in Scarlett's chest, her hands clenching into tight fists hidden beneath her sleeves.

【What do you mean even a maid can do it? That's way too insulting, isn't it?】

The chat immediately began defending her, outraged by the comment.

"You don't believe me? Maybe I'll let my maid demonstrate it for you next time..."

The suffocating anger completely consumed Scarlett. Her entire body trembled, and unable to take it anymore, she abruptly terminated the live feed.

Blinded by fury, her first instinct was to go and confront Ethan immediately.

But her phone suddenly rang, the screen flashing with a call from the Master.

"What happened with yesterday's mission?" The man's voice was freezing, instantly snapping Scarlett back to reality.

"There was a slight complication yesterday," she replied, a wave of disgust washing over her as she pictured the intimate display between those two.

"Don't worry, Master. It will be taken care of tonight."

…

The Midnight Lounge.

The lighting was dim and kaleidoscopic, and the music thundered through the walls, shaking the floor.

The air was thick with the heavy scent of alcohol and nicotine, and crowds of people packed the dance floor with their hands raised high, releasing their suppressed souls in the frantic rhythm.

Amidst the wild and reckless atmosphere, a man sitting in a secluded corner remained entirely unmoved.

He sat right in the center of a black leather sofa with his legs crossed, his posture relaxed as he coldly observed the writhing crowd before him.

Sebastian, the eldest heir of the billionaire dynasty, and Scarlett’s assassination target for tonight.

Wearing a provocative bodycon dress, she plastered a seductive smile across her face and walked up to strike a conversation: "Sir, may I buy you a drink?"

Sebastian cast a casual glance over her, his gaze carrying an immense weight that brought an invisible pressure crashing down on her.

Her file noted that the eldest heir of the family was cold-natured, ruthless, and entirely unpredictable.

While Scarlett maintained a flawless, composed expression, she couldn't be certain whether he would reject her.

"Sure," Sebastian's voice was crisp and cold, stabilizing her racing pulse.

A dangerous light flickered in his eyes as he raised his glass in invitation: "Have a seat."

"Thank you." With a graceful smile, she smoothly slid into the space beside him.

For tonight's mission, she had dressed up meticulously; her makeup was flawless, and her alluring outfit perfectly accentuated her stunning curves.

Right now, Scarlett sat so close to him that their clothes brushed against each other, allowing his body heat to transfer across the thin fabric.

Sensing her proximity, Sebastian arched an eyebrow: "Miss, you're sitting a bit too close."

"Am I?" She leaned in closer to his ear, her tone deliberately teasing: "Don't you like it?"

Sebastian's breath hitched slightly, his eyes locking onto her.

In the dim, flashing lights of the lounge, no one noticed the subtle flick of her finger, sending a stream of white powder slipping into the cocktail glass.

Sebastian's gaze turned incredibly deep and hazardous: "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Does a girl need to know your identity just to share a drink with you?" Scarlett chuckled softly and pulled back a fraction, casually picking up two glasses from the table and handing one to him.

Sebastian let out a faint smirk, but instead of taking the one she offered, he reached out and snatched the other glass right out of her hand.

Her files said he was highly suspicious, and they were completely right.

But she had anticipated this exact move; the glass he just confiscated was the one she had actually laced.

Scarlett clinked her glass against his, raising it to her lips to drink.

She watched closely as Sebastian brought the rim of his glass to his lips, but before he could take a sip, a voice suddenly shattered the air: "Scarlett? What the hell are you doing here?"

Chapter 3

Scarlett froze. When she turned to look, she wondered how on earth it could be Ethan again.

How could he be here?

Scarlett's brows knitted in a frown. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Chloe beside him asking in utter shock.

"Sister, are you working here as a hostess?"

Scarlett’s heart sank, and she instinctively denied it: "No, I'm..."

But the rest of the explanation died in her throat; she couldn't explain it.

Seeing her silence, Ethan's gaze turned increasingly freezing: "No wonder your money came so quickly lately. So you've been..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the intense disgust written across his face said everything.

Scarlett understood exactly what he meant, and a bitter chill seeped into her heart.

She let out a cold laugh, looking at Chloe beside Ethan: "Then what is she to you?"

Ethan's eyes instantly darted away in guilt, stammering out a vague excuse: "She's my sister."

Sister—what a convenient excuse.

If she hadn't witnessed their high-profile display of affection with her own eyes earlier, she would still be kept completely in the dark right now.

"What are you doing here?" Scarlett looked away, unable to bear the sight of their intimacy for another second.

Chloe, however, said delicately: "Please don't be mad, Sister. It's all my fault. I was the one who invited Brother out tonight."

"He’s been working himself to the bone trying to manage the bankruptcy, and he was just so exhausted. I only wanted him to unwind a little."

He was exhausted? Scarlett stared at Ethan’s perfectly healthy, radiant complexion, a heavy lump forming in her throat.

Ever since she heard about the bankruptcy, she had been working herself to the bone day and night, juggling two jobs entirely on her own.

Meanwhile, Ethan was merely pretending to go out and stress over work, when in reality, he was still frequenting high-end luxury establishments with the elite golden boys of his social circle, squandering fortunes.

If he was exhausted, he was probably just exhausted from partying too hard.

Sebastian, who had remained silent the entire time, swirled the liquor in his glass. Looking at their tightly interlocked hands, he suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

"What an incredibly devoted sister..."

Ethan snapped a freezing glare at him, clearly intending to confront him, but the moment he recognized the man's face, his expression shifted drastically.

The tension in his brow instantly vanished: "Sir. I see this is all just a misunderstanding."

"My wife doesn't know any better and caused a scene. I'll take her home right away."

Sebastian casually placed the laced glass back onto the table, making a generous gesture that indicated they were free to leave.

Yet, a mocking smile played on his lips as he added: "Actually, I find your wife to be quite fascinating."

The dynasty family was an elite powerhouse sitting on a tier far above Ethan's family. Even though Ethan was deeply displeased by the comment, he didn't dare to utter a single word of protest.

Ethan nodded stiffly, turning around to grab Scarlett's hand tightly: "We're leaving."

He acted with absolute entitlement, causing a surge of fury to erupt in her chest. She also realized that tonight's mission was completely compromised.

Scarlett violently flung his hand off, her face a mask of absolute detachment: "I can walk out on my own."

She left without looking back, completely unaware that behind her, Sebastian's eyes tracked her retreating figure with a sharp, calculating gleam.

…

Upon returning home, Ethan maintained a freezing expression and refused to give Scarlett a single good look, but she completely ignored him.

The next afternoon, she initiated her livestream exactly as usual.

"Today's livestream will be demonstrating the technique of throwing leaves to slice objects."

Scarlett picked up a few fresh green leaves and angled the camera down toward her hands.

On the screen, her hands appeared fair, slender, and elegant, with distinct knuckles. The faint trace of veins and thin calluses didn't look coarse at all; instead, they added an undeniable aesthetic of lethal power.

Right now, she held her fingers perfectly straight, pinching a single green leaf between them.

The leaf trembled slightly, appearing incredibly soft and flexible. Yet, in the next fraction of a second, with a sudden twist and a lightning-fast flick of her wrist, the leaf shot forward and buried itself deep into the solid wooden target.

The comment section went dead silent for a brief second before exploding with activity:

【Everyone, step aside, let me worship those hands first!】

【Oh my god!!! I am absolutely obsessed with those hands!!!】

Scarlett ignored the flooding comments, preparing to continue her explanation, but she was suddenly interrupted by a loud system notification: 【User... has sent ten virtual skyscrapers!】

She blinked in surprise, looking closer at the screen.

An account with a default, randomized username was continuously sending incredibly expensive gifts. The automated special effects flooded the screen in a relentless sequence, causing her computer interface to lag for a brief moment.