He likely intended to offer it as her compensation.

Scarlett quietly pulled her gaze away, only then noticing that Ethan had actually been staring at her for a long time.

She had altered her appearance, confident that he wouldn't be able to recognize her, so she simply pressed her lips together and turned to leave, vanishing into a corner out of his sight.

It was time to prepare for her assassination.

Just as Scarlett was about to act, the lights in the grand ballroom suddenly went out.

Her heart tightened as all her senses were instantly magnified.

Within a mere few breaths, a chorus of screams rang out alongside the sharp sound of shattering glass.

The lights flickered back on, and someone bellowed frantically: "The Chairman just fell from the upper floor!"

Scarlett didn't process the shock immediately. Could there have been another assassin at the scene who had beaten her to the strike?

Leaving her no time to overthink, the guests in the room scrambled to call for emergency services.

Scarlett used the ensuing chaos to make her exit, finding Sebastian's car already waiting for her downstairs.

The moment she stepped inside, he slid the gift box containing the amulet over to her: "You did well tonight."

Scarlett fell silent for a brief moment: "It wasn't my doing. There must have been another assassin hired by someone else at the scene."

Sebastian blinked in surprise, but he still pushed the jade amulet into her hands.

"Regardless, I bought this for you. Keeping it serves no purpose for me anyway, so it's yours."

Only then did Scarlett accept it, her heart filled with immense gratitude: "Thank you... I owe you a favor. Should you ever have a need in the future, don't hesitate to find me."

After parting ways, she reverted to her everyday appearance and returned home, only to find Ethan sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.

"Where have you been so late?" His voice lacked any of its past tenderness, leaving only an unvarnished chill.

She hadn't expected Ethan to beat her back, her movements slowing down as she changed her shoes.

"I went out to do a quick freelance gig tonight. Didn't I send you a message about it?"

Before heading to the gala, Scarlett had reported her schedule to Ethan, executing everything flawlessly.

Yet Ethan merely let out a cold scoff, rising to his feet and closing the distance between them step by step.

"Is that so? Then how is it that I saw you at the charity gala hosted by the Golden Light Group?"

Chapter 6

Scarlett froze.

She had clearly used a disguise, and she hadn't come anywhere near him during the event; how could he possibly have recognized her?

Scarlett feigned a bewildered expression: "What charity gala? We're bankrupt. How could I ever have the standing to attend an event like that?"

"Besides, why were you there?"

Ethan's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second before he muttered a vague excuse: "One of my family's old associates brought me along to introduce me to some new opportunities."

Immediately after, his eyes locked onto Scarlett with deep suspicion.

"I distinctly saw a woman with the exact same build as you, and she even got into Sebastian's car."

"Furthermore... you've met with Sebastian in private before, haven't you?"

As he spoke, he pulled up a photograph on his phone and thrust it in front of her face.

It was an image of Scarlett and Sebastian sitting together inside the private tea room.

Ethan stared at her fixedly, his eyes burning with intense fury.

"You claim you don't have the standing to attend a charity gala, yet you somehow have the standing to sit down and share tea with the crown prince of the dynasty family?"

"Back at the lounge, were you already planning on hooking up with him!"

Hearing his accusatory tone, Scarlett felt a heavy weight settle in her chest, but she smoothly adopted his own style of rhetoric to reply.

"I only wanted to ask if he could offer you an opportunity. I thought that perhaps he might be willing to help you build your empire back up."

A flash of panic suddenly darted through Ethan's eyes, and he issued a near-dictatorial demand.

"I don't need your help, and I certainly don't need his charity. Do not meet with him ever again!"

Seeming to realize his tone had been far too aggressive, he stepped forward and pulled her tightly into his embrace.

"Scarlett, I despise seeing you interact with other men, especially when it involves you begging on my behalf. It breaks my heart."

Staring at his seemingly sincere expression, Scarlett only found the display farcical and exhausting.

He wasn't acting out of possessiveness; he was simply terrified that Sebastian would expose his fraudulent bankruptcy right in front of her face.

Their marriage had deteriorated to a point where nothing remained but mutual deception, incapable of producing anything other than lies...

Scarlett pushed him away, fixing him with a look of pure disdain.

"Otherwise, what should I do? Rely on your five-thousand-a-month salary? When am I ever going to live like a wealthy wife again?"

"If you can't build your fortune back up, then stop wasting my time. Give me a divorce."

Ethan's expression solidified for a moment before he let out a harsh scoff.

"Divorce me so you can run straight to Sebastian, is that it? And you still claim there's nothing going on between the two of you?"

When he uttered those words, he seemed to have completely forgotten that he had his own childhood mistress right by his side.

He paused, his brow knitting as he added tightly.

"I will not grant you a divorce. Rest assured, it won't be long before I reclaim my empire and bring you back into high society."

In a little while? He likely meant whenever he grew bored of playing around with Chloe, at which point he would magically transform back into the wealthy young heir.

He probably assumed that when the time came, she would be utterly ecstatic, never questioning a single detail.

But she was done waiting, and she was done playing her part.

If he refused to grant a divorce, she possessed plenty of other methods to vanish from his world entirely.

The following day, Ethan appeared to have completely forgotten the unpleasantness of the previous night, taking the initiative to speak to her.

"My boss gave me a two-week advance on my salary. Let me take you out to a nice restaurant for dinner to make it up to you, okay?"

Recalling the phone call she had placed to the syndicate after returning to her room last night, Scarlett continued to play along with his charade: "Okay."

Ethan had specially reserved a private dining room. As he placed food into her bowl, he kept talking.

"Wife, just give me a little more time. Before long, I'll definitely restore you to the life we used to have."

"Didn't we both take vows on our wedding day to stay together for a lifetime..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the phone resting on the table began to ring.

The moment Scarlett caught sight of the name flashing on the screen, Ethan snatched the device away.

"I need to step outside to take a business call."

She chose not to shatter his clumsy lie. Yet, less than a minute later, his furious, gritting voice echoed from just outside the room.

"What do you mean the livestream requires recreating a kissing scene? I'm coming over right now... You are strictly forbidden from playing up a romantic angle with that male actor!"

In his lapse of control, the raw jealousy in his voice pierced straight through the door, striking her directly.

A brief silence followed outside before the sound of hurried, retreating footsteps faded away.

He hadn't even bothered to offer a parting word before abandoning her on the spot.

Scarlett opened her phone, immediately spotting the announcement Chloe had just posted on her streaming channel, stating that she would be hosting a live broadcast alongside a male co-star from her current production.

It was only then that she received a text message from Ethan.

【Scarlett, an urgent matter came up at the office and I have to rush over. I've already settled the bill, so enjoy your dinner in peace. I'll be back very soon!】

【When I return, I have something I need to confess to you.】

The corners of Scarlett's lips twisted into a mocking sliver of a smile. She didn't bother replying to his text, choosing instead to send a message to a completely unregistered number.

【Execute the plan. I want the world to never see Scarlett again.】

Chapter 7

Scarlett stayed behind to finish her meal alone.

Her phone rested by her hand, playing Chloe’s livestream.

She watched Chloe and her co-star sitting side-by-side on a sofa, answering questions during an interview and playing mini-games to recreate famous scenes from their show.