Pausing for a beat, she shifted her tone: "What do you need me to do?"

"Who is the target? Who am I looking for?"

Sebastian's gaze darkened significantly: "I came here specifically for you."

He scanned the surroundings, ensuring they were entirely alone before dropping his voice to a whisper: "It concerns your mentor."

Scarlett froze in place.

An issue regarding her mentor?

Sebastian nodded: "While I was investigating that jade amulet, I unearthed some rather intriguing information."

Her heart stopped for a fraction of a second.

The amulet was the sole heirloom left by her mentor; why was Sebastian looking into it?

She took the documents from him, freezing completely as her eyes swept across the pages.

The final contract that had claimed her mentor's life was a hit targeting Ethan.

"And my men just discovered the remains of the amulet's owner buried right inside the garden of Ethan's villa."

Chapter 9

Scarlett’s heart felt as though it had been struck by a cannonball, blown into jagged pieces.

She stared blankly at the words, unable to comprehend a single syllable.

Everything around her faded away, as if she had suddenly severed all connection with this world.

Where was Ethan?

She needed to confront him; she had to demand a clear answer from him!

With that single thought driving her, she violently rushed out, running straight into Ethan, who was just about to leave.

Disregarding everything, she lunged at him, her voice a piercing shriek:

"Ten years ago, on September twenty-seventh, someone tried to assassinate you, didn't they?"

Ethan was terrified by the freezing madness in Scarlett’s eyes. He instinctively tried to push her away, asking, "What are you talking about?"

She grabbed him fiercely, shaking him violently as she forced him to face her: "Answer me!"

"The corpse in the villa's back garden—was that your doing?"

Ethan, who had initially just been shocked, immediately lost all color in his face upon hearing her words.

"What the hell are you talking about!" He grabbed her hands, forcing her to let go, a warning glare in his eyes. "What corpse? What do you mean corpse? Stop being insane!"

His grip was iron-tight, his nails digging into her skin.

Yet Scarlett couldn't feel the pain.

Despite his denial, she had been by his side for so long that she could naturally read the intense guilt written all over him.

There was no need to verify any further; it was him.

Staring at his face, she felt a profound ache, a crushing agony that shattered through every bone in her body.

Her grip loosened involuntarily.

She threw her head back and laughed bitterly, mocking her own absurdity.

The lover she had once cherished was actually the murderer of her mentor!

With pain and hatred violently intertwining, she casually drew three daggers from her sleeves and flung them straight at Ethan.

The daggers embedded into the wall with a sharp, echoing clang.

"Ah—" Ethan shouted in terror at the same instant, collapsing to his knees.

Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Blinded by a sudden surge of fury, the chaotic collision of grief and hatred in her heart caused her usually flawless, supernatural precision to miss its mark.

"Are you out of your mind?" The daggers had sliced past Ethan's neck before burying themselves in the wall, his eyes wide with absolute horror.

Looking at Ethan’s pathetic state, Scarlett’s fury boiled over even further, her hand reaching for another blade to finish him.

But someone caught her arm, halting her strike.

A warm embrace suddenly enveloped her, solid and secure, mirroring the comforting presence of her late mentor, holding her tightly in his arms.

Sebastian gently patted her back, whispering softly against her ear, "Cry."

At that exact moment, her burning fury dissolved into a deeper, hollow despair, and a piercing, agonizing sob tore from her throat as she collapsed against his chest, weeping uncontrollably.

Hidden away in a dark corner unnoticed by anyone, a smartphone screen flashed silently, capturing the entire scene.

…

When she woke up again, she found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

The decor was minimalist and low-key, yet every corner exuded an understated, exquisite luxury.

It was likely Sebastian's residence.

She had apparently cried herself to sleep last night, losing consciousness right in Sebastian's arms.

A jolt of shock went through Scarlett as her logical mind snapped back into place.

She unlocked her phone to check if anyone had pried into it, only to find her own name plastered right at the top of the internet's trending search boards.

A dreadful premonition flooded her chest, and the moment she clicked on the video, her heart plummeted.

Last night, her throwing daggers and breaking down in Sebastian's arms had been recorded and leaked online.

The video was meticulously framed; Ethan's face was completely obscured, and Sebastian was reduced to a mere silhouette from behind, but her own face was exposed entirely.

The netizens had acted with terrifying speed, unearthing not only the old profile from her streaming days but also uncovering the fact that she had a husband.

"Damn it..."

Scarlett saw Sebastian's name beginning to surface in the comment section, her heart sinking to a freezing depth.

How did they even manage to dig him up...

Her fingers slid across the screen as she pondered her next move, preparing to record a video statement to clarify the situation.

Suddenly, an incoming call disrupted her screen.

That sequence of deeply familiar digits...

It was Ethan.

Chapter 10

Scarlett's brows knitted in frustration as she answered the call.

"You..."

Before she could finish, Ethan's furious roar boomed through the receiver: "Scarlett, what the hell was going on between you and Sebastian yesterday?!"

"Why the hell was he holding you?!"

His voice was incredibly loud, laced with an uncontrollable, volatile irritation.

Listening to him, she only found him utterly juvenile.

"Ethan," she replied with a cold laugh, "we are already divorced. I owe you absolutely no explanations."

With that, she made a move to terminate the call, but her hand suddenly grew light.

The distinct scent of cologne drifted past her nose as Sebastian's voice rang out, detached yet carrying an ironclad authority: "Whoever is fueling this online storm behind the scenes, the dynasty corporation will prosecute them to the absolute fullest extent of the law!"

His chest pressed flush against her back, vibrating slightly as he spoke, to the point where she could feel the subtle shift of his clothes.

Too close...

Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat.

Instinctively, she pulled back to create some distance between them.

"Young Master, I am incredibly sorry for dragging you into this..." Ethan was still rambling on the other end.

Except his attitude had done a complete three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn.

He was now being cautious, fawning over Sebastian and offering groveling apologies for involving him, practically begging the man to show mercy and spare him.

A profound chill settled in her heart as she listened.

To think that she had once considered an opportunistic, bootlicking coward like Ethan to be her true love?

Thank goodness she had walked away from him...

An amused, mocking look crossed Scarlett’s eyes.

Sebastian cut Ethan off mid-sentence: "It's not because of that."

Ethan blinked, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"

"The corporation will be suing you for hiring paid internet trolls to cyberbully Scarlett." Sebastian kept his eyes locked on her as he spoke.

Scarlett arched an eyebrow, her eyes widening with genuine surprise.

Was Sebastian... fighting her battles for her?

Staring at him, she felt a strange warmth bloom in her chest.

Ethan's stammering voice echoed through the speaker, "You're standing up for Scarlett? The two of you..."

But before he could utter another word, Sebastian干脆利落 hung up the phone.

He handed the device back to her, his long lashes lowering slightly, the jewel-encrusted cufflinks on his sleeves catching the sunlight with a sharp gleam.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I'm helping myself," Sebastian stated with absolute seriousness.

Hearing those words, a sudden tremor ran through Scarlett’s heart.

Helping her meant helping himself...

What on earth did that mean?

Sebastian reached into his coat and drew out the jade amulet.

The piece was flawlessly translucent, its reflection beneath the sunlight rippling like a quiet expanse of green water.

He placed the jade amulet gently into the palm of Scarlett's hand, his voice steady: "I will handle the situation regarding Ethan."

"Consider it a mutual arrangement. I help you once, and you help me once."

"It just so happens that I need to secure a marriage, so we will step forward under the guise of a fake couple."

The jade felt slightly cool against her skin, but the weight of it in her palm felt like a thousand pounds, causing her heart to sink.

He wanted her to act as his fake wife?

Sebastian was notorious for being volatile and fiercely calculated; no one had ever been able to read his true intentions.

"Are you in that much of a hurry to get married?" Scarlett asked, staring intently into Sebastian's eyes, her curiosity piqued.