People did.
Howard looked at her for a moment, something like respect settling deeper in his chest.
This-this was why they followed her.
Without hesitation. Without doubt.
“Alright,” he said quietly. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Damn it-damn it!”
Colin slammed his fist against the hospital bed, face twisted in rage.
He’d grown up getting everything he wanted. Power, money, status.
No one had ever humiliated him like this.
“That bitch,” he snarled. “I want her dead-no, I want her begging for it.”
The moment he’d been admitted, he’d ordered someone to contact the Hayes family.
And when Ronnie Hayes got the call-
He lost it.
The crash of something heavy hitting the floor echoed through the house.
Mossa and Sadie both flinched.
“What happened?” Mossa asked, startled.
“What happened?” Ronnie snapped, turning on her. “Ask your daughter.”
Mossa froze. “…Scarlett?”
“Who else?” His face was red with anger. “She gets out of prison this morning, and by tonight she’s already put Colin Drake in the hospital. Do you have any idea what that means?”
The words hit hard.
Mossa’s chest tightened. “How… how did this even happen?”
“The Drake family,” Ronnie said sharply. “That’s who she went after.”
That name alone was enough.
They weren’t on the same level. Not even close.
Had Scarlett completely lost her mind?
Even Sadie’s expression shifted. Her fianc?’s family had connections, but even they treated the Drakes carefully.
This wasn’t something they could afford to get dragged into.
If she’d known earlier…
She would’ve made sure Scarlett never made it out of prison in one piece.
“Did they press charges?” Mossa asked quickly.
Ronnie exhaled, trying to rein in his anger.
“No. They said if we hand Scarlett over, they’ll let the rest of us off the hook.”
The tension in the room eased instantly.
“Thank God,” Mossa murmured, pressing a hand to her chest.
Ronnie shot her a look. “This is your fault. You were the one who insisted on bringing her back.”
Mossa’s expression hardened. “How is that on me? The Whitmore family made the demand. The marriage was arranged years ago-what exactly were we supposed to do, say no?”
She’d never wanted Scarlett back.
Not once.
When the girl first returned from the countryside, she’d been nothing but an embarrassment.
But they’d had no choice.
Sadie stepped in before things escalated further.
“Arguing won’t help,” she said gently. “This happened because of Scarlett. We just need to bring her back and hand her over. That’s all.”
Her calm tone worked.
Ronnie nodded. “Call her.”
Mossa pulled out her phone and dialed.
Scarlett had just laid down when her phone lit up.
She glanced at the screen.
Her mother.
She’d been out of prison since morning.
And this was the first call.
Perfect timing.
She answered anyway.
The second the line connected, Mossa’s voice exploded through the speaker.
“You ungrateful girl! Are you trying to destroy yourself? How dare you go after the Drake family? How dare you break Colin’s legs?!”
Scarlett let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
For a split second, she’d wondered if her mother might ask how she was.
Five years.
As far as they knew, she’d spent all of it behind bars.
Not that it mattered.
“How dare I?” she said coolly. “Why shouldn’t I? He broke my brother’s legs. I returned the favor. Seems fair.”
“Fair?” Mossa nearly shrieked. “Your brother? That nobody? He’s not even worth being compared to Colin! He should feel honored Colin even looked at him!”
Scarlett chuckled under her breath.
“By that logic,” she said, voice turning sharper, “Colin doesn’t qualify to be compared to me either. If anything, he should feel honored I even bothered.”
Mossa choked on her words. “You-“
Scarlett rubbed her temple, already done with the conversation.
She was exhausted.
The flight back. The confrontation. The hospital. The mess tonight.
It was catching up to her.
“I’m tired,” she said flatly. “If you’re looking for someone to talk to, call Sadie. She’s the one you actually like.”
“Don’t you-“
Scarlett hung up.
Just like that.
Mossa stared at her phone, stunned.
Then her anger came rushing back.
“That girl-!”
She called again.
A robotic voice answered.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off-“
“Scarlett!”
Mossa nearly collapsed onto the sofa.
“Mom, don’t get worked up,” Sadie said softly, rubbing her back. “She’s always been like this. She’s not worth it.”
Mossa looked at her, her expression softening.
Sadie might not be her biological daughter-
But she was everything Scarlett wasn’t.
Gentle. Obedient. Considerate.
“You’re right,” Ronnie added, taking a sip of tea. “Getting angry won’t fix this. What matters is bringing Scarlett back and handing her over.”
“She’s probably at the Monroe house,” Sadie said.
Ronnie nodded. “She has nowhere else to go.”
He set his cup down, his tone turning cold.
“Go tomorrow. Take two men.”
A pause.
“If she resists…”
His gaze hardened.
“Break her legs.”
Mossa didn’t hesitate.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.