Chapter 20
When the car pulled up to the Blackwood estate, Scarlet Wyndham was already frowning.
Why wasn’t anyone opening the door for her?
Clutching her purse, she had just reached out to push the door open herself when a rough force yanked her out of the car.
“Ah! Who are you? Let me go!”
“I’m Sterling Blackwood’s wife-do you know who I am? You’ll regret this!”
Her shrill voice grated against the silence. One of the men kicked the back of her knee sharply.
“Shut up. Scream again, and you won’t leave here alive.”
Scarlet fell silent, trembling as a thick blindfold was tied over her eyes.
She had no idea how long they dragged her-her breath caught in the stale air, each second longer than the last.
Then, in one sudden motion, the blindfold was ripped off.
She blinked rapidly in the dim light, only to meet a pair of cold, pitch-black eyes.
Sterling stood before her, his face void of expression. Only his gaze burned with restrained violence.
“What’s wrong?” he said flatly. “Afraid? Why? Guilty of something, Scarlet?”
He grasped her chin roughly, forcing her to meet his eyes.
Scarlet flinched. Her voice trembled. “Sterling… it’s you? Why did you have me tied up like this?”
“You really have to ask?”
He squeezed tighter, pain shooting up her jaw. She whimpered in agony.
After a long moment, he finally let go.
“Still playing innocent?” he asked coldly. “Do you think I don’t know what you did? Where is Aurora?”
Scarlet’s face twisted. “I-I don’t know where she is. My parents arranged everything, I swear.”
Sterling said nothing. Instead, he reached into his pocket and threw something at her.
A phone.
“Take a look,” he said. “Recognize it?”
Scarlet picked it up with trembling hands.
One glance at the screen, and her face went ghostly pale.
It was her chat history. Every cruel, arrogant message she’d ever sent to Aurora.
1-I just wanted her to stop chasing after you!” she stammered. “I was afraid she’d get in the way-Sterling, I love you! Even if you confused us, we’re married now, aren’t we?”
“So you admit you pushed her away.”
Scarlet realized too late that she’d said too much. She slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wild.
Sterling’s fury detonated.
He gestured toward the guard beside him.
Crack-
A vicious slap landed across Scarlet’s face. Her head snapped to the side, and blood pooled at the corner of her lips.
Her cheek swelled rapidly. The sting was unbearable.
“You scheming bitch,” Sterling growled. “You tricked me. You drove her away. You and your filthy family plotted this
together.”
He began hurling objects-books, crystal, a lamp-across the room, every word like a knife.
“She was your sister, Scarlet! Your own flesh and blood!”
Scarlet cowered, bound and unable to move.
Then her expression shifted.
If there was no way out, she might as well bring him down with her.
“Oh, please,” she spat, voice rising. “You act like you’re some saint? You think I’m the only one who wronged her?”
“Wasn’t it you who kept her by your side while I slept in your bed? Didn’t you let her watch us night after night, pretending
she didn’t exist?”
“You’re no better than I am, Sterling. You let it happen. You chose to look away!”
Sterling snapped.
He lunged forward, grabbing her by the throat.
“You dare-?” he hissed.
His grip tightened.
Scarlet choked, her body thrashing, legs kicking helplessly against the floor. Her face turned ashen, her eyes wide with
horror.
Sterling didn’t stop.
Seconds dragged. Scarlet’s limbs weakened, her body slowly going limp.
Finally, as her eyes rolled back, he released her.
She collapsed in a heap on the floor, unconscious but breathing shallowly.
Sterling stood over her, chest heaving.
His knuckles were white.
His hands stained.
He reached for a silk handkerchief and wiped the blood from his fingers, his face as expressionless as stone.
Then he turned to his guard.
“Keep her alive,” he said coldly. “But make sure she wishes she weren’t.”
