Dangerous Desire The CEO’s Hidden Woman

As soon as the holiday season was over, Skyler was about to embark on his adventure to Britain to pursue his studies. Scarlett had been busy as a bee trying to get everything in order so he could leave without a care in the world. Almost every single day, she would peer at Skyler’s luggage and keep adding more stuff.

Two days before departure, Scarlett visited Skyler’s hostel again.

“I think I’ve finished with all the packing,” said Skyler.

“Oh, okay. Let me double-check the list for you, though. C’mon, hand it over.” Scarlett offered.

“Did you pack your down jackets and windbreakers?”

“Yeah, but just one overcoat. It’ll be too heavy otherwise. I’ll buy whatever I need there if I have to, don’t worry.” Skyler kneeled beside his luggage and checked that everything was safely packed inside.

“Alright, then how about medicines for basic stuff, like for headaches, heartburn, allergies, and diarrhea? Put an allergy inhaler in your backpack, by the way.” Scarlett scrutinized the medicine bag.

“Check. But when did you put all this stuff into my bag anyway?” Skyler was both puzzled and impressed by his sister’s considerate preparation.

“Most importantly, check your cardholder. Passport?”

“Check.”

“Driver’s license? Credit card?”

“Check, check. ”

“Oh, don’t forget your file folder. Did you see your admission notice?”

“Yes, sis, it’s definitely all here. I’ve checked the folder, like twice in the last five minutes. Trust me, I’ve packed everything I need, and even everything I don’t need, thanks to your very careful consideration.” Skyler smiled and sighed.

“You’re very welcome. But that stuff is mine!” Scarlett squealed.

“Wait… what? What do you mean? What’re you talking about, sis?” Skyler was overcome with curiosity.

“I’m going to England with you! Surprise!” Scarlett yelled with a bright smile.

“Oh, come on, Scarlett! You don’t have to.” Skyler complained.

“Well, sorry, but it’s too late! It’s too late for that because I already bought the flight ticket. It’s going to be so much fun, Skyler! When else will I have the opportunity to take a little trip to England like this?”

Scarlett was excited to visit England: a country she had only dreamed of. But most importantly, she was eager for some relief. She had grown very tired of Francis, and it would be wonderful to get away from him… at least for a while.

***

After packing Skyler’s luggage and repeatedly checking it for various items several times, Scarlett finally left with peace of mind. She returned to the villa and was immediately greeted by the housekeeper as she stepped into the house.

“Good afternoon, Miss Scarlett. Would you mind checking up on Mr. Sandler just to see how he’s doing? He seems to be in a bad mood, for some reason.”

“Oh, okay… Sure…I know.” Scarlett readily responded without the slightest expression of concern on her face. The housekeeper looked at Scarlett with eyes full of worry. She knew that there were major issues between Mr. Sandler and Scarlett– they were problems that would only be resolved if one of them was compromised or deigned to apologize.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

But the housekeeper also knew that the side to surrender had to be Scarlett. The housekeeper had, after all, served in the Sandler mansion for more than two decades. Scarlett thought she had come to understand Francis’s strange ways, but in truth, it was the housekeeper who knew Mr. Sandler better than anyone else in the world.

It had been more than two weeks since Scarlett and Francis had spoken to one another– since that fateful Christmas day. Scarlett still lived in his house, and Francis still went to work early each day according to his regular routine. To an outsider, it would seem that nothing was out of the ordinary. But there was one major difference: Scarlett and Francis had not had a real conversation between them in the past 15 days.

Occasionally, Francis would ask Scarlett questions like, “Have you eaten dinner yet?” But Scarlett was not bothered– she would ignore him or answer in single syllables. After a few days, there was only silence between the two. Although the housekeeper had tried to prompt Scarlett to resolve her issues with Francis, she almost lost her nerve when she heard how mean and careless Scarlett’s tone sounded. This would not be easy…

Scarlett hung her coat up and went upstairs. The housekeeper was hopeful that Scarlett might try to reconcile with Francis, but instead, Scarlett simply took a book from her bedroom and arrived downstairs. There, she made a pot of tea, took her book, and a plate of fresh fruits to the small study room. Sitting on the sofa beside the window, she flipped through the book leisurely.

The afternoon sunshine shone in the room, and her graceful figure fell to the ground and made a beautiful shadow. The fragrance of tea enveloped the room. Scarlett read with a smile; she was joyfully immersed.

Francis had been standing outside the room for a while, looking at her through the crack. But he didn’t push open the door; instead, he just turned and left.

By the time Skyler and Scarlett got ready to depart for England, the two still remained silent to each other. Francis likely knew Scarlett would be gone for a while because he saw Scarlett leaving the house with a big bag early in the morning. He did not bother to stop her.

It was already late at night when their plane landed at Heathrow Airport. They could tell, even from inside the airport, how strong the winds outside were. The last shuttle bus into the city had departed only five minutes prior, so the two stood at the exit, huddling together for some warmth.

Scarlett wrinkled her nose and sneezed a few times. “What about the train, or should we get a taxi?” Skyler helped her with the luggage and said, “It will probably be very expensive…”

“Man, fuck that. This wind is terrible, I’m going to freeze to death like this before I’ve even gotten to explore London…” Scarlett coughed violently.

Before Skyler waved down a taxi, two tall figures in black suits walked to them.