Chapter 6
Scarlett finally turned around, her expression calm and composed.
“Don’t pin this on me. I haven’t done anything like that.”
Liam let out a bitter laugh, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Oh, please. Isn’t this your signature move? First, you used your wrist to guilt–trip me, and now you’re scheming with company shares.”
“I never realized just how conniving you could be. I guess it runs in your blood–no wonder, considering it’s the blood of a murderer.”
Scarlett’s face instantly froze.
He’d crossed a line.
Her voice turned sharp and cutting.
“Oh, so now that Grandpa isn’t letting you get your way, you come running to me to vent? What a big man you are, Liam. If you’ve got the guts, then prove it.”
“Give up the company shares for Chloe. But let’s be honest–you can’t. Deep down, the family fortune and those shares mean more to you than she ever
could.”
She took a step closer, her tone unwavering.
“You know as well as I do that Grandpa and the others see right through Chloe. Even if I weren’t here, they’d never accept her. You know that’s the real problem–not me.”
She paused, her voice dropping lower but hitting harder.
“If you truly loved her, you’d leave all of this behind and live abroad with her. But you won’t, will you? You’re too attached to this life, too unwilling to give up the riches.”
“So instead, you dump all the blame on me like a coward. You know what, Liam? You’re spineless.”
Liam’s face flushed red, then pale.
Her words hit their mark, cutting through every defense he had.
And the look of disdain in Scarlett’s eyes–the same look she’d had since they were kids–made him want to lash out, to grab her, to make her take it all
back.
She thought she was better than him. She always had.
The tension was thick, ready to snap, but a knock on the door broke the charged silence.
Harold, the family’s longtime butler, stood in the doorway.
“Sir, ma’am, dinner is ready. Everyone’s waiting for you downstairs.”
The dining room was unusually lively that evening.
Even Emma, Liam’s younger sister who was still in college, had come home for the occasion.
“Wow, Liam, you finally decided to come back. I was starting to think poor Scarlett was going to end up like one of those tragic wives in old stories, waiting for years in some empty house,” Emma quipped, her tone filled with mock sympathy.
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Chapter 6
Her words stung more than Scarlett let on.
Seeing everyone clearly on Scarlett’s side only made Liam’s gaze colder as it flicked over to her.
“So, are you staying this time, or disappearing again?”
Emma asked, her eyebrows raised.
Before Liam could answer, his father interjected.
“If he leaves again, he can forget about being part of this family. As far as I’m concerned, the inheritance will go to Scarlett and Emma instead.”
Emma clapped her hands dramatically.
“Did you hear that, Scarlett? If Liam skips town, we’re both going to be filthy rich. We could hire ourselves a whole squad of hot male models to keep us company.”
Liam shot her a scathing glare.
“You’re too young to be talking like that. Who taught you this nonsense?”
His eyes flicked over to Scarlett, accusing her without words.
Scarlett averted her gaze for once, a rare hint of guilt flickering across her face.
If only Liam knew she’d already done exactly what Emma joked about…
The old man broke the moment.
“Liam won’t be going anywhere. Starting tomorrow, he’ll be taking over as the company’s general manager.”
Emma sighed theatrically.
“What a shame.”
The conversation turned to the family business.
The Hawthorne Group had been built on construction, and while they’d branched out into other industries, construction remained the company’s backbone.
But the last few years had been rough–competition was fierce, the market was saturated, and newer, greener technologies were disrupting everything.
“The Paradise Resort project is non–negotiable,” Arthur said firmly.
“If we secure that, not only will the company recover, but it’ll open doors to countless opportunities in the future.”
The project in question was a government–backed initiative to build the largest resort in the country.
Everyone in the construction world was vying for a piece of it.
“But, Dad,” Liam’s father said, his tone skeptical.
“Every company in the country wants in. The competition’s insane. Even getting a small slice of the pie is nearly impossible.”
Arthur leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
“Not if we win over the right person.”
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Chapter 6
“Who?”
Emma asked, intrigued.
“Alexander Sterling.”
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