Scarlett POV:
Scarlett's POV:
My heart shattered the moment he shoved me aside and walked away. I fell to the ground and wept bitterly. It felt like the pain in my heart had spread through my entire body—everywhere ached as I sat on the carpet grass, crying my eyes out.
What am I going to tell Eva?
How do I face her after being the reason she lost her job—and… four of her fingers?
What do I do?
Pain squeezed my chest as I cried, shouting and letting everything out.
I didn't know how long I stayed there, but it must've been a long while—my eyes were swollen and burning, so red that I didn't think I could close them anymore.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I dialed a number and waited.
It rang several times before he finally picked up.
"Hey."
His voice came through the line. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out—my voice was broken, my throat as dry as a desert.
"Scarlett, are you there?" he asked, worry clear in his tone.
Why couldn't Mr. Grey be more like him?
I cried out, my voice cracked and hopeless.
"S‑sir… I can't do this anymore. I might die…"
"Hey, calm down. What happened?" he asked, panic growing in his voice.
But I just kept repeating, like a broken robot,
"I'm sorry… I can't do it… I'm sorry…"
I ended the call and let the phone drop from my hand.
I just sat there. Tears blurred my vision, threatening to spill over again.
All I wanted was revenge. Just revenge.
Is that too much to ask?
Why does Mr. Grey have to be so heartless?
And now… not only am I failing to make Jason and my father's murderer pay, but I've also gotten an innocent woman fired—at a devastating price.
I'm a mess. My whole life is a mess.
Burying my head in my palms, I cried again, feeling like it was the last day of my life.
In the middle of my breakdown, I felt something being wrapped around my shoulders.
When I lifted my head, I was completely shocked to see who was standing there.
Damien's POV:
I was confused when Scarlett suddenly called me. I didn't want to answer at first—I thought she might say something unnecessary. But she kept calling.
When I finally picked up, I instantly regretted it.
Her voice… it was so broken, so lifeless. She had clearly been crying for a long time.
I rushed out, heading straight to the parking lot. I pressed the unlock button and slid into my Mercedes SLS, driving off quickly, praying Xavier hadn't done something extreme.
When I arrived, I asked one of the guards if he'd seen her. He said she had been heading toward the garden.
When I reached the garden, I saw her sitting on the carpet grass, hugging her legs with her head buried in them.
Even from where I stood, I could hear her faint sobs.
Gosh… Xavier, what the hell did you do now?
I removed my night robe and wrapped it around her shoulders—the weather was cold, and she looked like she could catch a chill at any moment. I was left with only my night trousers.
She turned around. Even in the dim light, I could see her eyes—extremely red and swollen. When I say extremely, I mean it.
Then, unexpectedly, she stood up and hugged me—very tightly.
I knew how she felt. And I felt horrible for selfishly putting her in this situation.
I slowly caressed her hair, letting her cry against my bare chest.
After a while, I tried lightening the mood a little.
"You know… if Xavier sees us like this, he's going to be mad," I joked softly.
But instead of reacting lightly, she pulled away and showed me her hands.
My breath caught.
What the hell happened to her?
I couldn't believe these were the same hands I admired the first day we shook hands.
They were swollen, red—like overripe tomatoes ready to burst.
Bruises covered her skin like small, painful kiss marks.
I stared up at her, speechless.
"I'm in pain, Mr. Cross," she cried. "Not only are my hands hurting, my whole body aches… and worst of all, I got a helpless woman fired."
I froze.
I'm terrible at comforting people. Should I hug her again? Should I let her cry it out? People say crying helps… but she had been crying for hours with zero relief.
"What happened?" I asked.
She continued sobbing but managed to explain,
"The chains he used to tie me were too tight… they bruised my skin. And then he squeezed my wrists and stepped on my hands because I wouldn't tell him who helped me unlock them…"
I clenched my jaw.
I pulled out my phone and called for a medical kit. It arrived shortly after.
"Sit. Let me help you," I said gently.
She didn't sit immediately—she just stared at me with those red, heartbreaking eyes.
How could Xavier hurt someone this breathtaking?
Her eyes alone could make a man bow.
After a moment, she finally sat. I knelt beside her, applying ointment to her hands before massaging them very gently.
From her facial expressions and the soft groans she made, I knew it hurt.
"Mr. Cross…" she whispered shakily. "I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore. I thought I could endure his hell, but I can't. I'm breaking down bit by bit. I might die…"
I stopped.
This was exactly what I feared.
Panic shot through me as I imagined what would happen if she quit now.
Xavier's condition was worsening. Specialists feared his medication would stop working soon—but that wasn't even the worst part.
A few days ago, I found a file hidden among many others.
It was labeled confidential. I shouldn't have opened it—but I did.
And what I saw inside almost made me collapse.
That's why I needed her.
I didn't know if she would succeed… if she could give him a reason to keep living… but it was worth trying.
If she backed out now, he would definitely go through with that plan.
I'd already lost one person.
I wasn't ready to lose another.
"You can't back out," I said firmly. "We signed a contract, remember?"
She stared at me, stunned—clearly not expecting that answer from me. I watched her back away, eyes filled with disappointment.
Yes, I was being selfish.
But I didn't care.
Xavier meant everything to me.
I wasn't going to lose him because of a mistake he never should've been blamed for.