Scarlette felt trapped, blindsided by Nichs''s relentless determination. In his eyes, nothing was out of reach, and life had never taught him otherwise. Trying to keep her cool, she called out to her mom, Rose, through the door. "Mom, can we talk about this tomorrow? I''m exhausted and just want to hit the bed after my bath."


    Rose let out a weary sigh. Ever since Scarlette moved out, things had been tense between them. Still, given the same choice, she and the Greenard family would do it all over again. Even though Scarlette was well-behaved, she wasn''t a Greenard by blood.


    "Alright, Scarlette," Rose replied. "Your dad and I will handle your wedding ns. Once you''re married, all that talk about you and Nick will stop. We''ve already picked a date. We''ll talk more tomorrow. If you''re okay with it, we''ll take care of everything."


    Scarlette''s legs were wrapped around Nichs''s waist to keep herself steady. Her lips tightened as she processed her mom''s words. Having been through so much, she knew exactly what was being implied. The Greenard family feared the gossip and wanted to avoid any scandal involving her and Nichs, so rushing into marriage seemed like the solution.


    Supporting herself with one hand, a sharp pain of frustration shot through her. "I..."


    Before she could finish, Nichs shifted, almost making her lose herposure. It was a humiliating situation-caught between the family who raised her and the boy she practically grew up with. It felt like she was being roasted over an open me.


    Nichs leaned in, his voice a whisper in her ear. "Scarlette, I''m losing patience. Why not just open the door?"


    It was a threat, clear as day. Scarlette''s hand clenched tightly as she quickly replied, "Mom, let''s talkter, okay? I''m really tired."


    Rose hesitated but then left the room, closing the door behind her. The moment the door clicked shut, Nichs took her chin and kissed her, hastily pushing the bathroom door open.


    He carried her to the bed, and Scarlette turned her head away, her face clouded. "Lock the door," she muttered.


    Still kissing her, Nichs retraced his steps to secure the door before tossing her onto the bed and following her down. He was young and reckless, and the bed creaked under his force.


    Scarlette gripped the headboard, worried the noise might carry downstairs. She whispered, "Not so rough."


    "Are you really that scared?" Nichs asked, sensing her detachment and feeling annoyed by it.


    He stopped, studying her face, remembering the proud, confident girl she used to be. When she was sixteen, their parents had left for work overseas, leaving the rest of the Greenard family in charge.


    The Greenard rtives never liked Scarlette. Her drive to be the best made her parents proud but embarrassed the others. How could a girl from nowhere outshine their own children?


    That half-year, they deliberately withheld money from her, though Nichs had no clue until he visited her school and saw her hanging out with some boys. Rumors spread of her being a flirt, getting those boys to buy her lunch without any intention of reciprocating. Yet, she was the top student, always leading her ss.


    Among her peers, she walked with the grace and pride of a beautiful peacock.