Chapter 7 You’re in my debt.


    Unexpectedly, Hugo Hodges walked directly toward East Hayes.


    “What did you say?” he asked in a low and urgent voice.


    East Hayes had no idea which of his words had triggered him; he simply wanted a fair opportunity.


    “Mr. Hodges, my team and I worked on this project day and night for a whole week. It’s really important to me,


    so I hope you can give us a chance and not dismiss all our efforts because of a woman,” East Hayes said


    anxiously.


    Hugo Hodges wasn’t listening to a word he said and instead roared at him, “Who did you say just now?”


    East Hayes frowned, puzzled.


    Even Tiana Young behind him looked confused. What could have made him so agitated?


    “What did you say that woman’s name was?” Hugo Hodges asked.


    “Scarlett Adler?” East Hayes blurted out.


    Scarlett Adler…


    That was the name.


    “So her name is Scarlett Adler, not Wen Yu?” Hugo Hodges asked, enunciating each word.


    East Hayes nodded honestly.


    Hugo Hodges smirked, “Good, very good.”


    How dare he lie to her?


    Before anyone could speak, Hugo Hodges headed straight for the door.


    < Chapter 7 You’re in my debt.


    = Menu


    Tiana Young, unsure of what was happening, followed him for a couple of steps. “Hugo, where are you going?


    We have several meetings lined up.”


    But Hugo Hodges didn’t even turn his head, he just kept walking.


    Tiana Young stopped in her tracks, unable to understand why he was so unusually agitated when he heard


    the name Scarlett Adler.


    Turning to East Hayes, she asked with a sharp tone, “What’s the deal with this Scarlett Adler?”


    East Hayes looked just as puzzled. “I have no idea. She just came from overseas and started working here on


    Monday.”


    “From overseas, huh? Could they have met abroad?”


    Tiana Young was confused and annoyed. She hated when different women appeared around Hugo Hodges.


    She wasn’t afraid of the clingy types; those could be taken care of with money. She feared the kind who didn’t


    want money, the type Hugo Hodges might admire. Tiana Young felt a strange sense of crisis.


    She didn’t say anything more, returning to her office with a stern face.


    East Hayes stood there, feeling a bit lost. He had only wanted to find an opportunity, but it seemed he had


    made things worse.


    Just then, Brent Carter and Ethan Underwood arrived. Seeing East Hayes walking out looking dejected, they


    sighed.


    “Are you okay?” Brent asked.


    East Hayes shook his head.


    “You didn’t upset Mr. Hodges, did you?”


    East Hayes didn’t answer, unsure if he had or not.


    “East Hayes, we know you need money urgently, but this isn’t the way to go about it. The Hodges Family


    Group is not someone we can afford to offend. One word from them, and we could disappear from this


    industry,” Brent said.


    East Hayes remained silent, walking forward with his head down.


    Ethan signaled for him to say less, and they returned to the office together.


    = Menu


    Scarlett Adler picked up a file downstairs and was heading back when, in the blink of an eye, her wrist was


    tightly grabbed.


    When she came back to her senses, she saw Hugo Hodges’s angry face.


    “Hugo Hodges, what are you doing?” Scarlett Adler asked.


    “Oh, so you recognize me?” Hugo Hodges retorted with a sneer.


    Scarlett knew that he didn’te with good intentions and tried to shake off his hand. “Who doesn’t know


    the president of the Hodges Family Group? Please let me go!”


    Hugo Hodges ignored her and dragged her away.


    “Hugo Hodges, do you know that this is kidnapping? I’m telling you, so many people are watching.”


    “Scarlett Adler, you better not anger me before Ipletely explode!” After saying that, he dragged her away


    in broad daylight.


    Someone quickly captured this scene and sent it to thepany’s group chat, and Scarlett was once again


    pushed into the spotlight.


    Scarlett didn’t bother struggling anymore; she knew the power imbnce between men and women.


    Until they reached a deserted corner, Hugo Hodges pinned her directly against the wall.


    “Scarlett Adler, where is my child?” he asked angrily, his eyes looking like he wanted to devour her.


    Menu


    “What child?” Scarlett Adler asked casually, rubbing her wrist that had turned red from being grabbed.


    Seeing how angry he was, Scarlett figured he already knew.


    But she hadn’t nned on hiding it for too long anyway.


    “Don’t y dumb with me. You were pregnant when we divorced. Why didn’t you tell me?” Hugo Hodges


    asked, his pent-up emotions from all these years making it impossible for him to keep his temper.


    Scarlett looked up, her eyes showing a hint of detachment. She wasn’t as straightforward and feisty as


    before, and there was a piercing pain in her gaze. “What? You think telling you would have made you stop


    your womanizing ways? Or that you wouldn’t have divorced me for the sake of the child? Or that you would


    have been a good father?”


    Hugo was even more infuriated by her words. “At least I had the right to know the truth.”


    “Nothing would have changed. What’s the point of knowing the truth? It would only cause more trouble.” She


    even gave a faint smile, as if she was thinking of him.


    She really was different from before, beautiful in a breathtaking way, but also unfamiliar.


    “Scarlett, stop trying to weasel out of this. Where’s the child?”


    “I aborted it!” Scarlett said lightly, her words striking his heart.


    “What did you say?”


    “I said it from the start, let’s cut all ties and never see each other again. A clean break!”


    “Scarlett Adler!” Hugo Hodges roared.


    For some reason, seeing him so furious brought a bit offort to Scarlett.


    The years of pent-up resentment seemed to find release in this moment of revenge, giving her a sense of


    relief.


    “Hugo Hodges, we’re divorced, and the child is gone. There’s nothing left to tie us together. Aren’t you getting


    υπαρι


    engaged? You’ll have your own children. I wish you a house full of them!”


    Hugo Hodges clenched his fists, ring at her. “Scarlett Adler, you have no heart!”


    “We’re not so different.”


    = Menu


    The more indifferent she seemed, the more Hugo hated her facade.


    Hugo Hodges released her. “Scarlett Adler, you didn’t give me the right to know the truth. You had no right to


    make any decisions for me. Whether or not I would be a good father is my own business. Your actions only


    represent you. You owe me, you owe our child!”


    Scarlett Adler just shrugged, letting him say whatever he wanted.


    “I’ll settle this debt with you when I’ve figured out how!” He red at her before turning and leaving.


    Perhaps his words and the way he showed concern for the child might have moved Scarlett Adler slightly.


    However, bted affection is worthless.


    She didn’t care for it anymore.


    She would take good care of the child.


    After a moment, Scarlett Adlerposed herself, straightened her clothes, and emerged from the deserted


    corner.


    Little did she know that she had been caught in a storm of gossip for quite some time.


    Scarlett Adler hadn’t even joined thepany’s group chat yet, but it was already buzzing with activity.


    < Pregnant with Ex Davies