Chương 29: The Unveiling of Hidden Agendas

"Help me, cousin!" Young's plea echoed in the room, The bodyguard's grip on his clothes threatening to lift him off the ground. As they were about to leave, Jane's patience snapped. "Wait," she commanded.

The bodyguard's eyes flicked to Lucius for direction. Lucius, leisurely exhaling a cloud of smoke, asked nonchalantly, "Another old friend?"

Jane's face was a picture of irritation. After a moment's pause, she shot back, "What grave sin has he committed to deserve a broken leg?"

Scarlett expected Lucius to bring up Jack, but he didn't even blink. "He upset someone I care about. That's reason enough," he said simply.

Jane retorted, her voice stern, "Just for chasing after your tutor?"

Lucius met her gaze, his voice frosty. "Yes."

Their eyes clashed, and Jane was so enraged she almost laughed. She swallowed her anger and asked, "Who is she to you that others can't chase her?"

"And who are you to me that you can dictate who I care for?" Lucius shot back.

His voice was soft, but the words stung like a slap. Scarlett watched as Jane's face turned from pale to red in an instant.

The reason for Lucius's early morning scheming and his decision to drag Young into the mess became clear with the mention of 'cousin'. Scarlett pieced together the puzzle and observed the unfolding drama with detached indifference.

Jane's humiliation was on full display for all to see. Meanwhile, Scarlett calmly finished her tea, refilled her cup, and observed the escalating drama with an air of detached indifference.

Jane couldn't bear the humiliation. She locked eyes with Lucius for a moment before saying, "Young is my cousin. His romantic pursuits are his business. Even the police wouldn't charge him for that. Why do you want to break his leg? Just because your surname is Zhou?"

Before Lucius could respond, Scarlett set down her tea cup and said with a chilling indifference, "Ms. Feng, you seem to misunderstand the term 'pursue'. Pursuit implies admiration, it's honorable. If rejected, one should retreat. Deliberately encroaching with ulterior motives, harboring resentment after rejection, breaking into a single woman's apartment in the dead of night with ill intentions, that's harassment. If this were reported to the police, do you think they would laud him for his persistence or condemn him for his relentlessness?"

In Lucius's lowered gaze, a fleeting light passed. He sipped his tea, his demeanor as relaxed as ever.

Jane was taken aback by Scarlett's words and was left speechless. Scarlett wasn't sure if Jane was genuinely clueless or merely feigning ignorance. Lucius took a sip of his tea and said with an indifferent tone, "I only want one of his legs. Is that too much? If you think so, I'll give the Feng family some face. We'll investigate the matter thoroughly, weigh every detail, and see which punishments he deserves and which he doesn't."

Everyone could hear the blatant threat in Lucius's words. Now it was Jane's turn to squirm. She had indeed encouraged Young to pursue Scarlett, but only to test Scarlett's character and to irk Lucius with another woman. She was oblivious to the foolish actions Young had taken behind her back, but it was too late for clarifications. Lucius's question was both a warning and a lifeline for her. She could either sacrifice Young, or she would have to get involved herself.

Time seemed to stretch in that moment, each second feeling like an hour. After what felt like an eternity, Jane finally spoke, her voice icy, "I'm unaware of Young's actions. If he's committed a crime, I can't protect him."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lucius commanded without turning his head, "Take him away."

The bodyguard grabbed Young's clothes again, and Young immediately started struggling and pleading in terror, "Cousin, you can't abandon me, I am..."

"Silence! Who's your cousin? You're disgraceful enough as it is. If our family found out, we wouldn't even be able to face our relatives!"

Jane's words seemed to hit a nerve. Song suddenly fell silent, his body continuing to struggle instinctively. But in the end, he was dragged out of the room by the bodyguard. The door closed quietly behind them, and Scarlett felt a chill run down her spine... she wondered if Lucius would genuinely break Young's leg.

The room fell silent again, the heavy atmosphere overpowering even the robust scent of tea. The three of them sat in silence, each waiting for the one whose heart was most unsettled.

After about half a minute, Jane was the first to break the silence. "Lucius," she began, "I know you summoned me here today to confront me about this, but I have no part in it. I don't want to argue with you."

Scarlett had only met Jane twice, but she could tell that Jane was a woman of pride. The fact that she was the first to extend an olive branch showed just how much she cared for Lucius.

Lucius's expression remained neutral as he said, "Let's leave the past in the past."

"I'd like to speak with you privately." Jane replied.

Scarlett was about to excuse herself when Lucius picked up his car keys from the table and stood up. "I'll take her home first," he said.

He didn't say he wouldn't talk to Jane, but his priorities were clear. Scarlett wasn't surprised to see Jane's face darken.

Lucius ignored her reaction and strode out of the room. Scarlett followed, deliberately ignoring the burning gaze on her back.

As they walked out, the staff greeted Lucius and stole glances at Scarlett. Once outside, Lucius headed straight for his sleek black sports car parked in front. "Mr. Zhou, you don't have to go out of your way. I can take a cab." Scarlett said.

Lucius opened the car door. "Get in. I have something to discuss with you."

He got into the driver's seat, and Scarlett slowly followed. As the car merged onto the main road, he asked, "Where to?"

"I'm returning to the office." Scarlett replied.

Lucius didn't say anything, simply making a left turn at the intersection. Scarlett tried to think of a topic to break the silence, but decided against it. The less said, the better.

At a red light, Lucius stopped the car and suddenly reached towards Scarlett. He was reaching for the glove compartment in front of her, pulling out a set of keys and a card and handing them to her. Scarlett glanced at them but didn't take them, instead turning to look at Lucius.

Lucius tossed the keys onto her bag, saying, "Rhein Bay 1, Unit 202. It's near your office. You won't have to rely on cabs."

Scarlett was taken aback, her mind racing. Even though she maintained her composure, internally, she was in turmoil.

She tried to formulate a response, but her mind went blank. The red light seemed to last an eternity. Lucius, with one hand on the steering wheel, didn't even glance at Scarlett. His tone was slightly mocking as he said,

"Don't overthink it. I'm not trying to court you, or control you."

Scarlett found his words familiar. She remembered saying something similar to Lucius when they first met: "You can court me, but you can't control me."

Now, Lucius was using her own words against her. "I checked. Young is Jane's cousin. There's no smoke without fire. I don't believe in coincidences. So, this must have something to do with Jane. But she wouldn't have sent Young to assault you. That's why I called you here today. To settle scores. The place you're staying at isn't safe. Move."

Scarlett snapped back to reality and quickly said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, but..."

"No need for formalities. This situation arose because of me. I don't like owing people."

"I appreciate your kindness. I'll find a new place to stay." Scarlett replied.

The traffic light turned green, and Lucius stepped on the gas. He calmly said, "You should know that to others, I drive a luxury car and live in a luxury house. But to me, they're just a means of transportation and a place to live. Similarly, I'm giving you these keys not because I like you, but because I don't like the idea of my tutor living in a shabby place. Consider it a perk."

Without waiting for Scarlett's response, he added, "I'm not interested in you. You don't need to be on guard around me all the time."