CHAPTER 5

For a long time, Caden stared at the woman who sat across from him. There was no doubt that Scarlet resembled the woman he used to love so much, however, her behaviour was totally different. Inwardly, he was seething with anger over the woman’s aggressiveness and stubbornness. She had the audacity to demand DNA testing while everyone was listening to them, and although it happened several weeks ago, the embarrassment didn’t vanish instantly.

“Daddy, are you alright?”

Caden clenched his jaw upon hearing the word ‘daddy’ over and over again. She had been a nuisance since her arrival, and he didn’t know what to do with her anymore. She acted like she owned the place and she was stubborn as hell! He had been telling her to stay at home for her safety, and yet, she wouldn’t listen. Yesterday, the woman went shopping for new clothes, and everything else that she decided to be useful during her stay in his place.

“Dad, why do you look at me like that?”

“Like what, Scarlet?” He responded with a question.

“Hmmm I’m not sure but you look as if you want to kill me right now,” she answered nonchalantly.

“Perhaps I should do just that instead of waiting for Sebastian to come here,” he stated a fact and the woman had the audacity to laugh at his statement. On her first day in his home, he briefed her about the vampire who just woke up from his deep slumber, and it seemed that she didn’t believe him. “Sebastian is real, Scarlet,” he reminded her once again.

“Whether it’s true or not, do you think it will stop me from living my life?”

“I told you for the nth time that you can live however you want but not in Stonewick. You mentioned the monastery, how about going back there right now?”

“I will think about it, but please, don’t force me to leave when I’m still having fun in Stonewick,” she reasoned out.

“I understand that you are probably overwhelmed to be in a city like Stonewick, but Scarlet, this is not the safest place for you to live,” he argued with scarlet, while totally forgetting about his coffee. It has gone cold, and he had to ask the maid for another cup.

“I’m tired of hiding,” she murmured but it was loud enough for Caden Lockwood. All her life, she was hiding from her enemies, and she was tired of hiding from everyone! “Don’t you think it’s time to face my enemies head-on?”

Caden Lockwood just shook his head in disbelief when Scarlet brought up her enemies once again. Was there any? Her story had a lot of loopholes, and he didn’t believe any of it, aside from the people living in the monastery because he had someone checked about the place.

“I just realize that I have been a coward for a long time, and it shouldn’t be the case,” she stated after taking a bite of her delicious breakfast.

“Being safe is not a sign of cowardice, Scarlet. Sometimes, we just have to prioritize what is the best for ourselves,” he said.

“Such as letting my mother suffer a lot under the hands of Brodie Hanson?”

Caden stood up and pointed a finger toward his daughter. “Will you please stop talking about that bastard? My god, Scarlet, you can’t blame for those things, can you?”

Scarlet gritted her teeth while trying to keep her temper under control. “I don’t want to blame you for what happened to me and my mother, but things would have been different if you were there,” she said in a quivering voice. Every time she would recall the woman who showed her nothing but love and sacrifices to keep her alive, she couldn’t help but become emotional. “I still miss her, do you know that?”

“Oh God, I’m sorry Scarlet! I knew how hard it is to grow up without your mother, but it’s already in the past. Can we just focus on the present? Look, I am glad that we have the chance to meet, and like what I’ve said, I will give you everything, however sweetie, you have to listen to me! Stonewick is dangerous!”

“Why? Because of Sebastian?” She asked while laughing, and at the same time, she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Daddy, you are the Mayor of Stonewick, so who would dare to harm the mayor’s daughter?” She asked but all of a sudden, she felt something hot on her wrist, and when she looked at it, her bracelet illuminated with red colour. She looked up to see if Caden Lockwood witnessed the changes in colour, but it seemed that he didn’t see a thing. Suddenly, the entire breakfast room was enveloped with cold air, and it felt different from the air conditioning unit installed in Caden’s home.

“Shit!” Caden cursed as soon as he sensed someone coming toward the breakfast room.

“Daddy?” Scarlet began to worry when Caden’s expression changed into something like…scared? She frowned at her father, and all of a sudden, her eyes widened in shock when someone else joined them. “W-who are you?” She asked the emotionless man with silver and long hair. His face was charming, and Scarlet believed that he was the most handsome man in the entire universe. However, his eyes, even with the most beautiful shade of green were dull and cold. Silver hair and green eyes? Unusual, she thought. When she stared into his eyes, she was mesmerized!

“W-who are you?”

Scarlet furrowed her brows when the man copied her inquiry and asked her instead of telling her about his identity. Then, she lifted the tip of her eyebrow and said, “I asked first, so why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

He smirked and replied, “The name is Sebastian.”

Sebastian? Once again, she frowned while she glanced at Caden who became speechless and uncomfortable in his seat, but the man was too afraid to look up. Caden’s eyes focused on the floor as if something magnificent was happening on the floor. “Sebastian who?” The question was informal but she didn’t believe that the man deserved her respect. After all, he just showed up in the middle of their breakfast, and he wasn’t even invited!

“Sebastian Kensington,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Ah, Sebastian Kensington,” Scarlet repeated the name that he said, and then her mouth gaped open as she stared at him. It was at that moment that she realized something, and Caden’s warnings echoed inside her head. “The vampire?” She asked in disbelief and she thought he clenched his jaw at the moment. Was it wrong to say that he was a vampire?