Chapter 5 In My Car

"Scarlett Anderson, in my car right now." Anger was dripping through Alexander's words. Without arguing, Scarlett walked and followed him. Her mind was having mixed emotions; fear and frustration. Once they were settled in the car, there was a complete silence. Alexander had even asked Lucas to leave. Now it was only both of them. "Why did you do that?" Scarlett broke the silence. Alexander's eyes were fixed on the road ahead. "Do what?" He replied after giving it a long thought. "Step in and act like you own me," she snapped. "I do own you," Alexander instantly replied. Scarlett was taken aback by his response. She swallowed her breath. Before she could speak anything, Alexander's voice echoed again, "I do own the company you work for. So it's not a different thing." "It's different, Mr Wilson." "Whatever I did today was to protect our reputation, so don't think too much," he cleared the air behind his action. It was still unsettling with Scarlett. But she chose to stay quiet. Alexander was already on the verge of losing his control. So, she didn't want to jeopardize her luck. For now, it would be wise if she would shut up. When Scarlett didn't say anything, Alexander glanced at her and finally spoke, "The shooting for 'The Entangled Destiny' is going to start soon. You have to meet Jake, the director of the project tomorrow. Make sure you won't make any mistakes." The moment Scarlett heard that Jake Hilton was the director, her palms got sweaty. He was one of the finest and strictest directors in the industry. A no-nonsense person. Even the managers and the companies of the artist couldn't negotiate if he made up his mind for something. "Scarlett, understood?" Alexander asked her again. She nodded her head, avoiding speaking. "If I ask you something, use your words," he angrily shouted at the top of his lungs. Then he pulled the car on the side of the road. His sudden scream jolted Scarlett. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Why do you have to be so difficult?" Alexander growled. "Is it so difficult to answer me?" Scarlett closed her eyes tightly and suppressed her urge to burst out. "I will be careful, Mr. Wilson." "You better be," After saying that, he ignited the engine again. "Company has allotted you the apartment, paying you. So be grateful," he added further. The rest of the drive was silent. Both of them were lost in their thoughts. On one side, Alexander was trying to find a way to fulfill his grandfather's last wish. On the other hand, Scarlett was curious about what was going to happen at the Johansson Annual Function. When they finally reached Scarlett's apartment which was a company's building, Alexander pulled over and turned off the engine. For a moment, Scarlett hesitated and then spoke, "Thank you." Alexander raised his left eyebrow. "For stepping in back there." "Was doing my job," he replied without a change in his facial expression. The next moment, Scarlett stepped out and paused before moving ahead. "Maybe one day, you'll realize, there's more to life than just the job." Without waiting for his reply, she walked away. Her heart was heavy. After so long, she was missing her mother. Meanwhile, Alexander was watching her retreating figure. After hearing her words, he felt a pang of regret in his chest. But he brushed off the feeling as soon as it came. There was no room for weakness in his world. Next Morning Adrian was trying to reach Scarlett but failed miserably. He called her multiple times, but her phone was unreachable. Panic surged through his mind as he was afraid that she might be late for her first meeting with Jake regarding the project, 'The Entangled Destiny'. So without wasting time, he rushed to her apartment. After reaching there, Adrian was banging Scarlett's door, the loud sound echoing in the hallway. "Scarlett, open up!" He shouted. A few moments later, Scarlett opened the door in a disheveled condition. Her eyes were half closed and her hair was messed up. "Adrian, what are you doing here?" She yawned, still sleepy. "You're late," he panicked. Then he pushed past her and walked into the apartment. "Your meeting with Jake is in twenty minutes." Scarlett's heart pounded. Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god! I overslept," she shouted while looking at the clock. "I need to get ready fast." Adrian shouted from the outside of the bathroom. "Do you even have an outfit ready?" "No! I don't," Scarlett's voice was mixed with the sound of running water. Adrian sighed as he moved towards her wardrobe hurriedly. He started searching for something appropriate. "Okay! I will find you something to wear. Just hurry up!" After a few minutes, Scarlett moved out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet yet combed. Her eyes instantly moved towards the sleek blue dress and matching heels. "That'll do," she said, grabbing the dress and slipping it on quickly. The moment she moved outside, Adrian handed over the coffee. "Here drink this, you need to wake up." Scarlett took a sip and shook her head while wincing the bitterness. "Thank you! I don't know how I will survive without you." Those words casually slipped from her mouth but Adrian sighed. He didn't know how to break the news to her. Eventually, he decided to wait. He would tell her everything after her meeting. To be honest, he didn't want her to mess up anything. Scarlett was the first artist whom he managed. For the last five years, she was more than an artist to him. He found a sister and a friend in her. A sad smile adorned his lips as the words involuntarily came out of his mouth, "You'll learn." "What?" Scarlett knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Nothing!" Adrian said, taking her bag and dragging her outside. "He is going to think that I'm so unprofessional." Adrian looked at the watch. Undoubtedly they were already late. As he didn't want to mess up more, he reassured Scarlett, "Don't worry! I'll get you there on time." Although he wasn't confident in himself, he continued, "Just stay calm and focused." After applying a quick layer of makeup, she switched on her phone. "I have so many missed calls and messages," she said while scrolling through them. Adrian glanced at her and mumbled, "Just focus on your meeting with Jake. It's most important for your career. Leave the messages for later." Scarlett nodded her head in agreement. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I know. I can't afford to mess this up." Once those words came out of her mouth, she remembered Alexander's words from last night. 'If you would mess up, then you would have to deal with the consequences.' A loud message sound broke her trance. Her eyes immediately moved towards her phone screen. A private number flashed with a message, 'Meet me after your meeting in my office.' - A.W.