Chapter 458 Curious and Jealous
'Who is he!?' Francis locked eyes with the tall man glaring at him, a discomfort settling over him. 'Is he Scarlett's boyfriend?'
"Scarlett, who is that man? Why is he staring at me as if he wants to kill me with his gaze?" Francis asked casually, but Scarlett almost choked upon hearing his words.
She turned to look at Logan and couldn't help but feel amused. 'Gosh, Logan, could you be any more obvious?'
"I'm sure he's not your boyfriend, right, Scarlett?" Francis asked again, even though he doubted it.
However, Francis can't avoid his feelings now; his tone is a mix of curiosity and a hint of jealousy. He had known Scarlett for all these years, and she had always said to him that she didn't want a boyfriend at that moment because she was busy with her company.
Scarlett turned to meet Francis' gaze, offering him a reassuring smile before responding, "No, he's not my boyfriend," she paused momentarily, observing his visible relief. However, that relief quickly faded as Scarlett added, "He used to be my husband's personal assistant, and now he's working for me—"
"Hold on—" Francis stopped Scarlett from continuing. "...Scarlett, did you say 'husband'? Are you married?" he asked, a mixture of surprise and disappointment in his expression.
Scarlett simply nodded, her smile tinged with a touch of awkwardness.
An instant of silence enveloped them as they simply stood there, gazing at each other. After a few moments, Scarlett decided to break the silence. She really wanted to go home and call her husband.
"Brother Francis, I—" Scarlett began, only to be interrupted by Francis once more.
"Scarlett, this isn't something you should say just to tease me," Francis said with a smile playing on his lips. "Please, don't try that with me—"
"I'm being serious," Scarlett insisted, her tone earnest. "If you don't believe me, you can ask your dad. He found out last year about my marriage and even met my husband a few times. Oh, and you can access the patient database in this hospital, right? Check my profile, and you'll see whether I'm lying or not..." Scarlett explained, hoping to provide concrete evidence to back up what she was saying.
Scarlett didn't wish to give any false hope to him; she needed to ensure he understood that there was no possibility of a romantic future between them.
Francis fell into silence, grappling to process all that Scarlett had shared. He attempted to speak several times, but his words seemed stuck in his throat.
"Brother Francis," Scarlett said, gently patting his arm. "I'm heading back now. We can talk later, but not at this moment. I have important matters to attend to." With that, she turned and walked away.
Logan and Zara exchanged curious glances before following Scarlett to the parking lot.
Zara quickened her step, moving alongside Scarlett. "Who is that man? He seems quite familiar to you," she asks. Curiosity could be heard in her tone. Logan, following behind them, tried to catch Scarlett's response, his expression a mixture of curiosity and tension.
Scarlett slowed her pace, glancing at Zara. "Would you believe me if I told you that man was nearly... to be my husband?" A fleeting smile danced in her eyes as she observed Zara's surprised reaction.
"WHAT!?" Zara shouted in shock.
"Madam!?" Logan almost stumbled over his own feet, taken aback by Scarlett's words.
"Oh, come on! Why do you both look utterly flabbergasted?" Scarlett rolled her eyes, picking up her pace again. "I said 'nearly.' We didn't actually get married—"
"Scarlett Piers! Stop spouting nonsense, okay!" Zara narrowed her eyes at Scarlett. "Since when have you ever had a romantic relationship with a man? I've known you since your teenage years, and I've never seen you interact with that man before..."
Logan's shoulders relaxed at Zara's firm words. He had been worried about the possibility of his master's wife getting back in touch with her ex. It would be hell.
'I don't want to hear about it anymore,' Logan thought, deciding that if things got any more complicated, he might call his master and warn him.
"Ma'am, please wait here. I'll bring the car," he quickly said, then hastened toward the parking lot.
After Logan left, Zara fixed her gaze on Scarlett once again. "Tell me the truth!" Her tone grew more serious. "Who is that man, really?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes before saying, "Come on, sister... why can't you believe me?" She affectionately pinched Zara's cheeks. "I'm being honest here. It's Francis..." she said, shaking her head as her eyes focused on the street ahead.
Zara's memory clicked into place. "You mean Francis Lewis? The youngest child of Robert Lewis?" The name resonated in Zara's mind, reminding her of conversations from years ago.
Scarlett grinned, feeling entertained by Zara's reaction as her eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah! That's him..."
"My gosh, Scarlett, why did you turn down Grandfather Robert's offer? His son is so freaking handsome! How could you not be attracted to someone like Francis Lewis? He's also incredibly wealthy..." Zara couldn't believe that the man before them was Francis. She had never seen his face before; she had only heard his name all this time.
Scarlett's lips twitched in amusement. "Sis, is something slipping your mind?" she chuckled softly.
"What?"
"If I had married Francis, I would never have met Xander Riley," Scarlett's smile widened as she remembered her first encounter with Xander. "Have you forgotten how handsome and wealthy my husband is?"
Zara was left momentarily speechless.
"Well, you're right," Zara conceded, a touch of envy in her tone. "You know, Scarlett, I'm actually quite jealous of you now. You have three handsome and wealthy men who are utterly smitten with you—"
Zara sighed again before continuing, "...It's like God decided to shower you with all the favor, Scarlett. Seriously, spill your secrets! How in the world did you manage to captivate three powerful men? Rex, Francis, and Xander? Seriously?"
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, a half-smile tugging at her lips.
"Girl, I might have to start addressing you as 'master' if you teach me your ways," Zara playfully added.
"Well, maybe it's because I have some royal blood flowing in my veins?" Scarlett replied nonchalantly while walking to her car.
"What the hell are you talking about? Royal blood? What do you mean?" Zara said while chasing Scarlett...