Chapter 39

When Leroy glanced up again, Scarlett was already gone. A strange sense of emptiness settled in his chest, though he couldn’t quite explain why.

Yvonne, who had been quietly observing him, finally broke the silence.

“Leroy, were you thinking about Scarlett just now?” she asked, her tone tinged with curiosity.

Leroy hesitated before giving her a small nod.

Yvonne’s face flickered with a brief hint of disappointment, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Leroy, you’re divorced now. You really need to start looking forward,” she said gently. “You saw the guy she was with, right? Scarlett’s already made her choice. You should, too.”

Her words were measured but firm, laced with concern.

Leroy nodded faintly, fully aware she was right. “I know, Yvonne. And I’m sorry for today,” he said, his voice quiet but sincere.

Yvonne raised her hand to stop him. “Don’t apologize, Leroy. Honestly, I think it’s her loss,” she said with a small laugh, her dimples showing as she smiled. “Giving up on a great guy like you? She clearly doesn’t know what she had.”

Her lighthearted tone managed to draw a faint smile from him. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax and nodded in agreement.

Scarlett returned earlier than expected to the office, catching Grace’s attention.

Scarlett waved her hand dismissively as she sat at her desk. “Don’t ask. Let’s just say I ran into…a complication,” she muttered, clearly not wanting to elaborate. But Grace wasn’t about to let it go. Her sharp instincts told her something was off. “Let me guess—you ran into Dr. Olson,” she said with a knowing smirk. Scarlett’s face darkened, and her silence was all the confirmation Grace needed.

“You really did! Is he still at the exhibit? Maybe I should stop by and say hi,” Grace said, feigning excitement as she stood.

“Don’t bother,” Scarlett snapped, her tone sharp. “Unless you want to interrupt his little date. He’s already busy.” The bitterness in her voice surprised even herself.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “A date? Well, he certainly picked a fitting venue. Looks like his new date has a similar taste to yours.” Scarlett narrowed her eyes, her voice clipped. “Anything she knows, she learned from me.” Scarlett then huffed. “Do you have nothing to do today? Should I assign you more work?” Grace quickly held up her hands in surrender, stepping back. “Alright. I’ll back off. But I’ll say this—you might want to keep an eye on Cedric. The board isn’t thrilled with how much leeway you’re giving him, and they’ve started grumbling.”

Her tone turned serious, her words a subtle warning. “Don’t let him drag you down, Scarlett.” Scarlett fell silent, the weight of Grace’s words settling heavily.

Meanwhile, Cedric returned to Scarlett’s villa, where several of his relatives were already gathered. Their impatience was clear.

“Cedric, there you are! We’ve been waiting forever,” one of them complained.

“Yeah,” another chimed in. “You said you’d help us get jobs at the company. Don’t tell us you’ve forgotten!”

Their greedy stares made their intentions obvious, and Cedric felt a headache coming on.

“Look, it’s not that I don’t want to help,” Cedric said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “But it’s only been a week. I can’t just pull strings that quickly.”

He paused, before adding, “Give me a little more time, and I’ll make it happen. I promise.”

Though reluctant, the group finally nodded in agreement, appeased for the moment. Cedric exhaled in relief, knowing he had bought himself a little more time to figure out how to handle them.