Chapter 3 Tangled in Lies

SCARLETT

"Tell me now, what the heck is going on here?" my father yelled, his voice shaking the entire room. I flinched, trembling under his intense glare. My mind went blank, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else.

I didn't know where to start. I didn't even know what to say. How could I explain this mess without making it worse? I was frozen, staring at the floor, hoping it would somehow swallow me whole.

And then, out of nowhere, someone spoke.

"She was actually with me," came the calm, composed voice I least wanted to hear right now. My head snapped up, and my stomach twisted into knots. Standing at the door, with a smug expression plastered on his face, was Vincent-my father's trusted business partner and the man he had been pushing me to marry.

My father's expression immediately softened. His face lit up with relief, and for a moment, I almost thought I imagined it.

"Oh, so it was you in the picture!" my father exclaimed, glancing between Vincent and the photo on his phone. He smiled broadly, as though all the tension had just melted away. "Well, that makes sense. You two look great together."

No. No, no, no. I wanted to scream. I wasn't with Vincent in that picture-I was with Zayden. But they looked so similar from certain angles, and in the dim lighting of the club, it must have been easy to mistake one for the other. I think it's for the best. I can't let my father know that I had a one night stand with Zayden, his best friend.

Vincent didn't bother correcting him. Instead, he smiled coolly and stepped further inside, like he owned the place.

"Yes, sir. Scarlett was with me," he said smoothly. "We had a wonderful time last night." He threw me a sly wink that made my skin crawl.

I glanced at Zayden, who was standing near the window, his face unreadable. His jaw was clenched, and his fists were curled tightly at his sides. Was he angry? Upset? I couldn't tell. He wouldn't even look at me.

"Well, Scarlett," my father said, turning to me with a wide grin, "why didn't you tell me you were spending time with Vincent? I would've been overjoyed!"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I... I didn't think it was important."

"Not important?" My dad laughed. "This is wonderful news! It means the wedding can happen sooner than we planned."

Wedding? What wedding? My heart stopped.

Vincent chuckled softly, a dark glint in his eyes. "Yes, sir. Scarlett and I have been getting to know each other better, and I think things are moving in the right direction."

What the heck was happening? This wasn't real. This couldn't be real.

I opened my mouth to protest, but my father cut me off. "I'm so proud of you, Scarlett. This is exactly what I wanted for you. Vincent is a good man. He'll take care of you."

I felt like I was drowning. My mind was spinning, and I couldn't think straight. I glanced at Zayden again, silently begging him to say something, to stop this madness, but he just stared out the window, his expression cold and distant.

Before I could say anything, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I mumbled, desperate for a moment to clear my head.

I opened the door and froze. Standing there were two men in dark suits, their faces grim and serious.

"Scarlett Evans?" one of them asked.

"Yes," I said hesitantly.

"We're here on official business. We need to speak with your father."

I blinked in confusion, stepping aside to let them in. My father's smile vanished the moment he saw them.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

One of the men stepped forward, holding up a badge. "Mr. Evans, we're here to inform you that you're under investigation for embezzlement and financial fraud."

My father's face turned pale. "What? That's ridiculous! I haven't done anything wrong!"

"We have evidence suggesting otherwise," the man said grimly. "We'll need you to come with us for questioning."

"No!" I cried, stepping between them. "There must be some mistake!"

Angel ❤️, [4/1/2025 8:35 AM]

"I'm afraid there's no mistake, Miss Evans," the man said. And before I knew it, they had handcuffed my father and were leading him out the door.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched them take him away. My entire world was falling apart, and I had no idea how to fix it.

"This can't be true. My father didn't do this! Stop! Don't take him away!" I screamed, my voice cracking as tears streamed down my face. I lunged forward, but two officers held me back, their expressions grim and unyielding. No matter how hard I struggled, they wouldn't let me go after him. I watched helplessly as they dragged my father out of the house in handcuffs. His face was pale, his eyes hollow, and he didn't look back at me.

The door slammed shut behind them, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Days passed in a blur. I barely moved from my room. I ignored my friends' texts, refused their calls, and shut out the world. I didn't want to talk to anyone. What was there to say? My life was falling apart, crumbling like sand slipping through my fingers, and I was powerless to stop it.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my father's face-haunted, broken-and the image stabbed at my heart like a knife.

Then, one morning, everything got worse.

It was a quiet day. Too quiet. I was sitting on the front steps, staring at nothing in particular, when a black car pulled up in front of the house. Three men in suits stepped out, their faces cold and indifferent.

"Are you Scarlett?" one of them asked.

I nodded, my throat dry. Something about them made my skin crawl.

"We're here to inform you that, as per court orders, this house is being seized due to your father's conviction. You need to vacate the premises immediately."

"What?" I blinked, my mind struggling to process their words. "No, this is my home. You can't just-"

"Your father has been found guilty," the man interrupted, his voice flat and emotionless. "Everything he owns, including this property, now belongs to the state. You have until the end of the day to gather your belongings and leave."

They didn't wait for me to respond. Instead, they turned and began placing locks on the front door. I watched in stunned silence, my body frozen in place.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, no, no. This can't be happening."

But it was.

I begged them, pleaded with everything I had, but they ignored me, acting as though I didn't exist. When they were done, they drove away without another word, leaving me standing on the front lawn, staring at the house I had grown up in-now locked and off-limits.

For a moment, I just stood there, numb. Then the weight of everything hit me all at once, and my knees buckled beneath me. I was falling, spiraling into the abyss of despair.

But before I hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around me, catching me.

I gasped, looking up, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," he said softly, helping me stand up properly.

"No, it's not," I whispered, wiping my tears. "I've lost everything. My dad is in jail, and I have nothing left."

Zayden hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "You can stay with me," he said quietly.

I looked up at him, shocked. "What?"

"You can stay at my place," he repeated. "I'm your dad's best friend, and I promised him I'd look out for you. I can't let you live on the streets, Scarlett."

I stared at him, my heart racing. Was this really happening?

Zayden's jaw tightened. "You're coming with me."

I bit my lip, trying to hide my smile. This was my chance. My chance to make Zayden fall for me.

And I wasn't going to waste it.