He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 276

But if he compromised now—if he handed Dawn over—getting another chance to negotiate with Scarlett or see his daughter would be harder than climbing to heaven.

He was not backing down. If Scarlett wanted to play hardball, he would play it until the bitter end.

Yardley pushed away his milk and stood up. "Fine. Let's go see what they want."

He walked out to the main gate and gestured for the butler to open it.

As the gates swung wide, he was greeted by the sight of Scarlett. She looked completely drained, with dark, heavy circles under her eyes. She looked as though she had aged ten years overnight.

A fleeting pang of sympathy tugged at Yardley's heart, but he ruthlessly crushed it down.

A mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he addressed the group. "To think that my private matters with my wife could warrant a personal visit from three of the city's most prominent heirs. I'm flattered. You gentlemen really do treat Scarlett as someone quite special."

"Cut the sarcastic crap, Yardley," Talia snapped. "Your behavior is disgusting, and everyone is sick of it. Don't you get that?"

Yardley's brows snapped together into a harsh line. "Scarlett threw my family in jail, and they are still sitting in a cell. Is that not 'disgusting'? I bring my own flesh-and-blood daughter to stay at my house for a few days, and suddenly I'm the monster?"

Talia looked like she wanted to punch him. "You are completely twisting the truth! Your sisters and Sylvia broke the law! They deserve to be locked up!"

"And this isn't you 'bringing your daughter to stay'—you took her without Scarlett's permission! Those are two entirely different things! Stop trying to justify your kidnapping!"

Watching Yardley stand there, utterly arrogant and unrepentant, Scarlett's heart sank into her stomach.

She could see it clearly now. He didn't have the slightest intention of giving her daughter back. Her fists clenched at her sides as she asked one final time.

"Yardley, I don't want to waste my breath. Bring Dawn out right now, hand her to me, and we can consider the slate wiped clean."

"If you think you can use the Croft family to pressure me, go right ahead and try. The Flynns aren't afraid of a fight!"

"But I'll give you a piece of advice: I'd keep my distance and mind my own business if I were you! Do not overstep! Because as of right now, Scarlett is still my wife!"

The moment those words hung in the air, Julian's face turned livid.

The accusation felt like a physical blow, slicing through him. His hands curled into tight fists. Stepping forward, he met Yardley's gaze, his eyes flashing with suppressed rage.

"I'll say this one last time. There is nothing inappropriate between Scarlett and me. Stop spreading your paranoid delusions!"

Yardley raised an eyebrow, his smirk turning vicious. "Is that so? Don't you think you look a little too defensive right now?"

They stared each other down, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.