The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Aria’s POV

Victoria’s hand clutched my father’s arm, her manicured nails digging into his sleeve. “Scarlett has been very good lately. She wouldn’t go to any bar with a man.” Her eyes darted nervously between my father and Scarlett.

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I took another deliberate sip of my wine, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably. “As Victoria says. Though, we could always check the club’s surveillance footage to prove it. That shouldn’t be too difficult.”

My heart beat a little faster as I watched my father’s gaze move between me and Scarlett. His jaw clenched, a vein pulsing at his temple. Scarlett’s fingers were now gripping her knife and fork so tightly her knuckles had turned white. She knew as well as I did what was at stake. William Harper, the patriarch of the Harper family, prized the family’s image above all else. He would never tolerate anything that might tarnish the Harper name.

More importantly, after my breakup with Ethan, the Blake and Harper families had announced Ethan and Scarlett’s engagement to avoid scandal. But the Blakes had failed to help the Harper Group through its financial crisis, which had left my father fuming.

Victoria grabbed my wrist, her fingers cold against my skin. “Darling, we’re just having a family dinner. Why are you making such accusations?”

I gently but firmly removed her hand from my wrist, fighting the urge to wipe my skin where she’d touched me. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything. I’m merely suggesting a way to clear up any misunderstanding.”

The tension in the room was palpable. Scarlett’s face had gone from pale to ashen. Victoria was frantically trying to maintain control of the situation, while my father looked ready to explode. I felt a strange mixture of vindication and unease building in my stomach.

Suddenly, Scarlett’s silverware slipped from her trembling fingers, clattering loudly against her plate. The sound seemed to break something in my father.

“Enough!” he roared, slamming his hand down on the table. The crystal glasses jumped, and wine spilled onto the pristine white tablecloth. “Everyone be

quiet!”

Even Victoria dared not speak. My father turned his cold gaze to Scarlett. “You. Come to my study.”

Scarlett rose shakily from her chair, casting a desperate glance at Victoria, who could only lower her eyes helplessly. As Scarlett followed my father out, I noticed how her shoulders slumped in defeat. A small, dark part of me savored this victory, while another part wondered if I was becoming as manipulative

as Victoria.

I excused myself shortly after, my dinner barely touched. As I approached the dining room exit, Scarlett was waiting for me, her body trembling with

emotion.

“Are you happy now? she hissed, her voice shaking. There was raw hatred in her eyes,

I adjusted my silk scarf, maintaining a mask of indifference though my pulse quickened. Happy about what? I didn’t say anything definitive. I merely offered a suggestion.”

Scarlett’s fists clenched at her sides. For a moment, it seemed she might lunge at me. Instead, she turned and hurried up the stairs to face my father’s wrath.

An hour later, as I climbed the stairs to my room, I encountered Scarlett coming, from my father’s study. The bright red handprint on her cheek was unmistakable, and her right cheek was visibly swollen. A twinge of something–not quite guilt, but perhaps discomfort–flickered through me at the sight of

her injury.

I leaned against the bannister, studying her. “Father seems to have been quite harsh,” I said, my voice softer than I’d intended.

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17:42 Tue, Dec 30 RM

Chapter 190

Scarlett glared at me, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Without a word, she pushed past me and slammed her bedroom door.

“Biting the hand that feeds you,” I murmured, continuing up the stairs, trying to silence the small voice inside that questioned if I’d gone too far.

From behind Scarlett’s closed door, I heard frantic dialing. Curiosity got the better of me, and I paused, listening.

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