“You said it yourself: The man is weak and dying,” I began, my gaze darting out the window. “Why kill him when I can make him suffer and beg for mercy?”
He paused, then followed my gaze to the girl. “You want to use his daughter as bait?”
“Not bait,” I answered. “The instrument of his downfall.” I let the words sink in for a while. “No amount of torture would hurt him more than what I’m about to do to his precious daughter.” The smirk on my lips deepened.
The girl was unaware of the danger that lurked in the dark. She was about to pay for her father’s crimes in ways she wasn’t ready for. And the fact that this would break Mercer beyond repair stirred a cruel satisfaction within me.
My vengeance had just changed shape, thanks to the blonde’s arrival. And although the plan would take longer, it would all be worth it in the end.
Chapter 7 – Scarlett
“Here you go,” I said, wearing a polite smile as I served a customer his order.
“Hmm. This smells nice,” he replied, rubbing his hands in glee. “I’m sure it’ll taste even better.”
“It certainly will,” I replied, straightening my spine.
He seized the burger from his plate, took a big bite, and let out a soft sigh. “Hmm. Perfect,” he said with his mouth full. “Just what I needed. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir.” I beamed at him, my lips curling into a grin. “Enjoy.”
With that, I stepped away from his table, delighted by his satisfaction.
I buried myself in work tonight, taking more orders than I ever had, all in an attempt to keep my mind occupied. The meeting with my father had affected me more than I cared to admit. And the more I tried to get him out of my head, the more the sounds of his vigorous coughs echoed in my mind.
He was dying.
I couldn’t understand why he’d ask to see me and then not explain himself at all. I had thousands of questions, but he hadn’t even answered one. He was such a terrible man and an even more horrible father; undeserving of my forgiveness.
Yet, a huge part of me wanted to reconcile with him.
The turmoil within me was threatening to rip my mind to shreds. He hurt me so much that all I wanted to do was hate him. But after what I saw at his place, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. At the end of the day, he was still my flesh and blood.
Although he left me with unanswered questions, a part of me still believed that all would be revealed in due time.
“Hey,” James called softly, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts. “Are you alright?”
I stopped in my tracks, watching him walk up to me. “Yeah, I’m good. Why?”
He paused for a moment, casting a suspicious glance at me. “Don’t you think you need to slow down a little bit?”
My brows knitted together. “Uh…I’m working, James.”
“I know. I’m just saying that you’re taking on too much.”
I massaged my temples to soothe the ache in my head. “Thanks for the concern.” My lips curled into a faint grin. “But I’m fine. Really.”
Before the night ended, Damon and Audrey also cornered me at different times, both telling me the same thing: to slow down. However, working hard was the only way that I could get my mind off my problems.
It took the manager’s intervention to get me to take things easy. Plus, his approach left me smitten.
I was heading to a table to serve their order when he called out to me from behind.
“Scarlett.” His voice was calm and gentle.
I paused immediately, turning to answer him. “Yes?”
He quietly walked over to me with a look on his face I’d never seen before—charming with a touch of sophistication. “Got a minute?”
