Chapter 21
The Special Operations Center never banned relationships between agents. In fact, the higher-ups encouraged them. When the commander heard about us, he was genuinely pleased. Having his two most capable agents together was, to him, a very good thing.
Overjoyed, he even gave us three days off.
Silver Wolf, on the other hand, was bitterly jealous. He tried finding someone to date just so he could get a vacation too. The other girls in the center avoided him and the whole situation had Sean and me laughing helplessly.
Despite their teasing, calling us “the rabbits who couldn’t stay out of their own den”, I knew they were truly happy for us.
During our day off, we organized a team dinner outside.
After several rounds of drinks, everyone was slightly tipsy and the things they normally wouldn’t dare to say came spilling out.
Silver Wolf wobbled over and slung an arm around my shoulder, his tone suddenly serious. “Crimson Hawk, listen to me. If our captain ever hurts you, just tell us. We’ll take care of him for you.”
The others stumbled closer, nodding and mumbling in agreement.
“Yeah! We might not be able to beat our captain one-on-one, but if we gang up on him, he won’t dare hurt you again.”
“And don’t you dare keep everything bottled up when you’re hurt like you used to!”
A warmth spread through my chest and tears stung my eyes again. I tried hard to hold them
back.
Sean quietly took my hand, his fingers warm and steady. He leaned close, his voice low but firm. “I’ll never let you suffer, not even a little, not for the rest of my life.”
I believed him. His sincerity was undeniable.
Twelve years of silent love and waiting had already proven his devotion.
After dinner, everyone left one by one, too drunk to walk straight. Sean and I stayed behind, strolling hand in hand down the quiet street like any ordinary couple. Moonlight spilled over us, stretching our shadows long and thin, filling the night with happiness.
Then, from the darkness ahead, a familiar figure appeared-Jason Gardner.
He stared at our joined hands, his face pale under the moonlight. “Scarlet… is this real?” His voice was hoarse, raw with disbelief and pain.
I didn’t let go of Sean’s hand. “Jason, I’ve already made myself clear.” My voice was calm, steady. “I don’t believe it, Scarlet. After everything we’ve been through and even after we have a child together, how can you just let it go like this?”
I gave a short, cold laugh. “It was over the moment you kept choosing Yuna over me, the moment Timmy started calling me a ‘bad woman’ because of you.”
He looked completely broken, pleading now. “But we’ve realized our mistakes. We can start over
Chapter 21
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just like before.”
Sean cut him off sharply. “Please respect her decision, Mr. Gardner.”
Jason finally turned his glare toward Sean, his eyes full of hatred. “And who the hell are you? When we were a family, you were nobody!”
Then, without warning, he lunged forward, reaching for my arm. Sean reacted instantly, stepping in front of me, catching Jason’s wrist and flipping him over with a swift shoulder throw.
“Don’t push me. Or you might not walk away unharmed.”
His words were laced with threats.
But Jason ignored the warning, scrambling back to his feet with determined eyes. “Scarlet, do you really love him?”
“Yes, I love Sean. Now please leave and stop wasting our time.”
Jason staggered back, as if struck straight through the heart. “No… no, that’s not true. You’re just using him to get back at me, aren’t you?”
“Wake up, Jason Gardner. Stop lying to yourself.” My voice was so calm it almost sounded cruel. Sean reached for my hand again, his warmth pulling me back to my sense.
As Jason looked at our clasped hands, the last flicker of hope in his eyes went out. He stood there in silence for a while, utterly broken.
Finally, he looked at me one last time. His gaze was a tangled mess of pain, resentment and regret. It was so complex I couldn’t even read it.
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