A DROWNED SCARLETT

A cool jazz music piece was playing softly in Scarlett's room. She was trying to find inspiration for a new design theme while sipping slowly on a glass of lemon water.

She seemed so invested in her sketch when a call came through for her. It was her grandfather. "Hello. A cool sunny afternoon to you." She greeted.

Russell laughed at Scarlett's greeting like it was the ultimate joke of the year. "Where did you learn that kind of greeting from? Is it that Instant app you showed me the other day?" He asked, referring to Instagram.

Scarlett laughed shortly.. "It's not an instant app. It is Instagram." She corrected him.

"Plus, I didn't learn that from anywhere. I just kind of came up with it."

"Oh? I forgot what it was called and I asked Orion. He also said he didn't know. So I just stuck with calling it Instant app." Scarlett shook her head as Russell explained the whole thing to her.

It was so refreshing for her to hear him so lively. It always calmed her worrying heart that he was doing great…of course she wasn't going to tell him that. It was so unlike her to say something nice in a direct manner.

"So why did you decide to call me when I was in the zone? Did you get so bored to the point you forgot I am not as less engaged like you and your buddy over there?"

"I did not call you for any of those reasons. Don't get so cocky now." Russell replied her.

"I just called to ask you if you did not forget about our appointment today. Who knows? You might even remember and decide to play dumb when I show up to your door to query you."

Scarlett dropped her sketch pad and rose up, walking toward the bathroom to run a warm bath for herself.

"I didn't forget it. You didn't raise a dishonest girl. I'll be there at exactly 6:30pm." 

"I don't enjoy arriving so early to events like these." Scarlett complained.

Russell let out a simple 'hmm'. "It is just enough for me that you'd show up."

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye." Russell said just before Scarlett disconnected the call.

Scarlett sighed and went back into the room to keep her phone before taking her bath.

Once she got into the bathtub, she let out a contented sound and dipped herself up on to her neck level.

For a few seconds she got too relaxed that she started reminiscing the dark day all over again....

It was so hot and stuffy and dark. Scarlett felt someone's body next to her…almost like it was above her.

The darkness was too bright for her, she couldn't open her eyes as she was unable to process anything in sight. 

The arms of that being she could feel next to her began to roam all over her body. It seemed like the person was looking for something…..maybe to check if she was alive? 'Where was she exactly?' Her brain kept ringing and everything seemed like it was spiraling until she could no longer breathe.

The hands finally sought what it had been searching for. Her weak body was suddenly at alert and she jolted in fright.

"So you are awake huh?" The voice came from whoever it was and had been feeling her all over.

"What do you want?" She asked with all the courage she could muster. Unlike other people, she would have asked for the person's identity, but she was smart enough to know that if they wanted to be known, the room wouldn't be so dark.

The person's face was the first she would have opened her eyes to see.

"What I want?" The voice snorted. "I want to see what it would be like to have the one precious thing to the Chevalier household broken and battered to an irreparable point. I really want to know if you are as dear to their hearts as I hear you are."

Scarlett then heard footsteps walking towards her and she began to scream...…

Antonio knocked severally on Scarlett's bathroom door. She had been in the bathroom for an hour and half.

She was supposed to be downstairs for a light snack. When she didn't show up after an hour, he thought she must be busy with work, and so he decided to bring the snacks up. 

When he got upstairs, he saw that she wasn't there. He left the snacks next to her sketch pad and checked all around the house incase she might have gone out for some fresh air. 

He just had the intuition to check her bathroom if she was there, as the gardener told him he hadn't seen her outside all afternoon.

 After a few more knocks, Antonio fetched a large towel from her closet and walked into the bathroom.

To his disbelief, Scarlett had already nearly drowned herself in the tub.

Her whole body was already immersed under water, save a piece of her hair that stuck to the edge of the tub.

Antonio immediately dipped the towel in the water and brought her out in the already wet towel.

He laid her on the rug and he shook her violently. He performed a quick CPR on her after he remembered he wasn't supposed to shake her.

Who could blame him? He was just a shocked and confused employee at that point. How was he going to explain to Russell if anything happened to Scarlett if anything bad happened to her?

Thankfully, Scarlett jolted up coughing up a lot of water.

Antonio patted her back and made her rest while he called for her personal doctor.

After what seemed to Antonio like a century, but was only 6 minutes in reality, the doctor arrived.

He attended to Scarlett who was looking almost as white as a piece of chalk. 

Scarlett tiredly asked what the time was. "It's currently 5:45 pm." Antonio swiftly replied.

It was the first statement, rather, first question Scarlett had asked since she was revved up from drowning in the bathroom.

"5:30pm?" Scarlett questioned. "I would be late for Grandpa's appointment! Quick, Doc you'd attend to me later. I have somewhere to go." Scarlett tried to rush out of her bed and she ended up falling in Antonio's arms.

She would have landed face flat on the floor if he hadn't caught her in time.

"I'm afraid not." The Doctor said to Scarlett.

"You need to rest for a few minutes before you rush off to anywhere. I'll take my leave now."

Antonio saw the doctor off after he was reassured that Scarlett was fine.

Antonio came back up to Scarlett's room to see she was already off her bed…not that he was surprised she wouldn't listen to the Doctor's orders.

"Where are you, Miss?" He slightly raised his voice as he asked.

"I am in the shower. Do not worry, I'll be out in 2 minutes. I feel a little dirty." Scarlett yelled from the bathroom.

Antonio simply waited at her bathroom door until she came out. He was not willing to risk anything at this point.

"I said I'd be out in 2 minutes. You didn't have to wait at the door." Scarlett said in disbelief

 "I don't lie, you know." She finished as she went to her drawer to get her hair dryer.

Antonio nodded his head. "Yes, I know. I am also pretty sure the doctor wouldn't lie when he informs the Old master about what happened this afternoon."

"I'd give you the privacy to get dressed. But I'm right on the other side of this door just incase…" Antonio said in one breath as he stepped out of the room and carefully closed the door.

Scarlett was in a bit of a shock when Antonio talked about the doctor not lying to her grandfather. 

She shrugged and started getting dressed.

In about 45 minutes, Scarlett was done. She opened the door to see that Antonio had already changed his outfit…and his hairstyle too.

She had always seen him in two braids done to the back. But this evening, he let his jet black hair down.

It looked a little wet but it was still gorgeous. 

He was in his usual black polo shirt and black pants. 

Scarlett looked him up and down and for the first time since she had been working with Antonio, she seemed quite impressed with his dressing.

Maybe it was his hair, or her strange sentiment with her drowning incident....she didn't even know what was wrong with her.

'why was she suddenly thinking weird things and getting attracted to her bodyguard?' She cleared her throat when she noticed she was being awkward.

"I'm ready. Let's go." She walked ahead of Antonio in order to avoid being weird again.

Antonio walked behind Scarlett and closed the living room door.

He opened the car door for her as the driver had already drove to the door entrance.