To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 106

Susan barely managed to find a clue about Isaac. When she heard whose shadow her son had been staying under, she was so shocked she almost fainted.

Scarlett, who was beside her when she received the news, let out a strained breath.

“I have to go get Isaac right away.”

Susan shot up from her seat. Scarlett grabbed her sister’s arm tightly to stop her.

“I’ll… I’ll go.”

Susan looked stunned. Even without seeing her sister’s face, Scarlett knew what she was thinking and quickly added,

“If you go, it’ll just end in a fight. You… you might not know this, but… Noah and I got along pretty well.”

“He approached us with the intent to harm. Do you really think I’ll let it go just because he played family with you for a while?”

“I know. That’s why it has to be me.”

After thinking it over, Susan decided to listen to Scarlett.

If she sent someone else, there was a risk of provoking Noah, now Emperor Natalia. And sending a letter would be pointless—Isaac would probably burn it without reading.

More than anything, when it came to her child, Susan would stop at nothing. But she knew Scarlett was better at handling Noah Ashford.

And so, Scarlett came in Susan’s place to meet Noah. As she felt the blood drain from her head, she forced a small smile to hide her nerves.

“It’s been… a while.”

“It’s only been three days. You must’ve missed me a lot.”

Noah replied with a hint of sarcasm, and Scarlett blushed. Isaac looked between the two of them, trying to read the mood.

“Isaac, let’s go home.”

Isaac stepped back. Her nerves stretched thin, Scarlett pleaded desperately.

“Isaac, please…”

“I don’t want to go back.”

“Do you have a reason?”

“…”

When the boy shut his mouth tightly, Scarlett let out a short sigh and approached him. As she stepped forward, Isaac stepped back. She couldn’t hide her shock at being rejected by her nephew.

Noah, who had been watching with interest, made a suggestion.

“Why don’t we talk inside? Standing around out here isn’t solving anything.”

He was right. They were blocking the entrance of the hotel and bothering the guests.

But Scarlett couldn’t decide right away. Even if Isaac was there, being alone in an enclosed space with Noah made her uncomfortable.

Noah pulled Isaac toward him and gently guided him inside, naturally leading the situation that way.

Five minutes later, Scarlett found herself in the sitting room of Noah’s hotel suite, drinking tea.

“Drink. It’s good for your heart.”

“…”

Even with Noah’s encouragement, Scarlett barely sipped the tea, her face still tense.

Isaac, firming his resolve so he wouldn’t waver, spoke first.

“I’m not going back.”

“Then at least stay somewhere else.”

“Why?”

Scarlett bit her lip and clenched her jaw. After a moment of silence, she turned to Noah.

“If you don’t let Isaac go, I’ll report you for child abduction.”

“Oh. That’s scary.”

“Aunt—!”

Unlike Noah, who was mocking, Isaac was furious and breathing hard.

“Even if the case ends with no charges, people will still think you’re a child predator. So Isaac Brown—go home while I’m still being nice.”

Isaac had believed his aunt was different from the other Whites. But her words now betrayed that belief. His shoulders trembled.

His face turned red, showing just how disappointed and angry he was.

Eventually, Isaac shot up and stormed out of the hotel room where Noah was staying. The door slammed behind him. Left alone with Noah, Scarlett spoke coldly.

“You’ve changed a lot. You’ve turned into a proper White.”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

Noah shrugged and sipped his tea, looking relaxed.

“Well, I was hoping Susan White would come, but you’re not a bad alternative. It’s nice to have tea together like this.”

“What are you trying to pull?”

“Pull? Is it a scheme to be kind to the runaway nephew of an old lover?”

At the word “lover,” Scarlett’s face twisted. As her breathing grew rough, Noah let out a low chuckle.

Feeling overwhelmed by the uncomfortable atmosphere, Scarlett stood up. But Noah moved faster and grabbed her wrist.

“I just have a question.”

Scarlett tried to twist her wrist away, but his grip was so strong she couldn’t move.

“I heard you got much healthier. What happened?”

His voice was sweet, almost like a whisper in her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, though she couldn’t tell if it was fear or something else.

“…”

“Well? Answer me. There were no medicines left. How are you still alive?”

To his lazy question, Scarlett stayed silent.

She thought of many things to say, but none could explain the mystery.

After all, she herself didn’t understand why she had survived.

Her body, which had been dying throughout her pregnancy, slowly recovered. Though she was unconscious for a while after giving birth, she eventually lived—and saw Teddy.

She hadn’t intended any of it. Even the best healing mages could only call it a miracle. But repeating that felt ridiculous in this moment.

She had said goodbye, thinking she would die—only to survive miraculously? Anyone would think she was making fun of him.

“Let go.”

Noah ignored her request.

“Fine. Then let me change the question.”

He smiled softly, but his eyes were colder than ever.

“I thought you loved me too.”

Scarlett realized she didn’t need to hear anymore. She forcefully slapped down his arm to free herself and turned to leave without looking back.

But before she could reach the door, Noah used magic to pin her to the wall.

“You…”

Could those violet eyes really shine like that?

His eyes were icy and cruel. The darkness in them made her feel like she was facing the killer who had once tried to end her life.

Scarlett’s eyes welled up. When she flinched in fear, Noah’s gaze seemed to flicker. But then he clenched his jaw and stepped closer.

They were so near they could feel each other’s breath—so close they could almost feel each other’s heartbeat.

“Even if our love wasn’t equal…”

His low voice had the weight of a predator. Fear tingled through her fingers. Scarlett lowered her gaze without meaning to.

“I thought at least our feelings were the same.”

“…”

Then Noah lowered his head. After staring at her for a moment, he pressed his lips against hers.

Scarlett’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected this at all.

She trembled, pushing at his chest and hitting his shoulders, but Noah stood firm like a mountain.

It wasn’t even a kiss. He simply pressed his lips to hers. But the emotions in that simple touch were anything but light.

The sticky, sharp affection was enough to torment Scarlett.

“…Mmph…”

Noah’s tongue brushed against her lower lip. As their moist lips met, a sticky sound echoed.

Struggling, Scarlett eventually shed a tear, and her knees gave out. Noah caught her and supported her weight.

“Don’t do this…”

She murmured in a weak voice. The hoarseness in her words, right next to his ear, sent a wave of sensation crashing over him.

That wave uncovered emotions buried for years—dust and gravel of time, swept away to reveal raw, living feelings. Desperately, he begged.

“I was yours.”

“Not anymore…”

“Yeah. You abandoned me.”

Like a wanderer finding an oasis after walking the desert without water, Noah pressed his face into her neck.

He bit into her skin, kissed her, and sucked on her soft flesh. Her whimpers mixed with the sound of his sucking.

Her legs gave out again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Barely staying upright, she pleaded.

“Stop…”

Scarlett’s warmth, her scent—after six years, it was painfully tempting.

Noah couldn’t stop, even as she begged. His lips moved from her neck to her collarbone, then to her shoulder.

He belonged to her, and she to him. So then, that’s why—

“Stop, Noah…”

What was she telling him to stop? This act? His revenge? His love for her?

Noah gave a faint smile at her tearful voice. She should cry only because of him. Just him. He was about to lift her in his arms when—

“I’m going to marry Wilhelm.”

“…What?”

“I’m getting married. With you… this isn’t right. I don’t love you anymore.”

Noah’s eyes flashed with deep betrayal. He grabbed Scarlett’s waist tightly with his rough hands.

Scarlett twisted her body, trying to escape from him, her face wrinkled in pain. But Noah held her even tighter and locked her in his arms.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh came out, followed by a burst of strong anger.

“So that’s why you left me?”

“…No.”

“Of course not. Oh, right. Maybe I should thank you for leaving me. Thanks to that, I could get full revenge on your damn brothers.”

“Noah Ashford!”

At the mention of revenge, Scarlett’s heart dropped, and she cried out his name like a scream. He whispered fiercely like a beast hunting its prey.

“Break up with Wilhelm Hoffman.”

“No. That’s never going to happen.”

“Your place is by my side, not his.”

“I don’t want to go to you. Not even once…”

She forced strength into her voice and eyes, trying to lie.

“I never wanted to be with you.”

Noah’s face twisted badly. Not hatred, but betrayal came first—more than betrayal, it was sorrow; more than sorrow, it was despair.

Noah’s slightly red, bloodshot eyes looked painful. Scarlett’s heart ached from the lie she chose herself, and without meaning to, she started crying.

Noah quietly watched her tears, then carefully wiped her cheek with his trembling hand.

“…I can never forgive you.”

What could she say to someone who said he couldn’t forgive her?

Even if she tried to explain everything from the past, the grudge between their families wouldn’t disappear. The false accusation that Scott killed Julia Ashford wouldn’t be cleared in a moment either.

Noah’s sunken voice stabbed Scarlett in the heart.

“…You… should have died back then.”

Scarlett gasped without knowing. Noah, shaking with anger, shouted.

“If you really loved me! You should’ve died back then! Not stay alive and be with Wilhelm Hoffman like this!”

“…How…”

“You should’ve just died! Scarlett White, it would’ve been better if you were dead, so I could at least miss you!”

“You… you…”

Scarlett weakly clenched her fist, pushed Noah away in heartbroken pain, and left the room. She didn’t see Isaac quickly hiding behind the wall as she wiped her tears.

Isaac, who had heard Noah’s scream from behind the door, turned pale and realized something. His cousin Teddy looked just like Theo Grisham—no, like Noah, the Emperor of Natalia.

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