Chapter-7

Beautiful. That was the first word that came to Scarlette's mind when she entered the restuarant which would hold the event of this evening. Scarlette took out her phone from her purse. It was 6.05 PM. The party would start at 6.30 PM. Scarlette sighed. She was nervous. But she knew there was no way out and she had to bear with it. Besides, she had a purpose then. To find something. About her would be husband.

The party was held to announce to the whole world that Augustus Hill was not going to stay single anymore. Poor ladies!!! Scarlette thought sarcastically.

They booked the whole restaurant for the occasion. The whole room was redecorate for the occasion too. She really didn't want to know how much they spent for this occasion. There was a big round table in the middle for ten poeple and small tables for four were scattered around this table. On one side of the room there was a semi circular stage. On the other side, completely opposite to the stage, there was a black marble counter bar. The whole place was decorated wonderfully with white and black theme.

"Liked it?" Said Lucy.

"Yes. Very. How much did all of this cost, Lucy?"

She didn't want to ask this but she was so curious that it just pushed past her lips before she could stop. Lucy laughed.

"You don't have to worry about that. It wasn't much. Really. And moreover, Augustus spent for all this as dad said he wanted to spent for the wedding. Augustus actually wanted to spent for the marriage too but dad blackmailed him to let him take the marriage part. I actually don't know how he managed to blackmail Augustus because his attitude literally screams 'You can't blackmail me'." She said the last part using air quotation with her fingers.

Scarlette laughed.

"What are you talking about ladies?" Both girls turned and Jamie and Jason were behind them.

Lucy replied. "You can't listen. It's personal." Her tone was mischievous. Jamie started whining as Jason laughed.

"Come on. Tell me. Tell me, tell me. Please tell me."

When Lucy didn't say anything and just smirked, he turned to Scarlette and gave the most adoring puppy eyes she had ever seen and she couldn't help but relent.

"Lucy was just telling me how your dad blackmailed your cousin to let him spent for the wedding."

Lucy groaned and Jamie jumped in excitement and danced around them. Scarlette and Jason just laughed.

"Do you know when they are arriving, Jam?" Lucy asked in a sugar-coated voice.

Jamie scowled at her before answering, "They are on their way."

Jamie, Lucy, Scarlette and Jason arrived first together in Scarlette's parents' car. Scarlette and her family would go home after the party. Charlotte, Kelly, Charlie, Jennifer, Norman, Usha, Dennis and Augustus were coming in their family car. Scarlette wanted Charlotte to come with her but Charlotte, being her stupid stubborn self, wanted to sit with her would be brother in law.

"Idiot Girl," Scarlette muttered under her breathe.

"Scarlette"

"Scarlette"

Scarlette broke out of her cursing her sister for leaving her like this and looked at Lucy who was calling her. Jamie and Jason too was looking at her.

"Huh"

"What were muttering under your breathe?" Lucy asked curious.

"Oh... Uh... no-Nothing. I was just thinking when the others would arrive. They should have been here by now."

"Urg...forget about them. You know, I was the one who suggested the colour theme." Lucy said proudly.

"WHAT?" Jamie suddenly shrieked making Scarlette jump three feet high.

"You didn't suggest it. I was the one who did." Jamie said waving his hands in the air.

Turning to Scarlette with big round eyes, he said, "Believe me, Scarlette. I was the one."

"No, you didn't." Lucy scowled at Jamie.

Scarlette turned to a laughing Jason with wide eyes.

"Do they always bicker like that?"

Jason laughed harder at Scarlette's question. When he could control himself a little he replied, "You haven't seen half of it. Let's get out of here before we get involved."

He gave Scarlette a mischievous smile as he lead her up the stairs that lead to the rooftop. The restaurant was on the twentieth floor. The rooftop was decorated beautifully with flower plants. There was light breeze and Scarlette walked towards the railing. She looked down and saw city lights twinkling below.

"You're not happy with this marriage."

Scarlette looked beside her at Jason shocked. She was shocked not because he saw through her false cheer but because he phrased it as a statement and not as a question. Meaning he was confident of his assumption.

"Why do you think that?" Scarlette retorted.

"I didn't think. I know."

Scarlette opened her mouth but Jason sensing her question said, "I'm a DSU (Detective Superintendent), you know."

"Actually, I didn't know that."

"Oh."

Jason looked sheepishly at Scarlette.

This is the right moment. Scarlette thought.

"Jason, can I ask you something?"

He nodded. Scarlette opened her mouth and then closed it again. She knew she needed to be careful about what she can ask. She opened her mouth again.

"What kind of person is Augustus?"

If the question caught Jason off guard, he didn't show it.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean.... you know..... I'm getting married soon but I don't know anything about the guy who is soon going to be my future husband," she shrugged after saying the last two words.

Jason just nodded with understanding.

Taking the chance of the silence, Scarlett again spoke, "I thought you would know him better as you're his elder brother and for some reason I feel like you would be honest with me as well..."

"Well.....if you wanna know...he was never such of a problematic kid, as far I remember. But yeah!" Jason snapped his fingers as an invisible bulb lit up in his head.

"He once beat up his classmate in high school."

"Why did he do that?" Scarlette asked shocked.

"Well, they said something bad about his parents and that is a sensitive spot for him."

"Oh, I see." Scarlette continued after a small pause. "What type of company he usually keeps?"

"All his friends are posh and aristocrat. They have nothing in common with Augus. I don't get why he would even keep them around unless...." Jason said looking at the dark sky with twinkling stars in a daze.

"Unless..." Scarlette whispered the word so as not to break the trance he was in.

"Unless he wants to...."

"Want to get on the bad side of them."

Jason was interrupted by another voice cutting in. A voice she didn't want to hear at the moment. A voice that came from directly behind her. Scarlette turned around to find Augustus near her. Almost too near. And he was glaring at her though he was speaking to Jason.

"Isn't that right, big brother?"

If Scarlette wasn't scared of the fact that he heard what they were talking about then she would have noticed Augustus calling Jason "big brother". But she was afraid that she had been caught and was currently thinking of making a quick escape.

"I need to go to the washroom. Where is it?" She said looking at Jason avoiding Augustus' eyes.

"On the opposite of the staircase along the hallway."

Scarlette just nodded and left. She almost ran towards the bathroom closing the door behind her. She walked over to the sink and leaned on it.

When did he came behind us? Did he hear anything? Her thoughts were scattered.

She looked at her reflection and saw that a slight sheen of sweat formed on her forehead. She splashed cold water on her face and felt the comforting cold water droplets sliding down her cheeks. She wiped her face and again applied the little makeup she had used just for tonight. She got out of the restroom intending to go back to the party. But before she could take more than three steps towards the party, someone grabbed her wrist twisting it behind her back and pushed her towards the wall so that she was trapped between the wall and her attacker. She was shocked to silence by the sudden attack. Her face was to the wall and her back was to the man. Yes, a man. She could feel the hard body slightly pressed against her back. She turned her head to look behind her to see who was doing this in restaurant full of people knowing quite well that she could scream for help as he hadn't covered her mouth. The hallway was a little shadowed with small yellow lights lighting the hallway from the ceiling. It was Augustus. He looked angry but seemed to have quite a control over his anger. His dark eyes were darker with anger but there was a spark in them. He twisted her wrist a little and she hissed in pain turning her head to face the wall to hide her face from him so he wouldn't have the satisfaction in seeing that he could cause her pain so easily. She would have been surprised to find him using violence with her even before they were married if she wasn't so shocked at the sudden attack. But as she came down from the shock of the unexpected attack, she realized that she wasn't so surprised or afraid from his violence. Not much. Just that, that he even considered using physical violence made her disgusted more that being afraid.

How can a man make physical attacks on the woman he was supposed to marry?

"What did you ask Jason?"

His voice cut through her thoughts as she tried not to wince much at the pain he was causing her.

"Nothing that concerns you." She said bitingly.

I'm not going to give into my fears.

"I'm warning you for the last time. Do. Not. Interfere. In. My. Private. Life. It'll do you good."