The Billionaire's Seductress ✔

44. Sugar

He laughed.

"What?" Scarlett snapped, "Couldn't find another innocent little girl to torment?"

Oliver smirked. "None I liked as much as you, sugar. You left without saying goodbye." He covered his chest with both his hands. "I was truly heartbroken."

Scarlett raised the corners of her mouth and sneered at him, her eyebrows still knitted together into a deep frown. "Goodbye."

She attempted to push past him and walk away, but he caught her arm. "Not so fast, sugar."

"Don't touch me," Scarlett growled, fiercely, wrenching her arm away from his grasp, "And don't call me that."

"What? Sugar?" he asked, tapping the underside of her chin with his index finger, "But you're just so sweet."

Scarlett brushed away his touch, savagely. "No, I'm not."

Oliver inspected her frowning expression, intrigued. "You're spunky now, Vanessa," he told her, almost like he was proud, "You're not whimpering and backing down. I can't decide which version is more fun."

Scarlett made a face at the mention of her old name. She didn't feel like Vanessa anymore. She felt like Scarlett.

She was Scarlett.

Fearless, confident, smart, wanted Scarlett.

Staring at the phantom of her past, she wondered what had brought him here.

"You look good, Vanessa," Oliver told her, eyeing her from head to toe, "Time has been so kind to you. You look better than you did eight years ago. Can you believe it's been eight years?"

"Not nearly long enough to spend away from you."

"Oh, but doesn't distance make the heart grow fonder?" Oliver asked, making a mock-sympathetic face.

"How about we try that out? I'll stay here and you can go to the sun and die."

"You've changed, sugar," he said, in a gravelly tone.

Scarlett groaned, internally. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"Can't I just want to see an old friend?" he asked, innocently.

"You and I were never friends."

Oliver pouted and put a hand over his chest. "You'll break my heart, Vanessa."

"It's a good thing you don't have one, then."

Oliver's smirk returned. "Where did you find all this spunk, Vanessa? Did I make you this?"

"You did nothing, but torment me. I did this on my own," Scarlett spat, putting on the most disgusted expression she could muster on to her face.

Oliver took a step closer and his voice lowered into an ominous tone. "Too bad it's not enough for anyone to want you or care about you or love you. No one wants you, Vanessa. No one ever will."

Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest. "That's rich coming from the pond scum who apparently missed me and travelled thousands of miles to find me."

Oliver's eyebrows raised. He wasn't used to her having a rebuttal to what he told her.

"Now, Oliver," she sneered, "I'm leaving and I suggest you do the same. Get out of here. And if you try to stop me, I will scream bloody murder. Don't test me."

Scarlett raised her chin, turned and began to walk away.

Oliver angled his head to see her go.