Scarlett Louviere
Walking through my home I minded my own business ignoring the argument downstairs that had been waging between my parents. They'd been like this almost every night that I'd been home in New York. Now I was just aimlessly seeking the farthest place from their screaming.
It was all coming apart, my life had been piece by pieces slipping apart, Derek had been comforting, and I knew that he was trying to be as much of a support as he could, and I was beyond grateful for it. He knew when I needed him to be my boyfriend, and when I needed to have just a friend. He'd also said he wished he could drive to come see me but I knew that wasn't an option especially since his parents had been comforting though at a distance.
Whatever had been going on with the Winters and my parents though if I had to guess it was my dad who was at blame. There was some plan, or plot that was going to pull me apart, tear piece by piece from me and give me what was left by a broken family.
I could think of all the instances where that could have been different. Nathan had done similar things to try and deal with the weight of having an influential family, I'd taken a different kind of lesson in the aftermath, and in my effort to move on.
The Winters Family was both a powerhouse and a target, and my perception had changed, I didn't fear them I had feared what association would bring and I couldn't manage to do it. I also had an immediate show of a major incident that had been going on for years. I just wanted to reconcile that because if a completely business war does begin four of five of the largest business empires hosted in New York will turn against my family in a heartbeat.
At least my dad will have to face all of them.
I'd been trying to put it together why all of a sudden the Winters Family turned from Louviere Financial and then almost immediately after people start selling out, and then once Adrian gave an answer outside his office did the stock finally level off. My parents also had once again kept me in silence from knowing the truth.
Stopping in my room many of the decorations that I liked now in my dorm room with the girls. All that was left was the few pictures of me and the people I knew as children along with one from so long ago I had hidden it by accident. It was all of the friends I had last year, the boys in a curve along with Chloe, Izzy, and Abigail along with me standing there in front of Nathan back when all of us were roughly the same size. When we were children and the world lighting on fire wasn't what we were faced with.
But instead a long chain of events has led to today, and I regret some of the choices I made, I wish I hadn't walked out of Nathan's life. Not because I was jealous of Arilynn, I actually thought they looked good together, and I could tell that she made him happy.
Nathan warned me of Derek not being who I thought he was and I didn't know what to say to that, he'd sent me the encrypted file that once I opened would disappear afterwards.
The wonders of him owning a software company.
I'd also began to hear the various rumours about him having taken over about a dozen more companies, and expanding to Europe, all of which made me wonder just how long it would be before he had the same reach as his parents all without their influence. New articles were flooding in about the heir to WGI and I had read one or two just to see how they would portray him. Mostly what I got was pictures of Nathan dressed sharply in tailor made suits with sunglasses on in one, and a golfing outfit in another both proclaiming the deals he'd secured both sizable.
Turning away from the photo on my wall I looked out the window at the rest of Meadow Lane and the compound where the Winters were no longer residing for the past two weeks, there was only a week left until January was over and it was back to school.
You could call him and ask.
No that's a stupid idea.
It would work.
Relenting to my minds opinion I took my phone and found Nathan's contact before calling it, not at all expecting him to respond to me, merely to prove that my mind was wrong.
Except it wasn't.
"Scarlett" Nathan's calm toned voice broke the air from my phone, and I momentarily forgot what I was going to ask.
"Nathan, I didn't expect you to answer" I admit with a sigh and he laughs lightly.
"Clearly you seem kind of shocked that I did. Why did you call me?" he ask getting straight to the point which told me he was busy working.
"I was going to ask what's in the file you sent me?" I say opening my laptop and moving to sit against my headboard, before typing in my password and finding the file that Nathan had sent me which changed the visual to a blurry screen with a white rectangle that asked me to put in a password.
"The information I could uncover about your boyfriend, so you know I'm not trying to be an asshole, and put strain on your relationship" he says before the clicking of keys could be heard.
"I'm ready for whatever it is, and you didn't give me a password" I point out leaning back into my propped up pillows.
"Type in your name Miss Louviere, including your middle name" Nathan instructed and I did so.
"Now your birthdate based on the keys above the numbers".
Once again I did as he said, pausing to speak only when I was finished.
"Done" I say.
"Hit enter" Nathan adds and I do before a four page PDF appeared and I was left to a list of information.
The document was organized to dates, and points, there were pictures, and editorial information provided, along with a timeframe, and exact biological information that could only be kept in a medical facility.
"Did you research him, or stalk him?".
"All that information was public to a degree, I recommended that the Halloway family do a security NDA on their info, that was after I put this all together".
"Cunning as usual" I sigh knowing that Nathan was always going to be like a puppet master when he deemed it needed.
I may not have remembered every moment from our relationship but I remembered most of it, and I definitely remembered that Nathan had a side of himself that was a prime example of control and calculation. His fun loving side was probably my favourite, along with the occasional banter we had.
"What are you working on, I'm on the phone with you and I have a lot to read so I may as well talk to you" I say as I began to read the pieces I didn't know about Derek.
This is technically personal information you're invading.
Mentally telling my mind to stop since I had no intention of reading everything, I just wanted to know what I was supposed to learn and it would have something to do with Derek's past.
"I'm currently working on a software program that recycles malware, and bugs. It's called the homeostasis program. Follows a similar function to how the immune system works if anything on a device has excess code, or code that is causing a problem it will go through over two hundred million lines of code to find the one that will better work for the device".
"So like how the body has viruses it uses to help it" I say stopping at a paragraph that caught my attention.
Louis-Lycée
Derek Halloway attended Louis-Lycée in Paris France, under a false name to go without being recognized by the Louviere, De'Vincent families based on a series of threats that were levied against the family months prior.
Weird that's the same school I attended.
"Pretty much, technology shouldn't be smarter then people, but it should be at least functional, and programs instead of intelligence is what people should be looking into" Nathan replies before I hear him mutter something under his breath.
"What was that".
"I said fuccuto, I his control V and now I put in four lines of code that shouldn't be there" he sighs before aggressive clicking was heard and then normal typing.
"What was the name that Derek used at Lycée in Paris?" I ask looking at my phone despite Nathan and I not being on facetime.
"Read the paragraph below the one you're on" he replies and I do so.
He took on his studies and focused on being a good student however he eventually found himself in a relationship during his sophomore year (La Premiere) with fellow student Scarlett Louviere, who he didn't inform of his real name or identity maintaining himself as (Matheo Tupier)
Out of interest I skipped a few to where it said modern day and began reading.
Derek is an enrolled student at Yale University pursuing a degree in arts something that he picked up as a coping mechanism, along with designing many of the tattoos that cover his skin. He also keeps his identity, and has been attempting to right many of the wrongs with his former ex, and current girlfriend Scarlett Louviere. Current information shows that it's been going successfully, and things may turn around for him.
My heart felt like it was in a vice while trying to beat faster, then all of the memories, of the things he said to me rolled in like a monsoon. He wished to fix the mistakes he made when cheating, and mentioned if he could he'd redo it all over again.
"You knew when you looked at him that he was my ex" I state and Nathan hums back confirmation.
"I didn't want him to hurt you, there is stuff I removed from that file specifically the past between your family and his. That's something that has been covered so there is no point reminding you" Nathan says and I could hear a hint of pain in his voice.
"You care still" I breathe though I was daring life to tell me no.
"If you must know yes I do, I will always care for people who made an impact on my life, and you made one Miss Louviere. I may not love you, but there will always be people that you give a part of yourself that you can't take it back. I moved on same as you did, my goal is to not interfere with your life".
"Despite our families are fighting one another behind the scenes".
"You didn't do anything same as your mom to us, your father is a different case. How don't ask, all I know is that it's him versus my entire family".
"What would you recommend I do about Derek being my ex".
"Tell him you know, or ask about it. The second would be the better of the two options".
"And who will back me up if it goes wrong. I know he's different now, but that's still someone who could break in an instant".
Nathan was quiet again telling me he was thinking of a neutral question that could give an answer.
"Would you like someone to be there just in case out of sight, and if so who?".
"I don't know many people that will protect me most of my dorm mates are either in class, studying, or at parties, and Derek is a fair sized guy".
"Would you be opposed to me and the boys making a small visit. You can say no, just an idea especially because I know you hate waiting" Nathan suggests and I hear his laptop shut.
"Sure that could work I guess" I say seeing how everyone knows me and if anything does happen the boys always treated me like a younger sister.
Because of course they all grew up as friends and brothers from birth.
"Just let me know the day, I'll arrange something" Nathan says before a background knocking could be heard.
"I have to go, that'll be Arilynn home from a girls day out on Monaco" he laughs.
"Alright, bye Nathan. I'll tell you when I figure out an answer" I say.
"Wonderful, bye Scarlett" he returns and then the call ends and I close the folder watching a deletion bar appear before vanishing leaving no trace of the PDF existing before my VPN reconnected from the separate server opening that file had secured to.
This could either go badly, or good. Only one way to know.
I then shut the laptop and looked back out as rain began to fall on Long Island which would soon turn the snow into a slushy mess.
Alright so Scarlett is back, and my plan continues to go as I want it too. Comment, vote, and share. Anyways
Peace✌