I parked my car near Scarlett's vehicle, being careful to keep enough space between us to avoid drawing attention.

I had been discreetly keeping an eye on her ever since my father hired her. It's been nearly four years, and yet I still know very little about Scarlett. My attempts to gather information about her were met with silence from both my father and younger brother. So all I could do was speculate about the type of person she might be.

My instincts told me something was off about her, but even the investigator I hired couldn't dig up any more details. It looked like my search had reached a dead end.

I had a gut feeling that my dad would go to extreme lengths to make sure no information about Scarlett was disclosed. This was not out of character for him.

The intense hatred I held for my father had not diminished since the day it first surfaced. I couldn't bring myself to forgive him for the painful and difficult life he had forced upon me. Even though he made an effort to make amends by building a burn hospital, our relationship remained strained. The only reason I agreed to be involved in the project was to help the patients in their recovery, especially the young ones. As someone who knew firsthand the agony of being burned, I wanted to do what I could to assist them. Despite having fire-based powers, they were useless when it came to real flames; in those moments, we were all equally helpless against its destructive force.

As a consequence, I held a strong dislike for those who were considered heroes and struggled with trusting others, especially myself. These issues affected every aspect of my life, making it difficult to form connections and relationships with others, whether they be simple friendships or romantic partnerships.

The very thought of being emotionally vulnerable with someone brought on a surge of fear and doubt, causing me to isolate myself even more and sink deeper into loneliness as time went on.

Due to previous heartbreak, my romantic life has been punctuated by fleeting connections and one-night stands. I vowed to never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again. Thus, I constructed a barrier around my heart, shoving away anyone who attempted to get too intimate. I became wary of those who expressed interest in me, always keeping my defenses up.

It was difficult to catch me off guard, and even if someone managed to do so, I still had a strong defense. I had a strict limit when it came to revealing my innermost thoughts, and if anyone tried to push past that boundary, I shut down the conversation without hesitation.

Despite my best efforts to steer clear of Scarlett, I found myself constantly drawn to her. There was something enigmatic about her that captivated me, unlike any other woman I had been involved with in the past. My previous conquests were either overly enamored with me or saw me as just another notch on their belt, but Scarlett didn't seem impressed by my usual charms. Despite my attempts at flirting, she remained composed and responded to my advances with a subtle hint of blush.

The thing that intrigued me most about her was the engagement ring she wore. However, rather than being worn on her finger, where it could be openly admired, it was hanging from a delicate necklace around her neck. My curiosity piqued as I wondered why she chose to wear it this way.

The sparkling ring on her finger hinted at a life of luxury and abundance, making me wonder why someone with such opulent jewelry would still choose to work for my father.

Unanswered questions plagued my mind, refusing to let me go. I couldn't shake her presence from my thoughts, no matter how hard I tried. It was as if she had enchanted me with an unbreakable spell. Despite not fully understanding why this woman captivated me, I couldn't resist the potential reward of unraveling the enigma of Scarlett. The risks were insignificant compared to the desire to know more about her.