Chapter 30 - Orita Wilde

Mrs Liu was warmly welcomed by Jenna who showed no traces of recognising the young blogger. Scarlet didn't mind and played along. They were then shown to the sitting room to wait for Mrs Wilde's arrival and Benjamin's appearance.

The accountant marvelled at the luxurious tapestries while sipping on an expensive blend of imported tea. Scarlet was offered hot cocoa and Jenna gave her a wink when Mrs Liu wasn't watching. The petite student could see some 'shadows' from the windows and raised a brow. Her team wasn't doing a very good job of playing spies. My Royalty is Gender gave away her hiding spot when Scarlet caught sight of the edge of her dress. She knew that if she found one of them, she would have found the other as well. Alex didn't seem to understand the concept of splitting up and accomplishing individual missions. Jasper also didn't allow the young heiress out of his sight for very good reasons.

They were made to wait for about fifteen minutes and during that time, the mother and daughter did not speak. Scarlet sat stiffly like a doll and gazed into what seemed like an empty space, much to Mrs Liu's liking. The lady took her time to admire the interior design with a small smile on her face. The punishment must have been effective. Rarely would her daughter be so compliant, her husband was right. They didn't have to worry all that much.

In actuality, Scarlet was looking at a hidden camera. The only reason why Mrs Wilde was taking so long was because she was busy spying on them from somewhere in this mansion. Alex told her in the chatroom that there was a camera newly installed in the sitting room. Scarlet decided to have her own version of fun with Mrs Wilde who was watching them. Being alone in her room for nearly two weeks now would have driven her insane if not for the computer she was allowed to use.

Orita Wilde raised a brow. Externally, Scarlet looked like a doll or a robot with that stiff posture. There wasn't a single trace of expression on her face but the lady of the mansion knew that was just the surface. That mischief in her eyes told her something else. Also, she didn't quite know if it was her imagination but there was some kind of rhythm to Scarlet's blinking.

"Benjamin, please tell me I'm not just going crazy... is Scarlet actually blinking in morse code?"

The dashing lawyer leaned closer towards the screen. They were silent for five seconds before he swallowed audibly.

"My apologies. I might have given her the inspiration for that..."

Orita was amused. "Does she know Morse code before you mentioned it?"

The lawyer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. In fact, she had very little idea about the concept of wars. She called it a battle when she explained her book's concept but I think that was closer to a full-scale war. She found out all the references from the internet, including the Morse code."

Orita was impressed. Scarlet showed as much enthusiasm as Jasper and Alex even if came to information. They were always hungry to learn and she couldn't be more pleased. Imagine what kind of talent this girl could become with the right kind of support! Still, there was one thing bothering the heiress.

"What did she say?"

Benjamin studied it for a while seriously but his expression morphed after a minute.

"What is it?" Mrs Wilde snapped when Benjamin's lips curled up in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Would you like to guess first?" he asked.

"Out with it!"

"Very well," the lawyer nodded and tried to keep the laugh away from his voice. "She is singing the song Five Little Monkeys with a twist. She's bringing Alex and Jasper into the song."

Mrs Wilde was immediately entertained and she stared at the screen for a little longer. The socialite didn't know Morse code but this made her very interested to learn. "Let's go down to receive them, we're kept them waiting for long enough now."

Benjamin didn't say anything and followed after the lady of the mansion. Jenna was silent as she continued to monitor the cameras on her lady's orders. Although she knew that Jasper and Alex were both geniuses of their own class, Scarlet was a genius in an entirely different universe. She sighed internally, feeling tired at the thought of having to cope with the demands of three geniuses when Orita Wilde succeeded in bringing the Chinese girl into the family.

When Mrs Liu saw the famed Ice Queen, she stood up at once and bowed in greeting. Scarlet didn't stand up immediately and was roughly grabbed by her mother. She winced a little, that was going to bruise. That minute reaction wasn't missed by either hosts.

"Thank you for accepting the invitation, it's most delightful to see you again, Scarlet."

Mrs Liu's smile faltered when Orita didn't address her. Scarlet bowed and thanked Mrs Wilde in the quietest voice she could manage. The accountant recovered quickly and tried to start a small conversation with the heiress but was either blatantly brushed off or crudely ignored each time she opened her mouth. It was as if the main star of today's show was Scarlet instead of her. This was a huge blow to Mrs Liu's pride but she swallowed it bitterly for the sake of getting on Orita Wilde's good side.

Having enjoyed seeing the humiliated looks on Mrs Liu's face, Orita called for Jenna and told the butler to take Scarlet to play with Alex. Once her daughter was out of the picture, Mrs Liu felt better. Even though it was humiliating to be so bluntly ignored, it was finally her turn to shine. The accountant took some pride in Mrs Wilde's exceptional attention to Scarlet and consoled herself by thinking that it was due to her good sense of fashion that impressed the heiress so much.

"My apologies Mrs Liu, time is of essence to business people like us so I shall cut to the chase."

That was all Mrs Wilde mentioned before she left the talking to Benjamin.

Mrs Liu could hardly believe her ears. Did the lady before her just say that she didn't have time to entertain her in the most roundabout way? Even when she was showering Scarlet with all the attention in the world not too long ago... That felt like a slap to the group accountant's face. She met her fair share of pricks over the years clawing her way up the corporate ladders. However, nobody had the guts to treat her so insignificantly even with her humble beginnings. It was infuriating when Mrs Liu could not find any comebacks for that. She couldn't afford to offend the Wilde's after all.

"Of course," she smiled professionally. "As a businesswoman myself, I understand how precious time is."

Mrs Wilde smirked and let her family lawyer take over. Benjamin didn't miss the cue and introduced himself swiftly, exchanging name cards with Mrs Liu.

"The Wilde Family is very interested in Ms Scarlet because of her astonishing results in the latest test. Scarlet is more than just gifted and the Wilde Family treasures talents greatly. Although Scarlet is young, we believe that with the right kind of support she can soar very high in life and stand above the masses. I'm representing the Wilde Family to negotiate the price for acquiring Miss Scarlet. Miss Scarlet isn't old enough to make her own decisions so I hope that Mrs Liu and your husband, whom I understand has a delayed flight, can discuss it over."

Mrs Liu paused. Internally, she was a little thrilled about being able to open negotiations with the powerful family and glad to finally be rid of her troublesome daughter without seeming like an irresponsible parent. However, she was cautious. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. She couldn't understand why the powerful Orita Wilde was so keen on her daughter. Both her husband and her had no special traits. They were born in slightly above average families and were given a good education to get to the kind of jobs they now had.

"I'm sorry but as Scarlet's mother I have to ask what you intend to do with her if I give my consent. I cannot simply give my daughter up for adoption."

Benjamin was surprised. "Adoption? I think you misunderstood. We're talking about recognising Scarlet as the legal ward of the Wilde Family."

There was a long silence and the ringing of the doorbell saved Mrs Liu from further embarrassment. When Mr Liu entered, the first thing he did was to apologise to the hosts instead of greeting his wife. Mrs Liu didn't know what to say when the lawyer explained the gist of the situation.

Mrs Wilde's expression darkened when Scarlet's father said he didn't think it would bother them too much either way if the two families could benefit mutually from such an arrangement.

"I see how it is right now," Orita Wilde nodded. "In that case, please sign the adoption papers that Benjamin will prepare. With such parents, I think Scarlet will be happier with the Wilde's. Jenna!"

The butler came running when she heard her name. The mistress hardly raised her voice. For her to do so, it would mean that she was fuming mad. Exactly what did the Liu's do to push her to this extent?

"Yes, milady?"

"Prepare a blank cheque for the Liu's and escort Scarlet to pick out her most prized belongings. From today onward, Scarlet will become the second official child of the Wilde Family."

The butler was stunned for a moment but complied. Mr and Mrs Liu tried to salvage the situation to no avail. Orita Wilde stormed away while Benjamin made a phone call. Before the couple could decide what to do, Jenna appeared with the blank cheque.

Scarlet, Jasper, and Alex watched it all from the security camera room as the couple argued about the amount to be written on the blank cheque. The young Wilde heiress hugged her newly made friend and soon-to-be sister.

"It's ok, you don't need to cry over them. From today onward, you will be my family. We will buy you many pretty things, feed you a lot of good food and play lots together! Just forget it all... they aren't fit to be your parents. Mother and father will love you more than them, they're going to be your new father and mother so don't cry!"

Jasper watched over the two girls and slowly made his way out. Mrs Wilde was standing outside the door very silently when Jasper bumped into her. the mistress of the mansion was slightly shocked when she caught a glimpse of the murderous intent in the eyes hidden beneath the bangs.

Jasper apologised quickly and walked away quickly. The socialite was puzzled and walked into her room to see two crying girls hugging each other. The image tore out her heart and the flames of fury was put out by a wave of sorrow. For talent as rare as Scarlet, she deserved way better.

The socialite walked over and put her arms around the two small girls, embracing them warmly. "Don't worry, everything will be alright. Believe in mommy, I will protect you."