Chapter 168:Hidden Hope

(Scarlett's POV) The sound of the snow steadily pattering against the large windows filled the living room with a quiet rhythm. I sat curled up on the plush couch with a blanket draped over me. Roman was across the room at his desk, his tall frame leaned back slightly in the chair, his ice-blue eyes glinting with an intensity that only he could bring to something as mundane as a phone call. It was Natalie on the other end. Her raised voice easily carried over to me, even though Roman held the phone with his usual detached calm. “You’ve barely said a word, Roman,” Natalie complained, her voice more exasperated than I’d heard her in a long time. “Why are you so quiet? Is Scarlett okay? You’re not... punishing her for anything, are you?” Roman’s lips twitched in amusement, his steely demeanor unwavering. “Worried about Scarlett, are you?” he replied dryly, ignoring her question entirely. “How sweet.” “Roman,” Natalie snapped, her frustration evident even through the poor phone connec