As Xander and Walter Riley joined the rest of the family for lunch, Xander spotted Scarlett standing by the side table. Xander couldn't help but worry when he saw her. He quickly walked up to her and took her hand, squeezing it gently.
"Baby, are you doing okay?" he whispered, his voice filled with concern.
Scarlett looked up at him, and the corners of her lips curved into a playful smile. "Do I look like someone bullying me?" she teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Xander's heart lightened at her response, and he grinned at her. "No, you look beautiful as always," he said, relieved she seemed alright.
'Gosh! Why did this man start trapping me in his honey trap again?' Scarlett shook her head.
As Scarlett and Xander sat in their seats, the rest of the family greeted them warmly, especially Carter.
The dining room becomes lively with conversation. Walter Riley occasionally intervened throughout the meal to prevent Carter from rambling too much.
At the same time, Xander sat quietly, lost in thought. Scarlett couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed as her husband seemed to have no interest in joining the lively conversation around the table. Instead, his attention was solely focused on her.
Scarlett glanced at Xander, whose hand was resting on her thigh. She knew Xander was trying to show affection, but public displays of affection always made Scarlett feel uncomfortable.
As the meal progressed, Scarlett's cheeks grew warm with embarrassment. All the attention on them made Scarlett uneasy, and the thought of everyone watching their every move made Scarlett blush. She desperately wanted to get to their room, where they were alone.
...
It wasn't long before lunch finally ended.
Martha once again pulled Scarlett to chat with her without the men surrounding them. They sat in Martha's comfortable home office at the back of the house.
"I know you're going to the US for Christmas, Scarlett, but I really wish you could stay and spend New Year's Eve with us," Martha pleaded.
Scarlett sighed silently. She wanted to please Aunt Martha, but the decision was not her own. "Auntie, even though I want to come, I can't make any promises without talking to Xander first."
She knows Xander's relationship is not very harmonious with his family. And she will follow whatever Xander says about his family matters.
Martha nodded in understanding. "I know, dear... I know. I hope you can talk to him," she said, her voice trailing sadly. Despite the sadness in her tone, Martha's face still looks as beautiful and elegant as ever.
Scarlett couldn't help but be struck by Martha's elegance and beauty. It reminded her of her late mother, who had always been graceful and gentle in her memory.
But the thought of her late mother brought a surge of emotion within her. She missed her mother profoundly but, at the same time, felt a simmering anger toward her.
Scarlett felt lost in the dark as everything she knew about her mother was fake. She doesn't even know her mother's name, let alone the reason behind her sudden appearance on Island B and being married to Jonathan Piers. This thought always haunts her whenever she remembers her mother.
'Mom, I wish I knew why you left me like this...' Scarlett whispered to no one but herself. Her heart was heavy as she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. 'I need to know the truth. My curiosity is killing me, Mom!'
As Scarlett thought deeply about her late mother, Martha looked at her with an expression that words couldn't describe. Something from her past seemed to tickle her memory and heart.
After some moments in silence, Martha finally spoke. And her tone sounds very serious, "Scarlett... Something is bugging me. Not something horrible, of course. It's about the thought that you seem so familiar to me. I thought we'd known each other for a long time, and I feel comfortable talking to you as if we were old friends." Then Martha continues, "I bet a million dollars that you looked like someone close to me in the past. But that's truly weird, right? I mean, you looked like her and spoke like her. If you had any relation with her, that must be a coincidence, right?"
Scarlett was stunned, trying to process Martha's words. The idea of an old friend of Martha having a face similar to hers seemed like an odd coincidence. She couldn't help but wonder if this friend had any connection to her late mother.
As Martha remained silent, Scarlett's nervousness began to overtake her as she waited for a response.
Finally, Martha spoke softly, "Yes, dear. She looked and spoke like you, but that was it. It's just that I immediately think of her when I see you, and... when you smile and speak, you sound so much like her..."
Scarlett's heart skipped a beat at the confirmation that Martha's long-lost, very close friend could be connected to her mother.
Now she has a new lead. She can find her mother's family if Aunt Martha knows about that woman's family.
Before she could ask Martha, Scarlett heard her say, "Unfortunately, I lost contact with her for over two decades. I don't know if she still lives in the same place."
"Auntie, is she staying in this country?" Scarlett asked carefully, not wanting to sound suspicious.
"No. I clearly remember she's from X Country. We lost contact when I met her in high school and when I moved here." Martha felt sad remembering her old friend.
"Country X?" Scarlett was surprised because she recognized the place as one she had always hear when she was active at the Fox mission.
"Yes, she is from country X. Scarlett, may I know your mother's name?" Martha asked casually, but in her heart, she hoped Scarlett's mother was her best friend.
Scarlett blinked a few times, hearing Aunt Martha's question. She was surprised to see Aunt Martha's eyes lit up as if she was clearly expecting something.
'I don't know my birth mother's name...' Scarlett wanted to say that, but she held herself back. She smiled before saying, "Her name is Mikayla Davies…."
When Scarlett revealed her mother's name as Mikayla Davies, Martha's expression instantly changed, and disappointment was evident on her face.
'Ugh! What was I thinking... There's no way my best friend is your mother, Scarlett. Because if my friend came to this country, she would definitely contact me, right!?' Martha mumbled inwardly as a forced smile showed on her face, trying to hide her disappointment.
Scarlett noticed the sudden change in Aunt Martha's expression. The disappointment was clear from the look in her eyes because she did not get the expected answer.
"Auntie, may I know the name of your best friend?" Scarlett asked carefully, not wanting Aunt Martha to suspect her curiosity.
"Her name?" Martha raised her eyebrows, confused about why Scarlett wanted to know her friend's name. But still, she answered, "She has a beautiful name, Rosalie... Rosalie Withers."
"Rosalie Withers... It's a beautiful name," Scarlett repeated, her heart tightening. That name could be the key to unlocking the truth she had been searching for about her mother.
"I agree," Martha nodded. "Not only is her name beautiful, but she is also stunning. She had the looks of a goddess. However, there was always something strange about her. Rosalie had an unusual personality. She preferred to be alone and didn't have many friends. As far as I remember, I was the only person she talked to when we were in high school..." Martha recounted her memories of Rosalie to Scarlett.
The more Scarlett heard, the more convinced she became that Rosalie was her mother. Aunt Martha's memories of Rosalie's personality and behavior matched Scarlett's memories of her mother.
Scarlett seemed impatient to send this information to Rex. So that he could investigate Rosalie Withers in country X.
She is determined to find the Withers family and know the truth about her mother.
"Auntie, do you have any old photos of you and your friend? I'm curious to see her beauty."
Martha's eyes lit up. "I do have some old photos. Let me go get them for you." She hurried out of the room and returned a few minutes later with a small photo album.
Scarlett eagerly flipped through the pages, searching for clues that could lead her to her mother's family. As she reached the last page, her heart skipped a beat. Scarlett recognized a photo of her mother standing in front of a landmark. It was her mother's picture that Scarlett got from her father.
'Mother! She is my mother...' Scarlett screamed with joy in her heart. She couldn't believe she could find her mother's family faster.
"Auntie, you are right. Your friend is wonderful, like a Goddess." Scarlett tried to hold back her tears. She was delighted because she finally knew how to start looking for her mother's family.
It's hard to believe that Aunt Martha is friends with her mother. And, it's a miracle, Xander takes her to meet Aunt Martha.
"Yes. She is gorgeous. You have a slight resemblance to her, so when I first saw you, I seemed to see my friend Rosalie..." Martha said with a faint smile appearing on her lips.
Scarlett could only smile a little. She really wanted to be honest with Aunt Martha, but for a while, she could only tightly seal her lips.
