"Win? Bwahahaha..." Carter's laughter echoed through the room. "Don't jump to conclusions..." he paused when he saw everyone looking strangely at him.
'Why are they looking at me like that? Are they angry because I defeated my sister-in-law severely?' Carter talks inwardly while letting out a soft sigh and offering a wry smile at Scarlett. He asked, "Sister, the results have been announced?"
"Yes!" Scarlett gestured to the office to make the announcement.
...
Scarlett and the others had long since left the shooting range. The once lively room was now quiet, with only Carter standing alone, staring at the paper in his hand that displayed the words "The Match Result."
Carter couldn't believe what he was reading. "Why? How did I lose all three matches? How can Scarlett possess such remarkable talent? She scored perfectly in every round, even beating me in time!"
The realization of Scarlett's exceptional performance hit Carter hard. He had never expected her to be this skilled.
Carter knew from Logan that Scarlett could handle guns and was proficient at shooting. Still, he had never imagined she was this talented. He had thought Scarlett was just an ordinary shooter, but he was wrong. The results revealed her brilliant skills and talents.
"No wonder she urged me to keep practicing!" Carter sighed deeply. He felt so embarrassed by his previous claims that his talent would never fade. "What the heck, Carter Riley!?" He slapped his forehead and crumpled the paper in frustration with his other hand.
Slowly, he moved away from the arena and returned to the main house.
But his cell phone in his coat pocket vibrated before he could reach the main house. He quickly checked, and his face turned sour upon reading a short message from Scarlett.
[Scarlett: ] Brother-in-law, are you ready to hear my request? (smile icon)
[Carter: ] Yes!
[Scarlett: ] I want to become a franchisee in this country for a Steak House from Country X.
Carter stared at the message on his phone, a mix of surprise and disbelief on his face. He couldn't understand why Scarlett would want to undertake such a challenging endeavor. Opening a franchise in a foreign country requires extensive knowledge, resources, and connections. It was a massive undertaking. He hesitated for a moment before typing his response.
[Carter: ] Sister-in-law, are you sure about this? It's not going to be easy. The MT Group is a powerful company, and getting their company franchise license won't be a walk in the park.
How could he obtain the license? The restaurant belonged to the MT Group, a powerful and wealthy company in Country X. If they wanted, they could open a branch in this country without needing help from the Riley Group. It seemed like an impossible mission for him. He would never succeed!
A few seconds later, Scarlett's reply popped up on his screen.
[Scarlett: ] I know the challenges, but I believe in your ability to get that franchise for me. So, good luck... Brother-in-law. (Smile Icon)
Carter, "..."
"Damn it! I would have backed down if I had known that Sister Scarlett wanted this. I wouldn't have continued with the shooting match..." Carter muttered to himself as he entered the house. He went straight to his room, angry at himself for his foolishness in challenging a skilled sniper like Scarlett.
...
While Carter mourned his misfortune, Scarlett enjoyed her time in the second-floor lounge. She was watching a movie while Xander, seated beside her, was busy working on his laptop.
However, even as Scarlett's eyes were fixed on the television screen, her thoughts were consumed by her uncle's safety.
After a while, Scarlett couldn't bear to keep these matters to herself any longer. She needed to discuss them with Xander. She looked at him with mixed emotions, ready to speak about her uncle's last phone call.
She informed Xander that she had planned to meet her uncle, but unfortunately, her uncle had lost contact with her two days ago. This sudden silence made her worry that something might have happened to her uncle.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Xander was stunned to hear about this matter. "If you had informed me sooner, I could have asked Alex Hill to track down Uncle Noah!" His tone remained calm, but a glint of concern flickered in his eyes.
"I didn't think Jude Withers would go to such extremes to follow Uncle Noah..." Scarlett's guilt weighed heavily in her words.
Seeing the sadness in Scarlett's eyes, Xander offered her a reassuring smile. He said, "Don't be nervous, babe. Your uncle has Withers blood in his veins. I believe he can definitely escape from Jude Withers' people. He should be fine."
"I know," Scarlett responded softly, "...however, I still feel worried."
"Babe, I want to help you hack into the X country system database to track Uncle Noah, but..." Xander's smile turned bitter as he continued, "You're much better than any hacker I know. Why don't you track him down?"
Scarlett shook her head before saying, "I've already done that. However, the last trace of his cell phone was at J Town International Airport. But when I checked the passenger database system, there was no record of my uncle leaving the country. I also couldn't find any footage of him visiting the airport."
She took a deep breath and continued, "So, I don't know if he's still in X Country. I'm afraid they already caught him before he could fly out of X. M-Maybe Jude Withers already knows about me!?"
"Baby, did you forget something?" Xander smiled as he held her hand and gently squeezed it. "Uncle Noah might use the same method as you..."
"Huh!? What do you mean?" Scarlett's forehead creased in confusion.
"He uses a different identity and is always in disguise, so you won't find him. At least it won't be as easy as you think..." Xander explained.
Scarlett's gloomy expression slowly brightened. "How could I forget about that?" she chuckled.
"Let's wait a little longer," Xander suggested. "I will also ask my resources to trace whether he entered the USA or Canada. Though it will be difficult since he wasn't using his true identity."
"Yes, I know," Scarlett replied. She also had trackers in both countries in case her uncle showed up at the airport. But until now, there had been no reports of any trace, which is why she was so worried.
"Wait here. Let me make a phone call," Xander said, rising from the sofa and heading toward his study. He needed to contact his people to locate Noah Withers. Although this mission was like finding a needle in a haystack, he was determined to do it for his wife, so she wouldn't have to worry anymore.
Watching Xander's back disappear behind the door, Scarlett sighed deeply before reaching for her cell phone. Once again, she was disappointed to see no messages from the unique application she had given to her uncle for communication.
"Uncle, I hope you're safe," Scarlett whispered, her gaze fixed on the television again. However, her cell phone suddenly vibrated, catching her attention. In an instant, she grabbed her phone and checked it.
Her shoulders slumped as she answered the call, "Aunty Lana... How are you?" she asked.
"Young Miss, I'm fine," Lana's voice sounded concerned on the other end. "Are you feeling unwell? Your voice sounds hoarse."
Scarlett cleared her throat slightly before responding, "I'm fine, Aunty. What's the matter? Why did you call me?" She tried to divert the conversation, hoping Aunty Lana wouldn't inquire further about her anxiety.
"Oh, I just wanted to make sure... Are you flying here the day after tomorrow?" Aunty Lana asked. She couldn't wait to see Scarlett after several months of being apart.
"Yes, Aunty," Scarlett replied quickly. "But I'll be coming alone."
"Alone? Why isn't your husband coming with you?" Lana asked, worried.
"Xander had another agenda that can't be postponed. So, I'll go first. But don't worry, he'll join me two days later," Scarlett explained. This time, during their trip to Island B, she planned to stay for a little bit longer. Since she was still on vacation, and the temperature on Island B was warmer than in the capital, she preferred to spend two weeks there.
"Hahaha, young miss... I thought you had a fight with Master Xander," Lana said in relief.
"What? Don't think like that, Aunty! We're fine and deeply in love...well, you know my husband, right? Ugh, he is hot..." Scarlett blush.
"Hahaha, I know, I know... Okay, I just wanted to ask you that. Bye, young miss." Lana said and ended the phone call. As soon as the connection was cut, Scarlett was surprised. Xander was already standing beside her, overhearing her entire conversation with Lana.
Before Scarlett could say anything, she was already in Xander's arms as he quickly walked towards the bedroom.
"X-Xander," Scarlett called him, "W-What are you doing?" She asked, pretending she didn't know his intentions. At that moment, her pulse quickened as she sensed his desire-filled gaze.
"What else?" Xander smiled as he climbed onto the bed after removing his shirt, "We're deeply in love... So you know what I'm going to do now, my dear wife!" he said, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, not giving her a chance to speak.
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