"Sister, do you know that Alex is actually my cousin? His mother and my mother are siblings. That's why I was in town for his little brother Axel Hill's wedding," Carter said after finishing his explanation to Alex about RAS.

As Carter revealed his family connection with Alex, Scarlett couldn't help but smile inwardly, remembering what happened last night when she met Carter at the party under her disguise as Tanya Robert. This stupid Carter had tried to woo her, not realizing she was his sister-in-law. Gosh!

Scarlett nods, "Yes, Xander told me." 

"Why didn't you come to the party, sister? My brother came alone..." Carter asked, looking at his brother with a scared expression as Xander gave him a menacing gaze. Scarlett couldn't help but be amused by Carter's question.

'If only this idiot knew that I was the woman in the golden dress at the party, he would be shocked,' she thought to herself while trying to suppress a laugh.

"I had some work to do, and Xander didn't tell me about the party," Scarlett replied, glancing at Xander, who looked surprised by her words. She deliberately threw Xander under the bus with her excuse. "Isn't that right, hubby?" She grinned, showing off her pearly whites.

Xander chuckled inwardly, feeling defeated by her cuteness.

"Hmm, sorry, babe. I didn't tell you about the party..." Xander said apologetically, then leaned in and caught Scarlett's lips in a flash. Scarlett's body froze as she felt his warm lips on hers.

'What is he doing? Kissing me in front of Alex and Carter?' Scarlett thought to herself, feeling embarrassed. She closed her eyes and let the moment pass.

"Ugh! Brother, can you stop torturing us single dogs with your PDA?!" Carter said, annoyed, looking at the couple kissing.

Alex lowered his head and chuckled at how childish Xander was now. He never expected the cold-hearted Xander to have such a shameless side.

Xander smiled and stroked Scarlett's back, ignoring her glare as he sipped his wine. He suddenly felt in a good mood.

Scarlett's face turned red as she shook her head slowly and looked at Carter. She needed to vent her annoyance on someone, and Carter was the perfect target.

"I heard from your brother last night that you were dumped by a woman," she said, a mischievous smile emerging from the corners of her lips. "And you almost drank yourself to death just because you were sad."

Carter's expression darkened instantly, his eyes narrowing at Xander.

"Brother! How could you say that to sister Scarlett?" Carter said, annoyed that his secret was exposed. 

"Hahaha, brother-in-law, don't be shy. You don't need to be ashamed because of that. After all, you are also in the wrong. How can you have a crush on someone else's wife?" Scarlett laughs, feeling glee remembering what happened last night.

Carter gulp. 

"Damn, bro!! Y-You also tell her about that?" Carter is silently annoyed with Xander. While Alex he could only chuckle. He follows Xander, drinking his wine.

"Sorry, Carter. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Scarlett said, trying to suppress her laughter.

Carter ignored Scarlett but glared at Xander, "Why did you have to tell her everything?"

Xander shrugged but didn't say anything. How could he comment on that if the woman they talked about was his wife? He knew that his wife just wanted to play a prank on his little brother.

Scarlett's mischievous smile grew wider, "But seriously, Carter, you need to move on. You can't keep holding onto a married woman. It's not fair to her or to yourself."

Carter sighed, "I know, I know. It's just hard to let go sometimes."

Scarlett's expression softened. She was satisfied with teasing Carter and decided to stop teasing him again.

"I understand. But trust me, there's someone out there who's meant for you. You just have to be patient and keep looking." She said,

Carter smiled gratefully at Scarlett, "Thanks, sis. You always know how to make me feel better."

...

Their beautiful and lively lunch finally came to an end. Scarlett and Xander return to their room while Carter and Alex continue their chit-chat.

****

Two days later.

Scarlett, Carter, and Logan made their way to the Steak House. According to Carter, it is the go-to spot for the best steak in town. 

As they arrived for their lunch reservation, they were taken aback by the bustling crowd at the restaurant. However, because their reserve is much in advance, they eat in a VIP room, allowing them to savor their meal peacefully.

As Scarlett took her first bite of the steak, she was struck with a wave of surprise and awe. Unable to contain her delight, she gave a resounding thumbs up and praised Carter for bringing her to such a great restaurant.

"Oh my goodness, Carter! This is absolutely divine!" Scarlett exclaimed, her taste buds tingling with pleasure.

Carter beamed with pride at Scarlett's reaction, her enjoyment of the meal written all over her face. "I knew you'd love it, sister. This is by far the best steakhouse I've ever had the pleasure of dining in," he said, settling in for what was sure to be a delicious lunch.

Later, Carter turned to Scarlett, curiosity flashing in his eyes as a thought crossed his mind.

"Sister, Cruz mentioned that you like buying restaurants. Is that true?" he asked.

Scarlett paused mid-bite, taken aback by Cruz sharing this information. "Yes, it's a hobby of mine. Why do you ask?" she inquired.

Carter's eyes lit up with excitement as he said, "You should buy this place!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the steakhouse around them. "And if you do, I'll make sure they open a branch in Astington, so we won't have to come all the way here to eat."

Scarlett's heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. While she was undoubtedly tempted, this was one city she had never felt comfortable in. The Withers ruled here, and their influence made her restless. She didn't want to get involved in anything in this country.