Out of Control: Into Your Everything-Chapter 26: Spilled Water Cannot Be Retrieved
"Mess around?"
Ryan smiled.
"Bro, don’t tell me you’re upset because Zoe Sutton is getting married? You never used to mess around with women."
"Maybe I am."
Julian’s expression was indifferent.
A few words between the brothers—pleasant on the surface, but something off underneath.
Scarlett’s watery eyes dropped, her hand gripping the strap of her bag so hard the veins stood out on the back of her hand. She turned and left in silence.
Ryan couldn’t help but glance over.
Maybe because they hadn’t seen each other in ages, but Scarlett seemed even thinner than before; her footsteps unsteady, looking like she might collapse at any moment.
Ryan frowned.
"Feeling sorry for her?"
Julian’s voice sounded behind him.
Ryan withdrew his gaze, tugging his lips, "What if I said I actually feel bad for her? Would you laugh at me?"
Julian looked at him coolly, "All I know is, what’s done is done."
...
The next day, Scarlett went to work at Veridian.
After lunch, back at her desk, she finally noticed a WhatsApp friend request: Hello Miss Shaw, this is Warren Hale. Aunt Shaw introduced us.
Scarlett tapped ’accept’.
She planned to message Warren after her lunch break and set things straight.
Only, Warren beat her to it.
He was very polite: Miss Shaw, sorry to bother you. To be honest, I actually have no intention of dating.
Scarlett: What a coincidence, me neither.
Warren: My family’s pressuring me hard, they insist I meet you.
Scarlett: Fine, let’s meet and report back.
Warren: Sorry to trouble you.
They hit it off immediately, arranging to meet on Saturday at a café—just there to play their parts and then call it quits.
That’s how Scarlett saw it, and that’s what she planned to do.
But Warren was the first to say, "It’s almost dinnertime—how about we grab a meal together?"
Scarlett wanted to refuse, but Warren quickly added, "Consider it a thank you for coming out today."
That’s what he said, but in Warren’s mind, he was already reconsidering things.
He hadn’t expected Scarlett to look so much better in person than in photos—not a flashy beauty, but quietly captivating. The kind you couldn’t help but want to protect.
And as for her conversation—gentle, polite, easygoing. Her personality was excellent.
Scarlett couldn’t quite turn him down and simply nodded.
Afterwards, Warren invited her out a few more times, each for different reasons.
Once, he bumped into a friend. The friend joked about where he’d found such a pretty girlfriend, and Warren didn’t correct him—just smiled and took Scarlett’s hand.
Scarlett frowned slightly.
Out of courtesy, she didn’t pull away immediately.
Warren not only didn’t let go, but gripped her hand tighter, and started chatting more with his friend.
Scarlett had no interest in their conversation, and let her gaze wander across the street. Her fingers suddenly stiffened.
Julian stood in a black overcoat, tall and solitary. The wind made his features look even colder and more distant.
Beside him was the woman Scarlett had seen at her side job—the one Julian had gone out with a couple of times.
Julian looked reserved and distinguished; the woman was graceful, elegant.
A perfect scene.
Scarlett’s eyelashes trembled; she lowered her gaze to the pavement.
Warren noticed her mood sinking, and asked gently, "What’s wrong?"
Scarlett: "Nothing."
Warren saw she didn’t mind him getting closer, so, gathering his courage, he squeezed her hand and slipped it into his coat pocket.
To an outsider, they looked even more intimate.
"That couple—someone you know?" Lynn Walsh asked Julian, sighing, "They seem so in love."
"No."
Julian took back his gaze, his lips curving with careless indifference.
"The cat just doesn’t behave."
Lynn didn’t get it, and looked at him in confusion.
Just then, Julian’s phone rang. The voice on the other end said softly, "President Ford, about that KTV you shut down—the second young master wants to help them out. Should we let the owner off?"
Julian: "If I act, you think I ever change my mind?"
The caller: "Yes, understood."
Julian: "Since Ryan wants to get involved, don’t let him get off easy. Add a few more charges to the case."
"Yes, sir."
Lynn had no idea what Julian was talking about, she just saw his icy calm, with a hint of playful cruelty in his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel a sudden chill.
Julian looked down at her, coolly: "Anything else?"
Lynn and Julian had run into each other by chance.
She hadn’t seen him in ages. Seeing him staring toward the street earlier, she had walked over and said hello.
Lynn ventured, "That Western restaurant across the street is pretty good; want to grab dinner together?"
Julian glanced over. Scarlett and Warren were heading into the restaurant side by side.
He curled his lips, with no real smile.
"Let’s go."
Scarlett walked into the restaurant with Warren, feeling absent-minded.
They sat down, and Warren handed her the menu.
Scarlett steadied herself, trying to block out the thoughts she shouldn’t be having, and picked a couple of dishes at random.
The waiter had just taken the menu when the table next to theirs was pulled out by another server.
A familiar, icy air washed over her.
Scarlett’s breath faltered.
But she kept her eyes forward.
Only Warren seemed curious, sneaking a few glances at the table beside them.
Julian had just wiped his hands with a hot towel. His poise was unmistakable, his presence commanding. Even Warren, as a fellow man, felt the pressure and got nervous.
Lynn: "Just now you said you saw a naughty cat—is it in this restaurant?"
Julian paused, answering coolly, "It did come in."
Scarlett was pouring herself some water.
At his words, her hand trembled, spilling scalding water onto her own skin.
Warren quickly took away the kettle, grabbed some napkins, and carefully dabbed the water off her hand.
Lynn, watching nearby, smiled gently, "You two seem really close."
She turned to Julian, "Right, Julian?"
Julian’s eyes were unreadable; he picked up his tea, expression calm, no emotion showing.
Warren clearly sensed that Scarlett was distracted throughout the meal, so he offered, "Scarlett, let me drive you home after dinner."
"Have you ever had a cat?"
From the next table, Julian’s cool, magnetic voice broke the air.
Lynn thought it strange—how come, no matter what, he kept bringing up cats?
She replied, "You have a cat?"
Julian: "I did, a while ago. But it didn’t really listen—pretends to be obedient."
Lynn: "I always heard cats are hard to really train."
Julian, for once, agreed, nodding, "Not only does she pick any owner she likes, lately she’s run off. I’ll catch her eventually, and give her a real lesson."
"How long has she been gone?"
"Almost two weeks."
Lynn looked worried, "My friend lost a cat once too—if it’s more than three days, it’s almost impossible to find."
Julian cut her a piece of steak, "She’ll come back on her own."
To others, Julian’s last sentence sounded ordinary enough.
But the more Scarlett listened, the colder she felt inside.
After leaving the restaurant with Warren, she told him, "Mr. Hale, I can go home on my own. It’s really no trouble."
Warren hesitated, figuring she just wanted to keep things proper, and nodded.
Scarlett: "I’m not your girlfriend, either."
Warren was taken aback, then smiled, "Sorry, that was rude of me today. Won’t happen again."
Scarlett wanted to make it clear to Warren that there would never be anything between them, but given the current situation, today was obviously not the right time.
With that guy in the restaurant, who knows what crazy thing he’d pull next?
Ten minutes later, Julian left the restaurant with Lynn.
After seeing her off to the car, he turned around, his eyes drifting but pinpoint accurate, landing on Scarlett standing in the corner.
"Come here."
He said it coolly.
