Out of Control: Into Your Everything-Chapter 32: Do You Even Believe It Yourself?

Scarlett Shaw softened her voice, "I must’ve lost my mind for a moment just now. Please don’t take it to heart. Being able to follow you is an absolute honor—I couldn’t be happier."

Julian Ford: "Do you believe that yourself?"

Ford the Skinner, you—

Scarlett gritted her teeth.

So you just showed up to deliberately pick a fight, huh?

Julian lowered his gaze, taking in her flushed ears, the way her round eyes brimmed with anger—all of it in clear view.

Suddenly, he bent down and kissed her.

From afar, Zoe Sutton saw Scarlett Shaw completely wrapped in Julian Ford’s arms. There were almost no pedestrians on this street; under the cover of night, the two kissed with aching tenderness and intensity.

She actually had something she wanted to say to Julian Ford.

But then she saw this scene.

Zoe stared expressionlessly at the two locked in their embrace.

Scarlett had just been let go by Julian, her ears and cheeks still tinged with pink, when she met Zoe’s icy cold gaze.

Scarlett was startled and quickly pulled back, leaving Julian’s arms.

Julian, following her gaze, also saw Zoe. His thin lips curled into a shallow, mocking arc.

Of course, seeing was one thing. Whether it was Zoe or Julian, neither showed any intention of walking over for a greeting.

There was a charged tension in the air, a sense of imminent fallout, as if sparks could ignite between them at any moment.

Scarlett thought, maybe Yana Yarrow was right.

Maybe she really was doomed to stay a side character in all this.

"Let’s go,"

Julian strode off and returned to the car.

Scarlett got in too. After asking for Julian Ford’s address, she realized the hotel he’d checked into was the same one arranged for the company training.

On the way back, Julian didn’t say another word to her.

His expression was detached, and he sat in the back seat as well.

With the boss silent, Scarlett naturally felt at ease. After dropping him off at the hotel and parking the car, she followed Julian into the elevator, one after the other.

The elevator stopped at the first floor, and a group of people came in. The moment they saw Julian, they were startled at first, followed by polite, excited greetings—"President Ford."

They were other colleagues here for the training, coincidentally returning at the same time.

Julian’s presence was overpowering, his manner frigid.

No one dared to speak at all in the elevator, barely even daring to breathe.

Only after flooding out as a group and letting the doors shut behind them did someone remark,

"This is my first time seeing President Ford up close—God, I was so nervous. But damn, he’s really handsome. Total eye-candy."

The trainees hadn’t been with the company long, and they were all young, mostly in entry-level positions.

Normally, there’d be no chance at all to meet Julian Ford.

This chance encounter had everyone buzzing with excitement.

"Looks aren’t even half his selling point. Never mind his family background—the legend President Ford made a few years back at The Exchange? If it were me, I’d brag about it for the rest of my life."

"I heard he’s only been in one relationship, and he got dumped. Like, he loved really deeply. Is that for real?"

"Hey, Scarlett, how come you and President Ford came up from the basement together just now?"

Scarlett was about to make her escape from the gossip when suddenly that question was thrown her way.

Scarlett gave an awkward laugh. "Just by chance. Ran into each other."

A colleague prodded, gossipy: "You guys in Investment deal with President Ford a lot, right? Heard anything interesting lately?"

"Work reports go through Manager Miller. At my level, I don’t get to interact with President Ford."

Which was true.

Julian Ford was Veridian’s executive CEO and also held shares in the company.

Normally, reports moved up the chain—nobody could skip the proper channels.

But Veridian’s Investment Division was a bit different, and after the previous financial mix-up, Julian put extra emphasis on data accuracy; there were quite a few times he had Skyler Miller report directly to him.

But that was limited to Skyler Miller alone.

Scarlett pretty much had no direct contact with Julian Ford at the company.

Her colleague looked disappointed at her words.

Scarlett didn’t say anything more. She headed to her room, swiped her card—and found the door locked from inside. She couldn’t get in at all.

The company had arranged twin rooms—two people per room.

Just her luck, Scarlett’s roommate was Chloe Grant.

She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She pulled out her phone and called Chloe, but there was no response.

A colleague passing by saw Scarlett standing in the hall and asked, concerned, "Scarlett, why are you just standing here? Your keycard not working?"

Scarlett: "Chloe locked the door from the inside. I can’t get in."

"Huh? You weren’t even back yet, why’d she lock the door?" Her colleague was baffled. "Tell you what, you can squeeze in with me. It’s just one night."

Scarlett smiled, "Thanks, but no need. I’ll figure it out."

"Alright, but if you really can’t get in, come find me."

"Sure."

Ten minutes later, Scarlett brought the hotel manager over, full of concern. "My roommate hasn’t responded at all. I’m really worried something’s happened. Sorry to trouble you, but could you open the door?"

"Ensuring guest safety is part of our job,"

The manager smiled politely and unlocked the door.

Inside, Chloe Grant was lying on the bed with a face mask on, playing on her phone.

Startled by the noise, she jumped, and her mask slipped off.

Scarlett closed the door behind her and walked over, smiling. "Sis, so you could hear me after all? I thought you’d passed out in here—wouldn’t answer my calls, wouldn’t answer the door. You really had me worried."

Chloe’s gaze was ice-cold. "Is there any point pretending to care? You lose track of time, come back this late, and disturb my rest like you’re entitled to it."

"Then you should’ve just booked a room for yourself."

Scarlett stared at her, smile unwavering.

"No princess luck, but a princess attitude to match."

Chloe never expected Scarlett would snap back at her so coldly, with not a trace of warmth left in her eyes.

All these years, she’d treated Scarlett with nothing but coldness, always lording it over her with her intact family and making sure Scarlett knew her place.

That comment stabbed right at the heart of her fragile ego.

"And who’s the real princess here?" Chloe laughed icily. "Need me to remind you what a jinx you are? If my family didn’t take you in, you’d be nothing right now."

As Chloe said this, something flashed through Scarlett’s mind.

She frowned, ignored the digs, and abruptly changed the subject, asking,

"You know why Ryan Ford got close to me, right? The reason I ran into him in Auntie’s KTV—wasn’t that your setup?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Chloe’s eyes.

Scarlett pressed closer. "You know, don’t you."

Chloe: "I don’t know."

Scarlett’s expression darkened as she stared at Chloe.

Chloe turned away and climbed under the covers. Only after Scarlett lay down too did she scroll through WhatsApp and send Ryan Ford a message: Can you help with my mom’s situation again?

Ryan Ford: ?

Chloe: Scarlett already suspects it was me who arranged for you two to reconnect all those years ago. She’s asking what your motives were for getting close to her. What do you think I should say?

Chloe waited half an hour before finally seeing Ryan’s reply:

Are you threatening me?

Chloe’s temple throbbed as she gripped her phone, instantly regretting what she’d sent.

She really had meant to use this to negotiate with him, but clearly, Ryan couldn’t care less. She had no leverage at all.

Chloe: Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll keep my mouth shut about everything.

Ryan didn’t reply again.

Scarlett, meanwhile, was lying down but nowhere near asleep.

She’d only been guessing, but Chloe’s reaction made her feel more convinced she was on the right track. A lot of things were still hidden in fog, but at least now, things were clearer than before.

Of course, given how much Chloe despised her, Scarlett figured she’d sooner believe pigs could fly than trust Chloe to tell her the truth.

But that was only a small part of what was bothering Scarlett tonight.

The real reason was that, ten minutes ago, she’d received a message from Julian Ford.

Straight to the point—just a string of numbers.

It was his room number.