Scarlett looks into those surprised ocean eyes. Her soul earns to dive into them and clear up the doubts he's been submerging into them. Guilty; she feels guilty to be that worry he feels. The reason he's worried is she.
She reaches out to his face by raising her hand and cups in her palm. It's crazy how she's feeling giddy and no worries of doing something wrong. Somehow their closeness between them feels right.
Scarlett knew there was no denying the fact that she was attracted to him five years ago when she went to apply for the assistant manager's job, and was awestruck by his gentleman aura. But that simple crush was now evolving. But evolving into what?
And then all her giddiness died just when Ezra spoke, "You should apologize to Jones's wife, she's the one you both have betrayed. Not me, I'm no one to feel betrayed here Stella." He hesitates for a moment. "You didn't do anything wrong to me but you did wrong to her."
Those words brought her back to the present. The present where nothing about Ezra is the same as he was one in the past. He was an honorable man with valuable ethics but now this is a broken and spoiled mannered man. Everything she despises is Ezra now but still… Still that little ray of hope attracts her to him. Hope that he just needs to mend his broken heart.
"Jones's wife?" She asks out loud in confusion, making Ezra frown. Pulling herself back from their closeness, "why the hell will I apologize to her? What's going on?"
Suddenly the uncomfortableness and awkwardness takes place between them, making Scarlett wriggle out of his arms and stand on her feet walking away a few steps from him. "Tell me, what are you talking about?"
"Stella, why are you trying to be oblivious to your affair with Jones?" Ezra asks, trying to keep his anger at Bay.
Scarlett's eyes widened in horror. "What- what did you say?" Her lips wobble, unable to bring out the words out of her mouth.
Ezra sighs in frustration. He roams his hands through his hair tugging at it to control his feelings. "Stop denying it Stella! You don't have to hide your affair anymore. It's revealed to me and soon you should decide to confront Jones's wife too."
"How could you predict something so horrible?" She screams, making him startled. "I don't have any sort of affair with anyone." She steps closer to him and shouts at his face. "I live with you twenty four seven hours, how can you even do that? On what basis did you say that?"
"Don't shout at me, have you forgotten your place Ms. Robinson?" He glares at her but instantly regrets the words he used. Yes, her behavior triggered his ego but those weren't the words he wanted to say. "Look, I have witnesses to confirm plus CCTV footage of you two being cosy."
"And what does it show? Are we kissing or are we having sex?" She shouts again at.
"Jones knows we have cameras around here so he won't do anything that extreme."
"So when do you think we have our cosy time?" She double quotes the word cosy with her fingers. "In the car? Or wait, let me guess, in his house where he lives with his wife, if I'm correct?"
"My driver saw you both…" He says.
"Both doing what?" She asks, throwing her hands in the air.
"Nothing… he didn't exactly say he saw anything" Ezra thought to himself. "He said something must have been going on between you two behind the screen of the car."
"And you didn't even bother to ask me what's going on? Rather you just jumped on the conclusions. Wow Mr. Knight, you felt wrong when Ferdinand did this thing to you but you didn't even think how I would feel facing the same wrath?" Another tear slips from her eyes.
She clears her throat to speak again. "To answer your question, no I don't have any relationship with Jones other than a co-worker. Yes, he crosses his line to make jokes and silly comments but I never complained because I didn't want any conflict and I was okay with working regardless as it seemed harmless but now it's backfiring against my character and I won't tolerate it."
She's right… he should have asked her first rather than interrogating her like a criminal. "Stella, I just wanted to clarify that…"
"That's how you clarify? When a person communicates with the other person in a polite tone, that's how people clarify things. Not by saying that he or she is a trouble, or by saying you should apologize straight away without stating what they should apologize for." She chokes on her sob.
Ezra feels guilty for everything he did today. He realizes the lack of communication between them somehow brought this doom. "I'm sorry… I reacted in a bad way. I know I shouldn't have questioned your character and I'm extremely sorry. Please forgive me for this misjudgment of mine Ms. Robinson. I truly am sorry for all the sorrow and harassment I caused."
Ezra's heart thudded when she gave him a glare with her teary eyes. "I don't forget and neither will I forgive Mr. Knight. Thanks for your hospitality for all these days. But I think it's time for me to quit my job. I can overlook insults from a superior boss of mine but I won't tolerate the blame of me being a homewrecker or being called slut."
She turns away from him and makes her way towards the cabin to pack up all her belongings. All her hopes come shattering down. Now she has to go back to the church and hide there. She promised herself to be careful while being here but things have gotten bad. Wherever she goes, peace doesn't stay.
Ezra sits idly in his seat. No words came out of his mouth when she said she's going to quit. He knows she's in her cabin packing up her stuff to leave and yet he is doing nothing to stop her.
One wrong move and he's finding himself alone again. But then, why will she stay? After everything he did to tarnish her character, why will she stay? He would have never stayed if it was him in her place. He questioned her pride, knowing very well how difficult it must be for her to work for him. Knowing both her and his past, she still came to work for him. To risk her life again. To work for a wealthy asshole who clearly wanted nothing but her body to submit. Because she wanted a job, a job to earn. To earn money for the church she's been living her whole life.
But what did he do? He broke all her will to work for him. She is leaving all behind because of his foolishness. Shit! He should stop her from going. She needs the job as equally as to him to be near her and protect her.
His thoughts get interrupted when he hears her footsteps back in the living room. She steps in front of him again making him look up from his lap to her face. She changed her attire to a summer dress and a long sleeved cotton jacket. She wore a big hat which almost hid her face along with a pair of sunglasses which hid her eyes.
He was so lost in staring at her appearance that he didn't listen to her saying anything. Only when she pats his shoulder does he realize. "I'm leaving you the keys to my room, Mr. Knight." He looks down to her hand to see the keys of her cabin. He didn't take it, how could he when he was so frozen in his place. He was shocked to see another person whom he became so attached to, is leaving him.
Scarlett puts the keys on the coffee table seeing he didn't take it from her and turns to leave. "Goodbye Mr. Knight. I wish you good luck in your future."
She walks away saying that when suddenly his hand shoots out to catch hers making her stop. "What happ-"
"Don't leave." He whispers.
"I have to." She replies without turning back to him but he doesn't accept that as he pulls her shoulder towards him and makes her face him.
"Stella, I made a mistake not asking you first and jumping into conclusions but please you don't have to leave the job. Because you know how much you need it. Hell, even I need you to be here." He looks straight into her eyes, "just don't give up on…" me "...The job." Shit he can't even tell the truth.
"I'm not giving up, I'm quitting. I refuse to work with someone who doesn't respect me." She argues.
He shakes his head, "you are wrong Stella, I have so much respect for you." You have no idea how badly I'm controlling myself around you just because I respect your wishes to have boundaries.
If only he could voice out his mind. "Just give me one more chance, I will never upset or disappoint you."
Scarlett looks down at her feet, thinking hard about his apology. This is the safest place she can live currently. Now that she vaguely told Ferdinand's truth he won't even let her come in front of him anymore. Everything will be perfect for one year. Ricardo will eventually forget about her existence. All these can only happen if she lives here. Only if she accepts his apology.
Taking a deep breath she looks at him finally settling her eyes on his. "Fine, I'll stay. But I will have some conditions, if you don't hand them over then I will leave right away."
Ezra felt relief knowing she will stay but still anticipated knowing there will be conditions too. Fuck it! He will do anything to keep her here, "very well Ms. Robinson."