The Ghost of Your Face

Tags: Villainous Couple, Underworld, Twisted Obsession, Betrayal and Infidelity Everyone in the city knew that Julian Vance and I were a match made in hell. I was ruthless and cunning; he was cold-blooded and lethal. We had each other’s backs, clawing our way over piles of bodies to rule this city together. Julian once told me he would love me until the day he died. Until he took a bullet for me. That was when he met a sweet, innocent nurse named Natalie Frost. She bandaged his wounds, brought him homemade soup, and promised him the ordinary, peaceful home he had never known. Julian lost his heart to her. Eventually, he held the hand of that pregnant nurse and laid his cards on the table. "Scarlett, you will always be my only wife. But let Natalie stay. Please?" I stared at him for a long, silent moment. In the end, I simply nodded. "Why...?" Julian dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired." He thought I was asking why he had stopped loving me. He was wrong. I was just disappointed. After keeping him by my side for all these years, Julian had been the one who looked the most like *him*. In the end, he was useless after all. I turned and stepped back into the shadows, my voice dropping dead cold. "Kill her. Clean up the mess." The second the words left my mouth, the guards lingering in the shadows pulled their blades and moved straight toward Natalie. The air turned razor-sharp with intent. "No! Julian—!" Natalie screamed, shrinking behind Julian in absolute terror. Julian instantly threw an arm out to shield her, glaring up at me in disbelief. "Scarlett Stone, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" "Scarlett Stone..." I leaned back into the plush leather sofa, murmuring my full name on my tongue, and let out a soft laugh. "Julian, how long has it been since you called me by my full name?" "The last time... was five years ago, wasn't it? When you got down on one knee. How nostalgic." A flicker of daze crossed Julian's eyes. I took the chance to light a cigarette. My gaze drifted past him, landing squarely on the trembling figure cowering behind his back. "Miss Frost, if I remember correctly, your name was on the charity list of students I funded years ago." "You ate from my bowl, spent my money, and now you come back to steal my man. Isn't that... a little tasteless?" Natalie was scared out of her wits. Hearing my words, her knees buckled completely, and she dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. "Mrs. Vance, I'm sorry!" "I know what I did was wrong, but Julian and I really love each other! Please, I'm begging you, let us be together!" Sobbing, she bent down, looking ready to beg on her knees. Julian quickly caught her, pulling her up and whispering gentle comforts before turning back to face me, his jaw set. "Scarlett, did you really have to take it this far?" "If you can't stand having Natalie around, I'll take her and move out. You can take the three shipping terminals down at the docks. Consider it my way of paying back what she owes you." Dead silence fell over the grand hall. Everyone in the room could hear what he meant. He was drawing a line between us. I studied that familiar face through the haze of smoke, watching two pale rings drift into the air. I gave him one final chance. "Julian, are you certain you want to keep her?" Julian lowered his head, gently wiping the tears from Natalie's cheeks with his thumb. When he looked back up, his mind was made up. "Scarlett, let Natalie stay. She’s gentle. She’ll never threaten your position." "I'm just... tired of all this blood." The cigarette burned down to the filter, the heat biting sharply into my skin. Useless. I crushed the butt out in the crystal ashtray, turned slightly, and spoke to my butler. "Have the sunroom on the second floor prepared for Miss Frost. And call Dr. Miller over. After all, she’s carrying a child. It wouldn't do to stress the baby." The tension in Julian’s face instantly melted away. He thought I was giving in. He took a step forward, looking as though he wanted to offer some comforting words. "Scarlett, I..." I held up a hand, silencing him without a sound. "It's late. Go keep Miss Frost company." Seeing the coldness in my eyes, Julian merely nodded, wrapped his arm around Natalie, and walked away. It wasn't until their silhouettes vanished down the hall that I let out a faint, quiet sigh. "Uncle Joe," I murmured. "All of a sudden, he doesn't look like Colin anymore."The elderly butler shook his head slightly, keeping his voice low. "Miss Scarlett, Mr. Vance is Mr. Vance. There will never be another Colin Stone in this world." "This one was only an imitation. He shared the shape, but never the soul... There is no need to grieve for him." I closed my eyes, sinking deep into the shadows of the sofa. Seeing my prolonged silence, the butler took a step forward and ventured carefully, "Are you still... reluctant to let him go?" I let out a soft sneer and opened my eyes, devoid of any warmth. "He's a cheap fake. Why would I hesitate? I was just wondering what kind of death would be too good for him." "Find a chance. Ruin that face." The lighter flicked, a blue flame dancing in the dark. I sat up and lit another cigarette. A sick, possessive edge crept into my voice. "I won't let him die... while wearing Colin's face." I tilted my head, flashing the butler an innocent, chilling smile. "Besides, I'm not the only one who wants him dead." "Our dear Miss Frost wants the exact same thing, doesn't she?" *Knock, knock, knock.* The study door was shoved open by Julian’s right-hand man, breathing hard. "Boss, Julian got ambushed down at the docks this morning. A warehouse went up in flames. His face... was badly burned, but luckily he survived." Gabe paused, glancing nervously at my expression before pressing on. "Miss Frost is by his side, but the business is in chaos right now. She doesn't understand our operations." "Julian asked you to step in and take control." I smirked to myself. What did Julian think I was? A tool to be picked up when trouble hit, and tossed aside when he wanted peace? I closed the folder on my desk, stood up, and adjusted my blazer. "Lead the way." Reaching the hospital room, I heard Natalie's soft, pleading voice drifting through the slightly open door. "Julian, didn't you promise me?" "All that dirty, dangerous work—leave it to Scarlett. We can step away from the underworld and live a normal life. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Julian sounded hesitant, trying to reason with her. "But before this, I was always the one standing in front of her. If she runs into danger later..." Natalie's voice instantly broke into a sorrowful sob. "If you won't think of yourself, won't you think of our baby?" "He's so small. He can't grow up without a father." Looking down at Natalie's swollen belly, Julian gave in. "Alright. When she gets here, I'll make it clear to her." Just then, Gabe cleared his throat behind me. The two inside turned around, only to freeze when they saw me standing by the door. Awkward guilt washed over their faces. I didn't care in the slightest. My eyes were locked onto Julian's face. It was wrapped tightly in layers of gauze, dark crimson seeping around the edges. Good. That face was thoroughly ruined. A satisfied smile touched my lips, and my voice remained perfectly composed. "Since Miss Frost put it that way, just focus on resting. I already spoke with the doctor. You can be discharged this afternoon. There will probably be scars, but as long as the dressings are changed on schedule, you'll be fine." "Don't worry about business outside. I have everything under control." With my reassurance, Julian wiped his hands of all danger and burden without a second thought, completely immersing himself in his domestic bubble with Natalie. Late at night, three days after his discharge, I walked into the villa reeking of iron and blood, only to find Julian and Natalie locked in an embrace in the living room. The air froze for several beats. Julian shoved Natalie away, his eyes catching the dark red stain along the hem of my coat. Guilt flickered across his face. "Are you... alright?"I nodded without a word and turned to head upstairs. "Wait!" Julian called out suddenly. "Could you clean yourself up outside before coming home next time?" "Natalie can't stand the smell of blood. It makes her sick to her stomach." I stopped dead on the stairs, turning back to cast a long look over the two of them. Natalie shrank timidly behind Julian, looking terrified of me. "Understood," I said quietly, turning around and continuing up the steps. Julian didn't know. The blood on my hem belonged to Gabe, his right-hand man. A few nights later, in the middle of an overseas video conference, I went down to the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. The moment my fingers hit the light switch, the bright glare illuminated a disgusting scene— Julian had Natalie pinned against the refrigerator door, their clothes pulled apart, tangled together in raw, messy heat. The sudden light made Natalie gasp, burying her face into the crook of Julian's neck. Julian whipped his head around to glare at me, the guilt that once lingered in his eyes entirely gone. All that remained was pure, irritated disgust. "Get out!" I didn't say a word, didn't even spare them a second glance. I simply picked up the fresh pot of coffee, walked out of the kitchen, and softly pulled the door shut behind me. Back in the study, my lieutenants on the other end of the screen were still waiting quietly for their orders. "Too slow," I told them, my voice flat. "Adjust the timeline. Finish everything within three days." I glanced at the ownership breakdown of Julian's core shell companies lying on the desk, adding one final command: "Rip out the rest of his roots. Burn them to ashes." The night Julian’s last loyal henchman took his final breath, it was pouring rain. Uncle Joe was in the living room, binding a deep, jagged gash on my forearm that nearly exposed the bone. Julian walked down the stairs with his arm wrapped around Natalie. He looked past my gruesome wound with cold indifference, not even bothering with basic courtesy. Instead, he tossed a set of divorce papers onto the coffee table before me. His voice dripped with impatience. "Scarlett, let's get a divorce." I didn't speak, sitting still until Uncle Joe finished tying off the bandage. Only then did I speak softly. "You said I would always be your only wife." Julian sighed, pulling out a convenient, noble excuse. "People change, Scarlett." "I won't let my child grow up carrying the label of a bastard." He leaned forward, gently sliding a pen toward my fingers. "Just sign it." "Don't worry. In my heart, you will always be my only wife." Only then did I finally lift my eyes and truly look at him. The gauze had come off Julian's face today. Jagged, purplish scars crossed his features, twisting the flesh into an ugly mess. Ugh. Truly hideous. It made my stomach churn. Instead of taking the pen, I brought my hand back and slammed it across his jaw. *Smack!* Julian never expected me to hit him. The force sent his head snapping to the side. "Scarlett, you—" I didn't give him a single breath to recover. I stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, yanked him close, and unleashed a barrage of ruthless slaps across both sides of his face. *Smack! Smack! Smack!* The sound was sharp, vicious, and relentless. The fresh, fragile scar tissue that had barely knit together split wide open under my palms, blood instantly spraying outward. Only when my hands were coated in his blood did I shove him back in disgust. Julian stumbled backward several steps, barely keeping his feet when Natalie rushed forward to catch him. I took the wet towel Uncle Joe handed me, slowly wiping down my fingers and palms. "For the past two weeks, I've tolerated you far too much." "And now you want a divorce?" Before the sentence finished, I flicked my wrist and hurled the bloodied towel straight into his ruined face.