Chapter 2 The Tutor

Elias sighed inwardly. He couldn't bear to refuse his grandmother. After a few moments of thought, he reluctantly said, "Grandma, I can promise you this, but I want to make it clear that I'll never like an avaricious woman like her. My opinion won't change even if I spend three more years with her, let alone three months."

Ella muttered, "You're mistaken. Scarlett is not that kind of woman."

Elias didn't want to argue with her about Scarlett's character. Impatiently, he said, "That's enough, Grandma. I have work to attend to. Bye."

After hanging up, Elias glanced at the divorce agreement on the desk, a hint of gloom in his eyes.

"Scarlett, do you really think your scheme will work?" he mused.

A year ago, this woman had married into the Roberts family by any means necessary, driven by a desire for money. Now she was pretending to want a divorce, intentionally delaying it for three months. Was she hoping that by taking one step backward, she could take two steps forward and make him change his mind?

It was a clever plan, but she didn't understand him at all. He would never change his decision for anyone.

The following day, Scarlett went out for an interview.

According to the address she received, she arrived at a grand mansion that blended romance with solemnity in its decor.

The intricately carved patterns on the gate were exceptionally exquisite.

Scarlett looked around and realized that this mansion was even more luxurious and grand than the one she used to live in.

Today, she had come here to apply for the position of tutor, a job opportunity introduced by Ella.

Ella knew that Scarlett was a strong-willed person who didn't want to owe the Roberts family any money.

In the past year, she had introduced many part-time jobs to Scarlett, who, with her exceptional abilities, had managed to pay off her debt within a year.

The salary for this particular part-time job was significantly higher than any of her previous positions. Scarlett needed the money, and she had every reason to compete for this job.

She approached the gate, suppressing her nervousness, and rang the bell.

The bell's crisp chime resonated. Scarlett waited for a moment until someone came to answer it.

The person who greeted her was Jude. As he laid eyes on Scarlett, he was momentarily struck by her youthful beauty. However, he maintained his professional demeanor and quickly composed himself. He offered a polite smile. "You must be the candidate here for the tutor interview. Miss Wallace, right? I'm Jude Green, Mr. Roberts' assistant."

Scarlett replied politely, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Green."

Jude then led Scarlett to the backyard of the mansion, where he stopped and pointed in a certain direction from a distance. "Zayne is over there."

From their vantage point, Scarlett could see a swing in the middle of the yard, with a dazed child seated upon it.

Typically, children of that age were very lively and mischievous. But this boy sat there like a motionless puppet, gazing into the distance with vacant eyes. He appeared incredibly vulnerable, eliciting an instinctual desire in Scarlett to care for him.

Jude explained, "Zayne's situation is a bit unique. He has driven away six tutors before you, Miss Wallace. I hope you're mentally prepared."

Scarlett had heard about this from Ella before coming, so she wasn't taken aback.

She nodded and replied, "I understand. Before the class begins, may I have a tour of the mansion?"

Jude was somewhat taken aback. It was the first time he had heard such a request. Previous tutors had immediately gone to greet Zayne upon their arrival, making the effort to establish a connection with him. However, all of them had failed due to the boy's strong resistance.

After hesitating for a moment, Jude replied, "Of course, you can. But I have some other tasks to attend to, so I might not be able to give you a personal tour."

Scarlett didn't mind at all. She asked Jude about Zayne's favorite areas and then proceeded to explore those places on her own.

As she ventured through the mansion, she noticed scattered children's toys and some paintings hanging on the walls.

The paintings displayed inexperienced techniques but were bold and vibrant in colors. Each painting was carefully framed, with Zayne's name inscribed at the bottom.

It was evident that Zayne had a strong passion for painting.

Scarlett smiled and soon came up with an idea.

Returning to the yard, she arranged the art supplies she had brought with her and began to paint.

Bright colors flowed onto the canvas, gradually outlining the landscape of the yard.

Scarlett became engrossed in her painting.

Behind her, Zayne, who had been sitting on the swing, lost in thought, was suddenly captivated by the artwork taking shape before him.

His dull eyes seemed to light up in an instant, and he left the swing to approach Scarlett.

In the mansion's study, Elias was engrossed in his work.

Jude entered with the necessary documents and reminded him, "Mr. Roberts, the new tutor has arrived. Would you like to go and meet her?"

Rubbing his forehead, Elias responded indifferently, "It's unnecessary."

Considering that Zayne had already driven away six tutors, Elias had little hope for this new one.

Without saying more, Jude quietly left the study.

After a while, Elias finished dealing with the documents on his desk.

Seeing that it was close to dinnertime, he decided to check on Zayne's progress.

When he reached the backyard, a heartwarming sight greeted him.

A girl dressed in simple attire sat in front of an easel, her ponytail swaying in the breeze. The twilight cast a faint glow across the yard, illuminating her bright and captivating smile.

Beside her, Zayne sat with a paintbrush in hand.

Elias was genuinely surprised. Zayne rarely warmed up to outsiders, and he hadn't expected the new tutor to get along with the young boy so quickly.

The scene was so beautiful and heartwarming that Elias felt a softness in his heart.

He approached quietly, and it wasn't until his tall figure cast a shadow over the canvas that Scarlett looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

Elias found himself asking her in an unexpectedly gentle tone, "What's your name?"