Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 46

Hearing this, Scarlett's eyes flashed as she frowned slightly. "Mr. Watson, please mind how you address me."

Seeing her serious demeanor, Orion propped his head on his hand, showing no signs of restraint. "It's just a term of endearment. Are you so concerned about it? How about 'Honey' then?"

Before Scarlett could respond, Orion rattled off various nicknames in succession, including terms from different languages. Almost every endearment imaginable passed his lips.

Seeing how naturally he used these terms, Scarlett realized this was simply the playboy's habit and decided not to take offense. Instead, she asked about Orion's company.

"You've probably heard of my company. It's called MRK."

Scarlett's eyes flickered with surprise. She had indeed heard of MRK—a leading company in the design industry, considered a benchmark in the field. 

Although the Howard Group's design department was excellent, when people thought of design, MRK was usually the first name that came to mind.

"You own MRK?" Her voice sharpened with surprise.

Orion was quite satisfied with her reaction. He smiled and nodded. "Yes. Would you like to join us?"

If Scarlett had been planning to merely humor Orion before, learning that the company was MRK changed everything. Her initial dismissiveness vanished, replaced by undeniable interest.

However, beneath this interest lurked hesitation. Scarlett didn't immediately answer Orion's question. As soon as she felt that spark of interest, she thought of Sebastian. 

She knew Sebastian would likely not allow her to leave. Leaving the Howard Group meant escaping Sebastian's control—something he would absolutely forbid.

They soon reached their destination, and by the time everyone got out of the car, Scarlett still hadn't given Orion a definitive answer.

The group had arrived at a racetrack. As they walked toward the elevator, Orion noticed Scarlett still deep in thought and moved closer to speak quietly beside her.

"You don't need to rush your answer. I can wait patiently. After all, you're so beautiful that even spending a lifetime waiting for you would be worthwhile."

His words were flirtatious, but his behavior remained gentlemanly. He maintained a perfectly appropriate distance from Scarlett.

Scarlett, lost in thought, was startled by the sudden voice beside her. She instinctively moved to step away but realized Orion hadn't crossed any social boundaries. She relaxed and was about to respond when he spoke again.

"Don't give Sebastian too much importance. He's a Howard family member after all—someone who values reputation and profit above all. Following him won't lead to any good outcome for you."

Scarlett's expression tightened, and she immediately retorted, "I have no relationship with him!"

She spoke urgently, as if afraid of being misunderstood.

Orion paused briefly, then chuckled softly. "Yes, I know."

Scarlett realized her reaction had been excessive. She pressed her lips together and continued, "What I mean is, my hesitation has nothing to do with Mr. Howard."

Orion responded the same way to her clarification. "Alright, I understand."

After that, neither of them spoke further.

From the elevator, they reached the VIP box overlooking the racetrack. Everyone sat down separately.

There were no official races today; the track was being used by different club members for practice.

After watching for a while, Chris turned to Scarlett. "Scarlett, why don't you go down and try it?"

At this suggestion, both Dennis and Orion looked at Scarlett.

Dennis's eyes brightened. "You can race too?"

Orion, always eager to stir things up, applauded. "Go on, show us what you've got, Sweetheart!"

Once again, he used an endearment without hesitation. By now, Scarlett had grown accustomed to his various terms of affection and had become immune to them.

But she hadn't expected to suddenly become the center of attention. She hesitated, looking somewhat reluctant. "Is it really okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Chris pulled her to her feet, offering a reason Scarlett couldn't refuse. "It's perfect since you're feeling down. Going for a drive will help you blow off some steam—just like when we first met."

Scarlett paused, then stopped resisting.

Despite the long break, Scarlett's movements showed no sign of rustiness when she took to the track.

Since she would be using the entire circuit, the other club members practicing were asked to clear the track.

"Who does this woman think she is? Reserving the whole track?" One club member stood at the sidelines, watching Scarlett put on her helmet and get into the race car. He frowned, asking disdainfully.

But someone quickly recognized the people standing next to the car.

"Isn't that Chris and Dennis?"

Chris and Dennis were currently cheering Scarlett on.

Orion didn't join in the excitement. He stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest, watching calmly as Scarlett started the engine.

His expression was serious and evaluating, as if questioning whether Scarlett could really complete a full lap.

This was a professional track. At racing speeds, both the turns and straightening out after turns were exceptionally challenging.

When Chris and Dennis returned, Orion immediately voiced his concern.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Chris stated confidently.

Dennis still seemed worried. "I think half a lap would be enough for a first run."

"This isn't her first time," Chris replied, watching Scarlett on the track with admiration and respect in his eyes.

Seeing his expression, Orion raised an eyebrow slightly and looked back at Scarlett with newfound interest. "That good, is she?"

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

As the five red lights at the starting line lit up sequentially and then all went out, Scarlett's personal race began!

The race car roared forward, leaving a blur in its wake.

This moment triggered exclamations from the spectators in the stands.

"So fast!"

"Did she jump the lights?"

"Jump the lights? No! She didn't jump the lights!"

Dennis was also amazed. Even he couldn't execute such a perfect launch.

Chris smiled softly, his gaze following the red race car on the track.

But his smile faded quickly, his brow furrowing slightly, while Dennis beside him couldn't stop praising.

"That cornering! Is Scarlett really not a retired professional racer?"

Orion leaned forward against the railing, watching the car speed by, his eyes filled with admiration.

Since this wasn't an official race, Scarlett only drove one lap. The track was relatively small, just three miles, so her performance was judged on her lap time.

"One minute forty seconds?"

"That's impressive, but seeing how she started, I thought she'd do it in around one minute ten."

People around them had already started discussing her performance.