Scarlett OHara tried to keep her composure, but inside, she was seething. She knew she had to get her camera back from this man who called himself Jay Gatsby. She had to protect the evidence she had on Tom Joad.
"Give it back to me," she demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and desperation.
Jay Gatsby looked at her with a cold gaze. "And why should I do that, Miss OHara?"
"Because its mine, and you have no right to keep it," she retorted, trying to sound braver than she felt.
Gatsbys lips curled into a slight smile. "Your property, you say? After youve been spying on me and trying to fabricate stories?"
Scarletts heart pounded in her chest. She had to make him understand. "I wasnt spying on you. I was—"
"Save your lies," Gatsby interrupted. "I know your type. Youre a vulture, preying on the lives of others for your own gain."
Scarlett felt a surge of indignation. "Im not a vulture. Im a journalist, and I have a job to do."
"A journalist?" Gatsbys voice dripped with sarcasm. "Then why are you dressed like youre here to entertain?"
Scarlett glanced down at her outfit, a tight dress she had chosen to blend into the clubs scene. She felt her cheeks flush with anger. "This is not about what Im wearing. Its about the truth."
"The truth?" Gatsbys eyes hardened. "The truth is that you were hired to dig up dirt on me, and I wont stand for it."
"I wasnt hired by anyone to spy on you," Scarlett insisted. "I was doing my job, reporting on Tom Joad and Daisy Buchanan."
Gatsbys expression didnt change. "If thats the case, then why dont you tell me what you have on them?"
Scarlett hesitated. She couldnt reveal her sources. "I cant. Its confidential."
Gatsbys gaze bore into her. "Confidential, or just more lies?"
"Im not lying," Scarlett shot back. "I have my Professional Ethics, and I wont be intimidated."
Gatsby studied her for a moment, then shook his head. "I dont trust you, Miss OHara. Not for a second."
Just then, the door to the room burst open, and Catherine Capulet, Jay Gatsbys cousin, walked in, pushing a cart with a cake on it. "Surprise!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
She looked at Scarlett, confusion written all over her face. "Jay, who is she?"
Gatsbys expression softened slightly as he looked at his cousin. "Just someone who was leaving."
Scarlett seized the opportunity. "Thats right. I was just going." She grabbed her backpack and made for the door, desperate to put as much distance between her and Jay Gatsby as possible.
"Wait," Gatsby called after her.
Scarlett stopped but didnt turn around. "What now?"
"Consider this a warning," Gatsby said, his voice low and threatening. "Stay away from me and my family."
Scarlett didnt respond. She just walked out, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she had failed to retrieve her camera and the evidence it contained. But she was determined to get to the bottom of this. She wouldnt let Jay Gatsby or anyone else stand in her way.
As she left The Golden Club and stepped out into the night, she knew she had a long and difficult road ahead of her. But she was Scarlett OHara, and she never backed down from a challenge.