Chapter 2

Three years later, Maeve walked out of the prison. The sunlight was blinding. Her bank account had long been frozen. The combined balance in her Apple Pay and Paypal accounts was just over two thousand dollars. Maeve walked for a distance until she found a bus stop and took a bus to the city center. First, she went to a clothing store and bought herself new clothes. Then, she purchased an affordable set of cosmetics and gave herself a makeover before heading to Sky Blue Club. Sky Blue Club was the most luxurious and exclusive private club in Riverside, a gilded haven for the elite. She had never been here before. Three years of prison life were enough to change a person. Today, she had no choice but to come here. The reason she came was because she heard that Matthew would be here tonight. Matthew Stevens, Ron’s youngest uncle, was also the current head of the Stevens family. If she could win Matthew’s heart, Ron and Yvonne would be beneath her. They would never be able to hold their heads up in front of her. With the influence of the Stevens family, she could revive the Lawson family and reclaim everything that was rightfully hers. Maeve found the private room easily. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. No one answered. Just as she was about to knock again, someone suddenly walked out from the next room. Before she could even see the person clearly, she was pulled into the next room. Immediately, a pair of strong and powerful arms encircled her in an embrace. “Don’t move! I have a special favor to ask.” His voice was deep and restrained. A sense of unease washed over Maeve. She immediately became alert. “Let go of me! I’m warning you; I am Matthew Stevens’ woman! If you dare to touch me, Matthew will torture you until you beg for death!” The man’s lips curled into an intrigued smile in the darkness. He wondered, “Since when did I have a woman? How come I don’t know a thing about it?” His fiery lips were by her ear. His deep voice carried an intense masculine aura. “Help me, and I’ll grant you whatever you desire. I will take responsibility for you!” In the darkness, his breath grew heavier with each passing moment. His body brushed against hers restlessly. He had reached the limit of his restraint. In the next second, he started kissing her fiercely. Matthew had never appeared in the public eye. No one knew what he looked like. However, everyone knew that he was ruthless. Furthermore, this terrifying man was a sickly person. It was rumored that he would not live past thirty. Even through their clothes, Maeve could feel the muscular contours of his body. Even his kisses were forceful. There was no way she could associate this man with the frail Matthew, who was meant to live a short life. No matter how Maeve struggled, he still pulled her down into the abyss. At dawn, Maeve endured the discomfort in her body and hurriedly left Sky Blue Club. As soon as she left, the man on the bed opened his eyes. It was hard to read the emotions on his angular face. There was a hint of after-sex laziness in his pitch-black eyes. Rubbing his temples, Matthew calmly picked up his phone and dialed his assistant’s number. He instructed coldly, “Find out who spiked my drinks last night. And find out everything about that woman.” “Achoo!” Maeve suddenly sneezed. She pushed through her discomfort and headed to a nearby cyber cafe. She had finally made it through her three years of imprisonment. Yet, right after she was released, she lost her virginity. Was there anyone in this world more unfortunate than her? Learning from her experience of being betrayed by Ron, Maeve dared not put all her eggs in one basket. She had not planned on relying solely on one man for everything. Following the failure of her plan to win over Matthew, she had to come up with an alternative plan. Right now, she had to find a place to live and secure a job that could support her livelihood. She had submitted her resume to several job portals, applying for positions such as office clerk, customer service, sales, and more. She had an undergraduate degree. She had submitted her resume to any job which met the requirements. Maeve received several phone calls from the HR departments of several companies, but as soon as they heard about her three-year employment gap due to her imprisonment, the conversations abruptly ended. Holding the freshly printed and still warm resumes, Maeve returned to her shared rental room with a dejected look on her face. “Hello, Ms. Lawson.” A deep and magnetic male voice interrupted Maeve’s thoughts. Maeve looked up and saw a handsome man in a suit standing in front of her. She remained alert and asked, “Who are you? Do we know each other?” “I’m Liam Scott. I apologize for what happened last night. I will take responsibility for it.” Matthew, who was pretending to be his own driver, spoke sincerely. When he brought up the incident last night, he blushed uncontrollably. He felt embarrassed and guilty. It was not his intention to engage in casual sexual intercourse with a stranger, but the situation was dire at the time. He had no choice. No wonder his voice sounded somewhat familiar. It turned out he was the man from last night! Recalling the incident last night, Maeve felt mixed emotions toward this man who had taken her virginity. She was angry and a little afraid. Although they had been intimate with each other, they were essentially strangers. They did not know each other. She had just rented this room today, yet he was able to locate her so quickly. It was likely that he held considerable wealth and influence. He might be someone she could not afford to offend. “Who are you really? How did you find me? How do you know where I live?” Maeve sized him up. He was born with the body frame of a model. He was standing upright and was a head taller than her. He was over 1.8 meters tall. He had a handsome appearance and an extraordinary temperament. He also exuded a strong aura that could influence others. “I’m Matthew Stevens’ driver. With Mr. Stevens’ connections, it wasn’t difficult to find you.” He added, “Although I’m just a driver, my income should be decent compared to my peers. I earn over 30,000 dollars after taxes each month. I have a house and a car, although the house is not located in a desirable school district. And my car is just a Volkswagen worth around a hundred thousand. To be frank, I’m 28 this year. My mother has been urging me to get married for the past few years. However, I’ve been busy with work and haven’t encountered the right person. Since we share this affinity, I’d like to take responsibility for you. I should take responsibility for you.” So, he was Matthew’s driver. Maeve instantly loosened up. “Since you’ve had someone investigate me, you should be aware that I’ve served time in prison for murder. Don’t you mind that? Even if you don’t, I’m sure it would bother your family.” Seemingly taken aback by her directness, Matthew could not help but admire her for it.