Chapter 3

Since he’s the CEO of Quinn Group, that whole cocky vibe and bossy attitude he had earlier suddenly makes a lot more sense. Serena hadn’t really looked into this guy before, but she knew about Quinn Group. It was the powerhouse in Westbridge’s business world, basically running the show when it came to the local economy. Any big-name company probably had their investment backing. Back when Serena took econ as an elective, the Quinn Group came up so often in case studies that she still vaguely remembered some things. But now wasn't the time to overthink it. She knew full well she needed Matthew’s help to get out of here, so she instantly gave in and put on her most pitiful act—teary eyes and a trembling voice: “I’m sorry, Mr. Quinn, I didn’t mean to talk back to you. I’ve just always been a bit... reckless with my words. Too used to doing things my own way. Please don’t take it to heart. You're generous, I’m sure you’ll let it slide...” “Enough,” Matthew interrupted, clearly over her drama. “What’s the situation at the venue now? And that woman...?” His voice was cool, detached. “Madam Quinn probably got worked up and didn’t feel well, so I had David take her home. I’ve called for Dr. Eric to be there to check on her. As for the guests, I had Connor stay behind to handle things,” the man in the suit reported smoothly. Matthew nodded, satisfied with the update. “But... Madam Quinn made it clear before she left—you have to return home tonight. If you don’t show up yourself, there'll be trouble,” the man added, glancing toward Serena with a very telling expression. Matthew thought for a second, then casually threw an arm around Serena’s shoulder and smirked, “I’ll just take her back with me.” “Perfect, sounds great!” Honestly, Serena didn’t care what his deal was. As long as she got out of here, it was all good. “Lucas, get the car ready in the underground lot. I’ll take her to change and we’ll take the private elevator down.” With that, Matthew and Serena exited The Grand Court Hotel. Since it was the Quinn family’s vehicle, no one dared stop them, and Serena finally got away from the mess. Just a few minutes after leaving the hotel, Serena caught sight of the subway station ahead and quickly perked up. “Hey, Lucas, right? Can you pull over by the subway? I can take it from there.” Lucas didn’t respond. Instead, he glanced into the rearview mirror, silently waiting for direction from Matthew in the back seat. "Trying to ditch me that fast?" Matthew said casually. "Turn around and take Ms. Dawson back to The Grand Court Hotel." Serena’s survival instincts kicked in immediately. “No!" she blurted out, then scrambled to gather herself and forced a sweet smile. “You’re my life-saver, Mr. Quinn. Whatever you say goes.” Matthew raised an eyebrow, his voice cool. “Come home with me.” Serena froze. “Huh? Go... home?” "You just said I'm your life-saver," he said, his tone teasing. "So if your rescuer’s in a bit of trouble, shouldn’t you make a tiny sacrifice and help out?” Seeing the mischievous look on his face, Serena instinctively hugged her arms and narrowed her eyes. “What exactly do you mean by help out...?” Matthew leaned in slightly, lifting her chin with his fingers. “Offer yourself to me, of course.” “Pervert!” Serena snapped, shoving his hand away, her cheeks flaming red. She shot an annoyed glare at Lucas, who was clearly trying to stifle a laugh. Matthew couldn’t help but chuckle. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, blessed with both looks and status, he had women falling for him left and right—elegant socialites or sultry vamps who all knew how to play the game. But this bashful, honest girl? He’d never met one like her. Serena felt so thrown off by his teasing that she couldn’t even get a word out, and just stared out the window in silence. The car slowed briefly as a soft "beep" sounded, and the automatic gate began to slide open. It was only then that Serena noticed how dark it had gotten. The car had pulled into a massive courtyard, right next to a fountain between the gate and the villa. Before her stood a standalone white mansion, five stories tall, lined with crabapple trees along the walls. Smack in the center of the grand entrance was a huge golden “Quinn” emblem. Serena looked up at the imposing house, her legs suddenly a little weak. The walls looked over two meters high—good luck trying to climb out if she needed to flee.