Serena had been walking down the dim, twisty path for a while now. No lights, just turns and more turns. She passed what seemed like a pond, a basketball court, maybe even a swimming pool and a gazebo...

Good grief, rich folks really live in another dimension of luxury.

She'd been running for at least ten minutes straight, her breath was coming in sharp gasps when she finally stopped.

Looking up, she saw a small, traditional-style house nearby. Only two faint lights glowed by the front door.

"Small" was relative - it only looked small compared to the Quinns' mansion. Compared to her own place? Yeah, this thing was massive.

She figured that after running that long, she must've finally made it out of the Quinns' main estate.

It was super late already, and cabs would probably be impossible to flag down around this private area, so she decided to try her luck and knocked on the door.

No one answered. After knocking for a good while and feeling completely worn out from the whole day, Serena just slumped onto the doorstep and dozed off.

The nights in Westbridge were starting to get chilly. Wearing nothing but a simple dress, the cold made her instinctively curl into herself for warmth.

Meanwhile, back at the Quinn mansion, in the study...

"Any... news about Austin?" Matthew asked with a deep frown.

Talking about Vivian had stirred up memories of his little brother who got lost at an amusement park when they were kids. Austin's disappearance had completely turned their whole family upside down.

Vivian had blamed Matthew for it, accusing him of purposefully losing his three-year-old brother out of spite. She even used her own life to press the fifteen-year-old Matthew into leaving for Veloria, strictly banning him from returning without her permission.

Ever since then, the name "Austin" had become a taboo no one in the Quinn household dared to bring up.

David shuddered slightly, then gave a slow shake of his head. "Just bits and pieces. Heard he was kidnapped and sold off to some remote mountain village. We've never stopped searching all these years."

Matthew leaned forward, rubbing his temples with both hands, his face etched with pain. "Got it. Keep looking."

Right then, a flurry of noise erupted outside the study.

He swiftly opened the door and stepped out. "What happened?"

Susan rushed over, panic written all over her face. "Mr. Quinn, your wife is missing."

Matthew blinked. "Missing? Wasn't she just with you by the study window?"

He tried calling Serena's phone - straight to voicemail.

"She was. Then she said her bracelet fell off and went back to look for it. I came to the dining room to prep dinner, waited and waited, but she never showed. I checked outside the study too and... nothing."

Susan's eyes were tearing up in anxiety.

Matthew's expression instantly darkened, a storm brewing behind his eyes. But noticing Vivian nearby, he quickly forced a neutral face. "She probably got lost. Turn on all the lights and start searching."

The Quinn mansion was instantly thrown into chaos.

Matthew turned to Vivian with a nod. "Dinner's ready. You go ahead."

Vivian gracefully took a seat at the dining table, smiling. "It's her first night here, right? It'd be awkward to eat without her. You all go look, I'll wait. No rush."

He just gave a cool "Sure" in return, but inside, he was burning up with worry.

He pulled aside one of the staff rushing around and asked quietly, "You checked the side villa?"

The maid hesitated, "N-Not yet... I'll go now."

Matthew gave a sharp smile and held her back. "No need. I'll take care of it. Tell Susan to go ahead with dinner."

They had already searched the entire mansion thoroughly. Given that the place sat halfway up a mountain with security at every exit and no reports of Serena leaving, that only left one possibility-she must be at the side villa.

This villa was tucked at the base of the mountain, kind of isolated but peaceful. The old man had used it as a recovery spot back in the day.

Matthew hopped on his motorbike and headed straight there.

Hearing the low rumble of the engine, Serena, still curled on the steps, perked up fast. Finally! Someone from the house was back. She might just be saved after all.

After the car rolled to a stop and the headlights went out, Serena dashed over excitedly. "Hi there! Sorry to bother you, I'm kinda lost. Could you maybe drop me off somewhere I can catch a ride?"

Matthew smirked, the curve of his lips carrying a hint of mischief. "It'd be my pleasure, Ms. Dawson."

She instantly froze-the voice wasn't right. Under the dim porch light, she glanced sideways...and yep, it was Matthew.

Her first instinct was to bolt, but a hand caught her just in time. "Running away?"

"W-Who's running? I was just... just... walking the wrong way."

Matthew gave a low, teasing chuckle, stepping closer with a slow, easy confidence until she was backed against the wall, no exit in sight. He leaned down, eyes locked onto hers as she kept nervously avoiding his gaze. "The wrong way? You mean from the study window all the way to the side villa-like that's an accidental detour?"

Speechless, Serena stiffened like a board, shut her eyes, furrowed her brows and nodded firmly. "Yep. Totally got turned around."

"This whole area-ten miles in every direction-is Quinn property. As the lady of the house, you've got total freedom to get 'lost' anywhere you like."

Matthew straightened, leaned against his motorcycle, and casually lit a cigarette as he spoke.

Serena had barely caught her breath when that bomb dropped. "Wait... Wait, all of this... is your family's?"

He exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "Don't believe me?"

"No, no! I believe you! Totally believe you!"

Considering Quinn Corp's massive worth, and how the Quinn family had ruled Westbridge's wealth rankings for decades, Serena never doubted it for a second.

Internally though? She was berating herself for being so dense. 'Ten minutes of running and I thought I'd escaped the estate? Girl, wake up.'

The life of the rich really was another planet.

From the main villa to this side villa-she'd hobbled all the way on a bad foot, and she was still within the Quinn compound. Absolutely ridiculous.

Matthew put out his cigarette with a flick and let out a low chuckle. He reached out and tilted her chin up with one finger, his voice soft but unsettling. "Still planning on getting 'lost,' Ms. Dawson?"

"Nope. I... I've got the path memorized now."

He looked pleased.

"Good. Can't wait to see your upcoming performance, Mrs. Quinn. Or, I could always have the driver take you to your fifty-year-old fiancé."

Serena's face went pale the moment that number left his lips.

Clearly, he was already onto everything that had gone down today. He even knew about her and that old man.

Made sense, though. With the kind of security surrounding the Quinn mansion, there's no way Matthew would bring home just anyone to play pretend wife. He must've made sure she was someone with zero connections, who he could keep in check.

Had to be when she was changing at the hotel. He must've dug into her background then.

But all that in just a few minutes?

That thought gave her chills. Still, she forced out a bright, cheerful smile and turned on the charm. "Promise to deliver a stellar performance."

Matthew turned coolly, hopped on his bike, and looked back. "You getting on or not?"

She quickly slid sideways onto the seat behind him, tentatively tugged on the corner of his jacket-then immediately pulled back like she got burned. Now what? Where was she even supposed to hold on?

The bike suddenly jerked forward, and she lurched, smacking straight into his back with her chin and letting out a pained hiss.

"Hold on tight."

"Oh-okay, got it..."

Her hands trembled as she nervously wrapped them around his waist.

Being this close, she could catch a faint whiff of his cologne.

And with the way they were sitting... her cheeks started to burn.

The long rectangular dining table was packed with ten dishes. Matthew and Serena took their seats across from Vivian, sitting side by side.

Matthew looked totally at ease, casually filling Serena's plate with food with that gentle, caring manner of his.

Serena tried her best to hide how on edge she felt, putting on an innocent, slightly shy face.

She was seriously impressed by this broody CEO she'd just met. This guy sure knew how to put on an act-maybe he'd majored in drama or something.

Today had been absolutely exhausting. Thinking back on everything still felt surreal, like she was stuck in a dream she couldn't quite wake up from.

The dishes on the table looked and smelled amazing, and Serena had to fight the urge to just dig in like she hadn't eaten in days. She forced herself to eat slowly and politely, head down, keeping that lady-like image alive.

Then, out of nowhere, Vivian paused and looked at Serena with a smile. "Ms. Dawson, how long have you and Matthew been dating?"

Serena quickly swallowed the food she was chewing, then started coughing from having wolfed it down too fast.

Crap. Panic mode activated. Questions already?

She hadn't rehearsed for this. No script to go by. What was she even supposed to say?

Pulling herself together with a tight smile, she answered softly, "You can just call me Serena. 'Ms. Dawson' sounds way too formal."

Vivian laughed warmly. "Look at me! Getting old and forgetful. Don't take it personally, Serena."

"Of course not. You actually look more like Matthew's sister than his mom," Serena said, trying to dodge the earlier question smoothly.

Vivian caught the deflection instantly, and her suspicions about Serena and Matthew's relationship deepened a little more. But she sensed Serena was getting wary, so pushing further might be too obvious.

Switching topics casually, she asked, "So, do you and Matthew work together now?"

Feeling the tension ease just a bit, Serena responded in a clearer tone, "Oh no, I'm still in school-junior year at Veriton University."

"No wonder you look so young."

"Well... not that young. I'm twenty-one already," Serena said with a cheeky little tongue-out smile.

Vivian looked puzzled. "Twenty-one? And how long have you two been dating? I don't recall Matthew ever mentioning you before."

And there it was-the question she'd hoped to escape. Serena's nerves started buzzing again. How long had they supposedly been together?

As she scrambled for an answer, Matthew quietly tapped her foot twice under the table.

Two taps? What was that supposed to mean-two years?

That couldn't be right. A guy like Matthew, cold and calculating, dating someone for two years? Seemed way too unlikely.

But saying two days felt like a joke. Too fake.

Two months-yeah, that felt safer. That sounded just right.

Blushing a bit, she held up two fingers and smiled. "Two months."

And right then, completely wrecking her story, Matthew said without missing a beat, "Two years."

Serena wanted the ground to swallow her whole. She quickly tried to patch things up, her cheeks burning, "Well... technically, it's two years and two months."

Vivian let out this exaggerated laugh, "Oh wow, that long already? You two should seriously start planning the wedding. So, when are you two making it official?"

"Make it official?" Serena blinked, turning sharply to Matthew, who just kept eating like none of this phased him at all. Was he seriously playing this game all the way?

Vivian continued, "Yep. According to Matthew's father's will, 42% of Quinn Group's shares are temporarily under my name, and they'll only be transferred to Matthew after he gets married. The lawyers need to see the marriage certificate to make it official. He's been running the company for almost three years now without owning a single share-that's just not right. So, I've been pushing him to get married."

Serena gave a weak "Oh..." and fell silent, totally unsure how to respond.

If Matthew had originally agreed to marry Chloe, it must've been to lock in that chunk of the company.

So what made him cancel last minute?

Could it be he hadn't known until today that the shares couldn't be transferred without a marriage certificate?

These high-society power plays were starting to feel like a real-life soap opera. Way too complicated.