Serena felt a wave of regret wash over her-she'd just escaped one mess, only to fall into another.

"Damn it, Serena, what kind of messed-up luck do you have?" she silently complained to herself.

Vivian wasn't giving up. She kept smiling and staring at the pair, asking again, "So, when are you two planning to make it official?"

"Uh...well..."

Serena swallowed hard and cleared her throat awkwardly. Under the table, she gave Matthew a subtle nudge with her foot, hinting at him to say something.

Matthew calmly wiped his mouth with the warm towel on the table and answered coolly, "Within ten days, I'll take the marriage certificate to the lawyer and get it done."

Ten days?

Then, as if nothing had just shocked the room, he gently pulled Serena into his arms and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "You've got a sensitive stomach. Don't eat too much tonight. I'll have Susan warm up some milk for you later."

A thunderstorm of mental curses raced through Serena's head.

Excuse me?! Who said my stomach's bad? It's working just fine! I didn't eat all day, and if your mom hadn't been bombarding me with questions, I could've cleared all ten of these dishes by myself!

Noticing her silence, Matthew stood up, plucked the fork from her hand, and started wiping her mouth with a towel, mumbling as he did, "You've got food all over your mouth."

Vivian teased with raised brows, "Wow, can't believe this is the same Matthew I've known-so sweet and caring."

Serena could feel how over-the-top the act was getting-it was starting to spiral.

With a strained smile, she said, "I can do it myself."

Matthew, seemingly satisfied, sat back down and gave a subtle smile. "I'm taking Serena to Bali tomorrow morning."

Bali?

Now where did that come from? Was that improv?

Vivian paused, obviously taken aback. "Oh... vacation, huh? And get the license within ten days..."

"Set up a time to meet Serena's parents. Both sides can talk about the wedding-date, details, all that. Gotta hear what her folks want; can't skip the formalities."

Matthew, ever composed, didn't flinch. "Let's talk about it after she graduates. That's about two years away. There's no rush."

Vivian was stunned. She jumped to her feet. "Wait, you're saying the wedding's in two years?!"

Realizing how off-script this dinner had gone, Serena just wanted it over and done with.

Hearing Matthew say her stomach wasn't well and she shouldn't eat anymore earlier, she immediately clutched her belly, frowned, and let out a soft moan. "Matthew, my stomach hurts..."

"She's not feeling well. I'll take her back to her room so she can rest," Matthew said in a flat, dismissive tone.

Then, without warning, he picked Serena up in a bridal carry and started toward the elevator. "Susan, send up some stomach medicine and warm milk."

Wow, he's really going all in! Even got the medicine part down-talk about full-on commitment to the bit!

This dinner had Serena sweating bullets. It was a full-on brainpower and acting showdown.

She hadn't even gotten to really enjoy any of the food-now her stomach was rumbling loud enough to echo.

Frustrated, she thought, Seriously? A glass of hot milk is supposed to fix this?

As soon as they stepped into the elevator, Serena began to struggle. "Matthew, put me down right now!"

But the gentle act was gone now-Matthew's voice turned cold. "Stop moving."

Serena followed his sharp gaze and looked toward the elevator's glass wall. She could see Vivian watching them intently, a puzzled expression on her face.

Serena instantly went quiet.

Matthew carried her up to a room on the third floor of the villa and gently set her down.

Before she could get her balance, he wrapped an arm around her slim waist and teased, "Not bad back there. Want a reward?"

Serena shot him a glare and gave him a quick poke to the chest with her index finger, pushing him away.

Thinking back to what Vivian said at the dinner table about the will, and the conversation she'd overheard between him and David, Serena had a pretty solid idea of what kind of person Matthew was: part cold, part roguish, mostly manipulative, and undeniably handsome.

But deep down? Probably still a decent guy. At least he didn't leave her high and dry.

She relaxed a bit and joked, with a hint of drama in her tone, "As far as performances go, you win, hands down. That acting? Smooth as butter."

Matthew flopped down onto the couch, casually flipping open a magazine on the coffee table. "Likewise," he said without looking up.

Just then, a knock came at the door. "Mr. Quinn, the antacid and warm milk you asked for."

In the middle of their half-hearted flattery, the two exchanged a glance.

Serena immediately flopped onto the bed with an exaggerated groan of pain, playing along. Matthew opened the door, calm as ever, and took the medicine and milk.

"Get up," he said, nudging her gently, "drink the milk. We've got some real business to do."

She opened one eye warily. "Business? What kind of business?"

Ignoring her question, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the walk-in closet.

Turns out this place wasn't just big-it was massive.

She'd already thought the room was huge with the giant bed, the couch, and the bookcase. But the closet? A whole new level. Rows of tailored suits, crisp white and pale blue shirts, polished leather shoes in military order...

When he opened a drawer, she saw neat rows of ties, some paired with cufflinks packed in sleek cases. The layer underneath held watches, over a dozen of them, each sitting snug in its own velvet box.

Serena rubbed her eyes. Was she seeing this right?

This was a man's closet. And not just any man's. It was spotless, luxurious, and honestly, kind of jaw-dropping.

She was at a loss for words.

Matthew grabbed a white dress shirt and handed it to her, tilting his head toward the door across the room.

"For me? You're giving me clothes? Uh... but it's a guy's shirt?" she asked in confusion.

"Go take a shower."

Her eyes widened. "Sh-shower? Wait... what are you planning?"

Matthew shot her a look of pure judgment. "Ms. Dawson, so you just climb into bed straight from the street?"

With a sulk, she snatched the shirt and headed into the bathroom.

If she had to describe this bathroom in one word, other than "big," it'd still be "big." She was honestly out of energy to complain.

Her wedding makeup today was uncomfortable as hell. Normally she was all about that bare-faced life.

After making sure the door was securely locked, she pressed her ear to it-no sounds outside. Only then did she really relax and start her shower.

She was wiped. A long, hot soak was exactly what she needed to rinse off the chaos of the day.

Rich people's shampoo and shower gel were on another level-it all smelled ridiculously good. She couldn't resist playing with the foamy bubbles, giggling like a kid.

But her little bubble party was cut short by a sharp knock: "Thump thump thump!"

Freeze. "Who's there?" she called out, tense.

"You evolving in there or what? Hurry up already!" Even through the door, she could sense all the no-chill in his voice.

She rolled her eyes so hard they almost got stuck. "Sorry we're not all in-and-out like you guys, okay? And you, Mr. Quinn, being a whole thirty-something year old man, don't tell me you've never waited for a girl to finish up?"

No response. But Serena grinned to herself. "When it comes to talking back, I'm nearly undefeated. Hmph! Try rushing me again. Keep waiting!"

Another fifteen minutes passed.

Matthew didn't come knocking again, and Serena, finally done soaking, stepped out of the tub.

Before the bath, she'd been wearing a full face of heavy bridal makeup-her real features completely hidden.

But now, makeup-free, her bare face was on full display. Her big blink-blink eyes, long lashes, flawless creamy skin, small oval face, sharp nose, and pouty lips-maybe not a classic beauty, but definitely jaw-dropping at first glance.

Matthew got momentarily lost in her face.

Originally, he'd just brought her back to deal with Vivian. But now? Vivian wasn't going to give up until she saw a marriage certificate.

And with no better alternative, this girl seemed smart enough.

"What? You just gonna stare at me?" Serena tugged her robe tighter.

Matthew snapped out of it, going cold in an instant. "Take off my bathrobe."

"No way! Your shirt's too short anyway, I'm not-no."

He took a step closer, leaned down beside her ear, the corners of his lips lifting, and said softly, "You wanna see me come out of the shower naked instead?"

"You-" Her face flushed instantly as she shoved him away and dove under the blanket. Underneath, she wriggled out of the robe and flung it toward him.

Matthew picked it up with one finger and tossed it over his shoulder, smirking all the way to the bathroom.

She was honestly exhausted and fell asleep not long after.

But it felt like barely a few minutes had passed when a low, devilish voice came from beside the bed: "Get up."

She jolted awake, clutching the blanket. "W-What do you want?"

"I told you-we've got business to take care of." His tone was teasing, with a hint of something suggestive.

Serena instinctively scooted back. "Don't even think about it. I'll scream, I'm serious. You don't want Vivian finding out I'm just a last-minute stand-in, do you?"

She reached out trying to stop his approach, but accidentally yanked his robe open, exposing a whole lot of defined chest muscle.

Oh dear god. Absolute temptation on full display.

Good thing her heart was still full of Dylan Wood. Otherwise, she legit wasn't sure if she could resist making very bad decisions.

Seriously though, men with good looks and a hot bod? They could throw a trash bag on and still look expensive.

"You keep staring at me like that, I'm gonna start misbehaving," Matthew said with a smug grin.

Serena turned bright red, slammed her hands over her face, and stayed silent.

First time seeing each other post-shower, and it was as awkward as it gets. She had no idea how to deal.

"Okay, come sit over here."

She hesitated.

He didn't wait and just pulled her over to the bed, grabbed a blow dryer, and started working through her damp hair gently.

Even his voice softened. "Don't know how to use a hairdryer?"

Caught off guard by the sudden tenderness, she fumbled for an answer. "I... I wasn't sure where it was."

Once her hair was dry, Matthew pulled up a chair, paused briefly, then said seriously, "Alright, time to talk business."

"Business?" Serena blinked, her mind flashing back to everything that had happened today. Leaning closer, she kept her voice low. "Wait... you're not actually planning to marry me, are you?"

"Yeah. We're getting a marriage certificate." His tone was flat, not a flicker of emotion.