Spoiling His Reluctant Runaway Bride

Before Serena could finish her sentence, the man cut her off, clearly not interested in continuing the discussion. He stared straight ahead and slipped her a business card. "This is my personal number. Call me when you've made up your mind."

Serena didn't say anything else. She pulled out her phone and turned it on. After the way she ran off yesterday, she had no idea if those people had shown up at her place.

The phone lit up almost immediately with a call.

"Serena! Finally! You've got to get to Concord General Hospital, now!" Ivy Penn's voice was full of panic.

Without thinking, Serena grabbed Matthew's arm, her face filled with worry. "Please... can you take me to Concord General Hospital?"

He frowned. "Turn the car around."

Outside the ICU at Concord General Hospital.

Through the glass window, Serena saw Eleanor Wilson, the same woman who had held a knife to her neck days ago, demanding Serena marry to repay a debt.

Now, Eleanor was hooked up to a ventilator and surrounded by tubes. Her face was beaten and bruised, IV lines hanging beside her.

"What happened?" Serena asked, her voice shaky.

With eyes red and tears streaming down, Ivy stuttered, "Yesterday... when you didn't show up at the wedding, your parents tried to run. But those men chased them... your dad sped up, and... the car flipped..."

"W-What about my dad?" Serena asked, barely able to breathe.

"He... he didn't survive."

There was no time for grief before Ivy hesitantly handed her a stack of medical bills.

Over 60,000 dollars.

Serena stared at the papers, overwhelmed.

Matthew arched an eyebrow at her reaction. "Need a hand?"

"Mr. Quinn, could you... maybe lend me a hundred thousand?" she asked, voice low and uncertain.

He smirked slightly, nodding. "I'm a businessman, not a charity."

"I can write an IOU. I-" Serena stopped, realizing how weird it was to ask someone she barely knew for that kind of money.

And let's be real, no businessman would do something like this without some benefit in return.

She stood there, awkward and at a loss for words.

"Mr. Quinn, we should head to the airport," his assistant reminded gently, walking out from the doctor's office.

"I'd think hard about what I offered yesterday, if I were you." Matthew dropped the statement coldly, then turned and left.

As soon as they got in the car, Matthew's expression darkened. "What's the update on her mother?"

Lucas Cope responded carefully, "Severe blood loss, intracranial hemorrhage, multiple organ infections... currently in a coma. Dr. Porter said... chances of waking up are nearly zero."

"No need to tell her the last part. Just let her mom stay in the room and rest," Matthew said, his face tight.

Lucas hesitated. "Should we move Ms. Dawson's mom to a VIP room?"

"No need."

Back at the hospital, Serena sat clutching the bill, totally lost. Matthew's words echoed in her mind.

Was accepting his proposal really her only option?

To be fair, apart from not lending her the money, he hadn't exactly treated her badly.

But just giving up on Dylan, someone she'd loved for six years? Her heart wasn't ready.

Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge at the airport, Matthew was rhythmically tapping his finger on the table.

After a long pause, he crooked a finger at his assistant.

"Mr. Quinn-"

"Tell those people this-Serena is my woman now. If they're smart, they won't push it," Matthew said, lighting a cigarette.

"Yes, sir. And the hospital...?"

Matthew shot a glance at him and snuffed out the cigarette. "Do it the way I said."