Chapter 1 Encounter

• Dallas, Middle East
• Serena Will walked out of the hospital, her expression hollow—exhaustion and hopelessness weighing heavily on her shoulders. The doctor’s voice still echoed in her mind:
• “Miss Will, your mother’s condition is critical. We strongly advise immediate surgery. The kidney match has been confirmed. If you can come up with $20,000 within the next two days, we’ll prioritize your mother’s treatment. Otherwise… we’ll have to treat other patients first.”
• $20,000?
• Where was she supposed to find that kind of money?
• Her mother had been ill for two years. The little money she received when she left her father’s house was long gone. Could she really go back and ask again? She had—many times—but each visit brought more humiliation from Vivian and Chloe. And Richard Will, the man who was supposed to be her father, never once stood up for her.
• But for Lily, her mother, Serena would swallow her pride again.
• She quickly stepped into a small phone shop on the street and dialed a number she never wanted to call.
• “It’s me,” she said when the call connected.
• “What do you want?” came Richard’s impatient voice.
• “Mom’s dying,” Serena said flatly, though her voice trembled with emotion. “You left us. You don’t care if she lives or dies, do you?
• Does your conscience not bother you?
• It’s just $20,000, and you won’t give it to me?”
• “Serena, calm down—” Richard began, trying to sound firm, but he was already uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. But Vivian was always watching, and every time Serena showed up, it turned into a fight. Besides, his business was in trouble.
• $20,000?
• He didn’t even have two to spare.
• “She’s going to die! How do you expect me to stay calm?!” Serena shouted. “If she dies, I swear I’ll go with her. We’ll both come back to haunt you!”
• “Alright! Just… come to the office,” Richard snapped, sounding desperate to end the call.
• Serena didn’t hesitate. She rushed over immediately. But when she arrived at the company, she was told Richard was still in a meeting. She had no choice but to sit and wait.
• Thirty minutes passed. Her anxiety twisted into frustration, and just as she was about to storm out, the office door opened.
• She shot to her feet and rushed forward—only to crash into someone.
• “Ugh…” She stumbled back. Is this guy made of steel?
• “What are you doing?!” a voice snapped.
• Before she could react, a hand gripped her wrist and yanked her aside.
• She looked up—it was Richard.
• But he wasn’t even looking at her. His attention was fixed on the man she’d bumped into.
• “Mr. Adrian, I’m so sorry—are you alright?”
• Serena froze.
• Richard looked like a nervous wreck, groveling and panicked.
• That only meant one thing—this man, Adrian, was someone powerful.
• She looked at him properly now.
• Tall,dressed in a tailored Italian suit.
• Sharp features, cold expression.
• He carried an air of absolute authority—the kind of man who walked into a room and owned it without saying a word. His eyes, dark and piercing, swept over her like a predator sizing up prey.
• Startled, Serena took a step back.
• Adrian glanced at her once more, his gaze moving from her pale face to her scuffed shoes, then turned without another word and walked toward the elevator.
• Richard followed him closely, nodding and bowing like a man trying to please a king.
• At the elevator, Adrian finally turned.
• “That’s enough, Mr. Will. No need to see me off,” he said, voice cool and detached.
• “Yes, of course, of course,” Richard said hurriedly.
• As the elevator doors slid shut, Adrian turned to the assistant beside him and said in a low, calm voice:
• “Find out who that woman was.”
• Serena followed Richard into his office. There was no warmth between them—no affection, no small talk. Just business.
• Richard pulled out his checkbook. “How much do you need?”
• “The transplant and surgery will be at least $20,000,” Serena said quietly. “That doesn’t include post-op care. Just… give what you can.”
• Richard glanced at her, sighed, and signed a check. “$50,000. That should cover it.
• The company’s having issues—I can’t give you more than this. In the future, if something happens, call me directly. Don’t show up at the house. Vivian doesn’t like it.”
• Serena snatched the check from his hand. “I’ll pay you back.” With that, she turned and left.
• Thirty minutes after she walked out, the phone on Richard’s desk rang.
• “Hello?”
• “Mr. Will.” A calm, deep male voice came through the line.
• Richard immediately straightened in his chair. Even through the phone, the man’s presence was overpowering. Adrian—the CEO of the powerful Mill Corporation, and one of the most influential real estate tycoons in the city.
• “Mr. Adrian!” Richard stammered. He hadn’t expected this call. Adrian was notoriously difficult to reach, and Richard had spent months trying to land a deal with him to save his crumbling company.
• Adrian’s tone was casual. “Mr. Will, you still interested in signing that deal with me?”
• “Of course, absolutely!” Richard blurted without hesitation. He’d been working for months to secure that partnership. His company was circling the drain. Getting Adrian on board would be a lifeline.
• “Then let’s have dinner tonight,” Adrian said. “We’ll talk more.”
• Richard couldn’t believe it. Just earlier, Adrian had declined every approach. What had changed?
• “Of course, of course—tonight it is!”
• Adrian chuckled softly, then shifted gears. “By the way… I heard Mr. Will has two daughters. There’s Chloe, the well-known one… and another? Serena, was it?”
• Richard froze. He understood instantly.
• “Yes,” he said cautiously. “Serena… she’s the one you ran into earlier.”
• Clearly, Adrian had already looked into her. That kind of information, obtained within half an hour, was a quiet but powerful display of the Mu family’s reach.
• “Bring her tonight,” Adrian said. “I like her.”
• Richard paused, stunned, before quickly agreeing.
• Adrian’s “interest” wasn’t hard to interpret. A man like him didn’t just like women—he collected them when the mood struck. And after years in the business world, Richard understood exactly what Adrian meant.
• He had tried for months to get Adrian to notice Chloe—but Adrian had never looked at her twice. Now, one accidental collision, and he was suddenly intrigued by Serena.
• Richard sat in silence for a long time after hanging up.
• Would he really offer up Serena like that?
• He shook off the hesitation. The deal meant everything. If the company went under, they’d all suffer—including Chloe and Vivian. He had no other choice.
• Serena didn’t have a cellphone, so he couldn’t contact her. Instead, he made a quiet call to the bank—and canceled the check.
• Serena was already in line at the bank, clutching the check like it was a lifeline. When she finally reached the counter, the teller looked up and said, “I’m sorry… this check is invalid.”
• She stood frozen. Her heart pounded in her chest, disbelief washing over her.
• Then came the fear.
• She hurried to a nearby payphone and dialed Richard’s number.
• “The check won’t go through…” she said shakily.
• “Really?” Richard feigned surprise. “Must be something with the account. Things are tight right now, so maybe that caused an issue.”
• Serena stared at the useless paper in her hand, the last thread of hope unraveling. “What now?” she whispered.
• Her mother. Her mother needed that surgery…
• Richard’s voice came smooth and calculated. “Let’s have dinner tonight. Give me your bank details then—I’ll transfer it directly to your account.”