Chapter 2 His Pawn

• Serena was silent for a long moment.
• “…Alright.”
• She hung up, returned to the hospital, and sat quietly beside her mother’s bed. At six o’clock, she called Richard again.
• “Where are we meeting for dinner?”
• “I’ll send a driver to pick you up,” he replied.
• “I’m at the hospital.”
• There was a pause on the other end. Then the call disconnected.
• Serena waited outside on a cold bench, the early evening air brushing against her bare arms. Ten minutes later, the car arrived. She climbed into the back seat, shut her eyes, and let exhaustion overtake her.
• When the driver nudged her awake, she thought they’d arrived at the restaurant.
• She was wrong.
• The car had stopped in front of a sleek, upscale beauty salon.
• She blinked. “What’s this?”
• The driver answered politely, “The Chairman made a reservation at a formal restaurant. He said you’ll need to be properly dressed. He asked me to bring you here first.”
• Serena looked down at her plain clothes. Her stomach twisted with irritation—but $50,000 was on the line. For her mother, she could endure anything.
• Two hours later, she arrived at the restaurant. Her stomach was aching from hunger.
• “Do you have a reservation, miss?” the hostess asked with a polite smile.
• “Richard Will.”
• “Right this way.” The hostess gave her a brief glance and led her through the elegant dining space.
• The cold air-conditioning brushed against her bare shoulders. Her strapless lilac dress left little protection. She instinctively wanted to cover herself—but the gesture would look awkward. So she held herself still.
• As she approached the table, she froze.
• Richard wasn’t alone.
• A man sat across from him, his back turned to her.
• She stopped, hesitant, and called softly, “Dad…”
• Richard immediately stood, smiling too eagerly. “You’re here—good, come on over.”
• That smile—too wide, too fake—sent a chill down her spine.
• Something was wrong.
• This wasn’t normal.
• And then, the man turned.
• His lazy gaze sharpened the moment he saw her, a glint of something predatory flickering in his eyes.
• It was him.
• The man she’d collided with that afternoon—the one in the custom suit, with eyes like a hawk and the presence of a king.
• Adrian.
• Richard quickly said, “This is Mr. Adrian, CEO of Mill Corporation. Greet him.”
• Serena stood frozen, every alarm bell in her head going off. She stiffly said, “Mr. Adrian.”
• Adrian’s lips curved into a faint smile. His eyes began to scan her slowly, deliberately—from her carefully done hair to her slender shoulders, then downward, lingering on the exposed collarbone and the shimmering crystal necklace resting above her chest.
• The lilac gown hugged her curves just right. Her soft makeup was perfectly applied, giving her a delicate but refined look.
• Flawless. Just how he liked.
• Adrian’s smile deepened, almost wolfish.
• He glanced at Richard. “Come to my office tomorrow. We’ll sign the deal.”
• “Yes,”
• Richard said with excitement.
• He turned to Serena.
• “Serena, pour a glass of wine for Mr. Adrian.”
• She shot him a guarded look but walked to the table. Picking up the bottle of red wine, she poured it slowly into the crystal goblet in front of Adrian. As the rich liquid swirled into the glass, she could feel his gaze on her.
• When she finished pouring, she forced a polite smile. “Please enjoy, Mr. Adrian.”
• Just as she was about to walk away, he grabbed her hand.
• She gasped.
• Before she could say anything, his other hand reached up, gripping her chin, tilting her face up toward him. His thumb brushed lightly across her lips.
• “I don’t like women who wear lipstick,” he said coolly.
• Serena flinched, yanking her hand back in panic. She stumbled away, rushing toward Richard.
• “Dad—!”
• Adrian raised his glass and took a sip, his expression indifferent, almost bored.
• Richard calmly pushed her into the seat beside him. “Mr. Adrian is just teasing you. Relax.” Then he stood up. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. You two enjoy.”
• “No—!” Serena tried to grab his arm, but he was already walking away.
• But she wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t heading toward the restrooms.
• He was leaving the restaurant.
• He had sold her out.
• Serena’s pulse spiked. Panic surged in her chest. She shot to her feet and ran.
• Behind her, Adrian didn’t move. He casually refilled his glass, sipping it like he had all the time in the world.
• Just as Serena reached the restaurant doors, two men stepped into her path and grabbed her arms.
• Tall, dressed in sleek black suits and sunglasses, they looked like they’d stepped out of a gangster film.
• “Let go of me! What are you doing?!” she shouted, struggling violently. “Let me go!”
• “We work for Mr. Adrian,” one of them said. “Please wait here. He’ll be right out.”
• Her heart nearly stopped.
• She turned to look back, just in time to see Adrian strolling toward her at a leisurely pace—like a predator enjoying the hunt.
• She struggled harder, but it was useless.
• He finally reached her, and with a small wave of his hand, the two men released her and disappeared like shadows.
• Then Adrian stepped in close and reached out, his fingers lightly grazing her cheek.
• “Your father just sold you to me,” he said softly. “All for a plot of land worth two hundred million dollars. Don’t you feel valuable now?”
• “You… You bastard!”
• His expression didn’t change. “Do you want to save your mother?”
• Serena froze, her breath catching in her throat.
• He said it quietly, dangerously, “Your father won’t help you anymore. But if you listen to me… your mother can have surgery as early as tomorrow. The best doctors, the best medication—everything top tier. If you don’t… she won’t even have a hospital bed tomorrow.”
• Serena stared at him, stunned. Her mind was spinning, drowning in helplessness.
• After a long, long silence, she slowly lowered her head. Her shoulders trembled.
• She didn’t scream. She didn’t fight. She didn’t run.
• And Adrian knew she’d surrendered.
• His lips curved in satisfaction. “Smart girl. That’s how you avoid pain.”