Chapter 5 As Slippery As a Snake

• Judging by Damien's expression, Tad was sure that if the woman were standing in front of him right now, Damien would probably strangle her.
• That woman certainly had nerves of steel! And she was smart too. No one had ever managed to infuriate Mr. Ashford like this before.
• "Did you get a good look at her?" Damien's voice was cold and calm, though it carried a biting chill that was terrifying to hear.
• "No, she covered her face the entire time after she got in the car. She was crying and seemed really upset," the driver replied with a shaky voice, instinctively shaking his head.
• A slow, chilling smile spread across Damien's lips. She was upset, huh?
• Upset? Ha! I clearly remembered the smug, triumphant look on her face when she left the room!
• Upset? What a joke.
• "When did she get out?" Damien's voice remained low, though there was now a faint hint of teeth-gritting anger beneath his calm tone.
• Tad, standing to the side, was trembling in fear.
• Damien's current demeanor was terrifying!
• "Not long after we left the hotel, maybe 550 yards or so. She got out, climbed over the guardrail, and crossed the street ... " The driver was so scared that his words were barely coherent.
• "Mr. Ashford, I think we've been tricked ... " Tad's voice wavered as he pieced it together. The woman had been meticulous, calculating every step flawlessly. Who was she, really?
• But then he met Damien's icy gaze, and fear flooded him again. Quickly correcting himself, Tad stammered, "Mr. Ashford, if we circle around now, we might still catch her. There aren't many cars on the road at this hour, so she won't find a ride easily."
• At that moment, Serena had already crossed to the other side of the road. Without a phone or any other way to contact someone, she was relying entirely on luck.
• All she could do was hope she could flag down a car and get out of here as soon as possible.
• Fortunately, it wasn't long before a car pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, and the man behind the wheel looked at her with a slight smirk, his eyes full of mischief.
• "Well, if it isn't Ms. Wren. What a coincidence," he said, his voice light and teasing, with a hint of playful wickedness. His eyes didn't hide the way he was taking her in, from head to toe. "What's Ms. Wren up to at this hour? Dressed like that, in a place like this; it seems a bit odd, doesn't it?"
• Serena frowned but didn't respond. She hadn't expected to run into Evan Laine right now.
• If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have hesitated to accept the ride. But this was Evan.
• Today was the day of her engagement to Liam Laine—and Evan was Liam's younger brother.
• Catching a ride from someone she knew, especially someone so close to Liam, would only make it easier for that man from the hotel to track her down.
• The recent events had made it clear just how capable that man was—and just as clear that he wouldn't let her off easily. She had to be extra careful.
• Not to mention, Evan was a dangerous character himself. He was arrogant, playful, curious to a fault, and as slippery as a snake.
• "You just left the hotel, didn't you?" Evan wasn't discouraged by her silence. In fact, he smiled even more, his eyes gleaming with amusement as if he had figured everything out.
• This wasn't far from the Universal Grand Hotel, and he had seen her running from the opposite side of the road.
• Serena knew exactly what he was hinting at. Her lips pressed together into a thin line. Running into him was definitely a complication.
• And a very difficult one to deal with at that.
• "At this hour? Dressed like that? Leaving a hotel?" Evan's gaze ran up and down her figure, his smirk growing wider with every second. His voice was dripping with mischief and curiosity. "Don't tell me you were just sleeping."
• After all, it was the day of her engagement to his brother, Liam. But it seemed like something had happened last night.
• "Do I owe you an explanation?" Serena shot him a cool glance, wishing she could just shut him up.
• Evan froze for a moment, taken aback by her reaction. He hadn't expected her to respond like that.
• From the way she looked, he could easily guess what had happened. Shouldn't she be flustered? Trying to cover up what she'd been doing? Why was she so calm and indifferent?
• Could I have guessed wrong?
• That didn't seem possible!
• Wait a minute! This woman usually seemed a bit slow and naive. Was this reaction really normal for her?
• Evan stared at her, his eyes filled with growing confusion. Why did it feel like something was different about her today?
• But Serena wasn't paying attention to him. Her eyes were focused on the road, clearly waiting for another car to pass.
• "Need a ride?" Evan asked, slightly annoyed now, his lips pulling into a half-smile. Was she really going to ignore me?
• Was she seriously not even considering my offer? Was she really ignoring me like this?
• Serena didn't spare him a glance. Off in the distance, she spotted a car speeding toward them. Her heart lifted with hope. Cars were usually scarce at this hour, but maybe luck was on her side today.
• She had to get out of here as soon as possible. If that man caught up with the taxi and realized she wasn't in it, he'd definitely come looking for her. And by then, it would be too late.