Spoiling His Reluctant Runaway Bride

"No, no way. That's insane."

Serena shook her hands like she was trying to swat the thought away.

"We just met today. All I know is your name's Matthew, you're the CEO of some giant company, super rich, and obvious fact-you're a guy. You only know that I'm Serena, broke, and a runaway bride. Getting married? For real? I mean, I can play along if it's for a show or something, but this? It's way too much."

After she finally cooled down a bit, Matthew calmly said, "I need a marriage certificate."

"I don't, okay? Seriously, Mr. Quinn. Go find someone else-Emily, Jessica, Ashley, whoever. Just not me."

Matthew ignored her string of complaints like they were background noise.

"So what, you brought in a stand-in last minute just to bail on your own wedding, and now you're suddenly talking about marriage certificates?" Serena couldn't hold back anymore.

"Exactly. But since you showed up instead, I figured-why not switch it up." A barely noticeable smile tugged at the edge of Matthew's lips.

"Wait, what?"

Back to serious mode, Matthew replied, "You can name your price."

"You think I'm trying to scam you for money? Sorry, but marriage is supposed to be based on love and trust-it's not something you can just throw money at."

Even she was kinda moved by those words. Dang, did she just make herself tear up?

"And how do you know we don't have love?"

Matthew's eyes locked on her face, like he was trying to read every thought running through her head.

Caught off guard, Serena's eyes widened. "Whoa, don't get it twisted. Yeah, you're good-looking and rich, sure. But your personality? Super intense and icy. There's no way I'd ever fall for someone like you."

"You got a boyfriend?" Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly.

Serena awkwardly adjusted the blanket around her. "N-no."

She'd liked Dylan for six years! But they'd never made it official, so... guess he didn't count?

"This is just business. Given your situation, I'm guessing you'll need my help. Think about it."

Thinking about the debt her dad was drowning in, those thugs with knives at his throat, and that creepy 50-year-old dude... Serena went quiet. "You mean like, a fake marriage?"

"You could put it that way."

It's not like she had a better option. Sure, she ran off from the wedding, but that didn't magically erase the debt back home.

"Alright then. Let's talk conditions. And we're getting it in writing, right? Just verbal agreements won't cut it..."

Matthew reached into a drawer, pulled out a pen and paper, and handed them to her. "Write it down for now. Tomorrow my assistant will email you the official version. Once we both sign, it's binding."

Her brain was mush at this point-negotiating terms sounded like a recipe for disaster.

"I'm beat. Let's pick this up tomorrow," Serena said, giving a weak cough as she started to lie down.

"Tonight."

Matthew's tone left zero room for argument.

Serena gave him a look, half giving in. "Fine. I'll start. First off, we're only married on paper. You're not allowed to try anything funny." She started jotting notes quickly.

Matthew just stared at her face, like totally zoning out.

When she looked up, he immediately wiped the small smile off his face and went back to his usual poker expression. "And what if you're the one with funny ideas?"

"Excuse me?"

She blinked, completely thrown.

Did he just catch her sneaking a peek at his abs earlier? Oh God, was it that obvious?

"Change this part to 'both parties shall not engage in any intimate relations without mutual consent.' The agreement should protect both sides."

Matthew looked dead serious, that handsome but emotionless face of his was honestly unbearable.

Serena sneered, muttering, "You really think highly of yourself, don't you? Mr. Arrogant." But her hand obediently made the edit.

"Second point-hmm... even after we register, I still need to stay on campus for school. So we can't go public," she said, chewing on her pen cap, looking very serious.

"I'm fine with keeping it private, but we have to live together."

Matthew got up and walked over to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out into the dark night. He looked calm, but something about him seemed a bit off.

"Live together? And why, exactly?" Serena shot back, clearly annoyed.

"No reason."

"You... well, in that case, I'll need to think it over a bit more."

Serena turned her face away, frustrated. "Forget it. You seem to have a problem with all my suggestions. You come up with the clauses-I'll add on if needed."

"The agreement lasts for two years. That's all I've got."

Matthew's tone was flat, like he was talking about someone else's life.

"Wait a sec... what about your, uh, massive wealth? Aren't you gonna make a note of that in the contract?" Serena asked cautiously-that was a ridiculous amount of money. Surely he cared, right?

"If you decide to leave after two years, I'll give you a blank check. Write whatever amount you want. Now get some rest."

He didn't wait for her reply. Grabbing a blanket from the wardrobe, he lay down on the couch with his back to her.

After ironing out the terms, Serena couldn't fall asleep at all.

They both lay there, silent, eyes wide open, lost in their own thoughts.

Serena started to piece things together: Matthew, CEO of the Quinn Corporation, needed a marriage certificate to get his hands on 42% of the group's shares so he could sign a major contract. And her? Her dad's gambling debts were a nightmare. She bailed on her own wedding today, and who knew what chaos was going down at home now.

She stared at her phone's black screen, too scared to switch it on.

Why live together for the two years? Was he afraid Vivian would find out? But once he got the shares, would that even matter? Or was there something else he wasn't saying?

Ugh-just thinking about it gave her a headache, and before she knew it, she fell asleep.

Matthew, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about how Serena looked stepping out of the bathroom after her shower. He didn't sleep a wink.

Morning sunlight seeped through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Serena rubbed her sleepy eyes and saw Matthew already dressed, quietly flipping through a magazine on the couch.

"I had someone bring some clothes for you. They're in the dressing room. Finish getting ready and come down. I'll be waiting in the car. We'll have breakfast on the way."

He didn't so much as glance at her while speaking, then headed downstairs.

The car was already running outside, with a security guard holding the door open.

"Bye, ma'am."

Serena rushed downstairs after getting dressed, cheerfully saying goodbye.

Left behind, Vivian's voice echoed faintly, "You're leaving just like that?"

This creepy mansion, that fake mother and son vibe, a sham marriage-yeah, the sooner she left, the better.

From when she got in the car to the last bite of breakfast, Matthew didn't say a word.

Serena was trying to figure out how to bring up the contract again. There was no way she could just blindly marry a stranger like this, right?

"Um... so, Mr. Quinn, about what we discussed yesterday..."

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."