Years ago, a sudden tragedy struck the Quinn family. Her parents and older brother perished in a fire, and Quinn forced her to divorce and return for an arranged marriage to benefit the family. She had no choice but to take on her family's responsibilities.
That was why, left with no other choice, she had divorced Damian Fairchild.
But at most, she had only provoked him with her words and treated him coldly. She had never done anything to truly harm him.
'So, what exactly happened all those years ago?'
'Did Grandpa do something to him?'
Seraphina Quinn dared not let her thoughts stray further. She could only stare pleadingly at the man's handsome, inscrutable face, and asked, her voice on the verge of breaking:
"Was it... my grandfather? Did he do something to you?"
His only response, however, was a merciless taunt. "Is there any point in talking about this?"
'Years ago, he'd only been beaten by Quinn's men until he was paralyzed and bedridden for half a month. Nothing major, really.'
"Get out."
In the end, Seraphina Quinn was ruthlessly forced out of the car.
She watched his car speed away, kicking up a cloud of dust before vanishing into the night. Only when the wind had dried her tears did she finally look away.
Just as she turned to walk toward the subway station, she received another call from the hospital.
"Miss Quinn, your child's condition has deteriorated. He needs a specialized drug immediately to stabilize him."
"Given the circumstances, I need to confirm with you now: do we proceed with treatment, or are you giving up?"
Seraphina Quinn felt as if a hand had clamped around her throat, and her breathing instantly grew ragged.
"Save him! Please, I'm begging you, do everything in your power to save him...!"
"But Miss Quinn, we're a private hospital, not a charity. You still haven't paid the three hundred thousand you owe in medical bills, and a single dose of this specialized drug costs five hundred thousand..."
Seraphina Quinn took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. "Save him first. The money... I'll have it wired to you within the hour. I promise."
"Well... all right, Miss Quinn. We'll trust you one more time."
After ending the call, Seraphina Quinn pulled up Damian Fairchild's number from her contacts. Her thumb hovered over the call button, hesitating... unable to press it.
'He had just drawn a clear line, warning her to never appear in his world again. To go begging to him now would be nothing short of humiliating herself.'
'But her son's life was on the line. If she had any other choice, she wouldn't be begging him.'
Finally, her thumb pressed down on the call button.
But she had been blocked.
'Of course.'
'He was no longer the man from all those years ago who only had eyes for her. Now, he was an immensely powerful business tycoon, cold and indifferent. It was perfectly normal for him to say he wanted a clean break one minute and then block her the next. So swift, so decisive.'
Seraphina Quinn let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh before finally calling Damian Fairchild's assistant, Seth Thorne.
She got Damian Fairchild's address from Seth Thorne.
She looked up directions.
A cab was too expensive, the bus was too slow, and the subway didn't go all the way there.
So, Seraphina Quinn took the subway as far as she could, then hailed a cab.
Forty minutes later, she arrived at The Shogun's Manor, where Damian Fairchild lived.
As she stepped out of the cab, a cold rain began to fall.
That night, the main gate of The Shogun's Manor was shut tight. But through the narrow gap between the gates, Seraphina Quinn could see the lit-up Gothic architecture within, looking at once both opulent and cozy.
"Open up! Please, open the gate! I'm... looking for Mr.... Fairchild."
The ornate wrought-iron gate remained motionless, shut tight.
The driving wind and rain made the already exhausted Seraphina Quinn sway on her feet.
She could barely remain standing, but she had to get inside. This was her son's only chance of survival.
Ignoring the rain streaming down her face, she pounded desperately on the iron gate. "I need to see Damian Fairchild! Open up... It's an emergency...!"
Her voice, sounding so broken, was swallowed by the torrential downpour.
She pounded on the gate for what felt like an eternity, until her palms were raw and broken. Only then did the heavy iron gate swing open with a loud CLANG.
The manor's landscape lights instantly flooded Seraphina Quinn's vision, making her rain-stung eyes ache. She squinted instinctively.
The person who opened the gate looked at her with undisguised contempt.
Seraphina Quinn knew. 'In this state... I must look worse than a beggar.'
But she couldn't afford to care about that now. She hurried forward, her eyes pleading. "Hello, I have an urgent matter to discuss with Mr... Fairchild. Please, I'm begging you, just let him know I'm here..."
"And who are you?"
"You think you can see the master just because you want to?"
"Besides, the master and madam are currently celebrating the young miss's birthday."
"With a face like that, you look like a vixen. I can tell you're a homewrecker up to no good..."
The sharp, cruel words were like a thousand cuts to Seraphina Quinn's heart.
Humiliated and on the verge of breaking down, Seraphina Quinn pleaded, "It's not like that... Butler, please listen to me. I... I really do have an emergency. I have to see Mr. Fairchild. Please, I'm begging you, just tell him I'm here..."
Her voice trembling, she added, "My name is Seraphina Quinn... He and I..." She couldn't bring herself to say that their son was sick.
"Butler Adler, what's all the noise outside?"
A woman holding an umbrella approached from the distance.
Hearing her voice, Butler Adler quickly turned to face the newcomer, his expression instantly turning sycophantic.
"Madam, it's just some wretched beggar. I was just about to get rid of her..."
As he was speaking, the woman walked over.
She was holding an umbrella and backlit by the light, so her features were obscured, but she exuded an aura of gentleness.
It was a gentle aura that radiated from within, making her seem kind and mild-tempered.
Her voice was as gentle as her presence. "Are you looking for... Damian?"
A bitter pain seized Seraphina Quinn's heart, as if it were being squeezed by a ruthless hand.
After a long moment, she managed to force the words from her throat.
"I'm sorry to bother you... I... have an urgent matter. I'd like to see Mr. Fairchild."
Seeing that Seraphina Quinn was soaked to the bone, her face pale and her voice trembling, Audrey Winslow frowned and chided Butler Adler.
"Aren't you going to get our guest an umbrella?"
At her words, Butler Adler hurriedly handed his umbrella to Seraphina Quinn, then turned to Audrey Winslow to explain.
"Madam, it's just that so many women have thrown themselves at the master over the years, so I was just..."
Audrey Winslow ignored him completely, turning instead to Seraphina Quinn, whose heart was in turmoil.
"Damian is putting my daughter to sleep. Come inside with me and change into some dry clothes. This late autumn rain is nasty; you don't want to catch a cold."
Audrey Winslow was so gentle and kind that her warm disposition made Seraphina Quinn feel utterly ashamed of herself by comparison.
'Just over an hour ago, she had been tangled in a passionate kiss with this woman's husband in his car.'
"Miss Quinn, Damian doesn't have many friends. The fact that you found your way here means your relationship... is anything but ordinary."
"So, please don't be so formal. Come inside."
Seraphina Quinn swallowed hard and managed to force out a single word. "Okay."
Audrey Winslow had a maid bring a set of clean, unworn clothes for Seraphina Quinn.
"Miss Quinn, it looks like we're about the same size. Why don't you wear my clothes?"
Seraphina Quinn thanked her gratefully and followed the maid to get changed.
The maid led her into a walk-in closet and then excused herself.
Seraphina Quinn was anxious to change and see Damian Fairchild, so she stripped naked in less than ten seconds. Just as she was about to put on the fresh underwear, the closed door to the walk-in closet was pushed open.
Before she could react, a tall, imposing man had already barged in and pinned her naked body against the full-length mirror.
His body was flush against hers, his thin lips brushing against her ear. "Seraphina," he murmured, "what am I supposed to do with you, hmm?"