Sienna leaned slightly toward the rearview mirror as the car slowly pulled away from the hospital entrance.
She could see the gangsters' impatient movements. They kept turning their heads left and right, clearly searching for her.
One of them even walked toward their car, looking visibly confused.
The building grew far behind them, its bright lights dimming into the distance.
Sienna pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
A second later, a relieved smile spread across her face.
'Serves you right,' she thought smugly. 'You guys should have worn running shoes.'
The tight knot in her chest loosened a little. She had escaped from her father, her aunt, and their ridiculous plan had failed.
However, the smile stayed on her lips for exactly three seconds. Then reality slowly returned to swallow her.
She suddenly remembered something important.
Her smile faded instantly as awareness settled in like an awkward guest who refused to leave.
She slowly turned her head and glanced at the man sitting beside her. The stranger, whose car she had invaded without permission.
Her fingers tightened on her thighs. 'Right,' she thought awkwardly. 'I need to explain it to him, right?'
The car moved smoothly through the evening traffic, the quiet hum of the engine filling the silence between them. The man's hands rested calmly on the steering wheel, his posture straight and relaxed.
From the corner of her eye, Sienna studied him carefully.
He looked… normal.
No. Actually, he looked annoyingly perfect.
His dark hair was neatly styled, and the faint glow of streetlights passing through the windshield occasionally highlighted the sharp line of his jaw. His suit looked expensive—far too expensive for someone who casually helped random women escape from gangsters.
'Did I accidentally jump into a CEO's car?' she wondered.
Then she immediately shook the thought away.
'No, Sienna. Stop watching too many Korean dramas.' She pushed aside her silly thoughts.
Still, she couldn't help stealing another quick glance.
And another.
Unfortunately, the man suddenly turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Again.
Sienna froze. Her heart raced as she met his eyes.
The tension inside the car instantly returned like an unwelcome ghost.
She quickly looked forward again, pretending to admire the traffic lights ahead.
Her brain is unable to produce a sentence. She tries to form many words, something polite and something normal. Unfortunately, the words she had carefully prepared in her mind refused to cooperate.
Before she could say anything, the man spoke first.
"Miss, where are you going to get off?"
His voice was calm and clear, even friendly. However, the meaning behind the question was unmistakable: "Please leave my car."
Sienna swallowed quietly.
She slowly turned her head back toward him. From her perspective, she could only see his perfect side profile, but that was enough to make her nervous.
"Sir… sorry to trouble you," she finally managed to say. "Can you drop me off at the train station?" she continued quickly. "I mean… if you happen to be passing by there."
"Okay."
The answer came so quickly that Sienna blinked in surprise. "Thank you, sir."
"It's fine," he replied calmly, keeping his eyes on the road. "The station is right on the route I'm taking."
Sienna nodded gratefully and settled back into her seat.
The silence returned.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Outside the window, the city of Evercrest slowly passed by. The familiar streets stirred memories she would rather forget.
Eventually, the man spoke again.
"Those men," he said calmly. "Why were they chasing you?"
Sienna stiffened slightly.
Her first instinct was to stay silent. After all, this man was still a stranger. Explaining family problems to strangers usually ended in embarrassment.
But somehow, the quiet atmosphere inside the car made it easier to talk.
"They were sent by my family," she admitted.
The man didn't react. Sienna continued.
"They wanted to catch me and drag me home."
She paused briefly.
Thankfully, he didn't ask "why."
Because explaining that her father planned to sell her to a gangster boss would have been a very strange thing to say at a first meeting.
However, the man finally turned his head slightly to glance at her briefly before his eyes returned to the road.
"Are you not afraid they will find you?" he asked. "People like that usually don't stop easily."
Sienna let out a long breath.
"I actually don't live in this city," she explained. "I'm returning to the capital tonight."
He nodded slightly.
"My family doesn't know where I live," she continued. "They also don't know where I work."
She paused, then added thoughtfully, "So I should be safe… as long as I don't fall for their tricks again."
The last sentence sounded less like an explanation and more like a warning to herself.
The man didn't say anything. He simply continued driving, his attention fully focused on the traffic ahead.
Sienna leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
The streets of Evercrest passed by slowly, filled with shops, restaurants, and familiar buildings.
She hadn't wanted to come back here.
Yesterday, when her aunt had called crying, she had almost refused.
But then the picture arrived. Her father is lying in a hospital bed. His face was pale. His head was wrapped in bandages. Machines surrounded him as if he were on the edge of death.
The image had looked painfully real.
'You are so stupid, Sienna,' she scolded herself silently. 'Completely and utterly stupid to believe an AI picture!'
She sighed.
A few minutes later, she turned toward the driver again.
"Sir," she said sincerely, "thank you so much for helping me tonight."
The man glanced at her briefly.
"I owe you... I promise I'll return your help someday," she added confidently.
He gave a small nod.
That was all.
Apparently, he was not the type who enjoyed long conversations.
Soon, the car slowed down.
Bright lights and large signs appeared ahead. The train station.
The car pulled smoothly to the curb and came to a gentle stop.
"Miss," the man said calmly, "we have arrived."
His voice pulled Sienna out of her thoughts.
She quickly grabbed her bag and turned toward him with a grateful smile.
"Sir, once again, thank you so much," she said earnestly. "I won't forget your help this time."
She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out of the car.
"Hm," the man replied softly. "You're welcome."
Sienna gave a small bow. Then she closed the door and hurried toward the station entrance.
Her steps were quick.
She didn't want to risk the gangsters discovering she had escaped and heading to the train station.
Inside the station, the warm noise of travelers surrounded her. The sound of announcements echoed across the hall as people lined up to buy tickets.
Sienna finally allowed herself to relax after purchasing a train ticket.
When she stepped onto the platform, a wave of relief enveloped her.
'Thank goodness... I managed to escape. I'm leaving this terrible place, and everything will be fine,' Sienna thought.
However, those feelings of relief and happiness slowly faded as something crossed her mind.
Sienna froze. Her eyes widened toward the entrance.
"Oh no..." She slapped her forehead lightly. "Ugh, I forgot to ask his name and his phone number."
She shook her head in regret. 'Damn, Sienna! How could you forget something so important?"
While...
Somewhere in the distance, a train whistle sounded.
And somewhere on the road outside the station, Zachary Sterling continued on his way, unbothered and completely unaware that the woman he had helped had already begun regretting their brief goodbye.