Chapter 3 I'm Not Regina

Lena stared at the man in disbelief. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that Regina's blind date would turn out to be Collin Barton-the man she had a one-night stand with. And to make matters worse, he was her ex-boyfriend's uncle.

Feeling a wave of nervousness as she remembered the child she carried, she choked on her watermelon juice, coughing so violently she nearly fainted.

As she struggled to regain her composure, Collin had already taken a seat across from her, his face showing no sign that he noticed her distress.

Lena regretted her decision deeply. Had she known Collin was Regina's blind date, she wouldn't have agreed for even two million dollars, let alone two hundred thousand. But now she was stuck, hoping desperately that he wouldn't recognize her.

"Regina Anderson?" Collin's voice broke through the silence once Lena's coughing subsided.

Though he addressed her as Regina, Lena had an unsettling feeling that he saw right through her disguise.

Before she could reply, Collin continued, exposing her with brutal bluntness, "The Anderson family went through so much trouble just to present me with a fake?"

Lena was at a loss for words. Trying to play dumb, she responded, "Mr. Barton, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Collin, already pulling out his phone, suggested, "Should I have someone buy a bottle of makeup remover?"

Lena fell silent once more. This guy had such a keen eye.

Evie's warning before she got into the car and the two hundred thousand sitting in her grandmother's hospital account made her suppress her panic. "Alright, Mr. Barton, I'm not Regina," she admitted.

Without a moment's hesitation, Collin stood up, ready to leave.

"Mr. Barton..." Lena quickly rose and rushed after him, grabbing his suit sleeve at the door in her panic. "Please, Mr. Barton, hear me out."

His eyes shifted to her delicate fingers, now wrinkling his suit sleeve. The refusal he was about to voice stayed unspoken, and he pressed his lips together, waiting for her to continue.

Lena exhaled in relief. "Mr. Barton, can you pretend you didn't see through my disguise today? It's very important to me." Her eyes pleaded with him.

How important?

To Collin, it didn't matter who showed up today. He was merely going through the motions to get his mother off his back for a few days. But looking into Lena's eyes reminded him of the night they were together, the same pleading look in her eyes.

Something stirred in his heart, a numb, tingling sensation. Just as he was about to respond, his phone rang. He answered the call without stepping away.

"Mr. Barton, our people caught someone taking photos in the building opposite. He was sent by the Anderson family."

Lena noticed that Collin's expression had darkened visibly in just a few seconds.

"Handle it as usual. Let him choose between fewer fingers or fewer eyes," Collin instructed before hanging up.

As she recalled Collin's notorious reputation, bloodthirsty images flashed through Lena's mind, making her shudder. Who had crossed him this time?

She silently pitied that person, but suddenly, Collin leaned in.

She was in grave pain as he gripped her chin so tightly it felt like it might dislocate. But he didn't let go.

"I seem to have underestimated your ambition," he uttered.

Lena was shocked. It turned out she had rubbed him the wrong way. But how had she offended him?

"Go back and tell Evie Anderson that neither you nor Regina Anderson has any chance of entering our family."

Lena was left speechless.

Collin released her without another look and walked out.

Annoyed, Lena wondered who even wanted to be part of his family.

Rubbing her chin, she thought about chasing after him to argue. Just then, her phone rang-it was Johnny Morgan, the producer. "Lena, come to Sunrise Club immediately," he said.