Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Power Games of the Rich

The long rectangular dining table was packed with ten dishes. Matthew and Serena took their seats across from Vivian, sitting side by side.

Matthew looked totally at ease, casually filling Serena's plate with food with that gentle, caring manner of his.

Serena tried her best to hide how on edge she felt, putting on an innocent, slightly shy face.

She was seriously impressed by this broody CEO she'd just met. This guy sure knew how to put on an act-maybe he'd majored in drama or something.

Today had been absolutely exhausting. Thinking back on everything still felt surreal, like she was stuck in a dream she couldn't quite wake up from.

The dishes on the table looked and smelled amazing, and Serena had to fight the urge to just dig in like she hadn't eaten in days. She forced herself to eat slowly and politely, head down, keeping that lady-like image alive.

Then, out of nowhere, Vivian paused and looked at Serena with a smile. "Ms. Dawson, how long have you and Matthew been dating?"

Serena quickly swallowed the food she was chewing, then started coughing from having wolfed it down too fast.

Crap. Panic mode activated. Questions already?

She hadn't rehearsed for this. No script to go by. What was she even supposed to say?

Pulling herself together with a tight smile, she answered softly, "You can just call me Serena. 'Ms. Dawson' sounds way too formal."

Vivian laughed warmly. "Look at me! Getting old and forgetful. Don't take it personally, Serena."

"Of course not. You actually look more like Matthew's sister than his mom," Serena said, trying to dodge the earlier question smoothly.

Vivian caught the deflection instantly, and her suspicions about Serena and Matthew's relationship deepened a little more. But she sensed Serena was getting wary, so pushing further might be too obvious.

Switching topics casually, she asked, "So, do you and Matthew work together now?"

Feeling the tension ease just a bit, Serena responded in a clearer tone, "Oh no, I'm still in school-junior year at Veriton University."

"No wonder you look so young."

"Well... not that young. I'm twenty-one already," Serena said with a cheeky little tongue-out smile.

Vivian looked puzzled. "Twenty-one? And how long have you two been dating? I don't recall Matthew ever mentioning you before."

And there it was-the question she'd hoped to escape. Serena's nerves started buzzing again. How long had they supposedly been together?

As she scrambled for an answer, Matthew quietly tapped her foot twice under the table.

Two taps? What was that supposed to mean-two years?

That couldn't be right. A guy like Matthew, cold and calculating, dating someone for two years? Seemed way too unlikely.

But saying two days felt like a joke. Too fake.

Two months-yeah, that felt safer. That sounded just right.

Blushing a bit, she held up two fingers and smiled. "Two months."

And right then, completely wrecking her story, Matthew said without missing a beat, "Two years."

Serena wanted the ground to swallow her whole. She quickly tried to patch things up, her cheeks burning, "Well... technically, it's two years and two months."

Vivian let out this exaggerated laugh, "Oh wow, that long already? You two should seriously start planning the wedding. So, when are you two making it official?"

"Make it official?" Serena blinked, turning sharply to Matthew, who just kept eating like none of this phased him at all. Was he seriously playing this game all the way?

Vivian continued, "Yep. According to Matthew's father's will, 42% of Quinn Group's shares are temporarily under my name, and they'll only be transferred to Matthew after he gets married. The lawyers need to see the marriage certificate to make it official. He's been running the company for almost three years now without owning a single share-that's just not right. So, I've been pushing him to get married."

Serena gave a weak "Oh..." and fell silent, totally unsure how to respond.

If Matthew had originally agreed to marry Chloe, it must've been to lock in that chunk of the company.

So what made him cancel last minute?

Could it be he hadn't known until today that the shares couldn't be transferred without a marriage certificate?

These high-society power plays were starting to feel like a real-life soap opera. Way too complicated.