Emily's heart skipped a beat. Could it be true—just as her cousin had hinted—that Mr. Cole had actually driven a Mercedes just for her? Of course, it didn't matter whether he'd rented it or not—if he truly wanted to buy one, he could probably purchase the entire Mercedes-Benz company and still have money to spare. The real issue was that Mr. Cole had always been so low-key; suddenly showing up in a G-Wagon was a clear sign that he was trying to impress someone. And if he was trying to impress someone, well… Emily's mind raced. Was that someone her?
With that thought, she felt a thrill run through her. She returned to her vanity, scrutinizing her reflection and carefully touching up every detail of her makeup.
"Okay, Cousin, seriously—what's wrong with you? Why are you taking so long to get ready today? I know you want to make a big splash for Dylan, but you've been in front of the mirror for an hour!" Quinn teased, leaning against Emily's bedroom doorframe with an exasperated grin.
Emily finally stood up, stepping back to survey herself in the full-length mirror. Her lips were a perfect shade of rose, her teeth gleamed white, and her eyes were framed by just the right amount of smoky liner to appear both alluring and sophisticated. At twenty-five, she was in the prime of her life—her curves accentuated by the fitted dress she'd chosen, every line of her figure exuding a raw, feminine magnetism. A satisfied smile curved her lips.
Quinn's voice snapped her back to the moment. "All right, all right, let's go!"
At Horizon Plaza, Emily spotted Grayson standing near the main entrance, his posture slightly hunched as though he were lost in thought. Her heart fluttered. Grabbing Quinn's hand, she hurried forward.
"Sorry we're late—thank you for waiting," Emily said, breathless.
Quinn snorted. "Cousin, you don't need to apologize. He isn't some big-shot business tycoon pulling in six figures a second—he's got plenty of time to wait for us. It's his good fortune to hang out with you."
Quinn shot a mocking look at Grayson. "By the way, Grayson, where's your Mercedes?"
Grayson forced a polite smile. "It's in the repair shop."
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "In the repair shop, huh? Or did you return it to the rental company? And I bet that repair bill was pretty hefty, right? I mean, you tried to show off but ended up losing big. You should've just made Jordan pay for those repairs, but you refused—haha."
Grayson's expression tightened. He didn't want to discuss it. "No need to talk about it. It's in the past."
Quinn wasn't done. "Haha, don't pretend it's no big deal. I know why you didn't make Jordan cover the repair costs. If he paid, the police and insurance would get involved, and everyone would find out the Mercedes didn't belong to you—it was rented. So you sacrificed money just to keep your little charade. But, haha, I snapped a photo of the license plate and discovered that the vehicle's owner is a woman named Victoria Sinclair—has nothing to do with you. Renting a car just to show off? How pathetic."
Grayson grimaced. Between Jasmine's betrayal and now Quinn's taunts, he had little patience left. He hadn't planned to let Quinn discover his real background—it was enough that she thought he was poor.
"Okay, little cousin, go do your own thing," Emily said, stepping between Quinn and Grayson. She slipped her arm through Grayson's and smiled up at him. "Let's go for a stroll, shall we?"
Quinn watched them walk away, lips curling into a sly grin. She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Hey, Dylan—what are you up to? Out drinking with friends? Could you swing by Horizon Plaza? It's so hard to hail a cab here… Oh, my cousin? I just called her; she says her work is busy and she can't make it, so she asked me to call you to come pick me up…"
Quinn ended the call, her grin widening with satisfaction. The plan was unfolding perfectly.
At a private booth in a modest hotel bar, a young man in his early thirties—stocky, ordinary-looking, but with hair immaculately styled and a gold watch glinting on his wrist—stood up and addressed his friends.
"All right, everyone, I have to step out to pick someone up. Keep drinking; we'll get together again soon."
"Dylan, who are you picking up? Is it that Emily from Sterling Royce Private Bank?" one of his buddies asked. Everybody knew that Dylan and Emily had an ambiguous, on-again, off-again relationship.
"Not that Emily," Dylan replied with a smug grin. He relished his reputation as a master at the romantic game. "Guys, you don't get it. With women, you have to play hard to get. Emily's got high standards. If I just swooped in and confessed my love, she'd look down on me. Then she'd feel superior, and I'd lose control. My strategy is to wine and dine her parents—win their approval. Her parents keep nudging her to settle down, so once they give me the green light, she'll have no choice but to date me. I'm telling you, give it a month, and Emily'll be begging me."
His friends nodded approvingly.
"Bro, you're killing it.""Damn, you really are a love guru."
Dylan smoothed back his hair, basking in their admiration. As he walked toward the door, he added, "Oh, and the girl who just called was Emily's cousin. I'm betting Emily herself wants me to pick up her cousin just so she can show up and bump into me—like it's fate. Ha! Just wait for the good news."
He swaggered out.
Twenty minutes later, a BMW 3 Series glided into the plaza.
"Dylan!" Quinn waved excitedly from the entrance—like this was perfectly normal because she and Dylan were practically best friends already, thanks to their extended families and shared social circles.
Dylan stepped out, scanning the plaza. There was no sign of Emily. He frowned. He'd expected Emily to be right there, maybe standing next to Quinn. But… nothing.
"She said she was working late?" he asked, approaching Quinn.
"Yes," Quinn replied, glancing up at him. "That's what she told me."
"But doesn't she have Thursdays off? She's supposed to have a break today," Dylan said, confusion edging his voice.
Quinn rolled her eyes, lowering her tone for effect. "Well, she said her project deadline got moved up, and she absolutely had to stay late. Lately, she's been working extra hours more than usual. Sometimes she doesn't get home until much later."
Dylan's brow furrowed. "Really?" Could it be that Emily was seeing someone else? It hit him like a lightning bolt: maybe Emily was already involved with someone, and that person was making her work late as an excuse to cover for their rendezvous. Panic bubbled up inside him—his grand "win Emily's parents over first" strategy might be slipping away.
Quinn, watching the turmoil on his face, stifled a chuckle. She'd said exactly what she needed to in order to stir up Dylan's insecurities.
"Well, hop in," Dylan said, forcing a stiff smile. "Where to?"
"Oh, no rush," Quinn replied coyly, slipping an arm through his. "You came to pick me up—let me buy you a coffee." She tugged him inside a nearby coffee shop. This had been part of her plan with Emily: lure Dylan to this specific café. Emily would arrive with Grayson shortly, creating the "chance encounter" Quinn had carefully orchestrated.
But when they stepped inside, Quinn froze. There was no sign of Emily or Grayson at any table.
"Forget this place. The coffee here is terrible anyway," Quinn said in a panic. She led Dylan back out onto the plaza, her eyes darting around. Whoever was working behind the counter gave her a scolding glare as they left.
They tried several other cafés—none of them had Emily or Grayson. Now Quinn was sweating bullets.
Had Emily gotten fed up and kicked Grayson out?
Just as Quinn's imagination went into overdrive, she spotted them through the window of a tea lounge called Golden Chai Collective. Emily sat across from Grayson at a small table, each holding a delicate porcelain teacup as they talked softly.
"Ha!" Quinn mouthed to herself. "So it's tea, not coffee. That'll teach me for picking the wrong café."
She stepped up to Golden Chai's entrance, but before going in she pressed a hand to her chest. If Emily's plan succeeded—if she managed to look just perfect in front of Grayson today—Quinn made a mental note that she deserved a hefty "bonus" from her cousin.
"I'm going to grab the restroom," Quinn told Dylan, then slipped off to hide behind a pillar so she could watch undetected. She had no intention of meeting them just yet—she wanted to observe how the scene would play out.