“You may rest assured, Miss Taylor. I mean no harm. My name is Virgil and Mr. Rowe sent me to speak with you.”

My mind went blank for a split second before I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at him.

“Please call Mr. Rowe if you are uncomfortable with me. You can confirm my identity with you before you speak to me.”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I glance at my phone, hatching a plan in my head. There was no way in hell I would allow a stranger inside my house on his word alone.

“Please wait here,” I said and started closing the door. I saw him give a short nod before I shut it completely and bolted the door.

I walked into the kitchen and called Mr. Rowe quickly.

"Hello, Miss Taylor."

It sounded like he knew I would be calling. His voice dripped with smugness and I could practically see the smirk on that pretty face of his.

I sucked in a deep breath so that I didn’t reprimand him badly. “Mr. Rowe, there is a man at my front door, claiming that you sent him.”

“Yes. That is Virgil. You can trust him.”

I was tiptoeing at the edge of exploding in anger.

“I would have appreciated a text or a call warning me that you were sending a stranger to my house.”

He snorted. “And those are the words of a girl who may or may not have used illegal means to get a hand on my private information. If I didn’t play along, what fun would there be?”

I had to curse him for his comeback. He must have caught my reaction because he chuckled.

“You effectively scared me, thank you very much, Mr. Rowe.”

"You have no reason to be scared. Virgil can be a nice guy."

“If he is such a nice guy, why is he following me around?”

He was silent for a moment. "Virgil was complying with my wishes. I had some things that needed to be investigated."

I didn't understand what he was saying. He was speaking vaguely and I was growing tired of how he avoided the main issue at hand.

"Mr. Rowe, you have kept me waiting for a week without a word. Can you put me out of my misery and just tell me what your decision is?"

He clucked his tongue. “Patience… Listen to what Virgil has to say. And if you have any further questions, you may call me back.”

‘May?’ The nerve of this man!

"I ‘may’ call you back? Listen, you—"

"What was that?" he interrupted.

I snapped my lips shut before I could say something I would regret. "Nothing."

"Oh? I do like your fire, Willow."

If I ever met the man, I would show him how it felt to be burned by the fire. "You have only seen the tip of the iceberg," I said in a saccharine tone.

"Moving elements, are we? I'm counting on it," he replied coolly, continuing on before I could reply, "Will you speak to Virgil?"

"Do you promise he doesn’t have bad intentions? I do not like the idea of allowing a stranger inside my house."

“I can assure you that he bears you no ill will. I don’t have the time to send someone across the country to harm you.”

He had a point.

"You could be petty, for all I know. But if you aren’t pretty, maybe not."

“I am not petty.” He paused to think about what he would say next. "Virgil is my head of security and I trust him with my life."

I believed him. A breath I didn’t know I was holding left me.

“I will talk to him. But I will call you immediately after. I need to know what is happening since I am in midst of packing everything I own.”

"Trust me."

Trust him? How arrogant.

I walked back to the door after hanging up and peered through the peephole. Virgil was waiting patiently where I had left him. He hadn’t moved a muscle.

I opened the door slowly. “I spoke to Mr. Rowe. Please come in.” I really had no idea what to say or what his intentions were.

He entered slowly and stood in the hall, allowing me to put space between us if I so wished.

“I think you should sit down, Miss Taylor.”

I led him to the kitchen and took a seat as he had instructed. He sat down across from me and his eyes darted to the phone tightly gripped in my hand. I was prepared in case I needed to call the police.

Virgil reached into his suit and pulled out a letter. He slid it across the table toward me. I glanced at the envelope before looking back at him. He smiled at me warmly, making me feel less scared.

“I can see that you are uncomfortable, so I won’t waste time.”

I shifted in my seat. “I just want to know what is happening. Why are you here?”

He nodded. "I'm here to escort you to Quentin. We leave in the morning."

"What?"

He chuckled. "We leave for Quentin tomorrow morning," he repeated slowly.

I digested his words slowly. Did I understand the meaning of his words correctly? Was Mr. Rowe funding my college education?

"Miss Taylor?"

I shook my head to clear it and looked at Virgil, the security guy. He was still waiting for me to respond.

"I—what do you mean? Why am I going tomorrow? How am I going?" I babbled.

Virgil surely thought I was stupid. He tapped his finger on the envelope, trying to push my attention back to it. "Why don't you read the letter and then we can talk?"

I leaned forward and picked it up, wondering if I would get good news inside.

“Please,” I chanted to myself as I opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. I treated it like a prized treasure as I read the first two words.

[Dear Miss Taylor,

I have looked into the mixup regarding the Rowe Scholarship personally after our conversation. It was an error on our end that led to this misunderstanding. Mr. Grant was and is the rightful recipient of the scholarship. His expansive extracurricular activity background and scholastic achievements are the reason for this decision.

However, I took it upon myself to read your essay and other documents. I found your ideas and experiences intriguing, which doesn’t happen often.

You must already know that my head of security has checked on you. I felt that it was necessary to use the same methods like you to find out about your background. What was found has piqued my interest and that bodes well for you, Miss Taylor.

Of course, that is only if you so wish.

On that note, I will assure you that your concerns regarding your scholarship will be taken care of. I have decided that you will be taken care of after we discuss some serious matters.

The first condition is a meeting between the two of us.

I have confirmed that you no longer have any responsibilities in Atkins and therefore, I would like to invite you to Quentin. It would be at my expense and I would like to further discuss your future.

Deepest regards,

Nicholas Rowe.]

I read the letter multiple times and remained in shock. I was sure Virgil could hear my heart pounding from across the table. I looked up to find him scrutinizing me.

Mr. Rowe had billions of dollars to his name. Paying my tuition would be like handing fifty bucks to a homeless person, which I would be in a few days. Still, I didn’t understand why he wanted to meet me when he knew everything there was to know.

“I don’t understand why he wants to meet me.” I was on edge but Virgil remained perfectly calm.

"Miss Taylor, it is not my place to divulge the reason."

I sighed at how formal he was. "You can call me Willow."

He ignored my request.

"You have to tell me something! You said I could ask you questions after I read the letter. Why does he insist on meeting me?"

He remained silent for a good minute. "Are you scared of actually meeting him? Your determination made it seem like you were fearless."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not scared. I am intimidated and I don't like being kept in the dark."

"Well," he started. "I can only confirm that Mr. Rowe only wishes the best for you. I could say with authority that he is taken with you."

My eyes widened at his assertion and swallowed thickly. "Taken with me?" I squeaked.

He gave a short nod and smiled. "He wouldn't have sent me to escort you otherwise."

"What does that mean?"

He smirked. "I'm the best."

I snorted. "The best at what?" It seemed my personality came out even in the face of fear and confusion.

He laughed. "In general, a lot of things. But with regards to you: protection."

We were talking in circles again. I had to get back on the right track.

"Why would I need protection?"

Virgil removed a piece of lint from his pants. "As I said, Mr. Rowe is taken with you. I should add that he is a worrywart."

I suddenly understood.

"I understand that he is hesitant to pay for my tuition. I promise I would never abuse his trust or use the money for anything other than college."

Virgil blinked quickly as if in confusion. “Out of everything I said, you took that away?” he asked. The look on his face was almost offensive.

“Is there another way to understand it? I recognize that he is wary because of how aggressive I was. I just want to reassure him that I would never do something that would make him doubt his decision to help fund my education. He is rightfully protective of his assets and privacy. And I respect that.”

He chuckled again. "I am glad you got one part of it correct." He shook his head and then his eyes shifted to look around the house. “Are you packed to leave in the morning?”

"Can you estimate how long this trip will be? I planned on moving to Quentin with my friend in a few weeks' time."

"I know," Virgil said cryptically.

"Should I ask how you know?" I narrowed my eyes again.

“There is little I don’t know about you. As I said, I am the best in the industry.” He shot me a cocky grin and I huffed.

"Okay, Mr. Know-it-all, can you answer my question?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. I had the scary thought that I would be surrounded by arrogant males from that moment onwards.

He shrugged. "I can’t give you information I don’t have. The duration of your stay will depend entirely on you, in my opinion.”

‘Wasn’t that helpful!’ I frowned and looked down at my phone, wondering if I should call Mr. Rowe or not. I had no idea how much to pack or what to bring to this trip. Maybe I needed Lory to pull me out of my misery and re-assess everything.

“I might be able to pack by tonight,” I mumbled mostly to myself.

“That would be great.” I looked at him again. “Mr. Rowe might now allow you to escape once he has you in his clutches.” He looked awkward when he accentuated the statement with a wink. I hadn’t expected it from him.

“That is ridiculous.” I was in disbelief.

Virgil was teasing me, but the realization didn’t stop the flurry of excitement in my stomach to dissipate. I blushed as I wondered if I was in way over my head.

He finally broke the silence. "Can I be of assistance in packing?"

"No, no. I can do it myself. Besides, I won’t take much with me for this trip. The dorm room won’t allow students to move in this early and I don’t have another place to stay. It doesn’t make sense to travel with a lot of things."

He smiled like he knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t get any straight answers out of him.

"As you say." He extended his hand to shake mine. "It has been lovely speaking to you, Miss Taylor. I will be here at sharp eight in the morning. Please be ready by then.” He reached into his suit and pulled out a card to hand me. "If you require assistance before that, call me on this number."

He got up from his seat and walked to the door. I followed after him. Right before he left he turned to me with kind eyes. "Miss Taylor, you have no reason to feel intimidated by Mr. Rowe. You hold immense power and you just don’t know it yet.”

He turned and walked out immediately, leaving me speechless in the doorway. I offered him a small wave as he started the car. When the car was out of sight, I closed the door and plopped down on the couch to collect my thoughts.

‘What the hell is happening?’

"Oh. My. God. Willow!" Lory shook as she read the letter again. I had told her everything that happened after Virgil arrived and she had been screaming ever since.

"I know!" I had long shaken off the excitement and fear. I was simply taping boxes filled with books. Lory finished her pacing and put her hands on my old suitcase packed with clothes for my trip to Quentin. “What is your take on the situation?” I asked.

"I think Mr. Rowe has a crush on you."

I started to laugh. When she didn’t follow, I looked at her in surprise and found that she was serious! But the suggestion was ridiculous.

“Don’t be absurd, Lory. He is a highly successful man while I am a hopeless country bumpkin. As if that isn’t enough, he doesn’t know me. I have only spoken to him over the phone. Then you have to factor that he is older and… him.” Even the thought of him liking me was hilarious.

“What do you think Virgil meant when he said his boss was taken with you?” She waited for me to answer.

“I don’t know. But it is not anything romantic. This is not a fairytale.” I hated to burst her bubble but I knew better than to dwell on fantasies. “He thinks of me as a charity case. And if that is what it takes for him to fund my education, so be it. I will swallow my pride for a shot at a better life. I am a beggar, Lory.”

“Why are you so cynical, Willow? You act like an old cat lady. Just because your life hasn’t been a garden of roses until this point, it doesn’t mean nothing good can happen to you after.” She sighed. “You asked for honesty and that is what I am giving you. As an outsider, I am telling you that you are more than a charity case for Mr. Rowe.”

"You’re out of your mind. Did you know the rags crowned him the most eligible bachelor in Quentin? He could cherry-pick a harem of women if he wanted and no one would bat an eye. But you know what wouldn’t catch his eyes? A down-on-her-luck girl whom he has never seen before. It is an absurd idea even for you.”

“Maybe he has a fetish?” She dodged the book I threw at her, laughing as she tossed some clothes into a pile. "You can bet your fabulous ass that he has seen you, Willow."

I was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" She pursed her lips and shook her head as she picked up a top. "This Virgil guy has been following you for a few days. Do you believe that he didn’t snap a few pictures and sent them to his boss?"

Her words had merit. I would be naive if I thought that way. I thought about how I felt that Mr. Rowe had seen pictures of me. It confused me more since I couldn’t imagine I would be of interest to someone like him. He had been seen with several high-profile and gorgeous women on several occasions.

"You make Mr. Rowe sound like a serial killer using his wealth to lure unsuspecting women into his lair to kill them. But that is more possible than the fantasy you have painted,” I told her grimly.

I knew I was pretty. I had received compliments about my looks and thought the same. But I was also a realist.

Lory was my biggest cheerleader, so she would never pay me attention when I thought myself short of Miss Universe.

"The real hindrance to your Cinderella story is the contents of your wardrobe." She looked defeated by what she saw in my luggage. Lory was smart and she enjoyed dressing up. I, on the other hand, had never had the inclination to dress up to impress anyone. But I was going to Quentin to meet Mr. Rowe and I had to look my best.

"What should I wear when I meet him?" I asked finally.

I could call him and find out what the schedule for the next few days was.

Lory's response was to throw a critical look at my clothes. "I brought whatever clothes you had at my place. The choices are limited." She even whined about my lack of a basic skirt.

"I apologize for my crimes."

"Don't joke right now. There is an extremely attractive man pining for you and you don't even have a set of clothes to wear in front of him." She followed up with a snicker and I threw another book at her.

"That sentence was so wrong that I don't want to start commenting on it." I pouted.

"I had a sizing issue with one of my clothes. I think they will fit you. That would be perfect."

She pulled open a bag that I had hidden in the bottom drawer and shook her head. “You never wore this set, did you?” she asked.

I cringed, feeling guilty that I hadn't worn the set of underwear she had gifted me on one of our trips to the mall.

"I am sorry, you know I don't like panties that go up my butt crack."

Lory rolled her eyes. She pulled out the set. “A good pair of underwear can make you feel powerful. Even if you are the only one who ever sees you in them.”

I shrugged. "I do not have a reason to feel sexy."

"Oh, yes, you do! You will have Mr. Rowe eating out of your palm. Didn’t you always want to live the high life, here is your one-way ticket to it? But you have to act like you belong there. You have to do that to make the best of it. What are your thoughts?"

“He is willing to help me with my tuition. Don’t immerse yourself in a flight of fantasy that will never happen. Moreover, I am not trying to seduce him, Lory.”

I kept to myself how the fantasy made the butterflies in my stomach flutter.

Could I be sexy and seductive?

I snorted. Mr. Rowe had socialites and celebrities hanging from his arm at every public event he had been photographed at. I could not compare to those women who had a team of people keeping them pretty and classy. I had to get my head out of the clouds before I plummeted to the ground without a parachute. My aim was to work my ass off at college and make something out of myself. I had to remember that I was not on a mission to seduce an older, rich man.

“I know exactly what you are thinking! Don’t you dare put yourself down.” She leveled me with a stern look. "Willow, you are beautiful. Mr. Rowe is obviously attracted to you, we just don’t know why yet. But please stop doubting yourself."

She walked over and pulled me into a hug. I had to control my eye roll in fear that I would be smacked. Ah, yes, friends were the ones who inflated our egos to the high heavens. Case in point: Lorelei Adams.

I squeezed her back. "I love you, Lory."

"I love you, too. You're my sister from another mister and you are going to charm his pants off." She giggled and I smiled at her naivety. "Come on. You're almost packed up. Let's go to my place and get some other clothes that might fit you."

She drove us to her house and talked me into taking some of her more revealing clothes. Clothes that hurt my conservative sentimentality and looked too small to fit me. I scoffed when she mentioned it would fit me tight and that was a good thing. Still, I allowed her to stuff a small bag full of those clothes. I had no intention of wearing them but I wasn’t going to dampen her enthusiasm.

On our way back, I brought up what Virgil had said to me one more time. "What do you think he meant that I had more power than I thought?” I asked. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.

Lory glanced over with a smirk. “It means Mr. Rowe wants you.”

I grumbled, making her laugh. I had a nagging feeling that I was missing a big piece of the puzzle and Lory didn’t help me figure it out.

“Why are you taking this turn?” I asked when she turned onto a side street that didn’t lead to my house.

“Loosen up, Willow. You need to loosen up now, more than ever. This will be your last drink to say goodbye to all these losers and show them you will have a better life than all of them. Then we will head back to your place.”

I grunted. “I don’t want to go to Grant’s party,” I told her.

“One drink,” she promised.

I gave in quickly. As long as she had one drink, I could leave.

Still, I had a terrible premonition. My gut clenched, screaming at me that something would go wrong. I wanted to stay out in the car, but the idea didn’t fly with Lory. Finally, she dragged me inside with her. The lights were too dim and I had to squint to evade the sweaty and unsteady bodies everywhere. The music pumped loudly, inducing a terrible headache I was sure would get worse when I started my travel.

I was surprised the cops hadn’t been called yet. The neighbors were finicky people who called the cops at the drop of a hat… This was a special gesture for the new graduates, maybe?

I followed closely behind Lory, using her as a shield to not touch people. I moved through the throngs of my former classmates and plenty of people whom I didn’t recognize in the least. When we reached the kitchen, Lory grabbed two cans of beer and held one out to me.

I sipped at mine cautiously as Lory talked to some of our classmates… the ones who were not horrible.

"Willow!" I was startled as one of the idiots from my senior class threw his arm around my shoulder and crushed me to his body.

"Get off me," I choked out, making him laugh and loosen his grip. I shoved his shoulder lightly, but my stink-eye was in full force. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, babe. I didn’t think you would show up."

"I only stepped in for a minute. I’ll say my goodbyes and leave."

"Well, Chris will be happy," the other said.

‘Terrific. That is what I need.’ I thought sarcastically.

"Come on, Willow. Let's go do a lap around the place and then get out of here." Lory pulled me away from the guy’s grasp.

Lory stopped every other second to chat… more like shouting at people over the loud music. Somewhere in the middle of the ground floor, I lost sight of her. I decided to go outside ahead of her, knowing she would end up there eventually. I was better off outside, anyway.

After smelling the beer on several people and being stepped on, I was more than ready to shove people away to get outside. I finally reached the door and was relieved as the cool night air hit my face.

Sweet, sweet relief.

I knew one thing for sure after attending the party, I would have zero regrets about leaving these people behind. There wasn’t a single person inside apart from Lory who I cared to keep in my life. I set my almost full can of beer on the porch railing and leaned over to look out into the road.

I yelped when someone sneaked up behind me and put their hands on either side of me, trapping me.

“I just knew you would come,” he whispered in my ear. I smelled the liquor and felt my skin crawl at his hot breath on me.

‘Fucking Grant.’

I jabbed my elbow back, enjoying the grunt of pain it elicited from Grant. Yet his arms tightened around me so that I couldn’t wriggle out. Slowly, I felt anxiety grip me.

“You’re always playing hard to get, you minx.” I felt something moist on my neck and felt like puking. He had just licked me!

I was going to kill Lory for dragging me when I got out of here.

"Get the fuck off me, asshole!" I tried to stomp on his feet, but he easily lifted me off my feet and laughed.

"I know you want me, Willow. You wouldn't come to my house if that were the case. You stood outside here so that I could see you alone. So, let's make our farewell worth remembering."

He was drunk but his grip was still unbreakable. Worry was more pressing than the disgust I felt when she started to carry me off the porch and around the house towards the back. I screamed out again, kicking my legs at him and using all my strength to fight him off.

Suddenly, his arms were gone and I was dropped to the ground. I spun around, ready to fight him. Instead, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Virgil had Chris up against the side of the house, his forearm around Chris’ neck, cutting off his air. I stood frozen, watching Chris struggle for air as Virgil pushed him harder against the wall. His eyes blazed with anger.

“I promise you a painful death if you ever touch her again. Understood?” Virgil’s word held a promise. I could tell it wasn’t a threat and I backed away slowly.

A million thoughts ran through my head in that split second. I was thankful for Virgil being there. I shuddered at the possibility of what might have happened if he hadn’t arrived on time.

I was beyond pissed at Chris. I was mad at myself for not being cautious. I wondered why and how Virgil knew to be there. And I was a little scared Virgil would really kill Chris.

I tried to calm myself and moved toward Virgil. I put my hand on his arm, ready to stop him. “It’s okay, Virgil. Please don’t hurt him. I just want to leave,” I said urgently.

Virgil shoved Chris against the wall one last time before he let go. Chris dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, gasping for air. I stepped in front of him, shoved his foot apart, and kicked him hard in the groin. I felt a smile spread across my lips at the pitiful groan that left him.

Virgil touched my elbow and guided me to the driveway before I could do any more damage.

He walked so fast that I struggled to keep up with him. I had so many questions to ask, but in the end, I just remembered that Lory was still inside. I stopped immediately and pulled away from him. He stopped as well and turned to look at me with confusion.

“How… why did you appear right on time?”

“I am just doing the job assigned to me.”

I stared at him, recalling his words. He had come to Atkins to collect me. To protect me. I felt like an object that could be dragged anywhere anyone wanted and I was confused about it.

“Were you following me?” I asked cautiously.

"I have to ensure your safety." He never gave me a proper answer. "By the way… you have a stellar kick."

Before I could get another question in, I saw Lory rush out of the front door.

"There you are! I was looking for you everywhere." She ran up to us and hesitated when she saw Virgil standing next to him. She looked him up and down before asking, "Who are you?"

"Miss Adams." Virgil nod. Taylor" to her, and then looked me again. "I believe it is time for the two of you to head back home am sure Miss explain everything in detail later

He took my elbow again and led me to Lory's car. "I will follow the car from a safe distance to make sure you are inside the house without a problem."

With that, he walked to his car and slipped in. He waited until we had started to drive to follow us. Lory kept staring at the car in the rearview mirror as she drove.

"What in the world was that about?"

I had no way to answer her question. I was still muddled with what had just transpired.

"That was Virgil," I said dumbly.

“I gathered that. But what happened and why was he there?”

I tried to clear my mind. I told her what had happened with Chris and how Virgil showed up right on time.

“Holy hell. I am so sorry, Willow. I had no idea Christ would do something like that. I feel like shit for forcing you to go.”

I waved her off. I was not angry with her. “Don't apologize for that asshole. Why does his conduct have to do anything with you?”

Right now, there was a bigger situation plaguing me apart from Chris' drunken advance.

“Uh… I think this situation with Mr. Rowe is more than I can handle,” I told her honestly.

We remained silent until Lory pulled into my driveway. When we stepped into the house, I saw Virgil sitting in his car. He only drove off when I closed the door after getting inside.

We stood there at the window long after Virgil had left. After a while, Lory looked at me before she spoke. “You're right.”