The setting sun cast a glow on his handsome face, adding an air of mystery and allure. With eyes as deep as the starry sky, a high, straight nose, thin lips, and a tall, imposing figure, he was clearly one of heaven's favorites. A single glance was enough to make it impossible to look away.
However, Seraphina Sterling was only shocked for a moment. Her shock stemmed more from his sudden appearance than from his breathtakingly handsome looks.
Seraphina Sterling averted her gaze, walked around him, and continued on her way. 'This man's gaze is too predatory. He's dangerous.'
Terrence Grant felt like he'd only blinked, and the girl before him had vanished. It was the first time he had ever met a woman who remained so calm after seeing his handsome face.
Seraphina Sterling hadn't taken more than a few steps before the motorcycle once again cut her off. She glanced at the man's long, muscular leg propping up the bike. "I'm not a red light. You don't have to stop every time you see me."
...
Terrence Grant was momentarily stunned, then broke into a punchable grin. "Do I look like the kind of guy who follows traffic laws?"
Seraphina Sterling took a deep breath. 'Arrogant! Conceited!' Two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled. "Grandpa, when you get to your age, you should act like it. Don't try to be like these young people, riding around on motorcycles. What if you hit and kill someone? You're old, you've lived a full life, so it wouldn't matter if you died. But other people haven't lived enough, have they?"
Her voice was so soft, yet her words were absolutely infuriating!
Terrence Grant's mouth twitched violently. "Grandpa? Have you ever seen a grandpa this devilishly handsome? I think you're the one who should get your eyes checked at a hospital. Don't go senile before your time! You can't even tell how old someone is!"
"Fine, I'll go right now! Just don't block my path again." Seraphina Sterling smiled sweetly, the dimples on her cheeks becoming even more adorable. Her bright eyes twinkled with a cunning light, and while Terrence Grant was momentarily dazed, she quickened her pace toward home. 'A man this arrogant, narcissistic, and impossible to read... it's best to stay far, far away.'
Terrence Grant was stunned again. 'Just a moment ago, she was baring her claws like an untamable little fox. How did she suddenly turn into an obedient little kitten?' In that brief moment of distraction, she had vanished again.
The sky gradually darkened. Night descended, shrouding everything in a veil of mystery.
'She really is clever,' he thought. 'First, she deliberately provokes me to get a reaction, then she feigns weakness to make her escape. Every word, every expression, was all part of her plan. I do enjoy dealing with smart people!'
An indescribable emotion flickered in Terrence Grant's deep eyes. Suddenly, he executed a stylish turn, accelerated forward, and saw her slender silhouette stretched long by the moonlight.
Terrence Grant didn't slow down. In the instant he passed her, he grabbed the collar of her clothes, pulled her sideways, and hoisted her onto the motorcycle.
She thought she had finally escaped him, but in the blink of an eye, everything was back to square one.
The night air was cool.
The silvery moonlight, the silent path, the speeding motorcycle, the occasional chirp of an insect... a girl was slung sideways across the bike, a recklessly arrogant man at the controls. This was how they met—not a beautiful encounter, but one that would be remembered for a lifetime.
The jostling of the motorcycle made Seraphina Sterling's stomach churn violently, and she ended up vomiting bile. This was truly testing Terrence Grant's limits; God only knew how severe his mysophobia was! Several times he was tempted to just throw her off the bike, but in the end, he brought her back to his courtyard and tossed her to his private butler.
"Get her cleaned up!"
With just that one sentence, the servants immediately got to work. An order from Mr. Grant was not to be disobeyed; that was something they had all learned on their very first day in this courtyard.
When Seraphina Sterling saw Terrence Grant again, it was an hour later.
It was hard to imagine that such an ordinary-looking courtyard concealed a world of its own. Eight Immortals tables, pear wood chairs, blue-and-white porcelain, jade scepters, paintings of court ladies, and revolving lanterns. It was as if she had stepped back into ancient times; this place was a different world entirely. The recklessly arrogant man sat on a priceless pear wood chair, a contradictory yet strangely harmonious sight.
"Seraphina Sterling, you've got a lot of nerve, daring to use my name to throw your weight around. Do you have a death wish?" Terrence Grant toyed with the red sandalwood beads on his wrist, his arrogant gaze filled with menace.
Seraphina Sterling's eyes narrowed, her trembling eyelashes hiding her unease. 'Something that just happened, and he already knows about it—he even knows my name! This man is powerful, dangerous, and terrifying.'
Seraphina Sterling clenched her fists. Originally, she had only planned to use the reputation of this courtyard to scare off Cheney. She never expected someone would actually be living here. And now they'd come looking for her! A wave of intense fear washed over her, but she forced herself to remain calm and managed a faint, warm smile.
"There must be some misunderstanding. If I remember correctly, this is the first time we've met. I don't even know your name, so how could I possibly be using it to do things?"
Terrence Grant was slightly taken aback. The motion of him stroking the wooden beads came to an abrupt halt. A flash of surprise flickered in his eyes, vanishing in an instant, and he was once again the arrogant and unrestrained Mr. Grant.
"Terrence Grant."
'The Grant Family of Aethelgard?' A flash of astonishment crossed Seraphina Sterling's bright eyes. 'I've really stepped in it this time! If I recall correctly, the developer of the Tollan Town resort is the Grant Family!'
"You know, it's been a long time since I've met someone who dared to borrow my power to intimidate others. Hughes, I remember there was a guy like that five years ago. What happened to him in the end?" Terrence Grant's lips curled into a smirk, his casual air tinged with cruelty.
"Mr. Grant, that rich heir ended up being thrown into the sea to feed the fish," Hughes, dressed in a suit, replied with respectful formality, ever the consummate professional.
Now that she knew the man's identity, Seraphina Sterling wasn't as shocked by that answer. It was perfectly in line with the known style of Mr. Grant of Aethelgard.
Not seeing the terrified expression he expected, Terrence Grant became displeased. He lunged in front of Seraphina Sterling, gripping her shoulders tightly. His intense gaze locked onto her bright eyes. "The Tollan River may be a step down from the ocean, but at least it's deep enough. What do you say, should I go and treat the fish of the Tollan River?"