Sienna leaned slightly toward the rearview mirror as the car slowly pulled away from the hospital entrance. She could see the gangsters searching impatiently for her, and one even walked towards the car. His eyes widened when he spotted her.
"There you are!"
But before he could confront her, the car picked up speed. They tried to chase her, but in the end, they were forced to give up, panting helplessly as they watched the car drive away.
'Serves you right,' Sienna smiled. 'You guys should have worn running shoes.'
The tight knot in her chest loosened a little. She had escaped from her father. The car moved smoothly through the evening traffic, the quiet hum of the engine filling the silence between them.
However, her smile faded instantly when she remembered she had entered a stranger's car without permission.
Her fingers tightened on her thighs. 'Right,' she thought awkwardly. 'I need to explain it to him, right?'
From the corner of her eye, Sienna studied her new savior carefully.
The man's hands rested calmly on the steering wheel, his posture straight and relaxed.
He looked annoyingly perfect.
His dark hair was neatly styled, and the faint glow of streetlights passing through the windshield occasionally highlighted the sharp line of his jaw. His suit looked expensive—far too expensive for someone who casually helped random women escape from gangsters.
'Did I accidentally jump into a CEO's car?' she wondered.
Then she immediately shook the thought away.
'No, Sienna. Stop watching too many Korean dramas.' She pushed aside her silly thoughts.
Still, she couldn't help stealing another quick glance at him before her eyes were distracted by a riot of colour in the back seat. There were a bunch of toy cars and plush toys, along with a booster seat meant for a child.
This man was a father too. Suddenly, she felt a strange kinship with him.
The memories she had long buried suddenly flooded back, overwhelming her mind.
'How are you now? Have you been thinking of me? Is your family good to you?'
She hoped her son had such a responsible father like her savior. She also wondered who was the lucky woman to marry someone as handsome as him.
As though he had heard her thoughts, the man suddenly turned his head, and their eyes locked.
Sienna froze. She could feel her heart racing.
Before she could say anything, the man spoke first.
"Miss, where are you going to get off?"
His voice was calm and clear, even friendly. However, the meaning behind the question was unmistakable: "Please leave my car."
Sienna swallowed quietly.
"Sir… sorry to trouble you," she finally managed to say. "Can you drop me off at the train station?" she continued quickly. "I mean… if you happen to be passing by there."
"Okay."
The answer came so quickly that Sienna blinked in surprise. "Thank you."
"It's fine," he replied calmly, keeping his eyes on the road. "The station is right on the route I'm taking."
Sienna nodded gratefully and settled back into her seat.
The silence returned.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Outside the window, the city of Evercrest slowly passed by. The familiar streets stirred memories she would rather forget.
Eventually, the man spoke again.
"Those men," he said calmly. "Why were they chasing you?"
Sienna stiffened slightly.
Her first instinct was to stay silent. After all, this man was still a stranger. Explaining family problems to strangers usually ended in embarrassment.
But somehow, the quiet atmosphere inside the car made it easier to talk.
"They were sent by my family," she admitted. "They wanted to catch me and drag me home."
Thankfully, he didn't ask "why."
Because explaining that her father planned to sell her to a gangster boss might make him regret helping her. Most regular people wouldn't dare to get involved with gangsters.
However, the man finally turned his head slightly to glance at her briefly before his eyes returned to the road.
"Are you not afraid they will find you?" he asked. "People like that usually don't stop easily."
He didn't sound scared or worried for himself, but he was concerned for her. Sienna let out a long breath, feeling touched by his words.
"I actually don't live in this city," she explained. "I'm returning to the capital tonight."
He nodded slightly.
"My family doesn't know where I live," she continued. "They also don't know where I work."
She paused, then added thoughtfully, "So I should be safe… as long as I don't fall for their tricks again."
The last sentence sounded less like an explanation and more like a warning to herself.
The man didn't say anything. He simply continued driving, his attention fully focused on the traffic ahead.
Sienna leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
The streets of Evercrest passed by slowly, filled with shops, restaurants, and familiar buildings.
She hadn't wanted to come back here.
Yesterday, when her aunt had called crying, she had almost refused.
But then she had sent the picture of her father lying in a hospital bed, his face pale while his head was wrapped in bandages. Machines surrounded him as if he were on the edge of death.
The image had looked painfully real.
'You are so stupid, Sienna,' she scolded herself silently. 'Completely and utterly stupid to believe an AI picture!'
She sighed.
Soon, they arrived at the train station.
The car pulled smoothly to the curb and came to a gentle stop.
"Miss," the man said calmly, "we have arrived."
His voice pulled Sienna out of her thoughts.
She quickly grabbed her bag and turned toward him with a grateful smile.
"Sir," she said sincerely, "thank you so much for helping me tonight. I promise I'll return your help someday!"
She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out of the car. The man glanced at her briefly before replying softly.
"You're welcome."
"And I wish your wife and child happiness and good health!" Sienna added with a small bow. The man blinked in surprise, but before he could reply, Sienna closed the door and hurried toward the station entrance.
Her steps were quick, just in case the gangsters were somehow smart enough to ambush her at the train station. She blended into the crowd, only relaxing when she successfully managed to get onto her train.
'Thank goodness... I managed to escape. I'm leaving this terrible place, and everything will be fine,' Sienna thought.
However, those feelings of relief and happiness slowly faded as something crossed her mind.
Sienna froze. Her eyes widened toward the entrance.
"Oh no..." She slapped her forehead lightly. "Ugh, I forgot to ask his name and his phone number."
She shook her head in regret. 'Damn, Sienna! How could you forget something so important?"
While...
Somewhere in the distance, a train whistle sounded.
And somewhere on the road outside the station, Zachary Sterling continued on his way, unbothered and completely unaware that the woman he had helped had already begun regretting their brief goodbye.