Chapter 2

I saw Quinn again a month later.

It was Daphne who found me first. She stood before me, draped in designer brands I had only ever seen on TV.

Looking down at me, she asked, "So, are you the woman who took care of Quinn for a year?"

I tilted my head. "Quinn? Who's that?"

She frowned, impatience flickering in her gaze. "Rocky."

Rocky…

My heart—one I had worked so hard to steady—began racing all over again. Desperately, I grabbed Daphne's arm, begging her to tell me where Quinn was.

Before she could respond, the two bodyguards flanking her seized me and yanked me away.

Daphne gave me a look of disgust and pulled her heels free from the sand. "And what exactly is your relationship with him? What right do you have to know where he is?"

I hesitated for only a moment before answering, "I'm Quinn's girlfriend."

Daphne let out a laugh like I had just told the funniest joke in the world. She turned toward the luxury car parked behind her and called out in a sweet voice, "Quinn, this woman says she's your girlfriend."

And then, the man I had dreamed of countless nights stepped out. He was dressed in a tailored suit, polished leather shoes sinking slightly into the sand.

The tan he had earned from months under the sun had faded, replaced by his natural air of wealth and privilege, one that made him look utterly out of place in this poor fishing village.

Quinn frowned as he looked down at me, still held in the grip of his bodyguards. His voice was cold. "She's just a filthy fishmonger. How could she ever be good enough for me?"

I froze. His words cut deep like a knife straight to the heart.

Anyone could call me that, but not him. Because it was my Grandma and me—selling fish day after day—who had paid for his treatment and given him the chance to return to his wealth and privilege, safe and sound.

And now, he dared to look down on me.

The bodyguards let me go, and I collapsed onto the sand, the wind lashing against my face.

Quinn crouched down in front of me, his gaze colder than ice. His next words were even colder. He told me to stop dreaming, that we were never from the same world to begin with.

I heard his words, but my heart remained calm. I knew he was no longer the Rocky who once cared for me.

Under their watchful eyes, I slowly straightened my back. "Go. I'll just consider that year a waste on an ungrateful bastard."

Quinn swayed, his crouched form tipping forward. But he caught himself just in time, pressing a hand into the sand to steady himself.

Then, he stood. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "If you ever need anything, you can contact me. But it's better if you don't."

I took the card between my fingers. Hoffman Group's CEO. Ha. How impressive.

With a flick of my wrist, I let go. The thin card caught the wind, drifting toward the sea. And in an instant, the waves swallowed it whole, and it vanished into the endless depths.

Quinn's brows furrowed, his fist clenching at his sides.

I turned and walked away, pretending not to care. But no matter how hard I tried to hold them back, two silent teardrops slipped down my cheeks.

Quinn, if only we had never met.

…

But life never went the way I wanted, and the bad news came too suddenly. Grandma suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. I needed a large sum of money—fast.

And so, I thought of Quinn. What he owed me wasn't just love—he owed me 200 thousand dollars. It was real money.

Watching Grandma grow weaker in that hospital bed, I hated myself for being so proud that day.

I had no choice but to swallow my pride, board a northbound train, and camp outside the Hoffman Group day and night.

Then, one day, a sleek black car rolled to a stop right in front of me. Quinn's familiar face appeared from inside.

I rushed forward, disheveled and desperate, looking like a crazed lunatic.

Luckily, Quinn recognized me. Otherwise, his security might have thrown me out like a beggar.

I grabbed his hand like it was my last lifeline. Gone was the pride I had when we last parted. "Mr. Hoffman, please return the 200 thousand dollars I spent on your treatment."

Quinn slid both hands into the pockets of his suit pants, his expression unreadable. "Kayla, did you come all this way just to ask for money?"

I nodded.

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me inside the office building. "Are you that desperate to cut ties with me? That eager to settle the score?"

I didn't understand why he was so angry. With his wealth, returning 200 thousand dollars was nothing more than lifting a finger.

I was just a small-town fisherwoman, hardly someone worth holding a grudge against. But maybe, to someone like him, I was just trouble. Maybe he thought I was here to cling to him again.

So, I made myself clear. "I only want the 200 thousand dollars that belongs to me. Once I have it, I swear you'll never see me again."

Quinn cornered me against the wall, towering over me with an air of dominance.

"Forget it, Kayla. That money was given out of kindness, not debt. You chose to pay for my treatment on your own, and it wasn't a loan. Even if I don't return it, there's nothing you can do about it."

I stood there, stunned. I never imagined that the simple, kindhearted Rocky I once knew would turn into someone this shameless.

But this wasn't the time to argue over right or wrong or let my pride get in the way. Grandma was running out of time.

So, in front of everyone in the lobby, I dropped to my knees. "Mr. Hoffman, I'm begging you. Please, give me back the money. Grandma needs it for her treatment."

Quinn instinctively reached out to pull me up, but when he heard my words, his expression darkened. "Kayla, how long have I even been gone? It's only been a short while, yet you dare make up lies about your grandmother."

I clung to the hem of his pants, pleading over and over. "I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, you can go see for yourself. Grandma is sick!"

"Enough!" Quinn's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Come work as a housekeeper at the Hoffman estate. 20 thousand a month. Take it or leave it."

I had no choice, so I could only give in.