Chapter 3

“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."