Chapter 5 Posing as Matthew’s Girlfriend

“N-No, it’s not necessary.” The reward of 100 million was tempting, of course, but it was Matthew that Tiffany really had her eye on. She shook her head with a gentle smile, saying, “Even if it was someone else who was in danger that day, I would’ve saved them as well. And besides, no one would just watch from the sidelines and do nothing in that kind of situation.” Matthew replied, “If you don’t want the compensation, you can tell your father to contact my personal secretary directly. I’ll give preference to the Floch Group when it comes to my company’s projects.” The Floch Group was the company owned by Tiffany’s father. A polite smile crossed Tiffany’s pretty, lightly made-up face. “Thanks for your kindness, Young Master Matthew, but it really isn’t necessary. Helping you feels damn good, you know that?" As soon as she finished her sentence, however, Matthew’s cell phone suddenly rang. “Excuse me, I’ve got a call to answer.” He picked up the phone and noticed that it was an incoming call from Thomas, his personal secretary. He asked, “What’s the matter?” “Sorry for my incompetence, Young Master Matthew. I didn’t get to do what you’d asked of me. Old Mrs. Kings has taken Miss Murphy back to the Kings Residence,” replied Thomas, who then told Matthew everything that had happened over the phone. “Why would Grandma be there all of a sudden?” “I don’t know about that either.” Thomas also wondered how come Elizabeth would be so well-informed. At the thought of this, he immediately added, “But judging from what she said, it seems like she wants you to marry Miss Murphy.” Matthew frowned slightly at Thomas’ words. He replied coldly, “That’s wishful thinking.” Then, he hung up and stared thoughtfully at his phone’s screen. On the other hand, Tiffany couldn’t stop her heart from beating fast at the sight of Matthew’s handsome face as she sat across from him. It took forever to calm her fluttering heart. Before she came here, Rachel had reminded her again and again to play hard to get with Matthew to arouse the man’s interest. “Young Master Matthew, is something on your mind?” Tiffany finally asked, unable to hold back her curiosity. His silence—and that intense stare—was starting to feel a little too heavy. Matthew leaned back slightly, his jaw tightening as if debating whether to speak. His sharp eyes never left her face. After a moment, he finally said, “Miss Larson, since you’re so interested in helping others, I wonder if you can do me another favor.” “Huh? What is it?” “Could you pose as my girlfriend?” “Girlfriend?” Tiffany’s heart thumped wildly; she was overwhelmed by the unexpected surprise. Seems like Mom’s advice of playing hard to get really works! Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, she held her spoon and fork with fair hands for a few seconds before putting them down. Then, she asked a little crossly, “What do you mean, Young Master Matthew?” Matthew replied, “My family has arranged a marriage for me, but I don’t like it, so I’d like to have you pose as my girlfriend for a while. You may ask for whatever you want when it’s done.of course, you can turn me down too.” Tiffany clenched her fists, her heart pounding like crazy. She could feel the excitement bubbling up inside her, threatening to spill over, but she wasn’t about to let it show. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to sound calm. “Well, now that you’ve said so, Young Master Matthew, how can I turn you down?” She dreamed of becoming Matthew’s wife. Now that she had an opportunity to stand beside him, she feared that she wouldn’t have another opportunity if she turned him down. Unbeknownst to her, the instant she agreed to Matthew’s request, the man’s thin lips curved up into a barely noticeable smirk. As expected, she’s no different from those women who have thrown themselves at me. A vague sense of disappointment tugged at him, subtle but impossible to ignore. Just a week ago, battered and barely holding on from his injuries, he had still managed to glimpse the face of the girl who had risked everything to save him. That fleeting moment had left a mark, etching her into his memory like a vivid dream he couldn’t shake. His heart—usually steady and unaffected—had betrayed him, pounding harder than it had any right to. But now, standing here, staring at Tiffany—the girl who had saved his life—he felt none of it. No rush of excitement, no flutter in his chest. Just... nothing. In the living room of the Kings Residence, Veronica, who had been forcibly brought here, made up an excuse in an attempt to leave. “It’s getting late, madam. I’ve got to go to the hospital to deliver meals to my parents.” However, Elizabeth replied kindly, “I’ve sent someone to get your parents transferred to the Kings Family’s private hospital. They’ll be taken care of by professionals, so you may rest assured.” Upon hearing her words, Veronica jumped to her feet with a deep frown. She asked, “Madam, by having my parents transferred to another hospital without my permission, are you trying to use coercion against me?” “What nonsense are you thinking about, young lady?” Instead of getting enraged by Veronica’s question, Elizabeth laughed. “Speaking of it, it’s fate that brought you and my grandson together. You also know that Matthew—that rascal—never had a woman around him despite his age. So, I could only resort to unscrupulous means by drugging him. At first, I wanted to bring him and the Spencer Family’s daughter together, but who would’ve known that he ended up sleeping with you instead? Luckily, you’re not bad either.” Upon listening to her words, Veronica finally realized why Matthew got drugged. Turns out that I was thrown together with that jerk by a cruel twist of fate! “I—” Just as she was about to speak, a silver-haired old butler came in. “Young Master Matthew’s here, Old Madam.” “Tell that brat to get in.” “Yes, Old Madam.” The butler turned around and left. Matthew came in right afterward. Dressed in a silvery-gray suit, he looked straight at Veronica before turning his gaze to Elizabeth. “Grandma.” “I thought you wouldn’t come back anymore,” Elizabeth mocked grumpily. Then, she pointed at Veronica, saying, “Well, you’re here just in time. Let me introduce someone to you—” Matthew interrupted Elizabeth before the latter could finish her sentence. “That can wait, Grandma. Let me introduce my girlfriend to you first.” Stunned, Elizabeth seemed quite surprised. “Girlfriend?” Veronica was even more astounded. God only knew how aggrieved she felt deep down. If Elizabeth had known more about her grandson, she wouldn’t have lost her chastity! “Come in,” Matthew said to someone outside the door. Everyone immediately focused their gaze on the outside before they saw a woman dressed in a waisted aqua blue pleated dress coming in on high heels with her head down. Why does this woman’s figure look so familiar? thought Veronica. “This is my girlfriend, Tiffany,” said Matthew as he introduced Tiffany to Elizabeth. Upon hearing Tiffany’s name, Veronica was immediately stunned. While Veronica was staring at Tiffany, the latter also looked up at her. As their gazes met, the sisters could hardly conceal the surprise in their eyes, and they had the same doubts in mind. Why her? Why is she here? On the other hand, Elizabeth, who was older and thus much more perceptive, hit the nail on the head by asking, “Isn’t she Tiffany Larson, the Larson Family’s gifted daughter who’s famous in Bloomstead for her beauty and talent? How did you get her to pose as your girlfriend?” “Nice to meet you, Old Mrs. Kings.” Tiffany greeted Elizabeth politely. “I had a car accident a week ago, and Tiffany was the one who saved me. When she got me out of the car, I gave her the ring that was handed down in our family. You should know what this ring means, Grandma,” Matthew said while raising his left hand to show the ring he was wearing. Looking at the black diamond ring, Veronica instantly recalled what had happened. No wonder there was a ring in my pocket after I saved Matthew that day! Turns out that he put it in my pocket when I saved him, she thought. However, the ring went missing after Tiffany popped up the next day, and she wondered at the time where the ring had gone. At the moment, it seemed that Tiffany had stolen it, having known long ago that the ring belonged to Matthew! Veronica stood up. “That ring was—”