A Clash of Wills

Margot recognized the demanding tone instantly and did not hesitate to reject his command. "It's fine," she replied calmly, her voice steady. "I am already in the middle of having a perfectly good lunch with Mister Quentin." She hung up the phone, cutting off his next demand.

Quentin smiled warmly from across the small dining booth, taking a sip of his tea. He was not one to pry, having already learned why she was at the company this morning.

"Mar, I have met all the Ashcroft brothers over the years," the older man said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Honestly, the most capable and outstanding among them is Bennett. He stepped up as company president, secured major projects, and keeps everything steady. You should genuinely consider him as a husband."

Margot paused with her water glass halfway to her mouth. Her face instantly twisted into a look of pure repulsion. "No way," she vehemently objected, setting the glass down with a sharp clink. "Why would I ever consider marrying such an incredibly cold, lifeless man?"

She scoffed at the very thought. In truth, her earlier flirtation in the car was nothing more than a calculated game designed to push Bennett's buttons and annoy him. She merely wanted to watch his arrogant, icy facade crack under pressure.

Quentin burst into hearty laughter at her vivid expression, shaking his head before steering the conversation toward amusing stories about the other Ashcroft brothers. After finishing her lunch, Margot returned to the corporate building.

She bypassed the executive elevators without a second glance. She chose to spend the rest of the afternoon lazily lounging around the ground-floor security booth, happily chatting away the hours with the older guard.

Upstairs in his grand office, Bennett's brow furrowed with irritation when his assistant reported that Margot was still downstairs with the guards. Bewildered and annoyed by her unpredictable behavior, he stared at the polished mahogany of his desk.

"Run a thorough background check on Quentin," Bennett instructed his assistant, his voice tight. "Find out his exact relationship with Margot. And order that she be brought up to my office immediately."

When Margot finally sauntered into the executive suite a few minutes later, she threw herself onto the plush sofa, sinking deep into the leather cushions, and lazily asked what he wanted.

Bennett kept his gaze fixed on his paperwork. He claimed that their father would be deeply unhappy to learn she spent her whole visit hiding out in a security post.

Margot rolled her eyes at the obvious excuse but agreed to stay. "Fine. But remember you are the one who called me up here," she warned him with a smirk. "I will not be held responsible if I distract you from your work."

True to her word, she pulled out her phone and started playing a mobile game, intentionally blasting the volume to the maximum setting. Digital explosions echoed through the quiet office. Within minutes, she was loudly yelling and passionately insulting her online teammates, shouting at them for being useless.

"Why are you guys so useless?" she shouted, her thumbs flying across the glowing screen. "Use your hands, stop using your feet! You are all mere backups!"

Bennett sat at his desk, listening to her chaotic shouting match in stunned silence. He closed his eyes, deeply regretting his decision to bring her up. He concluded that she had come to his office solely to torture his sanity.

Once he finally managed to finish his paperwork through sheer force of will, Bennett grabbed his tailored coat from the rack. He curtly dismissed Margot, telling her to meet him in the underground parking lot.

Margot offered a careless nod, pocketed her device, and walked out into the hallway.

As she walked out, his assistant entered the room with a shocking security report.

"Sir, Quentin is actually a hidden multi-millionaire," the assistant revealed, handing over the file. "He owns massive amounts of prime real estate in central Oakview, and he only works as a security guard out of sheer boredom."

Bennett frowned, scanning the pages. "And his ties to Margot?"

"The report reveals zero connection between them, sir."

Bennett leaned back in his chair, pondering her quiet, unexplained ties to both Silas Vane and Quentin. He realized more than ever that Margot was far from a simple country bumpkin. Her background held layers he could not easily decipher. However, he quickly shook his head, deciding it was none of his business as long as Quentin posed no threat to her.