Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Utterly Terrified, Only He Could Make Her Feel Safe

Mia Kane mustered all her courage and finally broke free from her paralysis.

She turned and ran without a second glance.

"What’s wrong? Am I that scary?"

The man said with a smile, the mirth in his eyes holding a profound, unsettling meaning.

Mia Kane charged forward, not even daring to look back. She couldn’t afford to waste a single second, terrified that any hesitation would allow him to catch up.

She pushed her body to its limits, running until it felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat.

Only when the crowd around her thickened did she feel a sliver of safety.

She glanced back. He wasn’t following.

But she was still terrified, hiding in a mall restroom as she tremblingly pulled out her phone to call Adrian Preston.

’I should be calling the police right now.’

But her first instinct was to contact Adrian Preston.

The call connected quickly.

"What’s wrong?"

Adrian Preston’s voice was calm and steady. A sudden sting hit Mia Kane’s nose, and her voice choked up.

"Adrian..."

She couldn’t stop herself from bursting into tears.

Hearing this, Adrian Preston’s voice grew tense. "What is it? Who’s bothering you?"

"I... I saw that man."

"That man? Who?"

"It’s... it’s the leader of the kidnappers. The one who escaped from prison. That face... I’ll never forget it. It was him. It had to be him."

"How did you run into him?"

"I don’t know, the car... his car crashed into mine... He walked toward me..."

Recalling the incident, Mia Kane became somewhat incoherent.

Adrian Preston was extremely worried about her current state and asked for her location directly.

Mia Kane didn’t dare go outside. Only hiding in this small stall gave her a sense of security.

The slightest noise from outside made her jump in fear.

She had never known waiting could be so agonizing.

Adrian Preston arrived quickly, but to her, every second had felt like a year.

"Mia, are you in there?"

When Mia Kane finally heard the familiar voice, she fled the small stall.

She saw Adrian Preston standing there, and her eyes reddened. She immediately ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

She hugged him with all her might.

’Adrian Preston is my hero. He saved me from that ship before, and he’ll surely save me now.’

"What exactly happened? I’m here with you now. No one will dare to cause trouble."

Mia Kane collected herself, organized her thoughts, and recounted what had just happened.

Adrian Preston’s brow furrowed. "I’ll have someone look into it. Come with me."

Her face was pale, and she clutched his sleeve tightly, her eyes darting around warily.

Seeing her like this, Adrian Preston’s heart ached for her. He took her to a dessert shop and ordered her a slice of mousse cake.

"When people are stressed, eating something sweet can help them feel a little better."

"Okay..."

She couldn’t bear to refuse Adrian Preston’s kind gesture and took a bite, but her tongue was numb, unable to taste anything.

Soon, Adrian Preston’s phone rang. There was news.

Adrian Preston answered, his expression turning grave as he muttered a few responses.

The call lasted for nearly five minutes before he hung up.

"How is it?"

She asked anxiously.

"Recently, a congressman from Country M came to the embassy for a visit. His appearance and build are identical to the kidnapper, but his name is different. The police have already been dispatched. Even though he’s not a citizen, since he’s within our borders, he has to cooperate with the investigation."

"So does that mean they caught him?"

"We collected DNA, fingerprints, and an iris scan... It’s not the same person. They might be twin brothers. Right now, there’s no evidence, so we had to release him."

"Not... not the same person?"

Mia Kane’s heart was still in turmoil.

’But they have the exact same face.’

"So I’ll be okay, right?"

"You’ll be okay. I’ll stay with you during this time."

Mia Kane nodded, her mind dazed.

Later, Adrian Preston’s phone rang again. It was the insurance company. The car Mia Kane had abandoned on the roadside had already been towed.

Adrian Preston took her home. Mia Kane locked herself in her room, feeling it was the only way to be safe.

He went to the study to check the traffic surveillance footage of the area.

Mia Kane had pulled over to make a call, and this car suddenly changed lanes and drove toward her.

’How could a professional chauffeur make such a rookie mistake?’

’It was clearly intentional.’

’This congressman is more than he seems.’

’Perhaps he intended it as a greeting of sorts, thinking I was in the car.’

’This might be a provocation.’

’This person’s intentions are anything but good.’

’He’s clearly acting so brazenly because he knows we can’t produce any evidence.’

’If I hadn’t been catching up with an old friend, if I had just called a cab for Mia Kane...’

The thought made his heart clench. He went to her room to check on her.

But the door was locked from the inside. No matter how much he knocked, there was no response.

"Mia?"

Adrian Preston knocked again and again, but there was still no answer from inside.

A powerful sense of unease washed over him.

He kicked the door open. Hearing the sound of rushing water from the bathroom, he knocked on the bathroom door, but again, there was no response.

He forced his way in again and saw the floor was covered in water. The bathtub faucet was on, and water was continuously overflowing.

"Mia..."

His voice trembled slightly.

As he got closer, he saw the woman’s perfect, unclothed body.

Mia Kane was holding herself gently, submerged at the bottom of the tub.

In that instant, Adrian Preston’s heart leaped into his throat.

He quickly pulled her out and started CPR and artificial respiration.

"COUGH, COUGH..."

Mia Kane coughed painfully, spitting up several mouthfuls of water, but she didn’t regain consciousness.

Adrian Preston came to his senses and realized something was wrong.

Her whole body was burning hot. She had a fever!

There were multiple scratches on her body, self-inflicted.

He quickly dried her off, carefully blow-dried her hair, dressed her in pajamas, and took her straight to the hospital.

It was likely due to excessive shock, compounded by a fever from the cold draft that came through the open window while she was bathing.

She had also inhaled some water, causing a lung infection, which was why the high fever wouldn’t break.

That night, Adrian Preston silently kept vigil by her bedside, his large hand tightly holding Mia Kane’s small one.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Mia Kane walked a long road in the darkness.

She was bathing, feeling filthy and desperately trying to scrub herself clean.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she finally felt a little cleaner.

But her head hurt so much.

She wanted to get up and get dressed, but she slipped and fell heavily back into the tub.

She was like a drowning person, unable to climb out. Her body grew heavier and heavier, her eyelids as heavy as lead.

Just when she thought she was about to die, someone approached her.

A very familiar presence.

A warm body held her tightly.

Later, with immense effort, she managed to open her eyes a crack. She could only see a blurry silhouette, but she knew who it was.

It was the god who was always saving her—Adrian Preston.

The next day, as the morning sun shone on her, she wearily lifted her eyelids. A worried voice immediately sounded by her ear, "You’re awake. Are you still feeling unwell? I’ll go get the doctor."

Seeing him about to leave, Mia Kane panicked and quickly grabbed his hand.

His hand was large, strong, and very warm.

She touched it for a moment, then lightly let go.

Adrian Preston might truly not mind her past, but she couldn’t accept herself.