After William left, Mia hurried downstairs.

"What did you two talk about? Are you okay? You don’t look well."

Mia watched him with deep concern. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

But the next moment, Adrian Preston pulled her into a tight embrace.

She could feel his tension; his body was even trembling slightly, as if he were afraid of something.

"Are... are you okay?"

She tried to pull away to get a look at him, but he murmured hoarsely in her ear.

"Don’t move. Just let me hold you."

Hearing this, Mia didn’t dare to move.

After a long hesitation, she slowly raised her hands, which had been hanging at her sides, and gently rested them on his back to comfort him.

He was holding her so tightly it made her bones ache, but she didn’t complain.

As the seconds ticked by, he finally released her.

"I’m fine. I’ll take you to the nursing home in a bit. Stay with your grandfather for a while. I have some things to take care of."

"Is it about that William?"

"Mia, I really want to lie to you, but I can’t. I’m worried you’ll let your guard down and stop being wary of him. He’s the kidnapper from that day, but he has a fake identity that gives him a perfect alibi. I never expected him to have such a prominent status. I suspect that on top of smuggling, he’s also laundering money."

"It’s him... It’s really him..."

Mia’s legs grew weak. She had already braced herself, telling herself they were just identical twins and that this man couldn’t be the kidnapper.

His public persona seemed so legitimate that there shouldn’t have been any danger.

But now, Adrian Preston was telling her they were the same person—someone far more terrifying than she had imagined, someone with the power to blot out the sky.

A man like that was walking free, having transformed himself and adopted a new identity to appear in the open so brazenly.

His very existence was a humiliation and an act of contempt toward all anti-smuggling officers!

Even though Adrian Preston was no longer in his old position, she believed he would never give up. He would use his current status and means to bring the man to justice.

"If I go into hiding, will you be okay? Is he deliberately coming after you?"

"I don’t know his objective yet, but I’ll find out as soon as I can. As long as you’re safe, I can work with peace of mind."

Mia nodded.

’If I can’t be of any help, then I shouldn’t cause any trouble.’

She immediately packed her things, and Adrian Preston took her to the nursing home.

"Alright, I’m leaving. Call me if anything comes up."

Adrian Preston looked rushed and was about to leave, but Mia quickly grabbed his hand. "You have to be safe."

"I will."

Adrian was about to turn away when he seemed to think of something.

"Mia, if one day I do something that hurts you, what will you do?"

"Then I would believe you must have had no other choice."

"You trust me that much? I’m only human; I have a dark side, too..."

"Others might not be able to control it, but you can."

Mia smiled.

Adrian Preston pressed his lips together, as if he still wanted to say something, but ultimately he remained silent.

His profound, phoenix-like eyes rested on her, and he watched her for a very long time.

Finally, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Wait for me to take you home."

He left, but Mia still hadn’t come back to her senses. She touched her forehead.

It was just a simple kiss, yet it made her heart pound and her ears turn crimson, even more than when their lips and tongues had intertwined.

Her grandfather, who had seen the whole exchange from nearby, finally felt his heart settle in his chest.

...

Adrian Preston immediately contacted Young Zane and the others to discuss the matter.

The biggest problem at the moment was that Adrian Preston was certain William was the kidnapper. They had crossed paths before—Adrian had personally arrested him and sent him to prison.

He would never be mistaken about the kidnapper’s aura.

But his certainty was useless now. They needed evidence, and William was now a councilman with a major corporation and powerful supporters behind him.

Detaining a man like that in the country would surely cause a huge stir.

It would not only affect foreign relations but also risk tipping off their target.

"The best solution right now is to find an excuse to detain him and investigate slowly. Is there really nothing wrong with his passport or anything?"

Young Zane spoke up.

"There are no loopholes to exploit."

Old Parrish was a veteran criminal investigator and was skilled at handling cases.

The work of an anti-smuggling officer was too dangerous, and their identities couldn’t be easily exposed. He hadn’t wanted to drag his old comrades into this.

Old Parrish’s and Young Zane’s families were in Argent, and he had the ability to protect them.

"Wait, I actually have an idea. Adrian, didn’t you rescue a victim from that ship? We can let William know it was that victim who secretly passed on the intel, allowing you to get there so quickly. According to the underworld’s code, they’ll have to catch that person and kill them to appease the spirits of their fallen brothers."

"Adrian, you find that person, and then we’ll leak the news. William has reached his current position; he must have a lot of underlings. If he wants to solidify his authority, even if he doesn’t want to act personally, others will force his hand. Otherwise, he won’t be able to command respect."

"Young Zane’s idea isn’t half bad. Adrian Preston, what do you think?"

Everyone looked toward Adrian Preston. His face was as cold and still as water, his gaze so terrifyingly indifferent it made everyone present shudder.

"Brother Preston... what’s wrong?"

"Young Zane’s suggestion is a good one. We just need to secretly ensure the bait’s safety."

"Absolutely not."

Adrian Preston’s refusal was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

"I know it’s dangerous, and that mistakes can happen even if we’re protecting them. But there always have to be sacrifices. If I could be the bait, I’d go myself! William’s identity is shifty, and he’s not just backed by a gang but also by a massive corporation—it’s clearly for laundering money. If we don’t apprehend this man, the consequences will be unthinkable."

"Brother Preston, how many of our brothers have died fighting smuggling and drugs? If we don’t eradicate these people, how can our fallen brothers ever rest in peace?"

"I said no, and that’s final! If there’s no better way, then forget it. Don’t bring this matter up again. Since we can’t come to a conclusion, let’s not waste any more time!"

Adrian Preston stood up and left.

"What’s gotten into him today? Adrian Preston has such a short fuse."

"Brother Preston can’t bear to use an innocent person as bait, but that’s his decision, not the victim’s. I’m going to find the victim and ask her face-to-face. Maybe she’ll be more committed to the greater good than he is."

Young Zane actually went and looked into it. Using the police department’s system, he immediately found the surviving victim from that case.

Victim’s name: Mia Kane! Female, twenty-three years old...

Young Zane’s eyes widened. He finally understood why Adrian Preston had been so vehemently opposed.

So the victim was his wife.

’How could Brother Preston ever let his own wife be the bait?’

The group met a few more times after that, and even someone as radical as Young Zane never again mentioned using the victim as bait.

...

Mia Kane moved into the nursing home and laid low. Every morning, she would wake up for a run and practice the joint-lock techniques Adrian Preston had taught her.

She was afraid that if she ever encountered such a terrifying situation again, she would at least have the ability to fight back.

She discovered an empty plot of land at the nursing home that no one ever visited, and she was even tempted to use it for shooting practice.

She had kept the business card from the shooting range and decided to call the number. Old Parrish answered.

"Brother Parrish, do you have any replica guns over there? I mean the kind with the weight and feel that are almost identical to a real gun, but without the power to cause any harm. I want to buy one to practice with and work on my target shooting."

"Yes, we do."

"That’s great. I’ll have someone come pick it up."

"Mia."

Old Parrish’s tone suddenly grew heavy. "Can you help us persuade Adrian Preston? We’ve been thinking it over these past few days, and we still think that’s the best method. To let the victim out, to use her as bait..."

Mia listened intently, and a chill gradually spread through her entire body. She could barely hold on to her phone.