Mia Kane struggled to open her eyes, trying to get a clear look at the newcomer. But he was backlit, and she could only make out the tall silhouette of his figure; everything else was obscured.

"Who are you? How dare you ruin my fun. Don’t you know who I am..."

Before Mr. Chaucer could finish, the man sent him flying with a heavy kick.

The next second, Mia Kane fell into a warm embrace.

Mia Kane couldn’t open her eyes; her eyelids were too heavy. But she could sense his presence.

It was Adrian Preston’s aura—cool and aloof, detached from the world.

Her heart, which had been lodged in her throat, finally settled.

With him here, she always felt exceptionally safe.

Adrian Preston’s large hand gently caressed her cheek. Even in her daze, she furrowed her brow in pain.

His heart ached for her, and he drew his hand back, not daring to apply any more pressure.

He carefully laid her on the sofa and took off his jacket, draping it over her to prevent any exposure.

Then, his gaze, now sinister, fell upon Mr. Chaucer, who had just struggled back to his feet behind him.

That one kick had broken at least two of his ribs.

He clutched his stomach, coughing up blood.

"Don’t you know... my great-uncle is with the provincial department... You dare cross me? I don’t care who you are, I’ll have your hide..."

Before Mr. Chaucer could finish, Adrian Preston strode forward and delivered another heavy kick, knocking him to the ground.

Mr. Chaucer struggled to get up, but Adrian’s foot came down. His leather shoe pressed into the man’s back, grinding down viciously.

His body was slowly pinned to the floor, forced flat.

His foot slowly moved up and came to rest on the man’s face.

"A piece of trash like you dares to covet what’s mine?"

The words were grim and held not a trace of warmth, as if spoken from the depths of Hell.

"Someone... someone told me to go after her..."

Mr. Chaucer was finally scared and quickly told the truth.

"Who?"

"Mrs. Lockwood..."

Hearing this, Adrian Preston’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed dangerously.

’Vivian Lynch... she really is courting death.’

"Was it this hand that hit her?"

he asked.

Mr. Chaucer didn’t dare to speak.

Adrian Preston stomped on the back of his hand. His heel ground down hard, and the back of the hand was quickly reduced to a bloody pulp.

Mr. Chaucer screamed in agony.

"Or this one?"

His foot slowly moved to the other hand, and he repeated the process.

Both hands were dripping with blood.

But that was nowhere near enough.

’This piece of trash actually dared to try and defile the person who belonged to him.’

’He treasured her like a priceless gem, feeling that even he himself was too sullied to tarnish Mia Kane.’

’And yet this trash dared—how could he dare!’

Adrian Preston kicked the man over, then delivered a kick straight to his crotch.

"AHHH—"

This time, Mr. Chaucer screamed wretchedly and passed out, his voice utterly shrill.

After he was done, Adrian viciously wiped the top of his shoe on the carpet, as if he had touched some toxic pathogen.

The moment he looked back at Mia Kane, all the ferocity vanished from his face, and his dark eyes filled with an indescribable heartache.

He lifted her into his arms, bridal style, and walked out.

"Clean this place up."

he ordered coolly.

Theo Thorne immediately nodded.

Adrian Preston took her to the hospital. The injuries to her cheek and forehead weren’t serious, nothing major, but she was badly frightened.

He then took her back with him.

As the effects of the drug in her system wore off, Mia Kane gradually awoke.

When she woke up, her whole body ached, especially her cheek and head.

Just then, someone touched her face.

Mia Kane trembled all over, a trauma response kicking in instantly. She opened her eyes and shrank to the foot of the bed.

"Don’t touch me, don’t touch me..."

Seeing her like this, Adrian Preston’s heart clenched.

He soothed her in a gentle voice, "Don’t be afraid. I’m here. No one will dare touch you."

Hearing the familiar voice, Mia Kane looked over in a daze. When she finally saw the man in front of her clearly, the ever-strong Mia Kane could no longer hold it together.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she uncontrollably crawled over and buried herself in his arms, clinging to him tightly.

"I was too late."

Adrian Preston’s large hand gently stroked her head.

He felt Mia Kane’s tears soaking his shirt, scalding hot, burning his skin.

After a long while, Mia Kane came back to her senses. She lifted her tear-soaked eyes, looking like an aggrieved fawn in the forest.

"You... How did you get here?"

"You ran out the door crying for help. I happened to see you."

’So that was it. They really were fated to meet. Every time she was in danger, he always arrived just in time. He was practically her lucky star.’

"Are you hungry? Do you want a late-night snack?"

Mia Kane shook her head.

"Are you tired, then? Do you want to go back to sleep? You’ll feel better after some rest."

"Stay with me."

Mia Kane said plaintively. She knew her request was unreasonable, but she was truly terrified, her nerves still shot.

’The moment Mr. Chaucer touched her, she had felt as if she were falling into an abyss.’

’This was the kind of thing she feared most!’

Adrian Preston pressed his lips together, seemingly making a great resolve.

"Alright. I’ll stay here and watch over you."

"Not on the sofa. By the bed. Watch over me from here, can you?"

She looked at him imploringly. She’d feel safer if he were a little closer.

"Okay. Whatever you say."

Adrian Preston was exceptionally gentle and patient tonight, seemingly willing to grant her every request.

Mia Kane leaned against him, and only after breathing in his familiar scent did she feel at ease.

She hadn’t felt sleepy at all and had figured it would take ages to fall asleep, but smelling his pleasant scent, she drifted off into dreamland without even realizing it.

Adrian Preston gazed down at her. His large hand gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, revealing her delicate little face.

"Don’t be afraid. I will protect you."

"Hurry and go! I’ll lead them away for you."

"Your sister will definitely be okay."

A childish voice echoed in Adrian Preston’s mind. As his hand touched her cheek, it was as if, in that moment, he had gone back more than a decade and was touching a young Mia Kane.

She was clearly terrified, yet she had stood tall before him, protecting him.

"You heartless thing. You clearly said you would come find me, but you forgot about me in the blink of an eye."

he said with a sigh of resignation.

"Mmm, be quiet... so sleepy..."

Mia Kane mumbled, hugging his arm and pressing it against her chest.

Adrian Preston’s body stiffened. He could clearly feel that extreme softness.

He wanted to pull his arm back, but she held it tighter and pressed it deeper, right between them.

One on the left, one on the right...

The tips of Adrian Preston’s ears turned uncontrollably red, and a wicked heat coiled in his lower abdomen.

His breathing grew ragged.

’Being near her always threw his mind into disarray. He couldn’t control himself; he would go mad.’

’She held a fatal attraction for him.’

...

Mia Kane woke up very early the next day to find herself still clutching his arm. Adrian Preston had sat ramrod straight by the bed all night without crossing the line in the slightest.

’He clearly had a strong libido and wasn’t averse to being intimate with her, yet he was always unwilling to take that final step.’ 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

’She had no idea what he was so hesitant about.’

Mia Kane slowly sat up, kneeling on the bed very close to him.

’This man’s face was truly beautiful, like a favored child of God, exquisitely carved.’

Her hand unconsciously drifted to his strong brow, then to his eyes, lightly brushing against his dark, thick eyelashes.

It traveled down, tracing the handsome bridge of his nose before landing on his thin lips.

’They say the thinner a man’s lips, the more heartless he is. I wonder if that’s true?’

She continued downward, stroking past his Adam’s apple and coming to rest on his collarbone.

She couldn’t resist feeling his pectoral and abdominal muscles, and even mischievously pinched the two red berries on his chest.

Just then—

Those sleepy eyes opened, the haze quickly fading as they became clear and lucid, gazing at her.

Their eyes met, and Mia Kane’s heart began to pound wildly.

"What... are you touching?"