That one kiss spun out of control.

Adrian Preston’s hands began to misbehave. He even lifted the hem of her top and his hand went right underneath.

Mia Kane found that she didn’t mind being intimate with him, but... definitely not now, not under these muddled circumstances.

She struggled fiercely. "Adrian Preston, what do you take me for?!"

"Right now, how are you any different from Chase Lockwood?!"

She roared, her heart filled with grievance as hot tears welled in her eyes.

Adrian Preston’s body went completely rigid. Hearing her words, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

’I shouldn’t be the aggressor!’

He hastily returned to his seat and opened the car window, letting the night wind blow in.

Helplessly, Mia Kane pulled her clothes back into place, covering her exposed skin.

"I’m sorry."

After a long silence, Adrian Preston finally spoke.

"I lost control. I shouldn’t have done that to you."

"So, this is what you’ve always thought of me. No matter how many times I say I don’t love Chase Lockwood, you think I’m lying, that I’ll always have a place for him in my heart."

"And isn’t it true? You think you don’t love him anymore, but you’ve always saved a place for him in your heart."

"Fine. Fine! If that’s what you want to think, then so be it. I just couldn’t bear to see him die, alright?!"

"So you finally admit it."

Adrian Preston turned to look at her. Hearing her admit it herself was, strangely, a relief. The constant, anxious guessing was over. His hope was finally dead.

Mia Kane thought he was hopeless and got out of the car in a fury.

"Where are you going?"

"I’ll walk back myself! I don’t want to ride in your stupid junker!"

Furious, she stormed off without looking back.

Adrian Preston chased after her, and when his attempts to persuade her failed, he resorted to force.

He swept her up into his arms and carried her back to the car.

Feeling wronged, Mia Kane stared out the window, not saying a word.

The wind whipped her tears across her face.

Finally, they arrived at the villa.

Adrian Preston had called for a doctor. He wanted to carry her out of the car again, but Mia Kane refused.

Shannon Preston hid behind the doctor, observing them closely.

’Something’s off between them.’

’It looks like they had a fight.’

The doctor who arrived was a woman. She examined the wound on Mia’s forehead and confirmed that the bone wasn’t injured, but it would require stitches.

She recommended a brain scan, suspecting a mild concussion.

The villa had a sterile room, and the doctor was trustworthy, so the stitches could easily be done at home.

But Mia Kane refused.

"Stitch it later."

"Your injury is serious."

"It’s none of your business."

Furious, Mia Kane slapped his hand away, went back to her room, and headed straight for the bathroom.

She needed to take a shower.

She felt that after being touched by Chase Lockwood, her entire being was filthy.

She even felt that she hadn’t been this repulsed when the kidnapper’s leader had assaulted her.

Chase Lockwood made her feel a profound discomfort, both physically and psychologically.

The very thought of his scent lingering on her skin, along with his hickeys, made her sick to her stomach.

Ignoring her wounds, she scrubbed herself frantically, especially at the hickeys on her neck, rubbing until the last one broke the skin and started to bleed.

It was as if she couldn’t feel the pain. She felt it wasn’t enough, still not enough, so much so that she didn’t even notice Adrian Preston knocking on the door outside, frantic with worry.

She had only one thought in her mind.

’Erase every trace of Chase Lockwood.’

’He’s so disgusting, so utterly disgusting!’

’This is what it means to be truly tainted.’

"Stop scrubbing, you’ve already broken the skin!"

Adrian Preston had a spare key and had let himself in, truly worried about Mia Kane’s condition.

He walked in to see Mia Kane scrubbing her neck desperately, like a machine.

He rushed to stop her.

"It’s not clean yet, look, there’s still..."

Mia Kane’s voice was shrill.

Adrian Preston pulled her into a tight hug, his heart aching for her.

"Mia Kane, I don’t care about this. You don’t have to force yourself to wash it away. I’m telling you, even if you get back together with Chase Lockwood, I have no intention of letting you go!"

Adrian Preston assumed she wanted to erase the marks because she was still Mrs. Preston and had to depend on him. He thought she was afraid he would mind and be disgusted with her, and that was why she was acting this way.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? I don’t love Chase Lockwood anymore! I hate him, I loathe him!"

"Find a way to get rid of this for me, okay? Please, I’m begging you..."

Mia Kane was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"You really want to get rid of it?"

Adrian Preston held her by the shoulders, his gaze deep and fiery as he looked at her.

Mia Kane nodded forcefully.

"Close your eyes."

His words seemed to have a bewitching power, and she obediently closed her eyes.

At that moment, what lay before Adrian Preston was a perfect form.

In his heart, Mia Kane was pure, untouched by dust.

He didn’t dare to have any improper thoughts at this moment; it would be a sign of disrespect toward her.

He looked at the broken-skinned hickey on her neck, then slowly leaned down and covered it with his own lips.

The warm, wet tip of his tongue licked it gently, circling the spot.

Mia Kane’s body trembled. At first, it stung a little because of the broken skin, but as she slowly got used to it, it just felt very comfortable.

The soft, gentle touch felt as if it could soothe all pain.

When he began to suckle, the pain became more distinct, but it was accompanied by a different kind of sensation.

It was different from when Chase Lockwood had kissed her. Back then, all she had felt was terror, dread, and disgust.

But now, she actually found herself developing strange new feelings.

He slowly soothed her anxious and restless emotions, and she even felt a sense of security.

She felt that Adrian Preston’s scent on her body had now completely overpowered the one left by Chase Lockwood.

"Is that enough?" he asked softly.

Mia Kane slowly opened her eyes and saw his handsome face magnified before her, along with his lips, which were a faint pink after the kiss.

She couldn’t help but stand on her tiptoes to press her lips to his, but unexpectedly, Adrian Preston turned his head away.

She kissed empty air. Her heart clenched, and all the tender, ambiguous feelings from just a moment ago vanished completely.

He pressed his lips together, his voice dry and hoarse.

"There’s no need for that. I’m not holding anything against you, so you don’t need to rush to appease me. We’re a fake couple to begin with, just putting on an act. We’re not going to take that final step."

Hearing this, Mia Kane was so angry she wanted to kick him.

’He thinks I’m trying to suck up to him after the fact? That I’m selling my body to get him to drop the issue?’

"What will it take for you to believe that I’ve already..."

"Then why did you go see him so late at night?"

Adrian Preston’s question made her words die in her throat.

She moved her tongue, wanting to speak, but couldn’t make a sound.

’How could she explain going to see Chase Lockwood alone?’

’Tell him she went to apologize to Vivian Lynch? What would Adrian Preston think then? He would definitely be even angrier.’

’Besides, Vivian Lynch wasn’t even there, and I showed up at Lockwood Manor. This is a real headache.’

In the end, she chose to hide the truth. She couldn’t let Adrian Preston know that while he was defending her so staunchly in front of others, she was undermining him behind his back. If her plan had succeeded, she might have been able to explain, but since it failed, she didn’t have the face to tell him the truth.

"I can’t be bothered to explain."

Hearing this, Adrian Preston raised an eyebrow, his gaze clearly saying, ’You’ve run out of excuses.’

The more Mia Kane thought about it, the angrier she got.

"Get out!"

She shoved him out. "Don’t sleep in my room tonight."

"Fine."

Adrian Preston strode away. He was also afraid that if he stayed the night, he might lose control and, out of his own bitter feelings, end up hurting her.

As long as her heart was still with Chase Lockwood, he would control himself and not cross the line.

When Mia Kane came out of the shower, her mood was absolutely foul, so she called Shayla Quinn to vent.

"What? So now he not only thinks you slept with Chase Lockwood, but he also mistakenly believes you still have feelings for him and can’t let him go?"