Late at night, at the Hughes Family estate.

Midcrest Manor. The massive, ornate gates slid open automatically.

Simon Adler’s nondescript car drove in.

Mia Grant took a deep breath, clutching the strap of her shoulder bag.

Ten minutes earlier, they had signed the contract on the way over.

Simon Adler was highly efficient. He had contacted a lawyer in Portia before their flight even took off, and the contract was delivered the moment they landed.

Even so, Mia Grant didn’t let her guard down.

’Contracts only ever bind people with a conscience,’ she thought.

’Besides, if something really did happen to me, what good would it do if Simon Adler took full responsibility?’

’It wasn’t like she’d get a respawn card.’

"Nervous? You’ve never been here before, have you?"

The man beside her suddenly spoke. Mia’s shoulders twitched, and she looked up at him a beat too late.

After a brief moment of eye contact, she looked away. "I’ve been here once. For the old man’s birthday."

"The old man must have liked you a lot, right?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Mia Grant rolled her eyes. "If that were true, would we even be in this situation?"

"Those are two different things," Simon Adler explained. "As a regular person, or as his granddaughter, he’d be very pleased with you."

"After all, anyone who can handle so many people at once must be quite capable. The old man admires clever people like you."

"But if your presence disrupts his plans, if it interferes with his control over Silas Grant or Hayes Hughes’s lives... then of course he can’t let you stay."

"That’s not my fault. Don’t try to guilt-trip me."

"I’m still curious, though. Which one is your favorite?"

At his words, Mia Grant glanced sideways and tutted softly. "You know, I’ve come to a realization. You men are truly insufferable."

Simon Adler: "..."

"Why do you have to ask which one I like? I love the whole world."

A laugh rumbled in Simon Adler’s chest. "Alright."

The car came to a smooth stop before a long flight of stairs, and Mia’s nerves, which had just begun to relax, tensed up again.

"Let’s go," Simon Adler said to her.

Mia feigned a calm "Oh," and got out with her bag.

The night was thick and dark. As Mia’s feet touched the ground, her legs felt strangely weak, as if she were walking on cotton.

She looked around. The grounds stretched out of sight, a path of streetlights extending one after another into the distance.

She had been nervous the last time she was here, too.

But this time was far more terrifying.

’It was like being a death row inmate on the way to the execution ground.’

’Every step felt so heavy.’

If it weren’t for the heavy object she was carrying giving her a sliver of security, she probably wouldn’t have had the courage to even step onto the stairs.

The person who came out to greet them was the butler.

He started slightly upon seeing her, a look of surprise on his face. But he recovered in the next second, a faint smile returning to his lips. "Second Miss, we meet again. This way, please."

Mia nodded and followed him.

Simon Adler remained by her side, not leaving her for a moment. But Mia felt no comfort from his presence.

"Has the old man retired for the night?" Simon asked.

The butler nodded. "Yes. It’s quite late. Will the Second Miss be retiring directly, or would you like a bite to eat first?"

"I’ll just rest." ’I need to get back to my room and message Yates Donovan and the others.’

"Very well, I’ll take you up."

At the elevator, Simon Adler followed her inside. The butler paused, not quite understanding his intentions.

"Mr. Adler?"

’The old man is already asleep. What is he doing going upstairs at this hour?’

"From today on, I’ll be staying here as well."

The butler was surprised for only a second before recovering quickly. He nodded. "Of course."

Simon Adler did indeed have a permanent room at the Hughes estate.

So him staying over wasn’t unusual.

’But for him to suddenly decide to stay at a critical time like this...’

The butler’s gaze flickered to the demure-looking Mia Grant beside them, and he quickly understood.

Once she was safely in her room, Mia Grant immediately locked the door from the inside.

She had stayed here for one night during the old man’s birthday celebration, so the room was familiar to her.

If she remembered correctly, Silas Grant’s room was on the floor above. Hayes Hughes was on the upper floor as well.

Simon Adler’s room was on the same floor as hers.

On the bed, Mia plugged her own phone in to charge, then took out the phone Zelo had given her and hid it in the closet.

Just in case.

The gun, however, was harder to deal with.

After much hesitation, she shoved it under her pillow.

’It would be easy to grab that way.’

Exhausted from the long day, Mia could only lie prone on the bed and send them a message.

[I’ve arrived.]

Almost instantly, Mia’s screen lit up. It was a call from Kian Keller.

"You’re still awake?" Mia asked, surprised. "Is... is your wound hurting?"

"No." Kian Keller’s voice was as faint as ever, but if she listened closely, she could hear the fatigue in it.

"Were you waiting for me?"

The man on the other end’s breathing hitched slightly, as if in answer to her question.

Mia lowered her eyes and began to explain. "Don’t worry, just let me explain it to you slowly." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

She rushed through her explanation in one breath. "Anyway, that’s the situation. For now, don’t let him know I’m here."

Kian Keller was probably furious with her. He was silent for a long time, and the only sound from the receiver was his breathing.

It was deep and uneven, sounding suppressed.

"I didn’t want to come either..."

"But in this situation, I really don’t know if the old man has something on my brother or not."

"I don’t know what you all had planned before, but if it’s really exposed, everyone will be implicated."

"Ultimately, this whole problem is because of me."

"So, I can’t just do nothing."

"I don’t know if my being here can turn things around. But I don’t want to just sit back and wait for the worst. While I’m here, I’ll find a chance to talk with the old man."

"You just focus on taking care of yourself in the hospital. You don’t need to worry about me. Zelo and the others are here."

"And I haven’t forgotten my promise to you. When I get back, I’ll come to the hospital to see you."

In the hospital, the man leaned against the headboard, his hand gripping the phone by his ear.

After hearing her out, he pulled the phone away from his ear. His chest heaved violently a few times until he calmed down, then he brought the phone back and said to her:

"If anything happens to you, I won’t let anyone off the hook. Especially Silas Grant."

"I don’t need any of your placating promises."

"One week."

"One week at most."

"If you’re not back, I’m coming to find you."

Mia’s mouth fell open. "I..."

"Mia Grant, I’m not negotiating with you."

"If I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t lock you up the very moment I found you."

"..."

A tremor ran through Mia’s shoulders.

"You’re so disobedient."

"You’ve always been like this."

"On one hand, you try to please me, and on the other, you plan your escape."

"If I hadn’t gone soft and let you go in the beginning, none of this would be happening now."

"Maybe I should have just taken the chance to change your age and marry you."

"Instead of waiting for you all this time, watching you put yourself in such a dangerous situation for these unnecessary people."

"But..."

Mia’s heart tightened. Before she could say a word, she heard him take a sharp, ragged breath on the other end. Then, his voice suddenly calmed as he said, "But... if I could do it all over again, I’d still let you go."

"Because I know... I love you even more than I thought I did."