I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 25 - 23: Bite Mark

Family?

Mia Grant was slow to react. "My family is here to pick me up? How come I didn’t know?"

’Could there be a mistake?’

The dorm manager urged her, "Aren’t you sick? Your family said they’re taking you to see a doctor."

"..."

’Since when was she sick?’

"What does he look like?"

"A thin young man, not particularly tall. He looks refined and gentle, maybe in his twenties or thirties."

She carefully searched her mind for such a person but came up with nothing.

Her family could only mean the Grant Family, but no one she knew from there fit the description.

Unable to figure out who it could be, Mia Grant changed her clothes and went downstairs to investigate.

As she stepped out of the elevator, the dorm manager pointed. "Hey, that’s him over there at the entrance."

The man had his back to her. Mia Grant narrowed her eyes, studying his figure.

’I have no memory of him at all.’

’There are no numbers above his head. He’s not a main male lead.’

Hearing her footsteps, the man turned around.

"You are..." Seeing his face, Mia Grant grew even more confused.

She had a poor memory. He looked a little familiar, so she must have met him before, but she couldn’t recall where.

"Miss Grant." The man bowed slightly. "I’m Mr. Grant’s assistant. Mr. Grant is waiting for you in the car."

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Mia Grant blinked, the realization dawning on her slowly. "You’re with Silas Grant?"

"Yes."

Mia Grant sucked in a sharp breath.

’What is with tonight? One thing after another...’

’Did these guys plan this? Are they taking turns bombarding me?’

[Host, look on the bright side. At least the three of them didn’t have scheduling conflicts.]

"...Right. They even know how to wait in line. How considerate of them," Mia Grant said with a dry laugh.

’They really don’t see me as a person, do they?’

’What kind of decent person has to go through military training during the day and deal with three mad dogs at night?’

"Miss Grant?"

The assistant motioned for her to snap out of it.

Mia Grant had no choice but to walk outside with him.

There was nothing she could do. Silas Grant had already come up with an excuse for her to take leave, and the dorm manager would definitely let her go.

She couldn’t struggle now. Her only option was to try and have a serious talk with him in the car.

Back at the funeral, she would have willingly gone with him, whether it was to stay in Jynsia or go to Portia. Anywhere would have been fine; at least it would have been safe.

But not now.

Setting aside the rift between them, she had already started school. She didn’t want to ruin this hard-won college experience.

The assistant opened an umbrella and held the rear car door for her.

With a silent sigh, Mia Grant ducked into the car.

How should she put it?

It was like an actor who had already taken her bows, broken character, and relaxed. She’d turned around on stage, ready to clock out, only for the curtain behind her to suddenly rise. Then, the director’s voice came through her earpiece, informing her they were adding an impromptu scene.

’Free overtime. As if she could be happy about that.’

Fortunately, after the previous emergencies, her professionalism was solid. She could quickly get her emotions in check and slip back into character.

"Silas Grant?"

The light in the back seat wasn’t on. Mia Grant turned her head, able to see his face only by the faint light filtering in from the streetlamps outside his window.

Silas Grant was also looking at her.

The car was already moving.

The scenery outside retreated as the car’s interior flickered between light and shadow.

Mia Grant’s heart tightened. She clutched the hem of her skirt and called his name again in a low voice.

This time, her call seemed to awaken the dormant man. Silas Grant’s lips curved as he reached out to her. "Come, come to my side."

The man’s voice was hoarse, yet his tone was exceptionally gentle, like an old fox in the depths of a forest luring a little white rabbit.

Unfortunately for him, the rabbit before him was no ordinary little white one.

Mia Grant lowered her gaze and didn’t move.

"Mia."

His tone deepened.

The girl spoke somewhat awkwardly, "About last time... you still haven’t explained."

Silas Grant had already forgotten what she was referring to.

Her reminder made him recall with a jolt of realization.

It was clear that, to him, the matter wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Disappointment filled Mia Grant’s eyes. Before she could speak the line on the tip of her tongue, a hand took hers from her lap. An instant later, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and the man effortlessly lifted her.

She let out a small cry. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already sitting on Silas Grant’s lap.

The man’s scorching body pressed against her from behind, like an impenetrable wall clinging tightly to her slender back.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath fanning across her ear. Her shoulder blades trembled faintly with his every breath.

"Silas Grant..."

He pressed his index finger to her lips in a hushing gesture.

"Let’s just hold each other for a bit."

"My dear, I haven’t rested properly in a long time because of you."

The exhaustion in his tone was undeniable.

"..."

’It was a self-pity ploy, but not entirely.’

Mia Grant could guess that while she had been at school these past few days, things outside hadn’t been peaceful.

There was a reason Kian Keller and Silas Grant used to be close enough to be considered brothers.

Their methods were on par with each other. It was just that Kian Keller currently had the geographical advantage, making it easier for him to put pressure on Silas Grant.

Now that they had turned on each other, it was diamond cut diamond, a bandit against a gangster, fighting with fierce intensity.

And because of that, she had been able to live so comfortably during this time, free from Kian Keller and Silas Grant’s interference.

For both of them to show up one after the other tonight, it was highly likely that a winner had been decided between them.

The result was obvious. Silas Grant had a more steady temperament, had been raised as the family heir since childhood, and had navigated the business world for so many years. If he wasn’t almost certain of his victory, he wouldn’t have shown up tonight.

If he had merely wanted to see her on an impulse, he’d had plenty of opportunities in the past few days.

But he didn’t want a fleeting moment.

He wanted forever.

Silas Grant took her hand, brought it in front of her, and caressed it gently, greedily immersing himself in her scent.

After a long moment, he seemed to have regained his energy and sighed contentedly. "Still mad at me?"

"Do you believe what Kian Keller said?"

Because he was holding her by the shoulders and neck, Mia Grant could only shake her head slightly. "No, I don’t believe him. But I know that Mom... she really did attack me because of you..."

She lowered her head. The past scenes were vivid in her mind, the bloody wounds right before her eyes, but Silas Grant couldn’t see them.

"I’m sorry." His attitude was perfect, readily accepting her point.

He kissed the shell of her ear—a series of soft, close-set kisses devoid of lust, more like he was soothing an injured fledgling.

"I apologize to you."

"It was indeed my oversight before. I didn’t expect them to react so violently and cause you harm."

"Something like this will never happen again."

"I won’t let them appear before you again."

"..."

She turned her head, her eyes filled with doubt.

The girl’s eyes were clear. Silas Grant met her gaze, and his own darkened. The finger that had been lingering by her lips silently moved to her cheek, slid down, and then tilted her chin up.

She tilted her head back slightly, blinking in confusion.

It was a perfect position for a kiss.

Someone pressed the switch for the overhead light in the back seat.

The light was dim and yellow, not harsh at all. Its hazy quality actually enhanced the ambiguous, restless atmosphere.

"Mia, open your mouth."

Mia Grant’s eyelashes trembled violently as she uncontrollably opened her mouth.

The pink tip of her tongue brushed against the base of her teeth, revealing a bite mark.