The little boy seemed a little shy. If it had just been him and Mia Kane, his smile would have been genuinely radiant. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But with the policeman there, he wasn’t sure how to smile anymore. He managed a textbook fake smile, baring his teeth in a wide grin and flashing a V-sign.

"Scoot over."

Wanting to stand next to Mia Kane, Adrian Preston unceremoniously squeezed the little boy to the side.

Mia Kane shot him an annoyed glare before putting her arm around the little boy, snuggling close to him with a gentle smile.

"Can I give you a kiss?"

"Of course you can."

The little boy happily planted a kiss on her cheek.

Mia Kane raised her phone, about to capture the scene. But just as she hit the shutter button, Adrian Preston leaned in from the side.

Caught off guard, she snapped the picture anyway.

In the photo, she wore a radiant smile while being kissed on both cheeks, one from the left and one from the right.

She gave Adrian Preston a strange look. ’Can you not do that? It’s really easy to give people the wrong idea.’

’What’s the point of being so intimate?’

"Pictures look better this way," Adrian Preston said calmly, appearing completely natural, as if he had no ulterior motives.

’If she were to question him now, she’d seem unreasonable.’

’It’s just a kiss on the cheek. If the little boy can do it, can’t he?’

Mia Kane’s thoughts were thrown into turmoil.

She sent the photo to the boy’s father. The boy had to go for his check-up, so they could only wave goodbye.

Mia Kane found a picture of the three of them smiling at the camera together, with no questionable actions.

She thought about posting it to her social media feed, but decided against it and quietly photoshopped Adrian Preston out.

’It’s better if he doesn’t appear on my feed. It would look too much like we’re showing off as a couple.’

Adrian Preston glanced at her phone. She was creating a post with a photo and was in the middle of writing the caption.

"Met a fellow patient. Hope he gets well soon! (PS: He’s a fake-smile boy!)"

Soon after she sent it, likes and comments started rolling in.

Mia Kane opened her notifications and was surprised to see that Adrian Preston had also liked it.

Adrian Preston’s feed was blank, showing only a single line—not because he’d blocked anyone, but because he hadn’t posted in a million years.

On top of that, his profile picture was the national emblem. At first glance, you would think he was an old man; who would have guessed he was young and handsome?

She instinctively looked up at Adrian Preston, only to find his cool, dark gaze fixed on her.

"Am I that ugly? So unpresentable you’re ashamed to be seen with me?"

"My friends are all people I actually know. Posting your photo would be like a public display of affection. How awkward would that be if we get divorced later? Let’s just keep things quiet and not interfere in each other’s private lives."

Her family was only middle-class, and her circle of friends was from a similar background; they probably didn’t even know about her marriage to Adrian Preston.

The less fuss, the better; it was best not to announce it.

It was one thing for them to find out from someone else, but if it came from her, it would feel like she was deliberately humblebragging.

Adrian Preston’s face darkened further.

"Why are you always thinking about divorce?"

"It’s not that I’m always thinking about it, it’s just... I’m afraid..."

She had to leave herself an out, to not seal off her own escape routes. Her fall with Chase Lockwood had been too devastating. Once bitten, twice shy.

"Adrian Preston, no feeling in this world is permanent; it’s all just a fleeting novelty. The one you can’t have is always the most desirable! I used to truly believe Chase Lockwood was madly in love with Vivian Lynch, that his youthful admiration had turned to obsession. He didn’t mind that she was marrying for the second time, he just had to have her, even going so far as to find a stand-in."

"But what’s the reality? The person he loves most is himself. When his own interests were on the line, he chose to sacrifice Vivian Lynch. Right now, I feel a novelty with you, too. This momentary rush is understandable. But to hope for something permanent would be just plain stupid."

"You’re the same. You’re just in it for the novelty. After a while, you’ll get tired of me."

Adrian Preston didn’t respond to her monologue. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking; his gaze was frighteningly still and deep, as if a ferocious beast lurked within, ready to devour her whole.

After a long silence, Adrian Preston finally spoke.

"Mia Kane, you met one piece of trash and decided to paint everyone with the same brush. That’s a bit too sweeping of a judgment, don’t you think?"

"Maybe," she said. "Anyway... I just don’t dare anymore."

Hearing this, Adrian Preston silently clenched his fists.

He only hated himself for being a step too late. He had been away on a mission when he heard the Kane family was in trouble and had rushed back without a moment’s rest.

He was just one day too late!

Chase Lockwood had already offered her a helping hand.

He had secretly watched her once, three years ago. The Mia Kane back then was still so naive and pure, looking at Chase Lockwood as if he were a god, her eyes filled with worship and adoration.

He had protected so many people, yet he had missed the one person he wanted to protect most.

One slow step, and the entire game is lost.

He knew then that his chance was gone. He could only sincerely wish her well, never imagining Chase Lockwood would hurt her.

This time, his timing had been perfect. She was trapped on the cargo ship, and he was the one who saved her.

He thought Mia would see him as her god this time, that she would give him her entire heart.

But he had underestimated the damage Chase Lockwood had inflicted, which had caused her to seal her heart away, unwilling to take even a single step out.

And so, it seemed his game was unwinnable, with no chance of a miraculous comeback.

"Mia Kane, either you stick to your word and love no one. Or you can only..."

His voice became inaudible at the end. She looked at him in confusion.

"I can only what...?"

"Nothing. If you fall in love with someone else in the future, I’ll break your legs. That’ll teach you to remember the bullshit you spouted today."

"You can’t be serious. That’s so harsh."

Her expression changed; she had a feeling he was the type of man who would actually do what he said.

At this moment, she truly didn’t believe in love. She attributed her favorable impression of Adrian Preston to the fact that he had saved her, to the idealizing filter of his profession, and to his damn sense of responsibility. It was a fleeting novelty; perhaps, after some time, she wouldn’t feel anything at all.

But there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t have a sudden whim later on to play the field and date around a little.

After all, who could predict the future?

What if some handsome young man came along and soothed her heartache?

"I mean what I say."

Adrian Preston shot her a domineering glance that scared her into silence.

’So if I really fall in love in the future, my life will be on the line?’

"Well... I guess I can believe in love, just a tiny little bit."

"Too late. If you dare find someone else, I’ll dare to break your legs."

He said it icily, his expression grave. He wasn’t joking.

Mia Kane enjoyed the sun for a bit before returning to her hospital room. She glanced at her phone and saw that Vivian Lynch’s apology was number one on the trending list again.

It seemed someone was secretly going head-to-head with Chase Lockwood.

Who?

A single name surfaced in her mind: Adrian Preston.

She decided to wait for Adrian Preston to bring it up himself, but unexpectedly, even after a week in the hospital and getting her stitches out, he hadn’t mentioned the matter at all.

She began to doubt whether he was the one behind it after all.

"This is scar cream. Apply it every day. I can’t promise it will go back to how it was, but it’ll be better."

"Come over. I’ll apply it for you."

He knelt on one knee, gently taking her leg and resting it on his own knee. He then took out the cool ointment and began to apply it to her wound.

The long wound was healing with new pink flesh, which looked somewhat out of place.

He applied the cream gently, but he wasn’t finished. Gripping her leg firmly, he began to work the ointment in little by little with the warmth of his palm.

The gesture was somewhat intimate, yet he carried it out with the utmost seriousness.

"You need to warm it up to help the medicine absorb better. From now on, you have to do it like I am, spreading it with your palm."

Mia Kane felt uneasy and tried to pull her leg back, but he gripped her ankle to stop her.

"Don’t move. I’m putting on your medicine."