"Adrian, I know they weren’t going to starve me to death, but when you’re pushed to the brink of starvation, you lose the ability to think. I was only starved for three days, but you have no idea what that gnawing hunger feels like. I couldn’t walk, I saw stars, and I started hallucinating. I wanted to eat everything."

"It felt like countless hands were inside my stomach, reaching up my throat, begging me to swallow something. All I could do was drink water. I drank until I threw up, drank until all I did was go to the bathroom. After the fleeting feeling of being full, there was just endless hunger."

"I would wake up in the middle of the night from the hunger and be unable to fall back asleep. I could only force myself to drift into a daze again, and even my dreams were filled with the feeling of starvation."

"I was so scared. That’s why I took the risk and escaped from the balcony. At that moment, I truly believed the whole ’hunger test’ was a lie. How could anyone survive seven days without food? I felt like I was going to die after just three. I had to run. I had to get out and find something to eat."

"I finally managed to risk everything and escape, but I was too hungry, too weak. I couldn’t walk. I thought some kind person would find and save me, but instead, I attracted a wolf..."

"Don’t say any more."

Adrian knew what she had been through, but hearing it now from the victim’s perspective, feeling her helplessness and despair, made his heart clench violently, hurting terribly.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly.

But Mia’s voice continued.

"He dragged me to an abandoned construction site where there were no security cameras... Actually, even if he had succeeded, I wouldn’t have died. After all, I’ve been through something like this once before. I wouldn’t kill myself over some worthless person or so-called ’chastity.’ I would have kept on living, at most enduring a few whispers and pointed fingers."

"Mia..."

"Can’t bear to listen? But that’s what I really went through. Fortunately, when it seemed like all hope was lost, someone saved me. It was Chase Lockwood, the man I hate most. Isn’t that ironic? I could have spent my life plotting every possible way to get revenge on him, but now he’s saved my life. The good and the bad cancel each other out."

"Adrian... you have your difficulties, and I can understand that, but I’m the victim here. I’m not blaming anyone. There’s no law that says you absolutely had to save me. But... I was dragged into this because of you. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t order it or if you were just protecting Shannon. Because of you, I was indirectly forced to go through all of this."

"I can’t just pretend like nothing happened, not anytime soon. So Adrian, don’t push me."

The apology Adrian wanted to give was caught in his throat, unable to come out. At this moment, all words seemed utterly pale and meaningless.

The harm she had suffered was real.

His large hand gently stroked her head, his body trembling slightly from intense self-reproach.

"I was too selfish. What right do I have to ask for your forgiveness?"

"Adrian... whether I forgive you or not doesn’t really matter. You don’t have to care. We’re just a fake married couple. Grandpa only has about a year left. If you do the math, we only have a few months of this left to endure."

"When the time comes, we’ll get a divorce and go our separate ways. There’s no need to get too invested."

Mia couldn’t see the look on Adrian’s face right then. If she had, she would have seen the fervor deep in his eyes, like an erupting volcano splattering molten lava.

’I won’t get a divorce,’ he thought. ’Even if I have to tie her up or put her under house arrest, I’ll keep her by my side.’

’To hell with any laws, as long as I get what I want!’

Mia pushed him away, and the malevolent aura in his eyes instantly vanished without a trace.

"Adrian, I’m sorry for being so blunt. You don’t have to forgive me for it. But we’ve said what we needed to. Let’s go inside. We shouldn’t make Grandpa worry."

She got up to leave, but the next second, Adrian’s large hand wrapped around her waist.

"Hm?"

"You said it yourself, didn’t you? We shouldn’t make Grandpa worry."

Mia didn’t struggle, and the two of them went inside together to see Grandpa.

Seeing how close they looked, Grandpa breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them stayed for lunch, took a short nap, played chess with Grandpa, and made some snacks. It was a full and busy day.

That evening, Adrian drove her home.

"I left something here and forgot to take it with me. Can I come in and get it?"

"This is your house, after all."

Adrian followed her inside, only to find Owen Sinclair in the living room.

"Owen? You haven’t left yet?"

Mia was a little surprised. Earlier in the evening, the housekeeper had called to tell her that Owen had dropped off her car. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

To show her gratitude, she had asked the housekeeper to invite Owen in for tea.

She had assumed that since she wasn’t home, he would leave after finishing his tea. She hadn’t expected him to wait for over an hour.

"I remembered you have a few issues of ER, the fashion magazine. You can’t subscribe to it anymore, so I was hoping to borrow them since I was already here."

"Oh, I see. I’ll take you to my art studio to get them for you in a bit."

"Adrian, are you staying here tonight?"

"Yes."

"No."

The two of them spoke at the same time, giving different answers. The atmosphere grew tense.

Mia quickly explained, "He still has work to do tonight. He’s just grabbing something and then he’ll leave."

"Working so late? You should take care of yourself."

Adrian pressed his lips together, his expression dark and sullen.

"Weren’t you going to get your things?" Mia urged.

Adrian reluctantly went upstairs. He hadn’t actually left anything behind; he had just made up an excuse to spend more time with her.

"I have a favorite business shirt that I can’t find anywhere. It might take me a while to look for it."

"That’s fine, you go ahead and look. I’ll go entertain Owen."

Mia turned and left for her art studio.

It was a room she had specially decorated in a style she loved. Inside, a large shelf was filled with all sorts of paints, brushes, papers, and stacks of fashion magazines.

In the middle of the room was a beanbag chair and a projector, perfect for relaxing while watching fashion shows.

She handed the magazines to Owen, who began to flip through them while probing indirectly, "Have you and Adrian made up?"

"We never fought. Our relationship has always been like this."

She didn’t even consider it a fight. She still communicated with Adrian normally, as if they were just friends.

Now, she treated Adrian like a colleague. They needed to communicate for work-related matters and occasionally had to socialize for business.

"By the way, you brought my car over, so how are you getting back?"

"I’ll get a taxi later."

"You really didn’t have to go to the trouble. You could have just driven it to the office instead of making a trip out here in the middle of the night."

"It’s no trouble. I was worried you might need the car tomorrow. May I take a look around your studio?"

"Of course, feel free to look around. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

She asked politely.

"Yes, please."

Owen didn’t refuse.

Mia then instructed the kitchen to prepare some food. After the staff had been replaced, they were indeed more attentive, catering to her every request.

Adrian came downstairs, carrying something, just in time to overhear this.

"What? You’re going to eat with Owen Sinclair?"

"Yes, we’re having a late-night snack."

"I’m a little hungry too. Can I stay and eat with you?"

Mia frowned. ’Is everyone getting hungry so easily today?’

"Fine, we can all eat together."

’What’s one more person, anyway.’

When Owen finished looking around the art studio, he was surprised to see that Adrian still hadn’t left.

"Didn’t find your things?"

"I’m staying here tonight."

Adrian said, enunciating each word clearly.

The expression on Owen’s face was clearly off, but he forced himself to maintain his suave and graceful demeanor.

"I see... And where’s Mia?"

"She went upstairs to shower and change."

"Then I’ll just wait in the living room for a bit."

"Owen Sinclair."

Adrian stopped him. "Have you forgotten what you promised me? You said you had a moral compass, that you wouldn’t destroy someone else’s marriage. So what do you think you’re doing right now?"