She couldn’t hold on any longer. Her body ached, and her consciousness was fading.

Baldy ripped at her clothes, his face a mask of excitement and greed.

Just then, the door burst open.

BANG. A bullet pierced Baldy’s forehead. His eyes went wide, his pupils slowly lost focus, and he collapsed on top of her.

She scrambled to push him off, overjoyed in that instant like a little girl.

"Adrian... You came..."

The words died on her lips as she froze. The rest of her sentence caught, absurdly, in her throat.

It was King, not Adrian.

"What? Disappointed to see me?"

Mia pressed her lips together in silence and slowly backed into a corner.

She curled into a ball, hugging herself tightly.

’I already knew the answer, so what was I even hoping for?’

King ordered his men to take the body away, but the heavy scent of blood still lingered in the room.

King walked up to her and reached out to check the wound on her face, but Mia flinched away.

"You’re interesting. You look so soft and weak, but you’re more stubborn than anyone. In the hands of bad men, the tougher you act, the more they want to break you."

"You’re a woman. What’s the point of being so tough? If you’d just yield a little, things would be much easier for you."

"Just kill me. Adrian won’t come for me. A hundred million... Heh."

She gave a self-mocking laugh. ’He really thought too highly of me, believing Adrian would actually pay a hundred million to save me.’

’His precious sister got hurt, so he must have been frantic. He’s probably pacing by her hospital bed right this second.’

’Even if his feelings for Shannon Preston aren’t romantic, they share a deep sibling bond that no one can ever replace.’

’Marrying this man meant having a horrid sister-in-law wedged between us. A marriage like this is suffocating.’

"Mrs. Preston, why do you have so little confidence in yourself?"

King sighed, grabbed her by the shoulder, and dragged her up to the deck.

The sea was rough, and the wind was so strong she could barely keep her footing.

Strands of messy black hair blew across her face, obscuring her vision. Through the gaps, she could faintly make out a boat closing in on them.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed to the railing.

’It’s Adrian...’ 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’It’s really Adrian...’

’He actually came to rescue me all by himself?’

At that moment, Mia’s heart, which had been silent to the point of death, suddenly began to pound violently in her chest.

’I always thought I was the one who’d be abandoned.’

’Just like that other night, when I was in despair, waiting for Chase Lockwood to come save me, but he never did.’

’And just now, I thought the same would happen—that I wouldn’t be able to hold on until Adrian came.’

’I never expected him to actually come.’

Her heart soared with the joy of a child.

"If he gives you the ransom, you’ll let me go, right?"

she asked excitedly.

But King just looked at her, his gaze mocking, as if laughing at her naivety.

Mia’s heart clenched painfully.

’Could it be...? Did they lure Adrian here on purpose? Not just for the ransom, but for his life?’

She immediately screamed in Adrian’s direction, "Don’t come any closer! It’s a trap! They don’t just want the money, they want to kill you! Go! Get out of here... Leave me!"

She screamed with all her might, unsure if Adrian could even hear her as his boat drew ever closer.

Mia was so frantic she was on the verge of tears.

"Don’t come closer! Go! It’s a trap..."

He was getting closer. She was certain he’d heard her this time, yet he continued to press forward without hesitation.

He was right there, within arm’s reach.

Mia’s heart felt fit to burst, and she couldn’t tell if the hot tears streaming down her cheeks were from relief or terror.

’I wanted him to come, and he did. But now all I want is for him to leave.’

King propped a foot on the railing, looking every bit the street thug in his sunglasses.

He whistled at the approaching Adrian.

"Tsk, President Preston’s got guts, really coming alone to deliver the ransom."

"The money’s here. Let her go."

Adrian patted the two large cases he was holding.

"Come aboard. I’ll let her go once I’ve inspected the goods."

"Don’t come aboard..."

Mia cried out urgently.

Adrian gave her a long, deep look, then came aboard anyway.

His heart clenched at the sight of her injuries. He gently caressed her.

"I’m sorry I put you through this."

"Didn’t you already choose Shannon Preston?"

"She’s my sister; I had to save her. You’re my wife; I have to save you too! If Shannon didn’t get immediate medical attention, she would have died. I had no choice. But I would never stand by and let something happen to you. If I can’t save you, I’ll die here with you."

Every word was a solemn vow.

Mia’s heart quaked at his words.

’So there really was someone in this world who would choose me so resolutely.’

’I can understand why he chose Shannon. She’s the sister he grew up with; how could he just abandon a bond forged over so many years?’

’He was being a brother.’

’But he hadn’t forgotten that he was also a husband.’

He sheltered her behind him and handed over the cases.

Adrian was searched. He had no communication devices or weapons on him.

Now, they were completely at King’s mercy.

"Let her go. I know what you’re after. You want to take me to William. Well, here I am. What kind of man gets his kicks bullying a woman?"

"Relax. You brought the ransom, so of course I’ll let her go. She’s useless to me now!"

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief.

"A boat’s been prepared for you. The course is already programmed; it will take you back to the port. Theo Thorne will meet you there."

"And you? William... he’s the mastermind... If you knew what they were planning, why did you still come?"

Mia gripped his sleeve, tears spilling from her eyes.

’If Adrian dies because of me, I’ll never be able to live with myself.’

Adrian gently wiped away her tears.

Then he pulled her into a tight embrace.

He whispered something softly in her ear, then released her.

Mia stared at him, stunned, taking a long moment to process what he’d said.

"Go now. And don’t look back."

In a daze, Mia disembarked from the cargo ship and got into the speedboat.

All she had to do was press a button, and the speedboat would pilot itself.

Steeling herself, she started the boat and sped away.

The cargo ship started up behind her as well, the distance between the two vessels growing ever wider.

But Mia couldn’t stop herself. She looked back.

A gun was pressed to Adrian’s head. He stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on her.

She whipped her head around, not daring to look again. Behind her... a gunshot echoed across the water.

Mia made it to the shore, where not only Theo Thorne but also the police were waiting.

"Mrs. Preston, you’re finally back safe and sound."

Theo Thorne rushed to support her.

As Mia stepped onto the shore, her legs felt like jelly, and she nearly collapsed.

Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

She didn’t expect Shannon Preston to be there too.

She was sitting in a wheelchair, her wound bandaged and no longer bleeding.

She looked past Mia, and when she saw that Adrian wasn’t behind her, she let out a furious, grief-stricken roar.

"Where’s my brother? Where did my brother go? Mia Kane, you’re a jinx! Nothing good ever happens when my brother is with you. If anything happens to him, I’ll fight you to the death! I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you..."