When Adrian Preston saw Shannon Preston in the bed, his face instantly turned livid.

He grabbed Shannon’s wrist and yanked her straight out of the bed. The force was so great it felt like he was about to tear her arm from its socket.

She stumbled to her feet and met Adrian’s terrifyingly dark, almond-shaped eyes, her heart trembling.

She remembered sneaking out as a child, and how furious Adrian had been when he found her.

That was the angriest she had ever seen him, but his fury now far surpassed that time. She was both terrified and jealous. ’Why should Mia Kane, who’s only been around for a short while, get to steal all the special treatment and affection that was once mine?’

’Why?’

"Where’s Mia?"

"Mia... Mia ran away... I came here today to settle things with her, but I never expected her to hold a knife to my face. She said she’d slash my face if I didn’t do what she said. I had no choice!"

"Then why didn’t you call me after she left?"

"I... I was scared of her. I was afraid she’d get back at me later for not listening. You know what she’s like. Who can control her?"

"So where did she go?"

"I don’t know, I don’t know anything..."

Furious, Adrian turned to leave, but Shannon mustered her courage and hugged him tightly from behind, trying to stall for time.

"Adrian, Mia isn’t good enough for you! There are so many other women, why does it have to be her? She doesn’t appreciate you at all! She’s desperate to get away from you. Why must you have this woman and no one else?"

"Adrian..."

Shannon pleaded desperately, but it was completely useless.

Adrian ruthlessly pushed her away.

She fell to the floor, her knees hitting the ground hard. The skin broke instantly, and blood began to flow.

In the past, Adrian would have been frantic with worry, but now he just looked down on her, his gaze icy.

"If she’s gone, I won’t let you off the hook!"

Adrian turned and left without a backward glance.

Shannon clenched her fists tightly as large tears streamed down her face.

’What am I to you? What am I, really? You’re the one who brought me back from the orphanage. You’re the one who hid the truth, afraid people would gossip about me being your adopted daughter. You gave me a complete sense of security, made me fall in love with you, and now you’re head over heels for another woman.’

’Adrian Preston... how could you be so cruel and trample on my love!’

But unfortunately, Adrian heard none of it.

He moved quickly, calling Theo Thorne as he went downstairs to his car.

He told him to track down Mia’s whereabouts.

Soon enough, Theo found Mia’s ticket purchase record.

The plane was scheduled to take off in ten minutes!

Adrian slammed his foot on the accelerator, speeding wildly.

He was so tense that his hands gripped the steering wheel in a death grip.

’I have to stop her.’ The thought consumed him.

’I can’t bear to let her go. I’ll lock her up, tie her down—whatever it takes to keep her by my side!’

’I will be with her for the rest of our lives!’

...

Time ticked by, second by second.

Mia had successfully boarded the plane. Everything in the cabin was normal, the doors were closed, and they were just waiting for takeoff.

Mia’s heart finally settled. This time, she had truly escaped Adrian.

She couldn’t bring herself not to resent him, but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him either, so it was best if they never saw each other again.

She turned off her phone, closed her eyes, and waited for the plane to take off.

A brand-new life was waiting for her.

But just then, a flight attendant hurried over. After whispering something to a colleague, she stopped in front of Mia.

"Ma’am, we’ve detected an issue with your passport. You may need to deplane to sort it out."

The color drained from Mia’s face.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell if this was Adrian’s doing or if there was a genuine problem with her passport.

"What’s wrong with my passport?"

"I’m not sure about the details. The ground staff will speak with you. I’m sorry for the trouble, but please deplane for now," the flight attendant said politely.

Mia looked at the reopened cabin door, a sense of dread washing over her.

’I can’t get off.’

This was the last flight of the day. If she remained in Argent, Adrian would definitely find her.

"There’s nothing wrong with my passport. Can’t we wait until we land? I can cooperate with you and go to the embassy for an investigation there."

"I’m sorry, ma’am, but if you don’t deplane, our flight cannot take off on time. It will delay the travel plans of all the other passengers."

As soon as she said that, the people around them began to murmur amongst themselves.

Mia looked around and saw nothing but resentful stares.

She had no choice but to get off the plane, watching helplessly as the aircraft that was supposed to be her escape flew away.

She quickly calmed herself. She couldn’t just be a sitting duck; she had to get out of the airport immediately.

She started walking back quickly but spotted several bodyguards in black suits. She immediately lowered her head, pulled up her mask, and hurried to avoid them.

But all the exits were blocked. She was completely trapped.

Everyone was being subjected to a second security check, and they had to show their faces.

Mia had no choice but to hide in a restroom. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She was like a caged animal, unable to escape.

The seconds ticked by, each one an agony.

She didn’t know how long she’d been waiting when she suddenly heard a noise outside.

Someone was knocking on the door of her stall.

"Sorry, occupied," she called out quickly.

"It’s me."

Adrian’s voice came from outside.

Mia’s heart skipped a beat. Only then did she notice the pair of men’s leather shoes under the stall door.

’He’s insane!’

’This is the women’s restroom!’

"Are you coming out on your own, or do I have to come in and escort you out?"

The man’s voice was steady, but she could still detect the undercurrent of suppressed rage.

’He’s angry... and the consequences will be severe.’

But she had nowhere left to hide. Resigned, she opened the stall door.

Their eyes met. An explosive tension hung in the air between them.

Her heart leaped into her throat.

"Come home with me," Adrian said coldly, then turned to leave.

She could only follow closely behind him, her mind racing, trying to figure out if there would be a chance to run on the way back.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice Adrian had suddenly stopped and turned around in front of her.

She walked right into his chest, her nose stinging from the impact.

"Why did you stop—"

Before she could finish her question, Adrian suddenly closed the distance and, without warning, sealed her lips with his.

She instinctively tried to pull away, pushing against his chest, but he held her fast. One arm clamped around her waist while the other hand threaded through her thick hair to cup the back of her head.

She couldn’t break free.

Furious, she bit down hard on his lip, breaking the skin. The thick, metallic taste of blood instantly filled her mouth.

He flinched in pain, his body tensing for a moment.

Mia thought he would stop, but he only paused for a second before his kiss became even more frantic.

He lifted her up and set her on the bathroom counter.

Her back was pressed against the cold mirror. Starved of oxygen, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, as if she were drunk.

Her very soul trembled.

"Still want to run?"