Chase Lockwood’s face turned ashen with anger, and for a moment, he was at a loss for a comeback.

Mia Kane had never come here willingly; it had always been against her will.

He was truly in the wrong and didn’t know what to say.

Adrian Preston pulled Mia away. Once they were in the car, the atmosphere inside was strange.

Mia felt so suffocated she could barely breathe.

’Is Adrian angry?’

’What does he have to be angry about? I was winning the fight. If I hadn’t been worried about the Preston Group getting dragged into this because of me, I never would have backed down and apologized.’

’I’m the one who feels wronged here, so why is he the one getting mad?’

Mia coughed lightly twice, trying to find her voice.

"Adrian... you see now, I’m just a troublemaker. You should hurry up and divorce me. The farther away you are from me, the better. I don’t follow the rules, I have a fiery temper, and I’m not the type to take things lying down. I’m advising you..."

She was in the middle of speaking when, unexpectedly, Adrian slammed on the brakes.

Her body flew forward uncontrollably, then slammed back into her seat, leaving her completely dazed.

"What are you doing?"

"Why did you apologize? You knew you weren’t in the wrong. You had every reason on your side. Even though you hit them, it was because they deliberately provoked you."

He demanded.

"Do you think I can’t stand up for you, that I can’t handle this for you? You don’t trust me anymore, do you?"

Mia froze, not expecting this was what he was angry about.

’I apologized and took the initiative to calm the situation, and I can’t believe he’s so unhappy about it.’

"I was causing trouble for you..."

she stammered.

’Has my brain broken, or has Adrian gone stupid?’

’Is he encouraging me to stir up trouble? Shouldn’t he be criticizing me?’

"So what if you caused trouble? Even if you poke a hole in the sky, I’ll hold it up for you!"

Adrian frowned, unconcerned. "I don’t go looking for trouble, but I’m never afraid of it."

A warmth spread through Mia’s chest. ’If only Adrian wasn’t the one who had violated me, how wonderful would that be?’

’Acting like this... how could anyone not be moved by him?’

Mia looked out the window, unwilling to meet his gaze.

’If I don’t get away soon, I’m really going to fall for him.’

’To fall for someone with your eyes wide open is the most painful thing. To know he’s the one who raped you, yet still develop feelings for him... it’s just too painful.’

"Mia, you listen to me. No matter how much trouble you get into out there, don’t be afraid. If you run into someone tough, you wait for me to come and back you up. If I hadn’t shown up this time, were you really going to take a hundred slaps?"

"Mm..."

"Mia—"

Adrian’s voice rose, clearly infuriated.

"I can protect you, do you hear me? No matter who you provoke or who you offend, I can protect you. From now on, you are not allowed to back down! Also, keep training for me. Your skills are still too poor."

Adrian was furious. He drove her all the way back to the villa, intending to supervise her training.

If she didn’t cooperate obediently, he wouldn’t leave that night.

To make him leave, Mia could only grit her teeth and train hard. Her body became even more toned and well-proportioned.

Mia clenched her fists. ’Next time I have to take on four people,’ she thought, ’I can do it without a scratch.’

Since Adrian was coming over every day, she started pestering him to teach her some of the things they learn at the police academy.

Things like reconnaissance skills, micro-expressions... a little bit of this and that.

’Next time I try to escape, I’ll be able to use counter-surveillance!’

When she was in a bad mood, she’d go to Old Parrish’s place to practice shooting. She wanted to master her marksmanship; it was always good to have a skill for self-protection.

"You’ve been coming around quite a bit lately."

"Just to have some fun."

Mia never told Adrian when she came, but whenever she did, Adrian would show up shortly after.

"Adrian’s always a step behind. Why don’t you two come together?"

"He’s busy."

Old Parrish was an experienced man. He understood they must be fighting and didn’t pry any further.

Mia was about to go practice at the shooting targets when she saw someone leading a horse over. She suddenly remembered there was also a horse stable nearby, backed by a hillside, specifically for riding.

Old Parrish had mentioned having fun at the stables before, but Mia hadn’t paid it any mind. Now, however, seeing the tall, handsome steed piqued her interest.

"This one... can I ride it?"

"Not this one. This horse is too fiery; it’s still being tamed. If you want to ride, I can pick out a docile one for you."

"Okay, okay!"

Mia’s eyes lit up.

Old Parrish took her to the paddock and, after careful selection, found a gentle horse.

He first taught Mia how to mount the horse, then held the reins and led her around to get her familiar with it.

"Go on, pet it, talk to it. Build a little rapport."

"Okay."

Mia stroked its mane, trying to bond with it.

After the horse had ambled around for a couple of laps, Mia was able to ride on her own.

She didn’t dare to go fast, so she just walked it in slow circles.

There were other people enjoying themselves in the large riding arena.

Just then, Adrian appeared.

"Perfect timing. You can hold the reins for her. I have something to attend to."

Old Parrish kept winking meaningfully at Adrian. Of course, Adrian understood Old Parrish’s good intentions.

"I think I can ride by myself now. I don’t need someone holding the reins." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Mia was a little reluctant.

"You’re just starting out. Safety should come first."

Hearing this, Mia lost her nerve.

But Adrian didn’t lead the horse by the reins. Instead, he swung himself up onto its back.

The saddle was only so big. The moment he was on, she felt how limited the space was, her back pressed firmly against his chest.

His hands reached around her to take the reins.

"Get down. I told you to lead it by the reins, so just lead it..."

Before she could finish, Adrian suddenly squeezed the horse’s belly with his legs. The horse neighed and immediately took off at a gallop.

Being led at a walk and breaking into a run were two completely different feelings.

It was Mia’s first time riding a running horse, and she felt like her butt was going to be bounced into several pieces.

She even felt like she was about to be thrown off.

Fortunately, Adrian’s arms were wrapped around her, which gave her a sense of security.

"Slower... can’t we go a little slower?"

"Don’t be nervous. Open your eyes and look forward, and you’ll discover the joy of riding."

"I can’t, I’m scared..."

"Shh, I’ve got you."

Those last three words seemed to hold a special kind of magic.

Mia summoned her courage and opened her eyes. Her vision expanded as they sped into the wind, giving her a feeling of roaming free through the world.

"Here, hold on yourself. To turn, just tighten the rein on that side. If you want to speed up, squeeze with your legs or give it a little switch."

"I... Can I really do it?"

Her nervous voice trembled.

"There’s nothing you can’t do. Believe in yourself. My Mia is the best."

Mia was so nervous that she didn’t even notice how intimate the words were.

She gripped the reins, her whole body tense.

She tried her best to control its direction. Luckily, the horse was very docile and didn’t resist her.

After two laps, Mia had adapted to the bumpy ride and felt it wasn’t a big deal.

The wind was WHOOSHING past her ears. Before her were forests and mountains, far from the clamor of the city. Mia cleared her mind of everything, thinking only of going faster.

She rode one more lap and wanted to stop, but it was her first time reining in a horse to slow it down. She was clumsy and accidentally pulled too hard, causing the horse a great deal of pain.

The horse cried out in pain and suddenly reared up on its hind legs, its body almost vertical.

On the horse’s back, Mia felt an unprecedented sense of weightlessness as her body fell uncontrollably downward.

With a THUD, she hit the ground but felt no pain.

Adrian was underneath her, acting as a human cushion.

He held her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head and the other protecting her lower back and spine.

Those two areas were the most critical; an injury to either would have been a huge problem.

At most, she would only get a few minor scrapes.

But him... his face had gone pale.

’Falling from that high without any protection... it must hurt a lot!’