Mia Kane immediately went to see the best psychiatrist in the city.

"Don’t be nervous. Sit down and let’s talk for a bit."

The doctor didn’t look very old, and Mia Kane found herself doubting his professionalism.

The decor didn’t resemble a consulting room; it was more like a cozy little den, and it lacked the pungent smell of disinfectant.

The doctor asked her what she wanted to drink. He offered coffee and tea, and even bubble tea.

Mia Kane was a little nervous and ordered a bubble tea.

The doctor brought it over, smiling as he looked at her.

"So, what kind of problem are you having?"

"I think I have Stockholm Syndrome. I know perfectly well he’s not a good person, but I can’t control my feelings. I worry about him, I’m fascinated by him."

"What did he do to you? Was it some kind of mental or physical abuse?"

Mia Kane bit her lip, unsure for a moment if she should tell him everything.

’He’s a doctor. Logically, I should trust him.’

’But I’m also afraid. If I tell people about Adrian Preston’s misconduct, will it affect him?’

Mia Kane felt she was sick, terminally so.

The doctor could see her hesitation.

"I won’t charge for this session. Let’s just have a simple chat. Patients with psychological issues are often unwilling to open up. This is our first time meeting, so you can’t be expected to trust me immediately."

"Later, we can just talk about..."

As the doctor was speaking, a nurse unexpectedly called for him from outside.

"I’m sorry, I have to go take care of something. Please wait here for me for a moment."

Mia Kane wanted to say she might as well just leave, but the doctor got up and left so quickly that she didn’t even have a chance to speak.

Left alone, Mia Kane didn’t feel too awkward, since the place didn’t feel like a hospital.

The sofa she was on was incredibly comfortable, like being enveloped by clouds. She even tried lying down on it.

A clock hung on the wall, its crisp ticking echoing faintly.

Not far away was a fish tank, the aerator bubbling away.

Just listening to this natural white noise, she surprisingly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.

She had only meant to lie down for a moment and had even planned to ask the doctor for a link to buy the chaise lounge, but before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

In her dream... she was standing alone on a pier.

Waves crashed around her, and a nondescript cargo ship was docked right in front of her.

Her heart clenched when she saw it. This was the cargo ship she had been trapped on.

Just then, she saw a person hurrying along with a case in hand.

She looked closely, and her heart tightened.

It was... herself.

She was carrying the ransom money to save Chase Lockwood.

"Don’t go!"

She tried to stop her without a second thought, but it was useless. She was like a phantom that no one could see.

She watched her past self get foolishly detained while Chase Lockwood left without a backward glance.

The men waited for a few hours, but when Chase Lockwood still hadn’t shown up, they started getting reckless.

"You’re making her drink that much? It could kill someone!"

"So what? Even if Chase Lockwood comes back, we’ll be long gone!"

The man was unfazed.

A normal person would only need one packet’s worth, but they had put a full three or four packets in her bowl.

It would cause blood vessels to dilate, blood to flow too quickly, and the heart’s oxygen load to become too high.

It could easily cause sudden death!

Seeing this, Mia Kane’s eyes went bloodshot, the veins on her temples throbbed, and she clenched her fists tightly.

But there was nothing she could do.

She knew clearly that this had happened in the past; this was just a dream.

She was trapped in a nightmare.

Just then, there was a commotion outside, and the ship began to rock violently.

Mia Kane froze, but quickly realized: Adrian Preston was boarding the ship with his men.

She hurried to the deck and saw Adrian Preston in uniform for the first time. His hair was cut extremely short, his gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, and his movements were impossibly agile.

He led the charge, unstoppable, clearly fighting with no regard for his own life.

Several times, she saw bullets graze his cheek. The slightest misstep would have meant a shot to the head.

Each time, he relied on his superhuman agility to barely dodge them.

The group boarded the ship and quickly subdued everyone.

Adrian Preston began searching for the hostage, but in the end, he only found her.

Without a word, Adrian Preston took off his jacket and draped it over her disheveled past self.

Mia Kane knew in her heart: the drug was about to take effect!

Adrian Preston picked her up to leave but noticed something was wrong with her and carried her back into a cabin.

He ordered all his men off the ship, permitting no one to stay behind.

Because he was the commanding officer, the others dared not disobey his order.

The door... closed.

Mia Kane rushed forward, trying to get in, but found herself blocked, stuck outside the door.

’How is this possible? Aren’t I in a spirit form? Why can’t I get in?’

She pounded on the door, the sound deafening.

"Adrian Preston, stop! Don’t do something rash! I’ll hate you for the rest of my life, don’t do it! I’m begging you!"

No matter how she cried and shouted, it was useless. The people inside couldn’t seem to hear her.

Mia Kane knew she couldn’t change anything. This had already happened in the past.

In her despair, she wanted to leave this place, but then she heard a soft moan.

Mia Kane stood outside the door, her feet feeling as if they were filled with lead. She heard her own desperate pleas...

Her head was splitting. Some memories seemed about to break free and surge forth, but no matter how hard she tried to think, she couldn’t recall the specific details.

She didn’t remember what the two of them had said, either.

The words that followed were right there, as if whispered in her ear. She was speaking, Adrian Preston was speaking, but she just couldn’t hear them clearly.

BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ...

Mia Kane felt as if she’d fallen into some strange loop. The world was spinning around her. She suddenly awoke, drenched in sweat.

"You’re awake. How was it? Did you sleep alright?"

The doctor was watching her from the side. He handed her a tissue. "Wipe your sweat."

Mia Kane’s face was pale. She quickly wiped her brow. "Was... was that hypnosis?"

"Not in the strictest sense. I just felt that you were too mentally exhausted and tense, so I wanted to help you get some good, deep rest. Because you were sleeping so deeply, you saw some things, didn’t you?"

"Yes... I saw some past experiences, but why couldn’t I see them clearly? Weren’t they things that happened to me?"

"Miss Kane, would you mind telling me about your past medical history? Have you ever had a major illness or been injured in an accident?"

"Yes. I was mischievous as a child. I went out to play once and nearly died. I suffered a head injury."

The doctor was silent for a moment before saying, "Miss Kane, the human brain is an incredibly complex organ. When it perceives pain, it can activate a defense mechanism, erasing certain bad memories to protect itself."

"I think your brain has blocked that part of your past, unwilling to let you see it."

Mia Kane had a sudden realization. No wonder she could never remember the details.

It wasn’t that she was desperate to remember how she and Adrian Preston had made love; she just felt like she had forgotten many other important things.

"Miss Kane, if I may speak frankly, I think you’re perfectly normal,"

the doctor added, looking into her eyes.

This time, it was Mia Kane’s turn to feel panicked.