The first thing Adrian Preston did upon waking was dive into his work. He didn’t rest for a moment, and if Mia Kane hadn’t strictly forbidden it, he probably would have worked from dawn till dusk.

Adrian Preston would dare to argue with anyone, but the moment he saw Mia Kane, he instantly backed down.

Theo Thorne couldn’t resist a sarcastic remark. "Mia, you’re the only one who can handle him. I told Adrian to take a break, but he wouldn’t listen. My words are nothing compared to his wife’s."

Adrian shot him a glare. In the past, Theo would have immediately backed down, but with Mia here today, he was feeling bold.

"Mia, you really need to keep Adrian in line. He’s just so stubborn. I heard that back on the force, he was always the first to volunteer for dangerous missions. While everyone else had their reservations, he was a total daredevil."

"Why are you so chatty today?"

Adrian’s voice turned cold, and Theo knew when to quit.

Theo made a hasty exit.

"You know you’re a patient, so why aren’t you listening to the doctor’s orders and getting some proper rest?"

Adrian pressed his lips together, obediently taking the lecture.

’He wouldn’t tell Mia he was doing it on purpose, just to make her care for him a little more.’

’He knew his methods weren’t exactly honorable, and that affection gained through scheming might not be genuine.’

’But so what? At least for now, her concern for him was real, and that was enough.’

"Do you get tired of always having to remind me?" he asked tentatively.

Mia shot him a look. "Adrian Preston, stop being so insecure and don’t pull this act on me. It’s normal for me to get annoyed sometimes. It’s occasional; it doesn’t mean I actually dislike you. If you’re going to write me off just because I express a little dissatisfaction once in a while, I’ll kill you."

Hearing this, Adrian’s eyes curved into a smile.

"I am insecure, but lucky for me, my Mia is a generous person."

"Mia..." Adrian repeated her name. "I don’t want to call you the same thing as everyone else. It doesn’t make us special. I’m going to call you Mia. That will be my name for you, okay? How does that sound?"

"Whatever. As long as you’re happy."

"Then I’m calling you Mia, and no one else is allowed to. It’s my exclusive name for you. I’ll get upset if I hear anyone else calling you that."

"Adrian, you’re twenty-eight, not eighteen. Seriously?"

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Adrian just smiled without saying a word.

Mia changed his dressing. The wound didn’t look so gruesome anymore, and she had become familiar with the process over the past few days, having done it herself every time.

She had insisted on doing it the first time, too. Adrian had been reluctant, but eventually agreed.

"Adrian, I just thought of something. If you could do it all over again, would you still become a police officer? If you hadn’t become a cop, you would have been in my life, and I never would have met Chase Lockwood, right?"

Adrian fell into a long silence before he finally spoke.

"Mia, if I had to do it all over again, I’d still be a police officer. I’ll never regret that. My only regret is that I didn’t tell you how I felt sooner and ask you to wait for me."

"Even if all you had to wait for in the end was my remains."

"If I had to do it again, I’d be even more selfish. It would be a choice between Grant Sherman and you. If I couldn’t have both, I’d choose the former. I trust that someone as wonderful as you, Mia, would be treated well, whether by Owen Sinclair or someone else."

"Adrian, it’s just a hypothetical. You could have just said something sappy. That’s what girls like to hear; it’s easy to make us emotional, you know?"

"But that wouldn’t be the truth."

Hearing this, Mia really wanted to roll her eyes at him.

"Then tell me another truth. That room you keep locked and don’t let the maids clean—what’s inside?"

"You want to know? That’s my secret hideout. I’ll take you inside after you’ve had my child."

A strange light glinted in Adrian’s eyes.

Hearing him suddenly mention having a child, Mia’s ears instantly burned hot.

’What a shameless thing to say!’

"In your dreams. I’m not interested in your secret hideout. Get some rest. I’m going to the kitchen to see if your meal is ready."

Mia fled in a fluster.

Adrian watched her retreat, his thoughts deepening.

Adrian stayed home for another half-month. He could get out of bed and walk on his own, and new pink skin had begun to form over his wound.

When the doctor came to remove his stitches, he declared Adrian basically healed. However, he still warned him to avoid strenuous exercise and to continue recuperating.

It was hard to believe that in just over a month, Adrian was perfectly fine, moving around as if nothing had ever happened.

Adrian hadn’t been able to take a proper shower all month, relying on sponge baths instead.

When he couldn’t move easily, Theo had been the one to help him change his clothes.

Adrian felt like he hadn’t moved in so long that his joints had gone rusty.

He couldn’t resist any longer and went for a half-hour jog.

Since he hadn’t exerted himself in so long and was only just recovered, he was soon drenched in sweat.

He took a long, satisfying shower. Mia had just woken up when she heard from a maid that Adrian had been up at the crack of dawn, jogging and boxing in the courtyard. He was already back in his room.

She was furious. That disobedient man! The doctor had specifically warned him to avoid strenuous exercise, even after the stitches were out and he could walk again.

But him? He didn’t listen at all.

Mia stormed into the bedroom.

"Adrian, who told you you could exercise? Where are you? Get out here right now!"

Mia saw a silhouette in the bathroom and, without a second thought, threw the door open and started yelling at the figure inside.

"Adrian, if you disobey me again, I’ll... I’ll..."

Her words trailed off, unable to continue, because Adrian was in the middle of a shower, completely naked.

He turned off the water and casually grabbed a towel to dry his hair.

"You’ll do what?"

"Uh, we can talk after you’re done showering."

Mia’s angry tirade fizzled out instantly. Her face flushed, and all she wanted was to escape.

But Adrian was faster. He strode in front of her on his long legs and shut the door.

"I’ll wash, you talk."

"Then pull the shower curtain."

"It’s not like you haven’t seen it before, is it?"

He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mia, are you shy? That’s not like you at all."

’She was usually so brazen.’

He was dripping wet as he shamelessly closed the distance between them. He appeared calm and composed, but the tips of his ears had already turned bright red.

’Since Mia already knew how he felt and was willing to give them a try, did that mean he could stop holding back?’

’Could the two of them take things a step further?’

The thought filled Adrian with anticipation, making his blood boil. The beast that had been slumbering within him, sensing the morning sun, was slowly beginning to wake.

Adrian stared at her red lips, overcome with emotion. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.

’Mia smelled so good.’

’Her lips were so soft.’

’He wanted her.’

’He wanted to crush her against him until they became one, until she was a part of him and he was a part of her.’

Adrian’s kiss was filled with ambition and desire.

Devouring, suckling, nibbling...

His hand ventured further, slipping beneath her clothes and ascending the soft peak.

In that instant, Mia froze, a tiny jolt of electricity shooting through her.

"Mia... let me, please?" he begged, his voice suddenly vulnerable.