"You..." Adrian Preston choked, exasperated. "How would you know if you don’t even try? Mia Kane, every investment has its risks. You don’t even have the guts to assess the situation, and you still have the nerve to talk about seducing me?"

Mia Kane felt a little awkward, too. She was, admittedly, very good at backing down.

"I’m tired today. I’ll seduce you another day. I want to go upstairs and get some sleep."

"You..."

Adrian Preston was completely flustered by her, but she, the one causing it all, was completely nonchalant and only wanted to go get some sleep.

"Go on, go... Hurry up, get out of my sight."

Adrian Preston was feeling particularly irritable.

Mia Kane went back to her room. She’d been incredibly sleepy, but now her mind was wide awake.

After a moment’s thought, she sent a message to Shayla Quinn.

"How do you win a man over? What’s the best way to seduce someone, with the highest chance of success?"

Shayla Quinn called her immediately.

"Girl, what’s wrong? Which man are you trying to conquer?"

"I want to give it a try with Adrian Preston."

"You’ve fallen in love with him?"

"No. I took a fall with Chase Lockwood, and I’m not getting back on my feet that quickly. I don’t trust anyone right now except myself. Rather than loving a man, it’s better to love yourself. Chase Lockwood isn’t worthy, Adrian Preston isn’t worthy—no man is."

"I’ve considered everything. The Preston Family is more powerful than the Lockwood Family; you could say they have a slight edge over them. If I become Mrs. Preston for life, Chase Lockwood would probably have a heart attack."

"Besides, if I don’t have Adrian Preston, Vivian Lynch will definitely bully me in the future. It’s better for me to occupy a higher position and leave her with no moves to make. I saw Vivian Lynch’s tricks for myself today. She faints on command and has Chase Lockwood wrapped around her little finger."

"Unfortunately, I can’t learn to be like that, which is why I’m asking you. You’ve had several boyfriends; how did you win them over?"

Shayla Quinn didn’t like being pursued. She always felt that guys who came running at the snap of her fingers were no fun at all.

She liked a challenge, so she always went after the guys she was interested in.

She always said, "When a woman chases a man, there’s but a veil between them," and that she could win them over in minutes. She had a wealth of experience on this battlefield.

"So, what are Adrian Preston’s intentions toward you?"

"I really can’t figure him out. I feel like he desires me physically, but apart from kissing, he’s unwilling to do more with me..."

As she said this, her mind drifted to that one absurd night.

Adrian Preston gave her contradictory feelings. He was so hot and cold.

He seemed to care about her, yet he also seemed very cold.

’They say a woman’s heart is impossible to fathom, but in her opinion, so was Adrian Preston’s.’

Chase Lockwood was an open book, but Adrian Preston was an enigma. She had absolutely no idea what was going on in his head.

"Then dress sexier! Remember that red battle dress? Wear it!"

"Isn’t that a little too direct?"

"Do you or do you not want to secure a lifetime position as Mrs. Preston?"

"I do!"

"Then be direct. Save each other some time."

Mia Kane thought Shayla Quinn had a point. She wasn’t some innocent young maiden anymore. The worst had already happened, so why would she be afraid of sleeping with Adrian Preston?

Besides, when it came to matters between men and women, it wasn’t always the woman who was at a disadvantage. Women could be the ones enjoying it too.

Mia Kane knew her thoughts were going off the rails, but she didn’t care anymore. She had nothing left to lose.

Mia Kane hung up the phone. Forgetting about sleep, she went straight to look for the outfit.

Suddenly, she looked toward the door.

She thought she heard footsteps.

Suspicious, she went and opened the door, but she didn’t see anything.

’Maybe I was just hearing things.’

Mia Kane changed into the outfit. She felt a little self-conscious, but the thought of ’do or die’ made her cast her reservations aside.

She threw on a robe and went to find Adrian Preston, who was busy in his study.

"Are you busy?"

"Not really. What’s up?"

Mia Kane locked the door behind her. "I brought you a gift."

"A gift? Is it a special occasion?"

"It’s the thirty-sixth day since we got together."

Adrian Preston chuckled at her words.

Mia Kane strode over and climbed right into his lap.

"I’m the gift. Unbutton me."

Adrian did as she said, unbuttoning her robe. Beneath it, he saw a red nightdress. The collar was lace, offering a tantalizing, half-hidden view of what was underneath.

It was made of silk and felt incredibly smooth.

The vivid red made her look as beautiful as an enchantress.

Adrian studied her as if admiring a painting, looking at every detail, even reaching out to stroke the fabric gently.

A shiver went down Mia Kane’s spine under his gaze. It was so focused and intense that it made her uneasy.

’Either get straight to business or push me away. But no, he just has to stay perfectly still, not making a move.’

Just as Mia Kane was about to feel heartbroken, she felt something... different.

She looked at Adrian Preston in astonishment.

’He looks so calm on the outside, I thought I’d failed. I can’t believe he’s actually reacting.’

’So what should I do next?’

Mia Kane was all theory and no practice at this moment.

Aside from that one memory she refused to dwell on, she had no other real-world experience.

Besides, she had been drugged at the time, so the sensations hadn’t been real. It was all a blur now when she thought about it.

"You’re quite the seductress, but it’s not quite enough."

"N-Not enough?"

Mia Kane was stunned. ’I’ve already done all this, and it’s still not enough?’

Adrian Preston gripped her chin. "It’s too forced. Your motive is too obvious. It makes me feel like I’m being plotted against, which I don’t like at all."

"You want to be Mrs. Preston? You want to crush Chase Lockwood and Vivian Lynch? You want them to spend the rest of their lives catering to your every whim?"

"You were eavesdropping?"

Mia Kane’s heart leaped. ’So it wasn’t my imagination. It was Adrian Preston standing outside the door.’

’He heard my phone call with Shayla Quinn.’

"I thought you’d finally come to your senses, but it turns out you’ve just gotten more conniving."

"What else did you think it was?" Mia Kane snapped.

At her words, Adrian Preston’s eyes narrowed dangerously, their depths becoming an unreadable, enigmatic abyss.

"I don’t feel like being seduced by you this time. Maybe next time."

Adrian Preston lifted her right off him and set her on the floor before turning his attention back to the documents in his hand.

Mia Kane was completely frustrated. ’He clearly wanted it, so why could he still reject me? Aren’t all men animals who think with their lower halves?’

’No... that’s not it...’

She was suddenly struck by a thought. Chase Lockwood had never been intimate with her.

’He could control himself because he was deeply in love with Vivian Lynch.’

’So what about Adrian Preston?’

’Either he’s lying—saying with his mouth that he doesn’t despise me for what happened, when in reality, he does.’

’Or... he can’t perform?’

’That can’t be it. I may not have seen anything, but didn’t I feel it?’

’Or could it be that Adrian Preston also has someone he likes?’

’That’s probably not possible either. Adrian was a soldier for so many years, and there were never any women around him.’

’He was even an undercover agent. The work was so dangerous, he definitely didn’t have time for romance.’

’In that case, it must be the first reason.’

’Pfft—’

’What a sanctimonious bastard.’

’Deep down, he’s still disgusted by me.’

’So what’s the point of me trying to seduce him?’

All the fight went out of Mia Kane. She went back to her room, changed her clothes, and flopped onto her bed, completely defeated.

’As for being Mrs. Preston, whoever wants the title can have it.’

She rolled over and went back to sleep.

When dinnertime came, Mia Kane didn’t go downstairs to eat.

Adrian Preston sent someone to fetch her, but Mia Kane sent them away.

"She’s not eating. What is she trying to do?"

"She said she doesn’t want to talk to a liar."

"A liar?"

Hearing this, Adrian Preston went straight upstairs.

"What do you mean by calling me a liar?"

"Some people are so hypocritical. They’re clearly disgusted that I was defiled, but their mouths are full of empty, sanctimonious platitudes. Your body, on the other hand, is much more honest. It doesn’t even want to touch me."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I didn’t lie."

"Oh, really? I don’t believe you. Unless you’d care to give me a practical demonstration."