Alex asked, "Did you bring your measuring tools? How about you take my measurements and make a custom set for me?""We have a male designer in our studio. I can introduce you to him and get you a discount," Millie responded."I don't want anyone else. I want you to do the design. Hurry up and take my measurements. Make sure you do it right.""Let's leave it for next time, Mr. Thorne. We can go over it when Cindy is here. I've got other appointments, so I'll head out now."Alex's lecherous demeanor was gross, and he kept crossing the line with Millie.Fuming, Millie grabbed her things and tried to leave. But as soon as she stood up, she felt light-headed, and her vision went dark.What went wrong? She didn't touch the drink Alex ordered at all.Puzzled, Millie looked at the glass before her, having not taken a sip."There's nothing with the alcohol; it's the lemonade. Didn't you notice it yet?"Alex chuckled.Millie's heart raced. A waiter brought over the lemonade, so she tho
Millie struggled to open her eyes, trying to make out who it was. But with the light streaming in behind them, all she could make out was a tall silhouette and nothing else."Who are you? How dare you mess with me? Do you know I'm—"Before Alex could finish, the newcomer sent him flying with a heavy kick. The next moment, Millie found herself in a warm embrace.Millie couldn't open her eyes because her eyelids felt too heavy. Despite that, she could vividly sense his presence. The newcomer had to be Pierce. After all, she felt a cold and aloof air, as if he stood apart from everything.The worry that had been weighing over her chest melted away. Having him nearby always brought her comfort.Pierce gently brushed Millie's cheeks with his hand. Even in her unconscious state, she winced in pain.Feeling a pang in his heart, Pierce withdrew his hand because he was scared of hurting Millie further. He gently set her down on the couch and draped his coat on her to keep her covered. T
Pierce could feel Millie's warm tears seeping through his shirt.After some time, Millie finally returned to her senses. She looked up, teary-eyed."What are you doing here?""I heard you calling for help."They were destined to meet. Whenever she was in danger, he always managed to show up in the nick of time. He was like her lucky star."Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"Mille shook her head."Are you tired? You should take a nap.""Stay with me," Millie asked softly. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she was still shaken from the ordeal. Alex's touch made her feel like she had fallen into an abyss. That was her greatest fear.Pierce pursed his lips as he made up his mind. "Alright. I'll stay with you.""Not on the couch. Stay with me by the bed. Is that okay?" Millie pleaded. Having him closer would make her feel safer."Alright. Whatever you say."Pierce was incredibly gentle and patient that night. He complied with all her requests.Millie leaned
Millie's hand froze in place, awkwardly lingering where it had landed. At that moment, she wished she could just disappear."I was just checking out your chest muscles. You work out a lot, so I wanted to see how they were."She tried to sound calm as she slowly withdrew her hand, patting his chest. "It's not bad. It feels quite firm. Impressive."Pierce raised an eyebrow and watched as she babbled on with a straight face."I'm going to freshen up." Millie turned and quickly left without looking back, feeling the weight of his intense gaze on her the whole way.Once inside the bathroom, she locked the door and leaned against the wall. Of all the times for him to wake up, why did it have to be right then?After washing up, she came out and saw Pierce changing clothes. His back was facing her, and his pants were already on, revealing his strong and muscular back.His body was covered in scars, some from bullets, others from sharp weapons. He wore each one like a badge of honor.A
Since Pierce had made his decision, Millie decided she wouldn't be concerned with it anymore.While she was resting at home, Samantha completely ignored her. Her attitude was arrogant and dismissive. Millie didn't bother with her either. Samantha had returned to Atkinson Group to work as Pierce's secretary. Everyone knew her status. Even Tobias had to show her some respect.Two days later, the mark on Millie's cheek had faded, but there were a few bruises on her body that would take longer to heal. Celia immediately burst into tears when she saw Millie return to the studio."Why are you crying? I'm fine, aren't I?""It's all my fault. If only I hadn't messed up. If only my stomach didn't hurt that day, I could've gone with you. Then, that Thorne guy wouldn't have dared to do anything to you!" Celia cried."How could anyone have known what would happen? It's not your fault. I don't blame yourself, and I haven't given it a second thought." Millie tried to make Celia feel better.
Millie froze when she heard those words.Samantha wasn't biologically related to the Atkinson family. She was adopted. No one outside the family knew about it. This meant it had been kept a tight secret.Samantha stared at the frame, caught in a daze. It was obvious she was deeply in love with Pierce.No wonder Millie always felt uncomfortable about the sibling's close relationship.Millie froze, feeling like she had stumbled upon a huge secret. She didn't know if she should be there. She staggered away and hurried back to her studio, locking herself inside her office.That would explain why Samantha didn't like her. She was her love rival.Millie wondered if Pierce felt the same way about Samantha. Perhaps he refused to accept his feelings for her because of societal boundaries, or maybe something else was stopping him.Millie recalled his gentle tone toward Samantha on the phone. He had never spoken to her that way nor to anyone else. He adored Samantha, and he was aware the
Millie said, "They're quite close, huh?""Is Sammy making things difficult for you because she found out about your relationship with Pierce? Millie, you should break it off. Pierce is more dangerous than you realize," Stefan asked."Thanks for your concern. I'll handle it myself," Millie replied.Millie felt light-headed as she left Leach Manor. She couldn't understand why her chest felt so heavy, so she breathed deeply, forcing herself to calm down.Pierce had saved her multiple times. He was like a savior to her, and she held him in the highest regard. Her respect and admiration for him grew as she began to understand the hardships faced by police officers and soldiers.Thus, despite knowing that men are unreliable, she developed feelings for Pierce. She was upset to learn that Pierce had forbidden feelings for Samantha. However, she quickly regained her composure.Fortunately, she found out about this early. Otherwise, she would be forced to relive her past if she got too inv
Julian felt embarrassed, thinking that Pierce had crossed a line."Pierce, how could you say that to a girl?" he said in a low voice."Did I say something wrong?" Pierce replied casually, raising an eyebrow at Millie.Millie felt a surge of anger. She would gladly comply if he wanted to act like they were strangers. "Right. I'm a stranger. You guys can chat. This is my office, so, please get out."Pierce said nothing more and turned to head to Julian's office."I know you're usually cold to women, but you should be more considerate. What did Millie do to deserve that?"Pierce pursed his lips, clenching his fists tightly. He heard her say they would break up sooner or later. Did she merely see him as a tool for revenge or something to kill her loneliness?"Let's stick to business. I don't want to talk about anything else."Julian couldn't say much.After they finished discussing the order, Pierce was about to leave when Julian stopped him."Can you give me some advice? I rea
Millie gently closed the box.Suddenly, a single tear slipped down, landing silently on the surface. Only then did Millie realize that she had been crying. She wasn't sure if she was mourning the love she once had or if her tears were for something else entirely.No wonder Pierce had told her to look at it in private. He didn't want to see her shedding tears for another man."It's all in the past. Why send this now?" Millie murmured.She wiped away her tears and picked up her phone. "Tobias, do me a favor. Auction something for me. Donate every last cent of the proceeds to charity. Not a single penny should be kept."She then ended the call and looked at the small box again. At least this way, it would be put to good use…Afterward, Millie headed to the study to check on Pierce. He watched her closely, his deep eyes unreadable.Millie pretended not to notice and said, "You keep working. I'm just going to sketch for a while."Pierce pressed his lips together as if he wante
Millie followed Pierce back home. As she stepped into the familiar space that belonged to just the two of them, her heart felt heavy with emotions.It had been two months since she had last been here, yet everything remained unchanged. Even the wardrobe had been stocked with new seasonal outfits.In those two months, Millie had lost a lot of weight. So, Pierce instructed the kitchen to prepare nourishing meals for her. He was determined to bring her back to full health.Pierce remained bedridden for another half month before he could finally use a cane to walk around a bit. His right leg was still severely injured, and every step sent searing pain through his body, making his face go pale and his forehead damp with cold sweat.Millie couldn't bear to watch him suffer and urged him to rest. But Pierce was stubborn and walked until his legs trembled, and he could no longer stand. Only then would he sit down."Does it hurt?" Millie worriedly asked."It doesn't. I just need to pr
With that, Millie turned around and left without hesitation. But just as she was about to step out of the room, Stefan's voice called out behind her once more, "Millie, I owe you an apology for everything. I never really said it before. It's late… but at least I'm finally saying it. "Millie, I'm sorry. I was the one in the wrong." Stefan's voice was soft, weakened by his injuries. It sounded as though those few words had drained all the strength from his body.Millie's body stiffened, and her hands were tightly clenched into fists at her sides.Stefan was apologizing at long last.Millie wanted to turn around to see if he was truly sincere or if this was just another one of his manipulations. However, she held herself back. Unimportant people didn't deserve even a second glance.Millie didn't say anything. She didn't say whether she would or would not forgive him. She just walked away.Stefan's face turned even paler. He knew that after everything he had done, he would never
Millie didn't want to see Pierce struggling alone, bottling up all his pain like a wounded lion licking its wounds in solitude.Upon hearing her words, Pierce simply tightened his embrace around her. "Mills… I'm scared…""I know. I understand," Millie whispered, gently patting his back."I'm afraid I won't be able to lift you anymore, and I'm afraid I won't be able to run or jump. I'm scared I won't be able to fight the bad guys and protect you anymore." Pierce's voice was soft and barely above a whisper. His sorrow was almost imperceptible, but it could be because he still hadn't fully released his emotions.Millie started, "You still have me. If you can't carry me, then don't. If you can't run fast or jump high, then I'll slow down and walk beside you. I can be your crutch and your support for a lifetime, okay?"And listen, Pierce, you may not be able to fight on the front lines anymore, but you're still there in spirit. We can move to the back lines to provide funding and strat
Pierce didn't tell Millie everything—such as the fact that Stefan had initially wanted to kill him. He spared Stefan some dignity, not wanting Millie to hate him forever.Millie stayed in the hospital to care for Pierce for two days when there was finally a change in Stefan's condition.Before he even regained consciousness, he was already calling her name. Robin anxiously rushed in to find Millie, and she hurried over."The patient's wound has gotten infected, leading to complications. We need to start emergency treatment immediately!""How could this have happened? Wasn't he supposed to wake up?" Robin was beside himself with worry."Millie… Millie…" Even in his fevered delirium, Stefan kept murmuring her name.Millie went over to him. His hand, which had been weakly grasping at the air, finally caught hold of something—her fingers. He clung to her tightly."I'm here, Stefan," she softly uttered.It was as if her words held some kind of magic, as Stefan immediately calmed d
Every word Pierce spoke was firm and impactful. Each word hammered on Stefan's heart mercilessly.Pierce owned up to his mistakes. But what about him? Could he do the same?All this while, he had been shifting the blame to everyone else. He blamed Pierce for stealing Millie away. Then, he blamed Millie for not forgiving him. He even blamed Wanda for seducing him, and the list went on…He had blamed so many people, holding onto their faults while conveniently brushing aside his own. When it came to himself, he always found a way to justify his actions. He completely ignored that he was the true cause of everything.Stefan's grip on Pierce's collar loosened. He took a few steps back in a daze and stumbled on his own feet, causing him to nearly fall to the ground."Those criminals… They're planning to strike again. I agreed to help them," Stefan said."Why are you telling me this?" Pierce responded."She said… She said that if you died, she wouldn't live either." Stefan's voice was
Millie gave Pierce a profound look that contained a myriad of emotions. Pierce could have been selfish and not tell her any of Stefan's good deeds. He could've even stopped her from visiting Stefan. Yet, he didn't do that.After giving Pierce one heavy nod, Millie went over to the adjacent hospital room.Stefan was seriously injured too. His health wasn't as good as Pierce's to begin with, so he still hadn't woken up yet.Robin was in his room, sitting beside him. He kept silently wiping away tears at one side."This is my only nephew. If anything were to happen to him, how would I face his late parents?" Robin mournfully said."Does Grandma know about this?" Millie inquired."I don't have the heart to tell Mom about this. She's old and frail. I don't want her to have a breakdown," Robin replied."I'll keep him company, Robin," Millie said.Robin hesitated for a moment and ultimately nodded. He believed that Stefan would want to see Millie upon waking up. So, Millie staye
"Don't move around. You're still very weak. The doctor said to give you some oatmeal porridge when you wake up. Your digestive system is still quite weak, so you need to eat something that goes down easily."A familiar voice sounded in Millie's ears."G-Grandpa? Why are you here? Where's Pierce? Pierce? Pierce…" After a moment of silence, Millie mumbled, "I forgot… Pierce is dead. Not even his body remains.""What nonsense are you speaking, child? Isn't he lying right beside you?" Bill interjected.Millie visibly froze for a second. Then, she whipped her head around to look. As Bill had said, Pierce was indeed right beside her. Layers of gauze were wrapped around his body, and he seemed to be heavily injured. However, his vital signs were steady, and his heartbeat was rhythmic—he was no longer in a critical condition."Pierce…" Millie tumbled out of bed without a care for the pain in her limbs.Bill quickly went over to support her and combined their beds together."H-How is t
Millie broke down emotionally. She was done with Stefan's constant self-righteous justification. He always blamed everyone else and deemed himself free of any wrongdoing. He acted as if the whole world had wronged him, while he had never wronged anyone.He painted himself as the pitiful and innocent victim, twisting logic to justify everything he did.Millie was done acting her part. She would let things play out however they should. There was no longer anything tying her to this world. If anything happened to Pierce, she wouldn't live either. Just the thought of being imprisoned by Stefan for three years was worse than death.And so, she locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Every day, the housekeepers delivered her meals. She had no appetite but still ate well.Millie also no longer cared whether Stefan had drugged her food or not. If she turned into a mindless lunatic, maybe that would be better than this painful clarity.…Days passed one after another.One