Chapter 851-860


    Ang took a deep breath and said coldly, “Dad and Mom are right, Dexter. I’m out of your league.


    You’re a dirty, disgusting scoundrel. Never show yourself in front of me again. I never want to see you.”


    “What are you talking about, Ang? Did your parents tell you something? I love you. I promise I won’t


    fall for anyone else. Is that not enough?” Dexter was starting to sound anxious and panicked.


    “You won’t fall for anyone else? Yeah right. You hooked up with someone you just met on the ne. My


    mother paid you to leave me. She probably gave you millions, but you… you wanted to take everything


    they have. That’s crossing the line.”


    “H-How did you know about that, Ang? No! S-She seduced me! It’s not my fault!” Dexter was


    panicking now.


    “Either you give the money back, or I’ll make you. Make your choice. You have three days. Refuse, and


    I’ll sue you,” she warned him. Ang was finally starting to act like the richdy she was after she


    snapped out of it.


    Dexter dropped his act at once and sneered. “Your mother gave me the money, Ang. I won’t give it


    back. You have no grounds to sue me.”


    “Oh, I’m sure my father can do something about that. And I know a lot of people who’d love to help my


    family. Either you give my mother the money back, or you’re getting it,” she threatened.


    “You can’t do this, Ang. My mother’s sick. She needs the money. Can I have it for now? I’ll pay you


    back, please!” Scared, Dexter was making ast-ditch effort to scam some money.


    “You have three days. Make your choice.” She hung up and closed her eyes for a few moments. When


    she opened them again, they were gleaming brightly. She was no longer the woman controlled by love.


    Ang turned around and handed the phone back to Richard. “Thank you.”


    Richard squinted. He was surprised that she could be so tough and calm in mere moments, but


    he was happy for her.


    “I hope you’ll find that lipstick as soon as possible.” Ang thought that the lipstick was the key item for


    this change in her life. She wouldn’t have met Richard if it wasn’t because of the lipstick, and she might


    have had her whole life ruined by Dexter. But now I’m saved.


    Richard left her room. He just remembered that he had some reports to attend to, so he went to the


    room where his team members were. Just when he was about to go inside, he heard his team


    members’ discussion.


    “She’s only yed like a fiddle because she thirsts for love. Her father’s an official, and her mother’s a


    businesswoman. They don’t have time for her.”


    “It’s a blessing and a curse to be born to that family. Good thing we saved her in time and stopped that


    a*shole from doing further damage.”


    “It’s fate. She wouldn’t have picked the lipstick up if she hadn’t run into that burr. I think even God


    doesn’t want her to live her life in a lie.”


    Trevor was keeping an eye on the surveince camera footage, and he suddenly eximed, “Sh*t!


    Some underworld guys just smuggled themselves into the homnd.”


    Richard came in as well, much to everyone’s shock. Can you stop showing up all of a sudden?


    “I want to know who they are,” Richard ordered.


    Trevor tapped away on the keyboard and plugged some faces into the recognition system. Their details


    were shown a momentter. “Highly dangerous individuals. Wanted worldwide.”


    Richard frowned. He said, “Tell the dark web we’ve found the lipstick. See if that’ll make them leave.”


    “I tried it, but they told us the thief installed a port identification system in the lipstick. They’ll only give


    up if the lipstick’s unsealed.”


    “So Miss Meyers never opened the lipstick!” Jared sighed.


    Trevor turned around and rolled his eyes. “Are you stupid? She wouldn’t have thrown it away if she


    opened it.”


    “Good thing she didn’t, or the thief might have found out where the lipstick was right away. Maybe he


    would have located it before us and put Miss Meyers and her family in danger,” a man with a scar on


    his forehead said. The man’s name was Willy Josling.


    Trevor sighed. “God just saved her again. I guess prettydies are always lucky.” Trevor’s eyes shone.


    “Hey, so that means she’s single! I have a chance at wooing her!”


    Someone smacked the back of his head, and that someone said, “Do your job.”


    Trevor was annoyed, but he said nothing, since the guy who smacked his head was his captain. He


    puffed his cheeks and typed on his keyboard, but he muttered, “Are you trying to woo her yourself,


    captain? Can’t we even think about it?”


    “You’re not even close to her league, Trevor. Captain aside, we still have Sean, and he’s hot too,” Jared


    teased.


    Richard didn’t stop them as he was used to his team members’ banter. He then ordered, “I want to see


    these criminals’ files on my desk in half an hour.” He then left.


    Trevor saw him off. Once Richard was gone, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Something’s off with the


    captain.”


    “Did you guys smell a woman’s perfume on him?” Jared had a sensitive nose, and he could smell a lot


    of stuff most people couldn’t.


    “Hey, maybe Miss Meyers hugged him after he cheered her up. Man, I’d love to be in his ce. Women


    need a reliable guy when they’re at their weakest. The captain’s so lucky.” Trevor kept talking while


    typing. The guy was a loudmouth, but he was also a technology genius, and a reliable one at that.


    “I wanna do something nice for once.” Jared was working on anotherputer, and he smirked.


    “What is it?”


    “So I watched the footage again, and I saw him giving that woman money. Does that count as


    prostitution?”


    “Yes!” Trevor said.


    “Reported. The cops are on their way.”


    “Yeah! Got back at him for Miss Meyers! Nice.” Trevor gave him a thumbs up.


    Richard went back to his room, which was right next to Ang’s. He was surprised to see that her door


    was open. He frowned and went inside, but Ang was nowhere to be seen.


    He took his phone out and made a call. “Where is she?”


    “At the basketball court, captain. She’s crying. She needs you!” Sean said happily.


    Richard hung up. He didn’t n on going to her. Richard was about to close the door, but he pulled his


    hand back and went to the basketball court. The lights shone on a slender woman on a bench. Her hair


    tumbled down her shoulder, and she looked like a damsel in distress.


    Ang heard the sound of footsteps, and she wiped her tears away as refused to let anyone see her in


    this state. When she saw who it was, she turned her head away. “You don’t need to try to cheer me up,”


    she said.


    “I’m not. I’m just telling you that your danger level has just gone up. I’ll need to see your parents


    tomorrow and tell them what happened. I’ll leave some guys behind to protect them.” He stood three


    feet away from her and crossed his arms. He looked like a mountain, dependent and reliable.


    Ang turned around, her eyes red. “Please don’t let anything happen to my dad and mom. I’ll work


    with you. I won’t run around or cause any trouble.”


    “It’s our job.” He was happy that she was starting to be cooperative. He had no time to take care of her,


    so he needed her to be in his vicinity.


    She was starting to feel cold, and she wanted to go back to her room. She heard squeaks when she


    was going past Richard, and she looked down, only to see a couple of mice run past her feet. A scream


    arced through the night, and Ang leaped into the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and


    her legs were locked around his waist so she wouldn’t fall. She was hanging on him like a ko bar.


    Richard reflexively held her hips to keep her from falling down. The air froze for a few moments, and he


    asked, “How much longer are you doing this?”


    Only then did Ang realize she was hugging him. She coughed awkwardly and let go of his neck,


    then she jumped down. At the same time, she looked at him closely for the first time. He had a


    chiseled, handsome face. His brows were sharp, his eyes were deep-set, and his nose was aquiline.


    His lips were thin but sexy, and he had a perfect jawline that drew people’s eyes down to his neck. He


    radiated manliness everywhere. He also had an aloof air about him, and his eyes seemed


    unfathomable.


    Richard left before she could finish staring, and she followed him, worried she might run into more


    mice. This was a dramatic day in her life. She went through a life-and-death situation and had her heart


    broken just in one day.


    Richard went to the Meyers’ ce the next morning. He was sitting on the sofa, facing the Meyers


    couple. Richard told them what happened, and they were horrified. They couldn’t believe their daughter


    was dragged into something so dangerous by chance.


    “Is she hurt, Mr. Lloyd?” Daphne asked quickly.


    “She scratched her forehead, but otherwise she’s well. You can’t see her for now, though. Maybe it’ll


    last for six months. Maybe a year. Leave her to us. We’ll take care of her,” Richard said calmly.


    “We trust you. Please take care of our daughter, and sorry for the trouble.” Gilbert was understanding.


    “She’s not easy to get along with, so please bear with her. She’s used to the nice life. Please forgive


    her if she did anything wrong.” Daphne knew her daughter was a handful.


    “She’ll work with me. Don’t worry about it.”


    “Good. I’ll prepare her clothes. Please take them to her for me.” Daphne then went upstairs.


    Gilbert looked at the young man before him. Hemented, “I’ve seen you when you were a kid, back


    at your Grandpa’s house. Time flies.”


    “Yeah. I remember you too, Mr. Meyers.”


    “I heard you got engaged to Annie. Congrats. Sorry I couldn’te. I had something to do.”


    Richard nodded in understanding. He didn’t want to talk about this too much.


    “Please take care of Ang. Her mother and I owe her a lot. We didn’t take good care of her, and now


    we can’t help her even when she’s in trouble.” Gilbert sighed. He felt really guilty for this.


    “I’ll do my best.”


    “Tell her we love her very much. Tell her to be brave. We’ll help in the search as well.”


    “Of course, Mr. Meyers.” Richard nodded. Just then, his underling reported the progress of the search


    in the yard. They’ve dug up everywhere, but there were still no signs of the lipstick. The rainstorm that


    night might have washed it into the ditch, so they had to search underground now. It was a big search,


    but the lipstick was worth it, and they had to find it. It contained top secret information.


    “Thank you. I’m sorry for what Ang did. I can’t believe she threw away something so important, and


    now she just made things ten times harder for you,” Gilbert apologized.


    “She did something good, actually. She took the lipstick back for us and prevented a direct battle with


    the criminals. She also bought us time. Digging things up isn’t hard,” he exined. If it were not for


    Ang’s switcheroo, the thieves would havepleted their trade that night, and Richard and his men


    would have to face an even bigger danger.


    Gilbert felt a little better hearing that. So she did something good?


    Daphne came back with a luggage filled with clothes. She still couldn’t ept that she had to be


    separated from her daughter at such short notice, and she sighed. “This is her luggage, Mr. Lloyd. Can


    I call her before she leaves?” Daphne asked.


    Richard shook his head. “Sorry. She’s under strict protection. She can’t contact the outside world for


    now, not even her parents.”


    “Alright, enough. Don’t make this hard on him. What’s important is Ang’s safety.” Gilbert patted his


    wife’s shoulder.


    Daphne nodded and put that thought aside.


    “Mr. and Mrs. Meyers, please keep Ang’s situation a secret. Don’t tell anyone, not even your own


    family. Just tell them she’s studying abroad,” Richard told them.


    “We’ll do that.”


    Since there was nothing else to say, he told his underling to take the luggage away while he went to


    have a look at the yard. He told the guys there to tell him if they found anything as he needed to escort


    Ang to a secret base now.


    The Meyers saw them off, and Gilbert said, “I almost forgot. Richard is Annie’s fiancé. He’s a brilliant


    lad.”


    Daphne looked surprised. “So he’s the guy your father arranged for Annie?”


    “Yep.”


    Daphne thought Richard was great too. He was at least a thousand times better than Dexter.


    At the same time, Dexter was in trouble. He was detained, since someone reported him on the


    suspicions of prostitution. The authorities had evidence, and he couldn’t weasel his way out. He didn’t


    expect that the woman whom he ran into was a repeated offender either. Dexter finally realized how


    powerful the Meyers were, and he was scared. All his bridges were burned now that Ang knew who


    he really was.


    The first thing he would do after he got out of this ce was to give Daphne the 1.5 million back. He


    didn’t want to get into more trouble. He only dated Ang for her money, but over thest two years,


    he got to know her and her family. Her grandfather’s family was filled with government officials, while


    her mother was a businesswoman, so she grew up without love andpanionship. She had


    everything she wanted in life, but her soul was barren. Because of that, Dexter created a lot of ‘chance


    encounters’ overseas and portrayed himself as a gentle, caring man who took care of her every need.


    He made her fall for him through his actions.


    Ang fell for him in the end. Just when they were about to get married, Daphne found out and asked


    him out for a talk. Ang fought her family with him. She wanted to be with Dexter no matter what, and


    Dexter could see victory in front of him. However, Daphne offered him a million and a half, and that


    made him waver. Still, his greed got the better of him, and he nned on getting all the Meyers’ wealth.


    In the end, his efforts were for nothing. He knew Ang well. She was not a weak woman. She just


    grew up with little to no love, but she was braver than other women.


    Ang was spacing out in the room. She spent most of her time studying and bettering herself in the


    past. There was no time to space out, but things were different now. She could take a break and space


    out. She didn’t have to worry about her rtionship anymore, and it was peaceful.


    She was suddenly reminded of something. Annie said she’s engaged. I wonder what her fiancé looks


    like. They grew up together, and Annie would tell her anything in her life.


    Someone knocked on the door, and she opened it to find Richard standing outside. He he said, “Pack


    up. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”


    “Ten minutes?” That’s too short!


    “That’s all the time you have. You’re stilling with us even if you aren’t finished,” Richard said


    imperiously.


    Ang blinked. I feel like a soldier now. She nodded. “Fine. I’ll do my best.” She got herself a bag and


    packed her important stuff up. She also packed her clothes and shoes, of course, then she looked in


    the mirror and tied her hair up. She looked at the time again. Two minutes left. She opened the door


    and came out quickly with her bag. What greeted her were three off-road cars beside the basketball


    court. Mysterious.


    Ang came over, and Trevor opened the door for her happily. “Come in, Miss Meyers.”


    Ang looked inside, and there was already somebody there—Richard. Ang got in the car without


    hesitation. She didn’t buckle herself up after settling in, and Richard looked at her. “Buckle up.”


    Ang did as she was told. Trevor got in the car as well and turned around. “I got good news for you,


    Miss Meyers. Dexter’s arrested.”


    Ang looked at him in surprise.”How did you know that?”


    “My friend found out he’s involved in prostitution, so we snitched.”


    Ang felt better after hearing that. “Thanks for helping.”


    “No problem.” Trevor was happy seeing her happy.


    The car drove out of the steel gates and headed for the highway, which was some distance away.


    Ang looked outside the window. She wondered where they were taking her, but she decided not to


    ask. It wasn’t important. They could take her to the ends of the world, and she wouldn’t care.


    “Want a candy, Miss Meyers?” Trevor turned around and handed her a lollipop.


    Ang’s eyes shone, and she took it. “Thank you.”


    “What about you, captain?” Trevor asked Richard. He had been silent the whole time.


    “No,” Richard refused.


    Ang noticed that Trevor still had a lollipop in hand, so she took it happily. “I’ll take it for him.” She


    took it and looked at Richard. He was still as silent as usual. This is gonna be a boring journey. She


    thought they would stop and have a meal, but the team kept going on and on. There was only bread


    and water in the car, and they would only stop to change drivers. Ang felt sore a whileter, and she


    was sleepy. Her head would swing around when she was trying to sleep, causing her to feel


    ufortable and dizzy. Finally, she pleaded, “Can I lean on you, Mr. Lloyd?”


    Richard looked at the sleepydy and adjusted his position. Ang moved to the center and leaned on


    his shoulder, and in a few seconds, she fell asleep.


    Trevor looked back and gave Richard a look that said, ‘Nice, captain’.


    The journey went on for more than ten hours, and they came into the mountains. They kept going on


    for god knew how long, and right now, stars were already twinkling in the sky. Ang was jolted awake


    when the car bumped. She looked outside, but it was dark. Finally, she saw lighting from the top of


    a mountain, but they were dim. The car drove toward the mountain, and they entered a secret cave.


    The entrance wasn’t big, but the insides were more than met the eye. It was filled with high-tech stuff,


    and it was exactly like those secret governmental departments she saw in the movies.


    They stopped the car, and Trevor opened the door for her. “We’re here, Miss Meyers. Come with me.”


    Ang unbuckled herself and got out of the car. Her legs buckled, and she held the car’s door right


    away. Trevor gave her time to adjust, and he led her somewhere. “Where are we, Trevor?” she


    whispered.


    “Sorry, but I can’t tell you that. Just know that this will be your home for a while. It’s a safe ce.”


    Trevor could keep a secret when it came to it.


    Ang stopped asking. She looked around and thought things were really exciting, though the


    environment wasn’t the best. Her room was cramped too, and there was only a window in it. She


    blinked. My bathroom is bigger than this room.


    “Sorry, you have to stay in this coop. You can go back once things calm down, Miss Meyers,” he


    apologized.


    “It’s alright. I can live anywhere.” She chuckled before she asked, “So, where’s the bathroom?”


    “Go straight and turn left. There’s a public bathroom and restroom there.”


    “It’s public?” Ang’s eyes widened further. Wow. This ce is tougher than I imagined.


    “The captain has his own bathroom. You can use it if you want. Just ask for his permission. Only


    people with his rank get their own bathrooms here.” Trevor smiled.


    Ang blinked. I hope he’ll let me use his bathroom. I’m so not used to public ones. “So where’s Mr.


    Lloyd’s room?”


    “Just turn right. It’s the fifth room from here.”


    “Thanks.” She sat on the bed. Ang thought she smelled like gas after staying in the car for a day. It


    was uneptable for a mysophobe like her. I gotta see if Richard will let me use his bathroom. She


    opened the closet and noticed a lot of clothes in there. Daphne had packed a ton of clothes for her, and


    all of them were expensive. There were even a few silk pajamas inside. She picked some casual


    clothes and hung the rest of her luggage in the closet, then she decided to go to Richard. Ang went


    down the corridor and knocked on the fifth room’s door.


    She heard footstepsing from within before someone opened the door. Her eyes widened in


    surprise when she saw him.


    Richard was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, and his towel hung around his neck. Beads of water


    dripped down his hair, and he was naked from the waist up. His corbone looked sharp, his chest was


    puffy, and his abs were chiseled. There were a few scars on them, but he looked perfectly muscr.


    He’s better than most models.


    Ang stared at him brazenly for a long time.


    He frowned in the end. “Do you need anything?”


    “Um, can I use your bathroom?” she asked.


    Richard thought about it for a few moments and moved aside. He agreed to it.


    Ang went inside. The room smelled like men, causing her heart to skip a beat and her to blush. His


    room wasn’t big, but he had a small living room and a regr bathroom. There was also a queen-sized


    bed too. It was far better than her room.


    What caught her eye was the tall bookshelf in the living room. It was filled with books, and judging from


    their titles, she could see that this room was made for him. He wasn’t here for a short stay. What kind of


    rank does he have? Why does he get to live in a room like this? She had a lot of questions, but she


    went to the bathroom instead. It still had a little steam inside, and it smelled like Richard. Ang used


    his slippers and washed herself with his shampoo and body wash. Only the towel and face wash were


    hers.


    Richard changed into a casual shirt and was reading on the couch. He was interested in this


    philosophy of psychology book, but for some reason, the sound of running water in the bathroom


    distracted him as he couldn’t focus on the book.


    Ang felt shy taking a shower in his bathroom for some reason. The air was filled with his scent, and


    she felt hotter with every passing moment. She felt lucky that she never had sex with Dexter. She didn’t


    mind it back when she was in love with him, but she was thankful that Dexter kept refusing because


    she would have had sex with someone who was just using her.


    ording to Dexter, he wanted to save sex for marriage. She thought he must really love her to keep


    his urges under check. However, now she thought he must be hiding something from her. Maybe he


    has STDs. Thank god I didn’t have sex with him.


    Ang washed her hair. She loved being clean, so she bathed and washed her hair almost every day.


    She came out all changed, and her hair was covered in her towel. Her face was pink from the steam,


    highlighting her beauty. Her wet hair only made her face look smaller, and her features more striking.


    “Do you have a hair dryer?” she asked Richard.


    Richard frowned. It’s already midnight. Did she have to wash her hair at this hour? “No!” he answered


    curtly.


    “So who has one?” Ang kept asking.


    “We don’t have hair dryers here,” Richard said, sounding annoyed.


    Ang’s mind was blown. What? How can I dry my hair without a hair dryer? It’ste, and I don’t have


    the sun to help me! My hair’s gonna smell if I don’t dry it. “Please, can you get me a hair dryer?


    Please?” She sat down beside him and looked at him with an unspoken plea in her eyes.


    Richard could smell her scent the moment she approached him, and he held his breath and moved to


    the side.


    Ang froze for a few moments. D-Do I smell? He looks disgusted. She raised her arm and smelled


    herself. I smell like body wash. I made sure I cleaned myself. “Please, Mr. Lloyd. I can’t go to bed with


    wet hair. I’m going to wake up with a headache. You don’t want that to happen, do you? It’ll be trouble,”


    she kept persuading.


    Richard closed the book and looked at her. He chided, “You wouldn’t have washed your head if you just


    thought about it a little.”


    What? I couldn’t have known you guys don’t have any hair dryers. That’s not my fault. She looked


    down, frustrated and speechless.


    Richard put his book down and left his room.


    Ang blinked. She had a feeling he was getting a hair dryer for her. She liked staying in his room


    compared to her little coop. She picked a few books from his bookshelf while he was gone. Wow, he


    readsplex books. Math, physics, philosophy, and even psychology? He has everything. Never


    thought he’d love books. I thought he liked weapons more. Ang read one of the books to pass the


    time. Eventually, Richard came back with a hair dryer, much to her delight. “Thanks, Mr. Lloyd.”


    Richard handed it to her and went back to his book, while Ang went into the bathroom to dry her


    hair. It felt great.


    After she came out from the bathroom, she asked, “So where did you get this?” She was smiling.


    “I borrowed it,” Richard said.


    Ang’s smile froze. At this hour? Did he ask ady for this? Must have been awkward for him.


    “Thanks.” She put the hair dryer down. “Can you get me one next time?”


    Richard looked up. Ang’s fluffy and slightly messy hair tumbled down to her waist. It covered her


    face, and she looked like a girl who was about to make out with her boyfriend. Things were starting to


    get a little hot for a certain someone.


    Richard did not realize that his gaze lingered on her face for several seconds longer.


    “Okay,” he responded simply.


    “I’ll head to bed now. Good night.” Ang waved at him before leaving with her clothes. She did not


    notice that she dropped an article of clothing as she exited the bathroom.


    When Richard set his book down and prepared to shower before bed, his eyes were drawn to


    something pink on the floor. He instinctively reached down to pick it up.


    All at once, his eyes quivered.


    It was a woman’s underwear.


    He tossed it into theundry basket. His heart was beating a little quicker than usual as he thought to


    himself, What a clumsy and forgetful woman!


    Meanwhile, she returned to her room and proceeded toy in bed. From her position, she could look


    out the window and spot the full moon outside. It’s so beautiful, she thought to herself in surprise.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This was something she never got to see, whether back in her home or while overseas, but here, she


    could enjoy all the beautiful things around her in peace.


    Ang slept very soundly that night, but she jolted awake some hourster when she heard a piercing


    sound of a whistleing from outside all of a sudden. She shot up in bed at once. It was at the start


    of dawn with the barest glimmer of light, but the field beyond the window was abuzz with activity.


    She knew that this ce was run like a military base. When she opened the door and looked out the


    entrance, the thick fog blocked everyone from sight, but she knew there were people gathered in the


    field.


    Soon, she heard the sound of people running, and it quickly faded off into the distance. She blinked


    and basked in the atmosphere around her. The mountains were alive even at dawn while birds filled the


    air with their chatter, and it made her one with nature.


    A shadowy silhouette then zoomed past her before turning back. The person asked, “Miss Meyers,


    would you like to go running too?”


    It was Trevor who asked. He woke upte and missed out on joining the rest of the troops, so he


    decided to run alone.


    Ang was wide awake by now, and Trevor’s words piqued her interest. Thinking about all the running


    she did abroad, she figured she should be able to handle a morning run, so she nodded. “Sure. I’ll


    come with you.”


    Trevor was thrilled. The run would be a lot more enjoyable if he had a pretty woman running with him.


    They ran by the side of the road beneath the canopy of trees. It was an ordinary dirtne that weaved


    through the mountains and not the usual roads made of asphalt or concrete, so it was a different kind


    of experience altogether.


    Ang was pretty pumped by the run. Taking deep breaths of the fresh mountain air made her feel like


    her lungs had been thoroughly cleansed.


    She did not know how far she had run, but sure enough, she reached a point where she could no


    longer keep up. Between her panting, she asked, “Trevor, how much farther are we going?”


    “We’re not even a third of the way yet!” Trevor replied.


    “Seriously?” Ang’s expression fell. She stared out into the fog in front of them, but she could not see


    more than a dozen feet in front of her. The rest was all a blur of white.


    “Miss Meyers, if you can’t continue, then let’s head back now! I’ll lead the way for you.” Trevor was


    afraid she could not take it anymore if they continued running forward.


    Therefore, Ang and Trevor started making their way back. Trevor even plucked some wild fruits for


    her to try. They tasted both sweet and sour and were very appetizing.


    The two of themughed and joked along the way. When they were nearly back at the main entrance,


    Ang slipped and stumbled into Trevor’s back. After grabbing his waist to keep herself steady, she


    began tough brightly.


    Trevor held her hand and helped her out of the wet, slippery patch of road, but just then, he felt


    someone staring at him. After ncing at who it was, he quickly released Ang’s hand.


    Approximately thirty feet in front of them, Richard stood in silence with his eyes fixed on them.


    His face was expressionless, but Trevor felt goosebumps anyway.


    “Richard, Miss Meyers followed me out for a run but she could not keep up anymore so I walked her


    back,” Trevor exined at once.


    Ang nced at Trevor, who seemed rather anxious. Could it be because she had held him up when


    he was supposed to be doing his morning practice, and that made Richard angry?


    “It’s not Trevor’s fault. I’m the one who wanted to join him, and I’m the one who forced him to turn back


    halfway,” she added in Trevor’s defense.


    Richard swept his gaze across the two of them before saying to Trevor, “Continue your run.”


    Trevor did not dare to protest. He waved to Ang with a smile. “I’ll carry on with my run, Miss Meyers.


    Have a good rest!”


    Ang felt a little bad as she watched Trevor running off into the distance. She turned to Richard and


    said a little begrudgingly, “He ran all the way there and back with me, but you’re asking him to do


    another run now. Will he be alright?”


    “This is between me and my subordinate, Miss Meyers. You should stay out of it,” Richard retorted


    coolly.


    Ang bit her lip in slight embarrassment, but she did feel bad for Trevor.


    She headed for the canteen. Everyone probably heard about her already, as they greeted her and were


    very courteous toward her.


    After breakfast, she realized that she did not have a phone, aptop, or even Inte ess. It was


    like she had gone back in time and was living in the old, pre-Inte days. She was far too bored in her


    room, so she decided to take a tour around the ce.


    Ang chose a small path to follow. After walking about for a while, she heard someone calling out to


    her. She turned to look and saw two men walking over with their hands full of freshly-hunted wild


    rabbits.


    “You must be Miss Meyers!”


    “Yes, that’s me. Did you guys go hunting?” Ang was full of curiosity.


    “Yup! There are a lot of wild rabbits around here, so we decided to catch a few to add to the menu,” the


    older man said.


    The other man looked a little younger. He blushed at the sight of Ang and was too embarrassed to


    talk.


    They all considered Ang a gorgeous woman whom they rarely had the fortune to meet in person.


    She was even more beautiful than movie stars and other celebrities.


    “Where does this path lead to? I’d like to take a walk,” Ang asked.


    “It leads to the back of the mountain, which is a pretty rocky area. You need to be careful.”


    “I will!” Ang shed a grateful smile at them.


    “You shouldn’t wander off too far either. I’m worried that you might get lost.”


    Ang nodded in agreement. She was just taking a walk out of boredom, and she hadplete faith


    in her sense of direction, so she doubted that she would get lost in the woods like some sort of cliche.


    Therefore, she continued down the path at leisure. She even spotted the wild white olives that Trevor


    had plucked for her earlier. The sweet and sour taste had really grown on her.


    Unfortunately, this particr tree did not have that many ripe ones. It took Ang quite some time to


    find one that was ripe enough for her to eat. She felt pretty blissful as she munched on it.


    She continued down the path, and soon enough, she arrived at a rocky in.


    Meanwhile, at the base’s main entrance, Richard walked out in search of Ang as he received some


    new information that required him to ask her a few questions.


    “Has anyone seen Ang?” Richard asked the people who were walking into the base. The two men


    who went rabbit-hunting were among them, so one of them quickly responded, “Captain Lloyd, I saw


    Miss Meyers heading off on a walk to the back of the mountain.”


    Richard felt his head throbbing slightly as he exhaled. She was indeed a troublesome woman. Could


    she not just stay in her room and read a book or two? The back of the mountain was full of sharp,


    jagged rocks. It was not somewhere she should be running off to for some fun.


    He immediately headed over to the path that led to the back of the mountain.


    This was Ang’s first time seeing such rocky mounds. She spotted a few boulders that looked quite


    t, so she decided to try climbing up the side of the rocky mounds.


    Perhaps most people enjoyed taking risks in some ways, and she was certainly one of them. She


    wanted to challenge herself and see if she could climb up the rocky mound. Moreover, the wildflowers


    growing out of the side of the rocky ridges at the top looked quite pretty. She wanted to head up and


    take a closer look at them.


    Ang stepped on one of the rocks and grabbed another one for stability. Soon, she climbed up what


    seemed like an already-trodden path that someone else must have used to climb up as well.


    She climbed and climbed and slowly began to realize that while it might have looked simple, it was far


    more exhausting than she expected. Soon, she could no longer find any footholds to step on either. It


    felt like there was no way for her to climb any further up.


    Suddenly, someone barked at her, “What are you doing?”


    “Ah!” Ang got a fright. At the same time, she lost her grip and her feet slipped off the rocks as well,


    and she ended up falling from a height of about ten feet.


    The man who called out to her immediately sprinted over to catch her, but he was toote. Ang


    crashed to the ground, spraining her ankle when shended. She instantly cried out in pain.


    Thankfully, Ang fell onto a soft patch of grass and did not end up with any internal injuries. She


    cupped her hands around her ankle and red at the man who gave her a terrible fright. “Can you not


    just call out like that? You scared me half to death!”


    Richard was a little vexed with himself too. When he saw her hanging dangerously on the side of the


    rocky cliff, his only thought was to stop her from climbing further, and he never thought he would scare


    her into falling off instead.


    He bent down and checked her ankle.


    “Ouch… It hurts…” Ang had sprained her left ankle.


    “Stop running around for no good reason. You should have some self-awareness about your abilities.”


    Richard frowned. He was furious that she attempted to do such a dangerous thing. After all, he


    promised that he would take good care of her and return her safely to her parents once everything blew


    over.


    “Believe it or not, but I’m sure I could’ve climbed up to the top. Stop looking down on me, okay?”


    Ang was full of confidence in herself. If he had not frightened her by calling out to her, she would


    have climbed up to the top by now.


    Ang brushed the grass off her clothes. There were a few des of grass stuck in her hair, but she


    could not see them. Richard could see them clearly, but he hesitated, not knowing if he should take


    them out for her.


    Still, it did look pretty weird to have a few des of dried grass stuck in her hair, so he decided to take


    them off for her out of the kindness of his heart.


    “What are you doing?” Ang stared at him warily. There was no one around them, so what if he tried


    to do something bad to her?


    Richard ignored her question. He simply plucked the des of dried grass out of her hair and showed


    them to her before tossing them aside.


    Ang flushed red at once. Oh gosh! What was I thinking? He gave off an air of aloofness and self-


    restraint, so he would not be the kind of man to jump on a woman like that. She was overthinking it.


    She wondered if he had a girlfriend. He was probably at an age where he should be getting married.


    Though she was itching to find out, she decided against voicing it out loud. He might not even respond


    to her question anyway.


    “I’m injured. Can you help me up? Of course, I won’t object to an offer of a piggyback,” Ang said to


    Richard.


    He nced at her before squatting down in front of her. He did not mind giving her a piggyback ride.


    Ang’s heart skipped a beat. He’s really going to carry me on his back? After taking a close look at


    his wide and muscr back, she climbed onto him a little shyly and reached out to wrap her arms


    around his neck. He swiftly stood up with her clinging to him like a ko.


    This had to be the strongest back she had ever ridden on.


    “Why did youe looking for me?” Ang asked out of curiosity. Was it because he was worried


    about her safety?


    “There’s something I need to ask you.” Richard was feeling a little awkward with her on his back. This


    was the first time he ever carried a woman—previously, he only ever carried his military colleagues and


    subordinates.


    She was very light, and her body felt very soft. His senses were heightened as she stuck close to him.


    “What did you want to ask me?”


    “We’ll talk about it when we get back.”


    Ang was feeling a little bored again. Suddenly, she spotted another wild white olive tree with several


    ripened olives hanging from its branches, so she quickly said, “Richard, there’s a white olive tree over


    there. Go over and pluck some for me!”


    Richard looked over and saw the ripened fruit on the tree as Ang continued to plead, “Hurry up and


    get a few for me! They taste so good! Trevor plucked a few for me this morning but I haven’t had my fill


    yet!”


    In the end, Richard did set her down and head over to get some of it for her. Ang’s heart grew a little


    warm. He looked so cold and distant all the time, but whenever she asked him to do something for her,


    he never protested or tried to wheedle out of it.


    She thought about Dexter, who always said the right things, but now that she thought about it, a guy


    like Richard who kept quiet and did as she asked was far more reliable. A guy like Dexter was as fake


    as could be, so why was she so blind back then?


    It was easy enough for Richard to pluck a few ripened ones for her. When he handed it over to her, she


    spotted the clear stream that was flowing nearby and asked, “Could you help me wash them first?”


    Richard did notin about her seemingly endless requests. He went over and washed them


    before holding them out to her yet again.


    Ang took them from him and climbed back onto his back. There she was, leaning against his back,


    eating her white olives and listening to the birds singing their songs. Somehow, it all felt very romantic


    to her.