MR BRIGGS'S PLAYTHING

To his surprise, Mia extended her arm to create some space and took a step back, whispering,

"Hide behind the door, and stay silent."

At this point, what could Kenton possibly say? He could only sullenly nod in agreement.

She swiftly tied a knot in her strap before stepping out the door.

"Mia, what are you doing here?"

Though a door separated them, Kenton could catch the sound of Jake's surprised delight. He bit his lip to keep him from reacting.

She softly replied,

"Mmm, I still feel a bit nauseous from the flight so I went to the restroom."

The voices faded as the two of them walked away.

Kenton lingered in shock within the room.

He could still smell the floral scent in Mia's hair; he could still feel the softness of her waist in his hands.

For a moment, he was lost in thought.

She wasn't that kitten from his past anymore.

Meanwhile, she was helped by Jake into a hotel suite.

As frail and delicate as ever, she was blissfully carried in Jake's arms while he leaned forward, planting soft kisses on her ears.

"Baby, what would you like to eat later? I'll let the kitchen know so they can prepare it in advance."

"Mmm, I'll just have a salad."

Leaning over, he pinched her arm sympathetically.

"You're too thin. As your husband to be, I need to make sure you eat properly."

This hotel is nestled near the beach, with the sound of the ocean waves echoing, The scenery is lush, and beautiful.

Mia's mood inexplicably improved, momentarily forgetting about Kenton.

Leaning casually on the living room sofa, Jake couldn't help but curve his lips upward as he watched her moving back and forth between the front and backyards.

She was beautiful, gentle, and well-educated.

Despite hearing various unfortunate stories as a psychologist, she still maintained her calm and gentle demeanor.

Jared learned a new term - strong core, from Kayla.

In a nutshell, she was a girl easy to please, beautiful to look at, wise but not worldly.

If it wasn't for the vast difference in their family backgrounds, she would perfectly fit the criteria his parents were looking for in a daughter-in-law.

What a pity.

Thinking about this made him feel like a melancholic.

In the past, his relationship with his girlfriends never lasted longer than a month; the shortest only lasted a day.

However, he has been with her for three months already.

She took a deep breath of fresh air from the smell of the ocean and felt extremely refreshed.

Suddenly, her phone that was tucked in her pocket rang, displaying an unknown number.

The last three digits were 987.

Upon seeing the numbers, her face changed, but she subtly silenced her phone and returned to her room without drawing any attention.

"Jake, I'm a bit sleepy, I want to take a little rest."

Jared quickly and considerately escorted her to the bedroom. Unexpectedly, he had already prepared a cup of warm milk for her.

"Good girl, take a nap. I will take you for a drive later tonight."

As he closed the door, she snuggled in the blanket and dialed back the unknown number,

"Hello, Mrs. Briggs."

The voice of Mrs. Briggs was cold and emotionless.

"Where is it?"

"It's with me."

She answered softly.

Logically, when Kenton wrapped his arms around her waist just now, he should have felt it, but it seemed he didn't notice.

Mrs Briggs seemed quite satisfied and hummed in agreement,

"In two hours, someone will come to pick up the package."

Mia, knowing the other person couldn't see her, still nodded silently.

A click on the other end of the line signaled the call was hung up.

She was truly tired, but she dared not fall into a deep sleep.

She could only clenched the little box in her fist and placed it under her pillow.

She had just closed her eyes in a daze, and not long after, she felt something was wrong, the wind on her face.

Subconsciously, she gripped the little box even tighter.

The bedroom door creaked open.

Someone sneaked in and even climbed onto the bed.

"Kenton."

It was Jake.

"Are you feeling better now?"

He extended his hand to wrap around her waist.

"How does that feel, are you more comfortable now?"

She could only loosen her grip on the box and place her hand on top of his.

Having expended some energy on the plane, he was rather docile at this moment.

"It's nice," she replied.

"When can my sister move in, Jake?"

She strained to keep her voice steady as she awaited an answer.

"Don't worry, at the most, half a month."

As he said these words, he felt a pang of guilt, causing him to loosen his hold slightly.

She noticed, but she still snuggled against his arm like a kitten, rubbing her face against it.

"Yes, I know you will help me, right? As soon as possible?"

Her final question was tinged with a hint of tremor, crisp and vulnerable.

The innocent girlish charm left him momentarily dazed.

He, the proclaimed Casanova who prided himself on being astute with women, struggled to label her intentional doe-eyed sweetness as a characteristic of a scheming woman.

All he could do was to sigh quietly in his heart, and then tightened his arm which was placed around her waist.

"Don't worry, go back to sleep," she said quietly, her words were barely above a whisper, concealing her uneasy thoughts.

Only when she detected the rhythmic, deep snores coming from behind her did she dare to relax, her tightly clenched fist softly opening.

With the utmost care to not disturb her bedmate, she reached under her pillow and retrieved a small box.

And in a fraction of a second, the snoring from him stopped abruptly.

“Mia, what's that?" His voice was alarmingly alert, completely devoid of any traces of sleepiness.

Her heart sank.

She could feel her breath on the back of her neck, causing her skin to bristle with goosebumps.

"Um... I need to use the restroom," she muttered in a soft voice, quickly stashing the small box in the collar of her dress.

But far too conveniently, he leaned in from behind, his hand wandering upwards.

"How about we wait to... shower together?" He proposed with a teasing undertone.

She knew what was on his mind, but as a therapist who charges by the hour, she was particularly sensitive to time.

And she had less than half an hour before she needed to pick up a package that Jake's

assistant had arranged.

"Please, Jake... not now," She gently coaxed him, hoping he would relent.

She was frowning, increasingly unable to dodge him whose actions were getting more and more unrestrained.

She was extremely anxious.

At this moment, she wished to turn around and apply a little pressure on his pulse points, putting him straight to sleep. Like she had learned in her past.

However, her resistance only made him act more urgently.

"We’re already on the same bed, how can I let you go? Mia, you just give…”

Mia felt his hand almost invade her shirt. She could only grit her teeth, turn around, hug his neck, and coax him with a sweet voice.

"Jake, wait for me a bit longer, it will be quick."

"No way."

Jared imposingly pressed on her without hesitation.

Having no other option, she decided to go through with her plan.

Mia's hand slowly reached out to knock him out, but her hands were instantly seized by him.

"No need to do that"

She took a deep breath.

Just as she was preparing to argue with him, the room door was suddenly banged loudly.

"Boss! The police are here! They said you've kidnapped someone!"

Jake was stunned momentarily, a moment of looseness in his grip.

She took the chance to break free, conveniently slipping a small box from her collar back under the pillow.

She was dumbfounded.

How did all these rescuers suddenly appear?

But the timing of their arrival was indeed ill-fated.