I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 26 - 24: No One Will Disturb Us Anymore

They held each other in a tight embrace, her back pressed against his chest. Mia Grant could clearly feel his heavy breathing.

She opened her eyes, a hint of confusion in them, and observed his expression.

’Did something go wrong?’

So much had happened tonight that her mind felt like it was overheating.

So while her acting was keeping up, her mind was still lagging behind.

Behind her, the man’s dark eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. The tender affection from moments ago had vanished, replaced by a complex storm of emotions that churned and intensified, layer by layer, until she couldn’t decipher them at all.

His gaze was still fixed on her, but he wasn’t looking into her eyes.

Silas Grant’s breathing grew heavy. After a long moment, his chest heaved with a deep breath.

’Is he... angry?’

Mia Grant was completely bewildered. ’Aren’t we kissing anymore?’

’Perfect.’

That single pause was enough to snap her out of the disorienting haze of the moment.

She pulled free from his grasp, turned her head away, and asked:

"Brother, what did you mean just now when you said you wouldn’t let them appear before me again?"

’If we’re not going to kiss, let’s just get down to business.’

Silas Grant seemed not to have heard her, his attention still completely fixated on her lips as they opened and closed.

Or more accurately, on the tip of her tongue.

As she spoke, her tongue moved like a nimble Ariel, pressing against her lip, then brushing past her teeth, darting in and out of his sight.

The other person had bitten her hard. Despite the dim light in the back seat, the bloody mark on the tip of her tongue was still painfully clear to him.

It was impossible to miss.

It was a fresh wound.

He knew that Kian Keller had just left the school not long ago, that they had only just parted ways...

He had thought he was mentally prepared, but seeing this intimate trace with his own eyes, he couldn’t stop his mind from conjuring more images...

With her personality, she probably wouldn’t have resisted Kian Keller.

She would do whatever Kian Keller told her to.

She would obediently open her mouth for him, let him part her lips and teeth, and not even know how to struggle when he kissed her breathless.

Kian Keller must be utterly in love with her. Otherwise, with his abstinent, almost monk-like disposition, he wouldn’t have kissed and bitten her so deeply...

He imagined that, being so worldly-unaware and never having experienced such things, she might have even instinctively responded, losing herself in Kian Keller’s kiss.

Halfway through her sentence, Mia Grant felt a cool touch on her lips. The man’s fingers were grinding against them repeatedly.

Yes, not brushing, not caressing. Grinding.

As if trying to scrub away some unsightly mark.

Mia Grant’s heart skipped a beat as countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Her expression was one of shock. Before she could react, her closed lips were pried open by his finger.

The next second, a sharp pain shot through the tip of her tongue—

"HISS!"

The distinct pain jolted her mind, and Mia Grant instantly remembered the wound from Felix Sinclair’s bite.

The wound began to bleed anew, and the metallic taste of blood started to spread. Mia Grant struggled instinctively, trying to push away his relentless, twisting finger.

Perhaps because it was so sudden that he didn’t have time to react, she managed to pull away with surprising ease.

She froze, bewildered, just as a sudden weight settled on her neck.

The man’s arm wrapped around her neck from behind, locking her tightly in his embrace.

With just a slight tilt of her head, their ragged breaths collided, and he bit down on her lip.

It was as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

Waiting for her to deliver herself right to him.

In the past, when outsiders described Silas Grant, they were fond of using the word "gentleman."

They said his actions were measured, his bearing graceful and appropriate.

Even if it was just a facade, to maintain it so perfectly with everyone was no small feat.

In this moment, he personally tore his own exquisite, hypocritical mask to shreds.

A fox, as a wild animal, is born with a strong sense of self-preservation and territoriality.

And so, he stubbornly, obsessively, tried to erase the marks left on his territory by other intruders, to drive them out with his own scent.

He bit down hard, covering the other glaring traces, leaving a mark on his coveted prey that belonged to him and him alone.

—

The car was still moving, about to leave the Jynsia city limits.

For safety, Silas Grant wouldn’t risk boarding a plane in Jynsia.

As if waking from a dream, her consciousness slowly returned. Her skin was pressed against the car window, and the cold glass sent an involuntary shiver through her.

She was still sitting on Silas Grant’s lap. The sated man was resting his head on her shoulder, his fingers gently stroking her long hair, one strand at a time.

Her hair, which she hadn’t had time to dry after her shower, was now completely dry.

Only the bangs on her forehead were still slightly damp, moistened by the sweat brought on by the stuffy, hot air.

"Brother, where are we going?"

Having been in the car for so long, Mia Grant was growing drowsy.

’This is the perfect time to negotiate.’

’If this drags on any longer, I’m really going to fall asleep!’

’By the time I wake up, we’ll probably be in Portia!’

Once she was on Silas Grant’s turf, getting back would be next to impossible.

At first, her head hadn’t been clear, and she’d thought going to Portia with Silas Grant would be safer.

Now, it seemed that staying in Jynsia was the most secure option.

The male leads were all here. Although that raised the danger level, they could also keep each other in check, giving her enough breathing room.

The recent infighting between Kian Keller and Silas Grant was a perfect example.

Silas Grant was in a good mood, and his tone became as gentle as it had been initially. "To Portia. From now on, you’ll stay with your brother, and no one will bother us."

’Just as I thought.’

"I want to stay in Jynsia."

As expected, the moment she spoke, the hand supporting the back of her head stilled.

Mia Grant was now sitting sideways on his lap, an angle that made it easier for them to talk.

She tilted her head up, her eyes sincere and tinged with a plea. "Brother, school has already started for me."

"I’ll arrange everything once we’re in Portia."

Mia Grant shook her head, saying it wasn’t the same.

"I’ve already made friends at Jynsia U. You know... I didn’t have any friends before."

Her eyes looked lonely, and her voice held a hint of a sob.

"Back when I was in school, everyone called me the fake heiress. They thought I stole my sister’s identity and didn’t want to be friends with me."

"I’m finally getting to know people now. I don’t want to suddenly move to a strange new place..."

She mimicked her previous behavior, trying to act cute. Her small hand clutched the hem of his shirt, giving it a gentle tug. "Brother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely work hard in the future and try to come to Portia for grad school."

Silas Grant didn’t get angry. He was still smiling, but his eyes held a look of absolute possession as he caressed her face. "But what can we do? Your brother can’t wait that long."

"I..."

"Sweetheart, life doesn’t offer that many perfect solutions."

"Most of the time, when faced with a choice, people can only make the wisest decision for the present moment."

"You can only choose one."

"Do you want to stay in Jynsia, or do you want your brother?"

"..."

He was telling her she couldn’t have her cake and eat it too. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Whatever her reason for wanting to stay in Jynsia—Kian Keller? Or her so-called studies? It didn’t matter. None of it mattered anymore.

He didn’t want to know.

Between all those things and him, she had to make a choice today.

She could only choose one.

Silas Grant kissed her hair. "If you find this choice too difficult, your brother doesn’t mind making the decision for you."