Kaito and Akira ended up climbing up and down the cliffside a couple of times before returning to the cottage. Since the house was filthy, they ate the packed lunch outside on the lawn under a tree. Despite his usual mischievous and roguish behaviour, Kaito was quite meticulous.

The date could be considered successful.

By the time the two got into the classic car to leave, it was quite late. The sun had already set and the sky was already dark.

Akira felt a little guilty because she knew her parents had probably called to find her. However, she decided to wait until she got home before switching on her phone to avoid being bombarded with questions she could not answer.

"Don't worry. I will get you home before you turn into a pumpkin." Kaito told her as he started the car.

"You are the pumpkin." Akira retorted.

"I am the prince," Kaito said.

As they hit the road, Akira relaxed and began feeling sleepy. Since she moved to Mountain Ridge, she stopped exercising regularly. Therefore, the climbing and swimming made her a little tired.

Not to mention the 'bonding' that she and Kaito had done in the pool beneath the cliff…

Therefore, within a few moments, she closed her eyes and dozed off.

Kaito looked at her with a smile before turning his eyes back to the road. The feeling of driving with someone he liked was truly something special. He could understand why Hu Lei had been willing to give up the dark side and settle down.

Perhaps, there was a chance for him too.

When he thought of marrying Akira and living with her every day, chatting, bickering and looking at her face endlessly, he felt beyond pleased.

As he was revelling in his wild thoughts, he noticed a black vehicle tailing them. The movement of the van was not obviously suspicious, but he was a seasoned assassin with a lot of enemies. He had been tailed countless times. He could recognise a dubious vehicle with his eyes closed.

He did not take any action after noticing the problem. He kept driving while observing the vehicle behind. As Kaito approached a curve on the road, the truck behind accelerated. The intent was obvious.

If Kaito sped up carelessly, he would lose control and collide with the roadside barrier. However, if he was not fast enough, the small red car would be crashed by the heavy-duty van.

But Kaito was not an ordinary man.

Without fear, he accelerated the vehicle and passed the dangerous curve with ease. He smiled in satisfaction after navigating that section of the road.

Unfortunately, he celebrated too soon.

When he looked ahead, he saw another black van. The vehicle was parked across the road and right at the centre, making it impossible for him to pass on either side of the narrow route.

Without a choice to move forward, he could only brake immediately to avoid a collision. With that move, they were trapped between the two black vans.

Akira woke up due to the sudden stop. Her misty, large eyes looked around with confusion.

"We are in a bit of a pinch." Kaito chuckled a little.

"Who did you piss off?" She asked.

"Why does it have to be me? They could be after you." Kaito scoffed.

"Impossible. I do not have enemies. You have met me. How could anyone hate me?" She laughed airily.

Kaito felt her self-satisfaction was particularly annoying. And truth be told, he knew they were after him. He could even guess who had sent them. It did not take a genius to figure it out since he had been in Mountain Ridge for only a couple of weeks.

The two vans opened to reveal a few tough-looking men. They were holding a range of blunt weapons. Since they did not have guns, he could only assume that their intention was not killing him.

His uncle probably wanted to injure and maim him to see if he could draw out the powerful trustee in charge of his parents' wealth.

This matter irked him.

"Do you want to stay in the car? I will deal them." He asked Akira.

"No, I will be fine. I can take care of a couple of thugs." She responded while looking at thugs approaching with derision.

"That's what I like to hear. Which vehicle do you want to take? The front one or the back one?" He asked.

"The front one." She did not even turn her head to look behind.

Kaito stepped out of the car, went around and opened the door for her.

"My lady. Whoever finishes their group first can ask for a reward from the loser." He said as he helped her out of the vehicle.

The thugs were infuriated by the behaviour, but they did not know how to step in while their target was behaving like a gentleman.

"Ok." Akira agreed easily. "Wait, don't kill anyone."

Kaito, who had turned to walk to the van behind, looked at her. He looked at her face keenly and noticed a little redness on her cheeks. She looked a little guilty for saying that.

So, she knew…

"Of course not. We are law-abiding citizens. Their fate should be left to the police." He smiled.

Akira walked to her group of thugs.

"Little girl, we are not after you. We are only interested in your boyfriend. If you stand aside, you can keep your small life." The front thug with a baseball bat said.

"Your boyfriend has offended someone he shouldn't have! But if you come and play with us, we will protect you." A second man said vulgarly.

Akira lifted her leg and kicked the front thug in his abdomen with her foot. The force caused him to lose his breath and fly backwards. Then, she turned without wasting movement and kicked the second guy so hard that she heard his ribs crack.

She smiled with satisfaction. He dares invite me to play with him. He should think about whether he is capable first.

While his compatriots were stunned, she picked the first man's bat and wielded it like a sword. She made quick work of the rest of the group.

"You sure took your time," Kaito said from behind her with a laugh.

"You are done?" She was shocked.

"Of course. Feel free to check it out while I move this van out the way." He replied with another chuckle.

Akira could not accept the outcome. She went to check out Kaito's work. When she saw it, her anger could not be contained. There were only four unconscious guys on the ground while she had dealt with seven.

"You cheated." She shouted as Kaito stepped out of the van.

"How is it cheating? I gave you a choice." He responded.

"Then, can I give you a choice between losing your head or stopping your heart?" She asked threateningly.

Before Kaito could respond, a tall, beautiful woman walked out from behind the van that had been tailing them. She was wearing a tight black pantsuit, giving her a sense of mystery in the moonlight.

"How lively! And here I thought you needed help." The woman laughed.

"Ayumi!" Kaito said.

Ayumi's eyes landed on the lady beside Kaito, who was looking at her with curiosity. She felt deep darkness rise within her as she faced the doll-like girl with large, clear eyes.

"Wow! She is exactly like Hu Lei!"