Adrian is not sure how exactly everything has turned out this way, but no matter what happens, he needs to protect everyone here.

There are these heavily-armed gunmen who are chasing them at this very moment. It seems like someone has figured out their location as well as the string of kidnapping incidents that they have been conducting. As for their identity, he can think of only one individual who can plot such a dead set pursuit within a short span of time -

​​

The very core of the corruption in their company.

Of course, Adrian is still not completely certain about it. However, it still makes sense, considering that not even the highest-ranked officials can easily see through their schemes. Charles and Asher had been extremely cautious in furtively sourcing information from private records. He himself has thought that everything has been flowing smoothly.

Adrian is quite arrogant, so he is confident to say that the only people who can outwit him in this game are those who have made the rules.

"No matter what, stay close to me, Cassidy. We'll get to Asher and the others soon," Adrian told Cassidy as he guided her to sit behind him and take cover.

"This whole thing is really shady. You are really shady-"

"If I'm shady, then you're nosy! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Even then, I'll continue to follow you! Don't leave me to Asher and run away by yourself."

"Stop following me already! You'll get yourself into trouble!"

"Can't you see?! If I'm with you, there's no danger that can finish you off no matter how many they are!"

"Huh?! Just what the heck is up with that?!"

Both of them are now hiding behind a wall.

Unfortunately, they got separated from their other companions after the pursuit commenced. It has been a complete mess since then. There were firings of bullets, loud noises, a rushed retreat and the surge of panic. It was a good thing that they had prepared for something like this even though they did not really expect it.

At the very least, they still have an escape plan to follow.

In the end, only the two of them have stayed together. There were a couple of gunmen who were chasing them by that point. In the meantime, they went into hiding in hope that they would eventually lose them.

"Mister Shady, there is that guy over there..." Cassidy chimed in all of the sudden, pointing at an unconscious man who was lying on the ground a few meters away.

"You ran out of bullets, right? Let's take his weapon."

"No, we can't let our pursuers see us. We're staying here," Adrian protested, deeming her plan as a bad idea.

"I'll just sneak in there. There's still a wall over where he is. I'll take cover."

"Wait, no, don't that-"

Being as stubborn as ever, she still rushes ahead and slips in as stealthily as she can. Much to his relief, he sees that the gunmen have their backs on their direction at that time, still standing from a distance. With that, she is able to get to the other side and steal a pistol.

'Seriously, you.... You're way too stubborn and reckless,' Adrian thought with a sigh as he watched Cassidy happily waving the gun at him like it was some sort of a prize.

It astonishes him that she can positively cope with this kind of situation. Any normal girl her age would have been so frightened that all they could was either cry out or stay numb. But then again, there was what Asher told him earlier - about how she thinks like an adult at times because of what she has been through.

Now, he can see that clearly, and he can't help but find a lot more things to admire her for.

Cassidy is about to go back to Adrian right then, but before she can even reach his side, their pursuers are starting to make their way to their direction. At any second, they will get busted out. Though a little fazed, he can see how determined and focused she is. He can see that she is thinking things through.

That's when Cassidy quietly gestures that she will throw the weapon to Adrian, and that he has to shoot at once right after he catches it, considering that they will definitely catch the attention of their opponents by then - which is yet another bad idea.

'Freakin' reckless little brat!' he bolted out inside his head when she did not even wait for his answer and just went ahead to carry out the plan.

With that, he had no choice but to catch the pistol and do as she said. Like they expected, the gunmen would be alarmed by their sudden movements, so he had to show himself up at once, fire his bullets and try his best to aim straight at both of them. Fortunately, he did it perfectly as he managed to take advantage of their surprised reactions and shot with impeccable timing.

The gunmen did not even get to resist anymore.

"Wohooo...! Mister Shady for the win!" Cassidy cheered out loud while making a mini victory dance.

"Hey, little fire head! What do you think you're doing...?!" Adrian exclaimed in panic before rushing to her and grabbing both sides of her head for emphasis on his not-so-insulting insult.

"Just how strong-headed do you want to be?! And you're calling attention here, you know!"

"And yet you yourself are shouting-"

"I'm really gonna take you to Asher as soon as possible. Stay with them while I handle the rest. Don't cause any more troubles."

She blinks at that rapidly and steps away from him. For a second, he saw how she looked a little hurt by what he said. Perhaps, he has been calling her troublesome a little too much.

"Do I still cause you trouble even when I try to help?" Cassidy asked with a downcast gaze.

"You're giving me a heart attack - that's what I'm trying to say. I didn't want to put you in danger like that," Adrian clarified, feeling guilty for making her think that way.

"But I was the one who put myself in danger - not you. I don't want to be protected all the time. My mother died because of that, and I believe that my father did too."

"Y-Your what?"

"If you continue protecting me and I still do nothing, you might die too."

At her confession, his eyes widen a bit and his mouth gapes slightly.

She is now acting somewhat ashamed and fearful, her dainty figure getting smaller and smaller than it already is. It's his first time seeing her so vulnerable. He doesn't know her past that well, but he can tell how damaged she seems to be. It hurts him - not only because she is this broken all along, but also because she is always trying to act strong despite that.

Even though it's out of place, that sentimental moment carries on between the two of them, filling in the heavy silence that has prevailed.

"I'm not going to die..." Adrian assured her before cupping both of her cheeks and squeezing them together.

"I promised you something, right? I'll buy you anything you want, and I'll tell you my name."

Dazzled by his warm and affectionate smile, Cassidy can't help but blush fiercely. Not only did she realize that he was actually so handsome this whole time, but she also felt touched by his words and gesture. Time and again, the thing inside her chest is starting to get so frantic that it might burst.

This must be that gooey, cheesy feeling that makes people lose their strength and feel like falling over. This must be that once-in-a-lifetime emotion that she never expected she would ever discover. It made her weak and confused yet strong and enlightened at the same time - it was really complicated that she could barely define it.

Even then, she can't find it in herself to deny the feeling.

"Before that, promise that you won't die first!" Cassidy said firmly and steeled her gaze on him.

"Yes, I promise," Adrian reassured her, beaming even brighter.

---

Yet in the end, Adrian didn't get to fulfill any of what he had promised to Cassidy.

After reuniting with Asher and leaving her to their care, he split up from them to finish what he started. He could not afford getting them involved any more than this. That's why he let them get to safety before him.

But then, there had been one huge miscalculation. Just when Adrian thought that his escape plan was faultless, he got cornered at the very last minute - and it was all because he did not quite foresee that the mastermind of the whole pursuit was also present in the scene.

Adrian was in the middle of fleeing and crossing a road when he suddenly crashed onto one of the vehicles that had been chasing after him. He was sent flying through the air and landing on the ground with one heavy, death-dealing fall.

"Adrian?!"

However, the crash was not the biggest shock of all. It was the one who drove him over.

Of all the people out there, it really had to be this person who would do it - the mastermind of the pursuit, the core of the corruption in their corporation, and the very reason why Cassidy would lose yet another home. He was in aghast shock, confusion and disbelief for what seemed like a long time. Even if he hadn't been in that car crash, he would have stayed thoroughly numb. He wouldn't know what to do but to remain frozen.

The man before him now is reflecting the same reaction as his, but he did not get to see the ones that he was expecting the most - guilt and remorse.

"W-Why..." Adrian muttered weakly before he completely lost his consciousness.

"W-Why did you do this.... Grandfather?"