"Bang——" The gunshot echoed through the silent valley.

Vanessa Sterling tightly covered her mouth as she crouched in the grass, listening to the footsteps rush away above her.

Judging from the panic in the footsteps of those two people chasing after, Miles Sterling must have escaped the bullet just fired.

After a long while, when only the sound of the wind rustling the grass remained, Vanessa slowly regained her composure.

Cautiously, she got up from the ground, her expression somewhat vacant, and looked towards the direction where the group had disappeared.

In the night, the figures were long gone.

"Bang——" Another gunshot thundered in the open hills.

Upon hearing the gunshot, Vanessa shuddered violently, her heart tensing along with it.

Before she could move her numbed legs, her vision blurred, the sounds around her began to fade, and her body fell helplessly backward.

Collapsing back into the dense weeds...

Vanessa’s unexpected accident naturally delayed Audrey Sutton’s group’s plan to return.

This operation involved not only a large police force from the city but also attracted numerous influential media reporters.

The seemingly calm yet secretly turbulent small town suddenly became the focus of social attention from all circles.

Before word spread, police raided several prostitution rings disguised as bars or hotels overnight.

When Vanessa Sterling woke up, she was lying in a hospital bed.

Outside the ward, she vaguely heard Audrey Sutton and Laura Yates talking.

"How’s everything, second brother?"

Laura quickly asked, "Have they caught the people who kidnapped Vanessa?"

Franklin Sutton responded with a "Hmm," saying, "They’ve all been caught, and that guy was just sent to the ICU as well. The surgery is completed, but he’s still not out of danger."

Laura sighed, saying, "I really hope he’s okay."

Audrey muttered curiously, "But I find it strange how Miles Sterling suddenly appeared there? If Erin hadn’t said he was the one who called the police, I would have suspected he was the one who kidnapped Vanessa."

Franklin Sutton: "I don’t know about that. We’ll have to wait until he wakes up to ask. I need to go handle something; you all stay here and don’t wander off."

Laura: "Alright, go ahead and take care of it."

Audrey returned to the ward and exclaimed, "Hey, sister-in-law! Vanessa is awake."

Vanessa turned her head to look at the two of them, a pale smile on her face, and in a hoarse voice said, "You’re all here? I’ve caused you trouble."

Audrey: "What are you saying? It’s good that you’re alright. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

Laura turned to head outside the ward, saying, "I’ll go call the doctor over."

Audrey sat by the bedside, cautiously asking Vanessa, "Vanessa, you should know who saved you, right? You must have seen him last night, right?"

Vanessa lowered her gaze and gently nodded. From their conversation earlier, she had learned about Miles Sterling’s current situation.

Knowing that Miles Sterling was seriously injured saving her, yet she felt no sense of indebtedness or guilt in her heart.

For anyone else, she might have felt grateful.

But as for Miles Sterling, her feelings were just indifferent.

Call her cold-blooded, say she’s unfeeling; it’s all the accumulated experiences and lessons from the past decade.

Over the years, Miles did do many things for her, which outsiders might see as the actions of a good person.

But Vanessa knew very well that his every gesture had a price.

He would do good for you but would remember those actions, whether they were needs of yours or something he imposed.

Then he would feel self-righteous internally and demand repayment.

He needed your grateful submission and obedience, with no allowance for rebellion.

Otherwise, he’d question why you acted against him despite his kindness.

Vanessa was all too familiar with that unfolding situation.

She now feared Miles might wake up and seize her again.

Telling her that her life was saved by him, and he had the rights to bind her to his side...

Audrey picked up a bedside water jug, poured a cup for Vanessa, handed it over, and asked, "Has he tried reaching out to you before? Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental?"

Vanessa sat up, reached for the cup, took a sip of the warm water, then shook her head saying, "No, but I always felt someone was following me. I assume it must have been him."

"Huh? Why didn’t you tell us something so important? What if he intended to secretly take you away?"

"...At the time, I didn’t know it was him."

Audrey sighed slightly and said, "Regardless, last night’s incident deserves our gratitude. He took two bullets for saving you, one in the right calf, one in the left chest. The doctor said the chest bullet was dangerously close to the heart, almost costing him his life on the spot."

Vanessa recalled the scene from last night, indeed it was life-threatening. If not for Miles appearing, she might be lying cold as a corpse.

Yet the things Miles had done in the past still haunted her, leaving her unable to soften her heart.

"My brother just mentioned that Miles has undergone surgery and is in the ICU, still not out of danger. Do you... want to go see him later?"

Audrey posed the question and observed Vanessa’s response, expecting Miles’s selfless rescue might prompt some concern from Vanessa despite her past.

But unexpectedly, Vanessa briefly hesitated and then firmly shook her head: "I don’t want to see him."

Such an answer somehow wasn’t surprising.

From certain perspectives, their experiences together could seem poignant.

Vanessa herself wasn’t overly injured; after the doctor’s examination, discharge procedures were arranged.

Regarding Miles Sterling, Vanessa remained detached, never questioning about him, let alone visiting him in the ward.

It’s as if she’s worried or fearful about something, proposing to leave right after giving her statement to the police.

At the hospital, Audrey encountered Bianca Jennings, who informed her that Miles had never completely let go after freeing Vanessa.

This camping trip for Audrey and her group had Bianca accompany Miles the whole way, partly to help Miles unwind and also to witness Vanessa’s life changes after leaving him.

Most importantly, it aimed to enlighten Miles’s thoughts, allowing him to truly from the heart return freedom thoroughly to Vanessa.