The deserted highway echoed with the roar of speeding vehicles.
Inside one of the black cars racing down the road sat three people—Mahira, Kevin, and Ivan.
No one spoke.
Kevin sat beside Mahira, his body stiff, his gaze fixed on her. For several minutes now, he had been staring at her with blazing anger.
Mahira looked slightly uneasy. A faint pain throbbed in her body from the injuries she had received earlier. Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't even noticed Kevin's furious eyes burning into her.
But when she finally looked up—
Her breath caught.
Kevin was glaring at her.
The intensity of his anger made her heart skip a beat.
She had never seen him like this before.
Mahira had been trying to remove her jacket, but the moment she saw his expression, she quietly stopped and sat still.
After a few seconds of silence, she asked softly,
"Kevin… what happened? Why are you so angry?"
That was it.
Kevin's patience snapped.
"What do you think of yourself?!" he exploded.
His voice was so loud that even the driver flinched.
"You think you can fight so many people alone? Are you some kind of hero?"
Mahira blinked in shock.
Kevin leaned closer, his eyes blazing.
"No weapon. No protection. You just left the house like that!"
"Who gave you permission to go out alone?"
"Tell me!"
Mahira's expression hardened.
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" she shot back.
"Do you think I wanted to get kidnapped?"
Her voice trembled—not from fear, but from pain.
"And you've already started acting like you own me."
"Are you going to control me too?"
"Just like everyone else did?"
Her words hung heavily in the car.
The anger in her voice slowly cracked, revealing something deeper.
Pain.
Years of it.
Mahira had never truly lived for herself.
Her entire life had been dictated by others.
She had always sacrificed her own wishes.
Always endured.
And now, after ten long years trapped in darkness, she had finally stepped back into the outside world.
She had only wanted one simple thing.
To see the city.
To feel free.
But one mistake had changed everything.

Earlier that day…
When Mahira left the house, no one had been home.
On impulse, she took Kevin's bike and went out.
What she didn't know—
Was that someone had been watching her the entire time.
The moment she rode far enough away from Kevin's mansion, several cars suddenly surrounded her.
Before she could react—
One of the vehicles rammed her bike.
Mahira crashed onto the road.
She tried to stand.
But the men released a strange gas.
Within seconds—
Her vision blurred.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
She had been kidnapped.
If she had her phone, she could have warned Kevin.
But in her hurry, she had left it behind at the house.

Back in the present—
Kevin noticed Mahira clutching her side in pain.
Instinctively, he reached for her hand.
But Mahira pushed him away.
Kevin didn't react.
He simply looked out the window.
He knew her past.
He knew the wounds buried deep inside her heart.
But Ivan couldn't stay silent.
"Lady Boss… what are you saying?" Ivan said, frustration evident in his voice.
"Brother isn't trying to control you. He only wants to protect you."
Kevin shot him a warning glare.
But Ivan ignored it.
"Brother, you can't scare me this time," he said firmly.
"You have to let me speak."
Kevin stayed silent.
So Ivan continued.
"You don't know what happened when brother found out you were kidnapped."
"He mobilized his entire army."
"He was ready to tear the whole city apart to find you."
Mahira froze.
"But we suspected it might be a trap," Ivan said.
"So brother stopped everyone outside."
"And he went inside alone."
Mahira slowly turned to Kevin.
Ivan's voice grew darker.
"If you two—and our jungle cats—hadn't escaped at the right moment…"
He stopped speaking and raised both hands.
The meaning was clear.
Mahira's chest tightened.
Shame flooded her heart.
She had misunderstood him.
Again.
Her voice softened.
"Kevin…"
"I'm sorry."
"I shouldn't have said those things."
Kevin finally looked at her.
His voice was calm now.
"I know you didn't mean it."
He paused.
"The wounds you carry are too deep."
"It's natural that trusting someone again is difficult."
Mahira lowered her gaze.
"But you don't have to be afraid anymore," Kevin continued quietly.
"I'm here."
"I'll protect you."
"Always."
Mahira slowly leaned her head against his shoulder.
But the moment she did—
Her body went limp.
"Mahira!" Kevin shouted.
She had fainted.
Ivan immediately yelled to the driver,
"Drive faster!"
Kevin tried shaking her awake.
Then suddenly—
His hand touched her back.
And something warm coated his fingers.
Blood.
Kevin quickly lifted her jacket.
Her white T-shirt was soaked red.
His heart dropped.
He carefully raised the fabric and cleaned the wound with his handkerchief.
A deep cut stretched across her waist.
Someone had attacked her with a sharp weapon.
Kevin's expression turned terrifyingly cold.
The moment they reached the mansion, a doctor was called.
After examining Mahira, the doctor stepped out of the room.
Kevin and Ivan rushed toward him.
"Is she okay?" they asked at the same time.
The doctor nodded.
"She's safe."
"She fainted because she lost too much blood."
"But she needs a blood transfusion."
Kevin immediately refused.
"No."
" She is allergic to blood transfusion. "
The doctor frowned.
"Mr. Kevin, without blood it will take much longer for her to recover."
Kevin turned toward Mahira's room.
"She's a lioness," he said calmly.
"She'll recover on her own."
Three days passed.
Mahira remained unconscious.
On the fourth day—
Her eyelids finally fluttered open.
The first thing she saw was Kevin sitting beside her bed.
His clothes were wrinkled.
A light beard covered his jaw.
It looked like he hadn't slept for days.
Her lips moved weakly.
"Water…"
Kevin immediately helped her drink.
Then he spoke in a firm voice.
"Rest."
Mahira obeyed.
"I'll rest… I promise," Mahira whispered weakly.
"But first… I need to know something."
Her eyes searched his face.
"Are you alright?"
Kevin's brows knitted together.
Even in this condition… she was worrying about him.
"Do you really have the energy to think about me right now?" he said quietly.
"You should be worried about yourself first."
His voice grew heavier.
"Do you even realize how badly you were hurt?"
"You've been unconscious for three days."
Mahira's eyes widened slightly.
Kevin exhaled slowly before continuing.
"You lost so much blood that the doctor said you needed a transfusion."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Kevin spoke again, his voice lower.
"But I refused."
Mahira looked at him in surprise.
Kevin's gaze darkened as old memories surfaced.
"When you were a child… after that accident… they gave you blood."
His jaw tightened.
"And instead of getting better… your condition only got worse."
"So this time… I didn't allow it."
His eyes finally met hers again.
"That's why your recovery took longer."
Mahira stared at him quietly.
Then a faint smile appeared on her pale lips.
"It's alright."
Her voice was soft but warm.
"Look… I'm perfectly fine."
She lifted her weak hand slightly.
"I'm right here… talking to you."
After a small pause, her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
"Are you still angry with me… for what I said that day?"
Kevin's expression softened instantly.
"No."
He shook his head.
"How could I be?"
"Your reaction was completely understandable."
He gently pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
"Forget about all that now."
His voice turned firm again, but this time it carried warmth.
"You need to rest."
"You still haven't fully recovered."
Mahira slowly closed her eyes, feeling an unfamiliar sense of safety.
And Kevin remained there beside her.
Watching.
Protecting.
The room fell silent.
But the heavy tension inside Kevin's chest finally began to fade.
Just then—
His phone rang.
Kevin glanced at the screen.
His expression instantly turned serious.
Slowly, he answered the call.
Only one sentence left his lips.
"…What?"
A pause.
Then his eyes darkened.
"Now?"