Chapter 103: At Half Past Five in the Morning

At half past five in the morning, Elena Ward was already up. She packed her belongings quietly, careful not to wake her grandmother in the next room. Her eldest sister lived in Reed Village, over a hundred miles from Pinehaven Village. If she missed the early bus, she wouldn’t make it back today.

She had just reached the village entrance with two bulging bundles when an army-green jeep came into view. Adrian Stone leaned against the car door, straightening up the moment he spotted her.

"Get in." Without another word, he took the bundles from her hands and tossed them into the trunk.

Elena bit her lip. Why was this man so stubborn? She’d made herself perfectly clear yesterday...

"I can take the bus," she muttered.

Adrian was already in the driver’s seat, fingers tapping the steering wheel. "The bus requires three transfers. You wouldn’t arrive until evening."

Reluctantly, Elena pulled open the passenger door. Just as she was about to sit down, she noticed Adrian staring straight at her. His obsidian-dark eyes were unusually intense in the morning light, making her heart skip a beat.

"What?" She instinctively shrank back.

Suddenly, Adrian leaned in, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. Elena’s breath hitched as she pressed herself against the seat.

What was he doing? They were right at the village entrance!

His arm brushed past her ear as he pulled out a black strap. A soft click echoed—he’d fastened her seatbelt.

"The mountain roads are rough," he said, his voice low and slightly hoarse from sleep.

Elena’s ears burned. So she’d misunderstood...

The jeep kicked up dust as it rumbled down the dirt road. Elena stole a glance at the man behind the wheel—his military uniform crisp, his profile sharp and resolute, his fingers strong around the steering wheel.

"Turn left," she murmured, giving directions.

The car veered onto an even narrower mountain path. Then Adrian spoke abruptly. "I thought a lot about what you said last night."

Elena tensed.

"Your plan isn’t realistic." His tone was calm but firm as he kept his eyes on the road. "I’ve kissed you. Held you. The whole village knows you’re my fiancée. If we break up now, what will people think of you?"

She clenched the fabric of her clothes. "I could go to the city for school—"

"And then what?" Adrian slammed on the brakes and turned to face her. "Let me tell everyone you changed your mind? Elena, I’m not that kind of man."

Morning mist drifted through the open window, blurring the space between them.

"What do you want, then?" Her voice trembled.

Adrian reached out, gently brushing away a dewdrop caught in her hair. The tenderness in the gesture took her by surprise.

"If I agreed to be your fiancé, I’ll see it through."

Elena’s eyes widened. In the morning light, she saw the unmistakable resolve in his gaze.

Oh no. Adrian was dead serious.