Zion had known she was coming and prepared a lavish spread for dinner.
When she was little, she and Joshua had been sent to the countryside to toughen up. Zion didn't just teach them martial arts—he took them to catch fish in the river, pulled weeds with them in the fields.
So many beautiful childhood memories were tied to him.
After dinner, Ada claimed the best guest room first.
The one Zion had prepared for Lily.
"It's fine." Lily smiled at her master. "It's getting late—you should rest. The three of us can sort things out ourselves."
Zion had always kept a regular schedule. He wished them goodnight and headed to his room.
Lily yanked Ada out of the guest room. "Miss Swanson, there are no extra rooms. You and Joshua can share."
Ada's expression stiffened, then a smile crept across her face. "Sure. Sweet dreams, Miss Gilbert."
Joshua froze. Lily was letting Ada stay in the same room with him—wasn't she jealous? Or was this her way of showing her displeasure?
"Let's go."
In the end, he didn't ask. Ada pulled him away.
Night fell.
Lily had just drifted off when a scream ripped through the air.
"Help! Don't—don't rape me!"
She rushed out and found Zion standing in the moonlit yard, utterly baffled.
Ada stood there clutching her chest, looking violated.
The moment she spotted Lily, she lunged toward her like she'd found a lifeline.
"Miss Gilbert, your master tried to rape me! I came out to use the bathroom and he started groping me!"
Lily knew her master. He would never do something like this.
Joshua's face darkened. He draped his jacket over Ada and fixed Zion with an icy stare.
"Master, I didn't expect that at your age, you still can't control yourself."
Zion's face flushed crimson. "I didn't! She saw me and started screaming! I think she's mentally ill!"
"Joshua." Lily's voice was steel. "You know exactly what kind of person Zion is."
Her master had never been slandered like this in his life. He turned to her. "Lily, believe me."
She stepped in front of him, shielding him.
"Ada Swanson, how many times are you going to pull this self-directed stunt?"
Ada's face crumpled, tears streaming down. "The Swanson family isn't someone you can bully! I can have your master rotting in prison if I want!"
Lily nearly lost her mind. "You wouldn't dare!"
Ada's eyebrow arched. "If you want this to go away, cripple your master's martial arts. Otherwise—prison."
Joshua looked between Lily and Zion, his expression unreadable.
He lifted Ada into his arms. Moonlight gilded his tall frame in silver.
"I've called people from another martial arts school. Master owes Miss Swanson an explanation for tonight."
Footsteps thundered toward them.
Joshua's voice cut through the night. "Whoever cripples Zion Gilbert's martial arts gets five million."
"Joshua Vance! Did a dog eat your conscience?!"
His only answer was his retreating back.
Dozens of men in black swarmed in. Lily had no choice but to fight.
Within minutes, she'd taken over a dozen hits. The pain was blinding.
But then she saw them surround Zion on the ground—punching, kicking, slashing a knife across his hand tendons.
She stopped feeling the pain. Like a woman possessed, she grabbed an iron rod and threw herself into the fray.
Even the most vicious men fear someone with nothing left to lose.
They stopped. Retreated.
With shaking hands, Lily called an ambulance. Then the police.
Looking at Zion's unconscious body, she broke down sobbing.
If she hadn't insisted on visiting him. If she hadn't said too much. He wouldn't have suffered this.
The next day, Zion woke.
She rushed to his side. "Master, does anything else hurt?"
He patted her head gently. "My Lily is almost more capable than her master now."
Her eyes burned. She tilted her head back, forcing the tears to stay put.
"Master, I'm leaving Capital City. I didn't marry Joshua."
"I chose again—someone who loves me. Really, truly loves me."
Zion smiled, as if he'd expected it all along. "No matter who you marry, the premise is that you must make yourself happy."
"Lily, you really should go out and see the world."
