Sarah regretted not offering to take the wheel earlier. Letting Holden drive in his bad mood had been a terrible idea-she might end up being the first actress to die in a speeding accident.
Her eyes suddenly welled with tears. “I don’t want to die.”
She was just starting to make it big.
She hadn’t even won a Best Actress award yet.
Her latest film wasn’t finished.
And, honestly, dying in a car crash sounded like the worst way to go.
Holden’s sharp, narrow eyes still looked dangerous, but he eased up on the gas. The speed dropped steadily to 90 km/h.
The truth was, that Holden had trained as a racecar driver abroad. In his younger days, he’d loved racing and exotic cars. His collection of rare and custom vehicles wasn’t for show-driving fast was second nature to him.
By the time they got off the highway, it was starting to get dark. After driving a few more miles, Holden found himself somewhere unfamiliar-a scenic area with a large lake surrounded by grassy plains dotted with lanterns. Families and couples were camping nearby, and a night market buzzed on the side.
Sarah’s mood lifted instantly. “Mr. Holden, have you ever gone camping?”
Holden didn’t answer and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Sarah pulled a mask from her bag and slipped it on. “Come on, let’s go shopping! Don’t be mad anymore.”
She jumped out of the car and opened the driver’s door, tugging Holden out.
Worried that the car might get scratched, she left Holden standing there while she drove it over to a nearby paid parking lot. After parking, she waved at him from a distance. “Come on! Over here!”
Holden’s temper seemed to ease. Maybe it was impossible for him to stay angry around someone like Sarah.
The night breeze was cool, and the soft light over the lake made the whole scene look serene and beautiful.
Slowly, Holden walked over to where she stood.
Sarah dashed around the night market, buying a few essentials for camping. Then she scouted a cozy spot on the grass with a great view of the lake. With practiced ease, she set up a tent and laid out the mats and blankets she’d just bought. Outside the tent, she placed two folding rattan chairs.
“The view’s amazing, right?” she asked, glancing curiously at Holden. “Doesn’t it feel like your mood’s already improving?”
Holden’s profile remained indifferent, distant as always. Yet, with his sharp features and air of elegance, he looked untouchable no matter what expression he wore.
Sarah wasn’t carrying any complicated feelings. For her, happiness came and went in an instant, just like sadness-both vanished as quickly as they arrived, like scenes in a movie. Once a moment passed, it was over, and life had to move forward.
Holden’s thoughts, however, ran deep and intricate, too layered for Sarah to fully grasp. All she could offer him was respect. Whether he was kind or cold, in Sarah’s eyes, he was still Holden.
Just then, a pair of little kids ran up to them. They looked about five or six years old. One wore a blue shirt, and the other had on a pink dress-they were identical twins, a brother and sister.
Sarah kept her mask on, hoping no one would recognize her.
The little girl in the pink dress stared at her curiously. “Miss, are you sick?”
Sarah glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, and pulled down her mask. “Nope. Where are your mom and dad?”
The little girl pointed to a tent not far away. “They’re over there.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “You’re… you’re… dead!”
Sarah frowned. “Kid, what kind of nonsense is that?”
Apparently, the boy had seen The Mysterious Family in theaters, but his memory wasn’t great. He couldn’t quite recall Sarah’s character’s name, and it didn’t make sense to him how someone “dead” could show up here. Confused, he hid behind his sister.
The little girl, who preferred cartoons, had fallen asleep during the movie and had no idea who Sarah was.
Like most kids, she was drawn to kind, pretty people. But since Holden looked cold and distant, she didn’t dare approach him. Instead, she fished two lollipops from her pocket and handed them to Sarah.
Sarah wasn’t about to be polite with kids. She peeled off the wrapper and popped one in her mouth. The peach-and-milk flavor was surprisingly good. As she enjoyed her candy, she entertained the two children with playful jokes.
Before long, their mother showed up. Judging by her reaction, it wasn’t the first time these kids had wandered off to make new friends. She apologized awkwardly, but when she looked up and recognized Sarah, her eyes widened in disbelief.
It was clear she was a fan. Overjoyed, she hugged her two kids and asked for a photo with Sarah, which Sarah obliged.
Since the place was lively and full of visitors, the mother didn’t want to disturb Sarah and her companion. After snapping the picture, she left quietly with her kids.
Holden glanced at Sarah. “You seem to like kids.”
Sarah shrugged. She didn’t have strong feelings either way. Like most people, she found annoying kids a hassle, but well-behaved ones could be pretty adorable.
But then something crossed her mind. “Mr. Holden, are you planning to have a bunch of kids in the future?”
After all, someone with Holden’s wealth would need heirs for his vast fortune.
Holden’s reply was flat. “I’m not interested in having children.”
Sarah blinked. “Oh.”
Fair enough. If Holden wanted kids, he’d probably have them by now-they’d be old enough to run errands already.
Besides, Holden always gave off an air of restraint. She’d never seen him bring any woman home, and even with Sarah herself, he’d never pushed for anything physical between them.
Curious, Sarah leaned in a little. “Do you have some kind of hidden issue with… you know, erectile dysfunction?”
Holden’s eyes darkened.
Sarah lowered her voice. “Hey, I’m good at keeping secrets. You can tell me. I swear I won’t say a word.”
The atmosphere around Holden shifted instantly, turning ice-cold. At that moment, Sarah genuinely believed he might toss her into the lake and leave her to become a waterlogged ghost.
Given Holden’s influence, no one would dare retrieve her body while he was alive. She’d probably have to wait a hundred years for her bones to be discovered.
Holden let out a laugh, but his eyes remained cold and empty. Then, without warning, he grabbed Sarah’s shoulders, his voice low and dangerous. “You really wanna know?”
His fingers felt ice-cold against her skin, and his sharp, narrow eyes looked especially menacing, making him feel completely unapproachable.
Sarah knew she shouldn’t have gossiped about Holden, and sure enough, karma hit her hard and fast.
Holden leaned in, his lips brushing against Sarah’s ear. “Wanna try?”
He wasn’t in the best mood today, and Sarah had hit all his sore spots one too many times. It seemed like his rationality had shattered into pieces.
Once inside the tent, before Sarah could say a word, Holden kissed her. He always smelled amazing, like fresh wood-calm yet cool. But his possessiveness was off the charts, making every kiss feel forceful. Sarah’s tongue felt a little sore, and her eyes started to glaze over.
She frowned slightly. “That hurts…”
Her voice came out almost like a pout, and for a moment, it brought Holden back to his senses.
His lips brushed against the corner of her mouth this time, softer than before. “How about now?”
Instinctively, Sarah felt a bit of danger from him. She thought it would be best to keep some distance; otherwise, he might do something reckless.
But Holden wasn’t about to let her off the hook. He unbuttoned two of her shirt buttons.
Her delicate collarbone looked so fragile, just like her.
She would never escape his grasp; she would always belong to him.
Her golden hair fell over her slender shoulders, and her eyes shimmered with moisture. Her lips were a bright red from his kisses, making her look so innocent and vulnerable.
Holden pulled her into his embrace, his large hand gripping her waist firmly. “Still wanna run?”
Sarah felt so weak from his kisses that she leaned softly against his shoulder.
Watching her snuggle in, the dark look in Holden’s eyes softened a bit.
He wouldn’t actually do anything to her in a place like this-the tent was hardly soundproof, and they could faintly hear voices in the distance.
Sarah was still a little on edge. She thought he really wanted to prove that he had no erectile dysfunction.
Holden bit her neck lightly. “If you try to run away in the future, I’ll make sure to-”
Lock her up forever.
In a cage that belonged only to him.