Nicole quickly realized who the "Mr. Miles" was that Nathan was referring to.
Who else, other than Miles, could make someone brave the snow to seek help?
As this thought crossed her mind, Nicole felt a flutter of anxiety in her chest. Though she had deceived Anthony, she still feared the secret might one day be exposed.
But now, someone was at the door, specifically calling for Miles.
What should she do?
The man outside seemed even more intimidating than Anthony. What if he forced his way in? She'd have barely escaped the tiger's den, only to stumble straight into the wolf's lair.
Summoning her courage, she approached the window and called out, "Miles is my boyfriend. What do you want with him?"
"My… boyfriend?"
Nathan was momentarily stunned, and it took him only a second to recognize the woman inside the villa.
"You... you're Nicole?"
Nicole stepped back in a panic, then feigned indifference. "I'm Nicole, and yes, I'm Miles's girlfriend. If you dare lay a finger on me, Miles won't let you off."
She could only rely on Miles's name to try and intimidate the man.
Thus, she repeated her connection to him over and over.
Nathan chuckled bitterly to himself. Who am I to lay a hand on you?
Nicole was Miles's woman?
Truly, the more powerful a person was, the more they played the field.
"I'm terribly sorry," he quickly said, "Miss Nicole, I'm Nathan. I'm one of Mr. Miles's men. He must have mentioned me to you?"
"Ah?"
Nicole looked confused, and Nathan sighed and shook his head with a rueful smile. "Of course, I'm just a minor figure. Nothing worth remembering."
Nicole could only feign ignorance, as her mind was filled with helplessness.
Nathan quickly added, "Miss Nicole, please, could you call Mr. Miles? I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."
"He…"
Nicole felt like crying, knowing that Miles wasn't here. But judging by Nathan's posture, he clearly wouldn't leave until he saw Miles.
Resigned, she pointed toward the right. "He's not here right now. He's at that vixen's house. You can find him at Building 104."
A good performance needed a coherent story.
You're Miles's woman, but Miles isn't here? That doesn't add up!
Fearing that she might be seen through, Nicole could only offer this excuse.
"Thank you, Miss Nicole. I appreciate it…"
Nathan, hardly able to restrain his admiration for Miles's charm, nodded quickly and ran off toward Building 104.
Meanwhile, Nicole stood rooted to the spot, frozen like someone had placed an invisible spell on her.
What now?
Once Nathan meets Miles, the truth will be out.
What will Miles's reaction be?
Nicole's heart pounded in her chest.
She worried he might be furious, after all, being used by others in this way was a terrible feeling.
But at the same time…
She lightly touched her face and glanced down at the small peak barely hidden beneath her coat. A faint blush appeared on her face, made more radiant by the flickering firelight.
So what if the truth comes out? she thought. I'm beautiful, after all, and he's not losing out. He might even be pleased.
Otherwise, why would he have saved me yesterday? He must have already known about me.
In the fantasy world she had constructed, Miles's actions were those of a man secretly in love with her. He had liked her for a long time, but for reasons unknown, he had never spoken up, choosing instead to silently protect her.
Yes! It must be that way!
A confident smile spread across Nicole's face.
She was sure of her looks. Over the years, countless actors from the entertainment industry had tried to create a public romance with her, and many more had pursued her.
But she wasn't impressed by those so-called "perfect" suitors. In fact, she found them somewhat repulsive.
In this world of falsehoods and selfish ambitions, true feelings were rare. Even if there were emotions involved, they were never pure.
But Miles was different.
He ruled the neighborhood now, with endless supplies at his command. If he wanted to, he could take her by force, and no one would dare stop him.
After all, in times like these, Miles was considered a supreme being among the residents.
Yet he didn't.
He quietly guarded the girl he loved, and when she was in danger, he appeared in the most powerful way, driving away all the bad people.
Now that was real "boyfriend power."
That was the purest form of affection…
Nicole felt tears welling in her eyes as she imagined these thoughts. How touching!
Meanwhile, as Nicole lost herself in her fantasies, Miles was left utterly bewildered.
"What are you doing here?"
Seeing Nathan, who was nearly frozen, Miles opened the intercom and asked Ryan to bring him into the storage room.
Ryan and Nathan had met before and had mutual respect for each other's abilities. When they had first encountered one another at the machinery factory, if Miles hadn't been so overpowered, they might have had a harder time defeating Nathan and his men.
After offering Nathan a cup of hot water, Ryan smiled and asked, "Why didn't you come during the day? The temperature at night must be near minus sixty by now."
Nathan was first stunned by the temperature inside, then he laughed bitterly, "I came during the day, actually."
At that moment, he couldn't help but feel grateful for joining Miles's side.
If Ryan could live in such a splendid place, what must Miles's mansion be like?
No wonder he spoke so casually about half a month's worth of supplies. Looking at this place, who knew how much he was hoarding.
"The factory is only about ten or so kilometers away, right? You walked all day?" Ryan asked in confusion.
Nathan sighed, his expression full of defeat. "I didn't even know where Mr. Miles's mansion was. If I hadn't met his girlfriend on the way, I'd have frozen to death…"
"Girlfriend?"
Ryan froze in place.
"Girlfriend?!"
A woman's shocked scream echoed through the intercom.
"What did you say?"
Miles asked, equally disbelieving.
"His girlfriend. She's the one who told me your address," Nathan stammered, his frozen fingers shaking as he held the cup of water. "Mr. Miles is incredible, even able to win over someone like Nicole, a top star!"
"Who did you say?!"
Another shocked exclamation came from the intercom.
"Nicole," Nathan said, still confused, looking at Ryan. "Isn't Mr. Miles's girlfriend Miss Nicole? The famous star. I've never met her before."
"Miles!"
A thunderous shout from the intercom nearly shattered everyone's eardrums.
Inside the villa, Miles stood frozen, staring at the enraged Lisa.
The once gentle and kind girl had now transformed into a furious lioness, struggling to contain her anger. Tears welled up in her eyes as she glared at him.
Miles had intended to comfort her and explain, but instead, his face hardened as he coldly said, "Mind your place."
"Yes!"
Tears staining her face, Lisa silently stared at him, gritting her teeth as she choked out, "Master!"