If not for that, Arthur would’ve rushed over already. So she held back—swallowing the panic, the scream rising in her throat. After the fight with the wolves outside Mose City last time, Ashley’s mental endurance had clearly grown stronger. Solivair stared in surprise at Ashley, who, despite her pale face, gritted her teeth and didn’t let out a sound. “You two really are a match made in heaven,” he said. The remark was vague, but both Arthur and Ashley knew exactly what he meant. Solivair turned his teasing gaze on Ashley. “You’re something else, girl—miles ahead of the average little lady. But you might’ve picked the wrong guy.” He shot a casual glance at Arthur. Before either of them could respond, Solivair went on, “I’ve got a knife to your face, and he’s just sitting there like nothing’s happening. Clearly, you don’t mean a thing to him. He only cares about saving his own skin.” There was mockery in Solivair’s eyes as he looked at them. At that moment, he seemed like a demon toying with humans—grinning wildly at their fear. Hearing this, Taylor couldn’t take it anymore. “That’s not true! Arthur—” Before he could finish, Ashley cut him off sharply. “I know!” She shot Taylor a look, then glanced at Arthur and continued, “I know. That’s just the way Arthur is. Every man for himself—that’s human nature. When danger comes, of course the first instinct is to protect yourself. Isn’t that normal?” Arthur had been watching her the whole time. Those words stung. Seeing Ashley forcing herself to stay calm and pretend like it didn’t matter, Arthur was hit with a sudden, overwhelming urge to jump up and explain everything to her.When things were at their most dangerous, he’d stayed seated—was she mad at him? He took a deep breath and held back the impulse to run to her side. Instead, he slowly stood up and strolled casually over to her. With a steady and cool tone, he gently moved Solivair’s knife aside. “I’ll admit it—I care about both of them. But like I said before, if you so much as touch a hair on either of their heads, you can forget about learning anything about Lynn.” He paused, then added, “I get it—you don’t like being threatened. No one does. This isn’t a threat. I’m offering to cooperate. As long as we can keep this peaceful and civil, I’ll help you get what you want. And maybe Miss Lynn can return to your side even sooner.” As he spoke, Arthur subtly positioned himself between Ashley and Solivair. Earlier, when Solivair came toward Ashley with the knife, Arthur had been too far away. Surrounded by Solivair’s bodyguards and with the blade so close to her, he didn’t dare make a move. He couldn’t risk it. So he endured it. But now, he was close enough. If Solivair tried anything again, he could make a grab for the knife and take him hostage. Still, Arthur didn’t want to resort to that unless it was absolutely necessary. If he made a move now, it would break all ties with Solivair—and everyone he cared about would be in danger. He might be able to take Solivair hostage, but Solivair could just as easily retaliate by using the people close to Arthur against him. That was the last thing Arthur wanted. Whether Solivair simply trusted his own strength—or thought Arthur wasn’t a real threat—he didn’t stop him from getting close. He just looked at Arthur silently, not angry at all. Once again, the standoff fell into silence. But it was a standoff all the same—a silent battle of wills. Taylor watched helplessly. He wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do.Ashley had cut him off, then signaled him and said what she said—he understood what she was doing right away. He knew he was a burden to Arthur. The best he could do was stay out of the way, not make things worse. Once Ashley calmed down, she suddenly spoke. “Mr. Solivair,” she said, “as a fellow girl, I also grew up under my father’s love. His protection meant the world to me—it gave me the chance to grow up safe and happy. I imagine Miss Lynn must be longing for that kind of fatherly love too.” Her voice was light, as if she were just stating a simple fact. But those words hit Solivair like a jolt of electricity.