Using Me as a Substitute? Did You Know Your Best Friend Calls Me Wife?

Just then, the direct office line rang. It was time for another meeting.

It was the Vice-Chairman’s idea to call a meeting for every little thing within the company.

His reasoning was that since Mia Kane was the President’s wife, she had to personally approve every single matter, big or small.

It was a critical time, and everyone was on standby at their posts, so Mia Kane couldn’t sneak off to rest either.

Mia Kane had Theo Thorne prepare the meeting materials. She asked him to walk her through them so she could familiarize herself with the content and make decisions more easily later on.

’If I don’t know what to do, I’ll just go with Theo Thorne’s suggestions. That way, I can’t go wrong.’

"The Vice-Chairman is going too far. You’ve told everyone you’re pregnant and need to rest, that you can’t overwork yourself. But he keeps calling these big, elaborate executive meetings just to wear you down... It’s a good thing you’re not really pregnant, or how would you ever endure this?"

Even without being pregnant, Mia Kane didn’t look well at all.

Theo Thorne was extremely worried.

"Should I go and turn them down for you?"

"They’ll just give you a hard time. Forget it. I’ll go and listen to their nonsense."

"Mia... If Adrian comes back and sees you like this, he’ll blame me for not taking good care of you."

"Theo Thorne, I just want him to come back safely. If he blames you, just take it. I’m at the point where I even miss the way he gets angry at me."

As she spoke, she felt a sting in her nose and desperately wanted to cry.

But she had to hold on. She couldn’t fall apart. Even as a wave of vulnerability threatened to choke her, she couldn’t show it. She swallowed it back down.

She held her head high, squared her shoulders, and walked straight into the conference room.

The Vice-Chairman deliberately made things difficult for her.

The subordinates all flocked to the Vice-Chairman’s side, paying Mia Kane no mind.

Everyone was getting on her last nerve, making her head throb. She couldn’t relax for a single moment.

"Mrs. Preston, regarding the next quarter..."

The Vice-Chairman was saying something else now. She tried to focus, but her head was spinning. She felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Mrs. Preston?"

Her breathing grew ragged. She felt like she was about to faint.

’I can’t collapse here. I can’t let them have the satisfaction of watching me fall.’

"Something’s come up. This meeting is adjourned. We’ll discuss this later."

She staggered to her feet, nearly losing her balance and catching herself on the edge of the table.

"Theo Thorne?"

She cried out, her vision blurring. She couldn’t even make out Theo Thorne’s face.

"Mia..."

Theo Thorne answered at once, rushing to support her as he helped her out of the room.

’I can’t hold on anymore.’

’My head is spinning.’

’I have no strength.’

She was almost at the door, but she couldn’t make it. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.

Just then—

The conference room door burst open. A large hand caught her, pulling her securely into a tight embrace.

With her last ounce of consciousness, she looked up.

A familiar face filled her vision.

’Adrian Preston?’

Before she could even call out his name, she passed out completely.

"Mia?"

Adrian Preston called her name anxiously. Realizing she was burning with fever, he immediately swept her up into his arms.

He turned to take her to the hospital, but then paused, turning back to glare at every single person in the room.

His gaze was so cold that everyone who met it flinched and looked away.

Finally, his eyes landed on the Vice-Chairman.

He spoke, his voice dangerously low.

"I am well aware of how all of you took advantage of my absence to torment my wife. You don’t have the guts to challenge me when I’m here, so you resort to bullying a woman. I’ve seen what you’re really made of."

"Every single one of you in this room—I won’t let any of you off. Just you wait."

With that parting threat, he turned and left without a backward glance.

Long after he was gone, the conference room remained deathly silent. The temperature seemed to have plunged below freezing, leaving everyone shivering.

They all looked at one another, utterly dumbfounded.

The Vice-Chairman’s expression was the ugliest of all.

...

Adrian Preston rushed Mia Kane to the hospital. The diagnosis was simple: she was suffering from exhaustion. A prolonged lack of proper food and sleep had completely drained her. All she needed was a good, long rest to recover her strength and spirit.

Theo Thorne stood by and explained how, for the past thirty-plus hours, Mia Kane had been dragging her exhausted body along to maintain order and prevent the Vice-Chairman from seizing control.

"Mia... she’s truly admirable. Adrian, I used to wonder what kind of woman could ever be worthy of a hero like you. Even after you married her, I secretly felt she wasn’t good enough. But now I get it. She’s as capable as any man. Adrian, you absolutely cannot let her down."

"Don’t worry, I won’t."

Adrian Preston gazed tenderly at Mia Kane on the hospital bed, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Adrian, I’m afraid if you let her down, she’ll be the one to leave you. With her charisma, she could land on her feet anywhere she goes. But you... if you lose her, you might never find someone so wonderful again."

Adrian Preston: "..."

’Whose subordinate was this guy, anyway?’

...

Mia Kane didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious. Waking up in a daze, she found herself in a hospital room.

’Why am I here?’

She remembered being at the board meeting, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She’d wanted to get out of there, afraid of the humiliation of collapsing in front of everyone.

She remembered rushing toward the door, knowing she was at her limit.

She had collapsed—

—and someone had caught her. She had looked up...

Mia Kane’s last memory was of Adrian Preston’s face.

"Adrian Preston?!"

She cried out, hastily pulling the IV needle from her arm and throwing off the covers to get out of bed.

She didn’t even stop to put on her shoes.

"Adrian Preston? Adrian Preston—!"

She called his name over and over, terrified that it had all been a hallucination.

He wasn’t in the hospital room, so she headed outside to find him.

She frantically threw open the door and collided with someone standing right there.

"Why are you out of bed without any shoes on?" a concerned voice asked from above her.

Mia Kane looked up. The moment she saw it was Adrian Preston, she felt a sting in her nose and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

She hugged him with all her might, as if he would vanish the moment she let go.

"This isn’t a dream, right? If it is, then I hope I never wake up!"

"I promised you I’d come back alive, remember?"

"It’s not a dream... it’s really not a dream..."

Overcome with emotion, she could feel his warmth, his pulse, his heartbeat, his breath...

He was real. He was standing right in front of her, alive and well.

"You’re not hurt, are you? That guy, King, he didn’t do anything to you?"

"Mia, it’s related to a police operation. I can’t tell you everything."

"It’s okay, I know... You have to go on confidential missions... Even though you’re not an officer anymore, I get it. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters. I won’t ask anymore..."

She was so happy she was starting to ramble, her eyes red and misty with unshed tears.

She looked up at Adrian Preston, and seeing him standing there, safe and sound, she suddenly felt aggrieved, like a child who had been bullied.

Her lip trembled.

"You have no idea how many people bullied me while you were gone."

"That Vice-Chairman of yours... and the subordinates, they were all so hostile. Even Chase Lockwood came to humiliate me, telling me to start planning for my future and asking me to be his mistress."

"SOB... They were bullying me to death..."

She was utterly miserable as she listed their transgressions.

’Bullying a lone woman, what kind of men were they!’

Adrian Preston immediately pulled her back into his arms, his heart aching for her.

"It’s all my fault! I should have called to let you know I was safe, but things were..."

"You don’t have to explain. I know, I understand..."

Mia Kane was completely understanding, but her heart still ached.

She cupped his face in her hands, studying his features intently.

It was as if she could never get enough of the sight of him.

Her gaze fell upon his thin, pale pink lips. Unable to hold back any longer, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply.