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

"Just went to the restroom. What’s wrong?"

Adrian Preston answered casually, as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.

Mia Kane steadied herself. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, she felt the guilty conscience of someone caught cheating.

She let out a shaky breath. ’I’m here to resolve this, and I haven’t wronged Adrian Preston.’

"I’m just handling some work stuff."

"Need any help?"

"No, no, it’ll be quick."

"Alright then. I’ll be in the study."

Adrian Preston kept watching her, making her feel uneasy.

He pressed his lips together, but in the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.

Once he was gone, Mia Kane quickly locked the door and called the agency.

"Hello, sorry, but I no longer require this service. You don’t need to continue the selection process for me."

"Miss Kane, according to the contract, the fee is non-refundable."

"I understand, I understand. It’s my fault."

"However, you can use the credit for our other services. Egg freezing, sperm freezing, genetic testing, gender determination via blood test at one month of pregnancy..."

"Egg freezing?"

"That’s right."

Mia Kane hesitated. She was afraid that, in the end, she still wouldn’t be able to be intimate with Adrian Preston. What if he insisted on staying with her and refused to break up and find another woman?

’In that case, shouldn’t I have a backup plan? In-vitro fertilization is a decent option.’

"Alright, I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll do it in the future. I’m the one breaking the contract this time. If I decide against it later, I won’t cause any trouble over the money."

"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Kane. It’s been a pleasure assisting you. If you have any other needs, we’ll do our best to meet them."

The person on the other end was also very polite.

Mia Kane hung up the phone. For some reason, a fine sheen of sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she quickly wiped it away.

That evening at dinner, Adrian Preston watched her act as if nothing was wrong, and a knot formed in his chest.

’Is she too embarrassed to bring it up? Have I shackled her with my moral blackmail? I shouldn’t have used my own life to force her hand, taking advantage of her kindness.’

"Mia, we need to talk."

"Hm? Talk about what?"

Mia Kane looked at him, confused, not understanding why he was so serious.

"I know I’m not an easy person to be around. If you feel like this is too hard, you can just tell me directly. Don’t force yourself to endure it. If you want to leave... I’ll do my best to let you go, and I’ll stop doing these pointless things."

As he spoke that last sentence, his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

Letting go was unbelievably difficult for him.

He hadn’t just loved Mia Kane for one year, or three, but for twenty years...

From the innocent ignorance of youth to this deep-rooted love, she had influenced him in countless ways.

He became a police officer, became a good person, all with her as his goal. Her very existence had saved him countless times as he teetered on the edge of darkness.

She was his faith, and she was his life.

"Huh?"

Mia Kane froze. ’Why is he bringing this up out of nowhere?’

"It’s not hard. We’re getting along pretty well right now. It’s just... I have some psychological trauma. As long as we aren’t intimate, there don’t seem to be any other problems."

"Mia, don’t lie to me. I gave you a chance."

Adrian Preston gazed at her, his eyes deep and his expression pained.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked in return.

"Of course I don’t, but I’m afraid..."

"I don’t think it’s hard, and you don’t want me to go, so isn’t this fine? If I wanted to leave, I would tell you directly."

At her words, Adrian Preston’s jaw tightened, his lips moving as if to speak.

’Then why was she looking for high-quality sperm? Why did she want to have a child with someone else?’

’Is it because she can’t forgive what I did on the boat?’

’If so, what right do I have to question her?’

"Mia... if that’s the case, then as long as it’s your child, I will raise it as my own."

"Huh?"

’What the hell is he talking about? What child?’

"Why are you being so weird today?"

"It’s nothing. Let’s eat."

Adrian Preston lowered his gaze and began to peel shrimp for her, which were her favorite.

Mia Kane didn’t press him, because she knew what Adrian Preston’s personality was like. With other people and other matters, he was a master strategist, always calculating.

But with her, he would lose his composure, become consumed by fear of loss, and act incredibly awkward.

It was true that being with someone like him was hard, but she had already lost too much. Even knowing Adrian Preston’s love bordered on the pathological, she would still feel an intense warmth in her heart.

Someone had loved her for twenty years.

When everyone else had abandoned her, he was always there.

When her parents planned out their future, a future that didn’t include her.

When she had waited in despair for Chase Lockwood, only to find he was celebrating Vivian Lynch’s birthday.

Everyone had abandoned her, but he—even before she knew him—had already given her his all, giving her something to rely on so she wouldn’t lose too badly, so she wouldn’t be without a home.

She was both moved by and attracted to Adrian Preston. Even knowing their relationship had pathological undercurrents, that she should stay calm and keep her distance...

...but when Adrian Preston looked at her with the corners of his eyes red-rimmed, his gaze filled with both grief and restraint, she knew she was a goner.

Adrian Preston felt that she had redeemed him.

But in her eyes, they were running toward each other, saving each other.

It was hard for Adrian Preston to open up and tell her everything all at once, but that was okay. They had a long future ahead, and eventually, they would learn to communicate.

Adrian Preston also found the meal tasteless.

’Why won’t Mia be honest with me?’

’Why does she stay with me if she’s thinking about having a child with someone else?’

’Did I do something wrong?’

’Yes, it must be something I did wrong that made her unhappy.’

’If I’m good to her, better than good, better than anything, Mia will definitely fall in love with me.’

After dinner, Mia Kane went upstairs for a nap, while Adrian Preston went to the kitchen.

"Sir, is there something you’d like to eat?"

"I want to make... a strawberry cake."

Adrian Preston hesitated for a moment before speaking, looking a little embarrassed.

The cook smiled knowingly. "Is this for your wife? You never eat sweets, sir."

Adrian Preston nodded.

It was Adrian Preston’s first time baking a cake, so the cook taught him step-by-step how to whip the cream and how to make the cake base.

It wasn’t easy to find strawberries this time of year, but these were plump, fresh, and sweet.

When it was finished, he let out a long breath. ’Turns out baking a cake is more exhausting than negotiating a business deal.’

"Your wife will definitely love it."

Hearing this, a smile touched Adrian Preston’s lips.

Adrian Preston didn’t know when she would wake up, so he waited patiently by her bedside.

The weather was hot, and the cake needed to be refrigerated, or the frosting would melt.

Mia Kane slept for two hours and woke up in a daze.

"Hm? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to wake up and eat some cake."

"You bought a cake?" She was a little surprised. She had eaten a lot for lunch and wasn’t hungry now, but she noticed his dark eyes shining, a brilliant light twinkling within them. He was clearly looking forward to her eating the cake.

"I’m actually starving. Come on, let’s go try it."

She very naturally took his hand and led him downstairs. As she held his hand, Adrian Preston’s heart began to pound.

It wasn’t the first time they had held hands.

But every time she was the one to initiate it, he was overjoyed. It was Mia taking the initiative.

He quickly, firmly, squeezed her hand in return, holding it tight.

Mia Kane saw the cake in the refrigerator. It was a little ugly... ’Have they started selling these kinds of ugly cakes in stores now?’