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

Hearing this, Mia’s heart instantly swelled with a mix of bittersweetness and emotion.

She immediately had someone move her things over.

The study was large, with more than enough room for two people.

Mia was like a paintbrush, adding vibrant color to the monochrome canvas of Adrian’s life—green trees, white clouds, brilliant flowers...

Little by little, she would surely fill the scroll of his life.

"You go on with your work. I’m tired, so I’ll just curl up here and read for a bit."

She lay on her chaise lounge, flipping through a fashion magazine.

But after just a few moments, she grew drowsy. Her head tilted to the side, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Adrian’s gaze became even more brazen.

He could hardly believe any of this was real. He was ecstatic over Mia’s willing response, like a child.

He couldn’t stop himself from moving closer, sitting beside her and watching her quietly.

The sunlight fell directly on her, a little too bright, and she furrowed her brow.

He quickly drew the curtains, and the room grew much dimmer.

Adrian couldn’t resist reaching out, gently caressing her small, palm-sized face.

His slightly calloused fingertips traced her delicate brows and eyes, then moved over the bridge of her nose, her red lips...

Suddenly, Mia opened her mouth and bit down.

She slowly opened her almond-shaped eyes. There was no trace of sleepiness in them; she seemed to have been awake for some time.

Caught off guard, a flash of panic appeared in Adrian’s eyes. He quickly pulled his hand back, the tips of his ears turning visibly red.

"You-you... you’re awake?"

"Mhm, it feels so good to see you the moment I wake up."

Her voice was soft and sweet, and Adrian felt his heart was about to melt.

’It feels so good to see him the moment I wake up,’ she’d said.

"My wound is a little itchy... Can you help me apply the scar cream?"

She usually did this sort of thing herself, but she wanted to give Adrian a sense of security. They would have to be physically intimate eventually.

She had to overcome her inner fear; she wanted to truly be with him.

’Since I’ve already decided it’s him, I won’t be coy about it anymore.’

"Can you go get it for me?"

"Me? You want me to do it?"

"If not you, should I ask Theo to do it?"

"Okay, wait for me. I’ll be right back."

Adrian hurried to get the scar cream. It was a special formula, very effective at reducing scars while also whitening and nourishing the skin.

When he returned, he saw Mia lying languidly on the chaise lounge. The left side of her clothes had been pulled down to her chest, revealing the outline of her white bra and a tantalizing glimpse of skin.

Her skin was very fair, making the wrinkled scar, where new pink flesh was growing, seem glaringly out of place.

She had some hypertrophic scarring, and the wound marred the beauty of her skin.

At that moment, Adrian felt no lust, only a heart full of pain for her.

He had thought they would be able to take down Vivian Lynch, but she and Chase still hadn’t divorced.

He was the one who had wounded her. In that moment, his heart had felt as if it were being torn apart—a pain a hundred times worse than all the injuries he had ever sustained.

He had an excellent understanding of human anatomy and knew exactly how deep to cut without it being fatal.

He had held a gun for years, always placing first in the annual combat competitions.

Yet as he held that small knife, his hand had trembled uncontrollably, and it had taken him a long time to steady it.

She had been given an anesthetic beforehand, so she hadn’t felt much pain. Instead, she had joked, "Why does it look like the knife is stabbing you instead of me?"

"Was it worth it? For Chase Lockwood?" he had asked.

Hearing this, Mia had cupped his face and looked at him seriously.

"It wasn’t for him. He isn’t worth me doing this. I wanted to get justice for my past three years. Adrian, it was never for him!"

"I’ve already died once. Those two have to pay the price for that innocent life."

"Stop being jealous of Chase Lockwood. I did love him once, I don’t deny it, but I don’t love him anymore. The one I love now is you. If you dare to lie to me or betray me, I will discard you just like I discarded him, without a moment’s hesitation."

"I’ve always been one to love and hate with abandon. I will never forgive those who’ve wronged me!"

Adrian remembered the light he’d captured in her eyes then. Mia had always been a courageous woman; he had known that from the very beginning.

His thoughts returned to the present, and Adrian finished applying a layer of cream to her wound.

"This scar... is it ugly?" she asked.

Adrian didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her scar.

"Mia, it’s beautiful."

Hearing this, Mia felt her heart skip a beat.

Adrian’s eyes were dark and bright. When he let his guard down, free of his usual harshness and authority, his eyes would look dewy, much like a big dog’s.

He looked up at her, making it difficult for her to breathe steadily.

She cupped his face, leaned in, and kissed his lips.

At first, she took the lead, but soon Adrian took over.

He kissed her eagerly.

’If I try a little harder,’ he thought, ’maybe Mia won’t have a child with someone else. Maybe she’ll consider me.’

’He wanted to secure his position.’

’He wanted to use a child to solidify his status.’

He wanted to take things further, but the thought of her deep-seated resistance made him hesitate.

When the kiss ended, his chest heaved, his breathing unsteady. He looked at her with an even more pitiful expression.

It was the torment of a primal desire that couldn’t be satisfied. He was in agony, struggling to restrain himself, but he was helpless to do anything about it.

"Just give me a little more time..."

Mia was also a little embarrassed.

She was supposed to be aroused in a moment like this, but apart from the kiss, she didn’t want anything more.

"It’s okay. I’m willing to wait a lifetime."

He gave her a couple more pecks, not daring to tease her further, afraid he would lose control.

"I’m going to step out for a minute. You rest here."

He desperately needed a cold shower right now.

After Adrian left, Mia thought back on the scene and found it a little amusing.

Adrian acting like a big puppy was a rare sight indeed.

A wolf in public, a dog at home.

Mia’s invasion wasn’t limited to the study. She was also planning to find an interior design firm to completely redo the decor.

The house was decorated in cool tones, mainly black, white, and gray. Living there for a long time made it feel gloomy, enough to make one’s heart grow cold.

Adrian had a marital home, but she didn’t plan on renovating that one. This house would be just fine as their marital home.

Since it was going to be a major overhaul, the renovations would likely take several months, during which they couldn’t live there.

This time, she wanted to design it herself. After all, all forms of art are connected. She wanted to discuss it with Adrian and build their love nest together.

But Adrian had no opinions at all. He would go with whatever she wanted.

"As long as you like it, that’s all that matters. If you like it, I like it."

Mia suddenly recalled what Theo Thorne had said. Adrian loved her, so whatever she liked, he liked.

His preferences didn’t matter; what mattered was whether she liked it.

Mia was a woman of action. She spent the next period constantly discussing plans with the designer, wanting to make the house a little warmer.

Since they wouldn’t be able to live here for a few months, she also wanted to take a look at the other marital home, add a few things, and live there with Adrian later.

She had never seen that marital home before.

"I’ll take you to see it. You might like it."

Mia didn’t understand what he meant by that, but when she stepped inside, her eyes went wide.

She covered her mouth in shock, speechless for a long moment.

"This... Is this the layout of my family’s old house?"

She was a local, and her family used to have a home in Argent.

But later, her family’s house was sold. Her parents moved to the South to start over, leaving her with a sum of money.

She had wanted to buy an apartment, but that would have required a large sum of money from her parents.

"It’s not easy for your mother and me to earn money. You should understand that better than anyone since the bankruptcy. This is a critical time for us as we rebuild our business; every penny counts. You’re already with Chase Lockwood, are you still short on cash? How can you still be asking us for money?"

"Aren’t you already living in Lockwood Manor? What do you need another house for? It’s a complete waste of money."

Even though she was with Chase Lockwood, she never felt secure. Sometimes, when they argued, she had nowhere to go.

With her parents not around, she could only turn to Shayla Quinn to pour her heart out. But she couldn’t do it too often; anyone would get tired of it eventually.

She knew Shayla wouldn’t mind, but her pride kept her from telling anyone how bad things were with Chase Lockwood, or how exhausted she was.

So, she learned to endure it. Whenever she argued with Chase Lockwood again, she was always the first to back down. She didn’t want to make a scene; she didn’t even have the courage to slam the door and walk out.

She barely remembered the house she had lived in until she was eighteen. She never expected to find it again now.

This time, it wasn’t her parents’ house. It was her house. It was her and Adrian’s marital home!