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

Chase Lockwood was left speechless, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Adrian Preston, are you really going to become my enemy over a woman?"

His expression turned cold. He straightened his back, refusing to show any weakness.

"Don’t forget, the Preston and Lockwood families are close. We have a lot of business dealings. It’s not worth it, all for one woman. Especially not for a woman who would do anything to survive. Did you know she submitted to her captors just to stay alive? Your parents would never allow someone so tainted to walk through their door."

"That’s my business. It’s none of your concern."

"Fine." Chase Lockwood laughed, but there was no humor in it. He glared at him darkly. "In that case, I’ll be watching!"

The two parted on bad terms, and Chase Lockwood stood up and left without another word.

On his way back, Adrian Preston saw the message Mia Kane had sent him over ten minutes ago.

"The moon is beautiful tonight. I’m going to go see the ocean."

Adrian Preston frowned. He had been so preoccupied with talking to Chase Lockwood that he hadn’t even noticed his phone.

’What is she doing at the ocean so late? What if something happens?’

He rushed toward the pier. It was a ten-minute trip from the island’s old castle.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find a crowd had already gathered.

"Did someone fall into the ocean?"

"When did it happen?"

"Just a moment ago. Looked like they slipped and fell in. Someone already went in after them, but they haven’t found anything. It’s not looking good."

Hearing this, Adrian Preston’s heart plummeted. He strode forward.

"Who was it? A man or a woman?"

"A woman. Pretty young, too. Just a girl."

Just then, the person who had gone in to search resurfaced.

"Can’t find her. The current probably swept her away. We should call the police. Maybe they can still recover the body."

The body...

That single word sent a piercing pain through Adrian Preston’s heart.

Without a second thought, he dove into the ocean, sinking again and again as he searched.

He surfaced for air, then dove back under, over and over.

The people on the pier recognized Adrian Preston and grew frantic.

He was the heir to the biggest corporation in Argent. If something happened to him here, it would be a catastrophe.

His life was worth more than everyone else’s there combined.

People tried to talk him out of it.

"President Preston, please come up! The water’s freezing, you’ll catch your death!"

"She’s gone! We should just let the police handle it."

"President Preston, get out..."

Just then, someone suddenly cried out.

"A body... the body just surfaced!"

Adrian Preston’s head snapped in that direction. The figure was wearing a white dress. ’After Mia showered,’ he recalled, ’she was wearing white, too.’

The person was floating facedown, their features obscured, their long hair fanned out in the water like a dark cascade.

Everyone held their breath.

Someone quickly pulled the body onto the pier, but Adrian Preston stayed in the water, frozen in place.

He couldn’t bring himself to get out of the water. He didn’t dare look at that face.

"Such a fine young woman. What a shame."

Adrian Preston climbed onto the pier, his body staggering slightly.

He slowly approached the body. Just as he was about to get a clear look, a voice called out from nearby.

"What’s going on here?"

Adrian Preston immediately looked up and saw Mia Kane standing there, perfectly safe.

Adrian’s heart leaped. He rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank God it wasn’t you. Thank God it wasn’t you..."

He repeated the words over and over, holding her so tightly it felt as if he might crack her ribs.

"Adrian... why are you completely soaked?"

"You didn’t see? President Preston heard someone fell in, and he jumped right in to save them. What a good man."

Mia Kane froze. ’Did Adrian think I was the one who fell in?’ she wondered.

"So... what happened to her?"

Mia Kane tried to peer past Adrian. After all, this was a matter of life and death. It was strange that none of the guests from the old castle seemed to have been alerted; only maids and security guards were present.

But just as she craned her neck to get a look, a hand blocked her vision.

Her eyelashes brushed lightly against his palm.

"Don’t look."

"Is... is she dead?"

Mia Kane’s voice trembled, and her body went rigid.

Witnessing a death, even from a distance, was a profound shock.

"Keep walking. Don’t look back."

"But this..."

"It’s not our place to handle it. I’m not a police officer. Someone will be here soon."

All Adrian Preston wanted was to get her away from there.

Back in the room, he still wasn’t at ease. Only after checking her over several times to confirm she was completely unharmed did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

"What were you thinking, going to the ocean at night? Do you have any idea how worried that makes people?"

Having snapped back to his senses, Adrian began to scold her.

He looked truly terrifying, the kind of look that could frighten someone to tears.

But when she remembered how much Adrian had cared about whether she lived or died, she was no longer afraid of anything.

"So you couldn’t bear to see me die, huh?"

"Whether you live or die... what’s that to me? I just need you to help me fool my grandfather. If something were to happen to you, where would I find him another granddaughter-in-law?"

"Oh, I see."

Mia Kane felt a pang of disappointment. For a moment there, she had actually thought he cared about her.

"I’m going to get changed. You should take a hot shower in a bit, too. Don’t catch a cold..."

Mia Kane turned to go to the bathroom, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms.

She started to struggle, but his voice was in her ear. "Don’t move. Just let me hold you for a minute."

Mia Kane froze, standing still and letting him hold her tightly.

After a long moment, she finally heard Adrian Preston’s voice.

"Go get cleaned up."

This time, Mia Kane left without being stopped.

Night fell, and Adrian Preston slept on the sofa.

The sofa was five feet long, and he was six-foot-two. He had to curl his knees to lie on it, and he looked incredibly uncomfortable.

She offered to switch with him, but Adrian Preston refused. He was being a gentleman, unwilling to see a woman sleep on the sofa.

Mia Kane didn’t insist. After putting medicine on his wounds, she lay down.

Adrian Preston wasn’t asleep. After the chaos of the evening, any drowsiness he might have felt was long gone.

He propped himself up. By the faint glow of the night-light, his profound gaze fell upon Mia Kane’s face.

He raised his hand, his fingers tracing her features in the air just above her face.

A quiet night like this was perfect for letting one’s thoughts run wild.

...

「The next day」

Mia Kane had expected last night’s incident to cause a huge stir, but to her surprise, everything was quiet.

She vaguely heard the story: a young, beautiful maid had gotten involved with the son of a real estate tycoon. But the man already had a wife and children. When she tried to force his hand and take the wife’s place, she threatened to kill herself.

But the man never came. Heartbroken, she jumped into the ocean and committed suicide.

A vibrant young life, extinguished just like that, without making a single ripple.

Mia didn’t think the woman was innocent. Suicide had been her own choice. She knew he was taken but got involved anyway. When her feelings weren’t returned, she chose to end her own life.

Still, it takes two to tango. Why did nothing happen to the man?

That morning, she had seen the real estate tycoon’s son chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened, without the slightest hint of grief.

Mia Kane suddenly had no desire to participate in such a hypocritical party. She was desperate to go back, but they were supposed to leave after the luncheon.

To her surprise, Adrian Preston led her away early, and they boarded a small boat.

"We can just leave early?"

"We’ll just say something came up at home."

"I imagine if it were anyone else, the host would feel like they were being disrespected."

"If something makes you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to force it. I won’t make you do it."

Adrian Preston said it casually. Surprised, Mia Kane looked at him instinctively.

But Adrian Preston wasn’t looking at her, having spoken the words with what seemed like utter nonchalance.

The speaker may have been careless, but the listener was not.

A warm current flowed through Mia Kane’s heart, spreading to her limbs and slowly thawing her body, which had felt frozen stiff.

Adrian Preston wasn’t an easy person to get along with, but he treated her with respect, and for now, that was enough.

"By the way, what did you say to Chase Lockwood?"