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

"I went and got them. It’s easy when you drive."

"I just didn’t want to be a bother, that’s all..."

"I’m not just anyone, and it’s no bother. Hurry up and take the medicine so you can get some sleep."

He even brought her a glass of warm water. A strange tingling sensation spread through Mia Kane’s heart, swelling one moment and aching the next.

Adrian Preston was incredibly meticulous, and he was undeniably good to her. But it was all predicated on the fact that she was Mrs. Preston, his lawful wife. He had the right and the obligation to treat her well.

Adrian Preston was a man who believed in the law, a man with exceptionally high moral standards.

That’s why he acted this way.

He probably thought nothing of it, but she truly couldn’t stop herself from falling for him.

Who could possibly refuse a man who had saved her from a living hell and given her complete dignity and respect? A man who always appeared before her like a god descending from the heavens at her most critical moments?

Women were always like this, unable to tell the difference between affection and gratitude. But what did it matter?

Women were creatures of emotion, after all.

Even though she knew perfectly well that Adrian Preston’s heart belonged to Shannon Preston, and knew she shouldn’t give her heart to another man—especially one who didn’t love her back.

But she still couldn’t help it.

It was just that... Adrian Preston was just too good to be true!

"In the future, you don’t have to do these things."

"Hmm?"

Adrian Preston furrowed his brow, not understanding what she meant.

"You don’t have to be so nice to me. It’d be bad if it gave someone the wrong idea. We should just interact like regular friends."

"I treat my regular friends this way too. You don’t have to accept it, but I’m going to keep doing it."

Adrian Preston’s expression instantly turned cold. With that, he turned and left.

’Give someone the wrong idea?’

’Who would get the wrong idea?’

’Chase Lockwood?’

Furious, Adrian Preston clenched his fists and walked away without looking back.

Mia Kane noticed his anger. He was just trying to be kind, and she had probably thrown it back in his face.

"But I’m not wrong. I really will get the wrong idea," she muttered to herself, feeling wronged as she looked at the medicine and warm water in her hands.

After she took the painkillers, she did feel much better. The wound didn’t hurt as much, and she could finally sleep peacefully.

Yet, paradoxically, she found it even harder to sleep. Little did she know, she wasn’t the only one lying awake that night.

The next morning, Mia Kane immediately checked the news, wanting to see if Chase Lockwood had blown the incident out of proportion.

She was afraid it would tarnish Adrian Preston’s reputation.

After a quick scan, she found no suspicious headlines and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

There was no news from the Lockwood Group either, and she had no idea how badly Chase Lockwood was hurt.

’He ruined my reputation. He deserved that beating.’

「Three days later.」

Chase Lockwood’s condition had improved, but he still had to remain hospitalized.

He had waited for three days. Mia Kane hadn’t called, not even a single text.

He had two broken ribs and a punctured organ that had caused massive internal bleeding.

’That heartless woman... Doesn’t she care at all?’

He remembered how, in the past, even if he had a minor ailment like a headache or a cold, her eyes would turn red with worry, and she would stay up all night taking care of him.

But now, not a single word of comfort.

"Chase... Chase?"

Vivian Lynch’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. Her eyes were red from crying as she held a bowl of hot soup.

"Chase, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

Chase Lockwood flatly denied it.

He hadn’t told Vivian Lynch how he’d gotten injured. It wasn’t exactly a proud moment.

He didn’t realize that the moment a man starts hiding things from one woman for the sake of another, the moment his conscience is no longer clear, is the beginning of the end.

When he was with Mia Kane, he had hidden things from Vivian Lynch.

Now, he was with Vivian Lynch as he had wished, but for some reason, the image of Mia Kane constantly occupied his thoughts.

Vivian found it strange. Chase Lockwood claimed he’d been in a car accident and had kept it quiet to avoid a stir, fearing that malicious parties might use it against the Lockwood Group.

A woman’s intuition is always sharp, and she felt that things weren’t that simple.

"Seeing you laid up like this... they say it takes a hundred days to recover from an injury this serious. Should we postpone the wedding?"

"No need. The doctor said I’ll be able to walk by then. As long as I don’t drink, there won’t be any problem."

Vivian Lynch breathed a sigh of relief at his words. She had long been waiting to officially become Mrs. Lockwood, and now her dream was about to come true.

"What’s the status of the custom wedding dress?"

Vivian Lynch felt that none of the designers on her own team were good enough to design her wedding dress. She wanted to hire Designer Nona, but Chase Lockwood surprised her by saying he had already found a designer and she didn’t need to worry about it.

She wanted to say something, but Chase Lockwood had already made up his mind, so there was little she could say.

"I’ll check on it. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll make you the most stunning bride in the world."

Chase Lockwood squeezed her hand.

Vivian Lynch smiled shyly.

Vivian Lynch had to go home to grab some things for him, so she left first. As soon as she was gone, Chase Lockwood picked up his phone. Feeling indignant, he contacted Mia Kane, using the excuse that he wanted to finalize the design and had decided on the second version.

God knows what the second version even looked like, but he needed an excuse to see Mia Kane.

"But there are some details that need to be changed. Bring it over, and I’ll show you."

"Chase Lockwood, what are you trying to pull now?"

"I’m in the hospital. What tricks do you think I can pull?" Chase Lockwood said coldly.

"I can send Rosalyn over..."

"You come yourself. I’ll pay extra!"

Chase Lockwood’s tone was laced with impatience.

Back when she was docile, he never found her particularly interesting. He thought she had no mind of her own, like a toy that let him pull all the strings, needing him to make every single decision for her, big or small.

But now Mia Kane had a mind of her own and defied him at every turn. It made him miss the old Mia Kane, the one who was as gentle as a little white rabbit.

Mia Kane named an exorbitant price. Chase Lockwood didn’t even blink and agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

Mia Kane had no choice but to go. A part of her also wanted to see for herself how badly Chase Lockwood was hurt.

She arrived at the hospital.

Chase Lockwood was in worse shape than she had imagined. He was lying in bed, unable to move. His ribs had just been set, and he would have to remain bedridden for some time. Any movement would pull at his wounds, causing excruciating pain.

’The cut on my head hurt like hell, so how much more painful must broken ribs and massive internal bleeding be?’

’Thank God no one died. I managed to stop them just in time. Otherwise, it would have been a complete disaster.’

After she entered the room, she didn’t speak for a long time.

Chase Lockwood watched her with his deep, almond-shaped eyes, a hint of resentment surfacing within them.

"Do you have nothing to say to me?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

’She could at least ask how I’m doing, or if it hurts.’

"Take a look. What needs to be changed?"

Mia Kane simply took out the sketches and held them out. Chase Lockwood was so infuriated that he couldn’t catch his breath and broke into a violent coughing fit.

The coughing sent jolts of pain through his bones and surgical incision. His insides felt like they were twisting into knots, and the pain made it difficult to breathe.

His face turned deathly pale, and his forehead was beaded with cold sweat.

Mia Kane’s heart clenched. It was the first time she had ever seen him in such a state.

Her body reacted on instinct. She adjusted the head of his bed and gently patted his chest to help him catch his breath.

But she quickly realized her actions were wrong. It was nothing more than a conditioned reflex from their three years together.

She quickly snatched her hand back, determined not to get involved with him, whether he lived or died.

But he suddenly grabbed her wrist. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and stared at her.

"You do care about me after all."

Mia Kane rolled her eyes internally.

’This again?’