Using Me as a Substitute? Did You Know Your Best Friend Calls Me Wife? Chapter 124: When Adrian Preston Plays the Victim

Owen Sinclair dropped her off at the entrance of the nursing ho, only to unexpectedly run into Adrian Preston.

He had also just arrived and was getting out of his car. After recognizing Owen Sinclair’s vehicle, his expression soured.

"Should I get out and explain last night to Adrian Preston? It wouldn’t be good if there’s a misunderstanding."

"No need. He’s not that petty, and he wouldn’t..." ’...care that much about .’

She left the last few words unsaid.

Owen Sinclair turned his car around and left, and Mia Kane walked toward Adrian.

"Why were you two together?"

"I had a problem with my tire, so I sent it in for repairs. It was hard to get a taxi this morning, so Owen gave a ride."

"So, you two spent the night together," Adrian Preston said, his voice ice-cold.

"Last night, I was taking Owen ho when he threw up on my clothes, so his mother had clean up before I left. But by then it was too late, and they weren’t comfortable with going ho alone, so they asked to stay the night. I agreed."

"Why didn’t you call ? I could have picked you up."

"I didn’t want to bother you."

"Mia Kane, I’m your husband. You didn’t want to trouble your husband, but you chose to trouble an outsider instead?"

Adrian’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Mia Kane pressed her lips together, not answering.

’I don’t want to have any expectations of him right now,’ she thought. ’If you don’t have hope, you can’t be disappointed.’

’Chase Lockwood had hurt , so when Adrian Preston saved , I was so grateful I could have cried. I put him on a pedestal, like a god.’

’But during those days when I nearly starved, my mind was surprisingly clear, despite my empty stomach.’

’I had mistaken gratitude for love. I don’t love anyone; I only love myself.’

’You can’t always be thinking about relying on others. You have to beco strong on your own and depend on yourself in any desperate situation.’

’If you expect soone else to save you, you’ll be dead before you know what hit you.’

"Adrian, we aren’t a real married couple, so can you please not be so serious? If you’re determined to misunderstand things between and Owen, then there’s nothing I can do."

"Mia Kane, do you even hear yourself?"

Mia Kane knew she was sounding awful, but she didn’t care anymore.

"Are we going to see Grandfather or not? I don’t want to have these pointless argunts with you."

Growing impatient, she walked into the nursing ho ahead of him.

’If he leaves, then I’ll just visit Grandfather by myself,’ she decided.

She hurried to her grandfather’s room.

"Mia, you’re here! I heard you two were coming, so I had the kitchen prepare your favorite foods last night. Stay a little longer today; you can head back after dinner."

"Okay, Grandfather."

"Hm? Where’s that brat? Why isn’t he with you?"

"Sothing ca up at the last minute, so he couldn’t make it. I ca to see you by myself."

"You two didn’t get into a fight, did you?"

"No, no, Adrian and I are getting along just fine. Why would we fight...?"

Just as she was speaking, Adrian unexpectedly walked in, carrying so things.

Her mouth hung open, and she didn’t know what to say.

’Why is he here? Isn’t he just trying to expose my lie?’

"Didn’t you just say he was too busy to co?"

"Grandfather, we didn’t arrive together," Adrian said.

"You two are a married couple, yet you didn’t co together?"

"Last night, Mia stayed over at a male friend’s house and didn’t co ho. This morning, that sa male colleague dropped her off. I said a couple of things to her about it, and she started a fight with . Grandfather, please help talk so sense into her. I promise I’ll never interfere with her personal space again. I’m begging her, please don’t ignore ."

Mia: "..."

Donovan Preston gave Adrian a strange look, then glanced at Mia, feeling like he was witnessing sothing impossible.

He wasn’t shocked that Mia had spent the night at a male colleague’s house. He was shocked that Adrian could deliver such a manipulative, woe-is- speech with a completely straight face, like an emotionless machine reading a broadcast.

’Those words... they sounded so awkward no matter how you heard them.’

"Mia, is what Adrian said true? Did you stay over at a male colleague’s house?"

Under imnse pressure, Mia wanted to find a hole to crawl into and disappear.

She hurriedly explained what had happened the previous night.

"Oh, so that’s what happened. While the circumstances are understandable, I still have to criticize you. You are married, after all, so staying at a male colleague’s house is sowhat inappropriate. If it had been a female colleague, I wouldn’t have said a single word."

"Grandfather, it will never happen again."

Mia Kane quickly assured him.

"Grandfather, Mia also said that if I insisted on misunderstanding, there was nothing she could do. Grandfather, am I being too petty?"

Mia and her grandfather both looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

Adrian didn’t look remotely pitiful or wronged. He was just calm and indifferent, his expression showing no flicker of emotion.

The temperature in the room seed to drop several degrees, nearly to freezing.

"You, shut your mouth too,"

the grandfather snapped, unable to bear it any longer. Listening to Adrian was making his skin crawl.

"I’ll scold Mia. You—just act normal."

Adrian frowned. ’Theo Thorne told to say it just like this,’ he thought. ’What’s wrong with it?’

A mont ago, he had been so angry he’d wanted to just turn around and leave, but he also didn’t want to miss this chance to be alone with Mia Kane.

He knew in his heart that nothing had happened between Mia Kane and Owen Sinclair and that her conscience was clear.

But he still couldn’t control his anger.

He didn’t know how to handle the situation. He didn’t want to give Mia Kane the cold shoulder, but he couldn’t just swallow his anger, so he had contacted Theo Thorne.

Theo Thorne had suggested he tattle to his grandfather.

Adrian had fought back his revulsion to tattle to his grandfather, not expecting to revolt his grandfather in the process.

Adrian sighed helplessly. ’As expected, I’m just not cut out for this sort of thing.’

He turned and headed for the backyard, leaving just the grandfather and granddaughter in the living room.

"Mia, he... he must be at his wit’s end. He wouldn’t have resorted to this otherwise."

The old man covered his face, feeling utterly embarrassed.

’Adrian has never embarrassed before,’ he thought. ’This is a first. I really don’t want to admit he’s my grandson.’

Mia lowered her head, feeling guilty as well. She hadn’t expected to push Adrian so far that he’d resort to such an unorthodox tactic.

"Mia, you were in the wrong on this. Even if I trust you completely and know you didn’t do anything to cross the line, he’s a man, and he’s your husband. It’s normal for him to be angry. If he stayed over at a female colleague’s house, wouldn’t that bother you? Wouldn’t you be angry?"

"So, you need to apologize to Adrian, understand?"

Hearing this, Mia Kane sighed. When she put herself in his shoes, she had to admit that she was indeed in the wrong.

She couldn’t deny it. ’Forget so random female colleague,’ she thought. ’I get jealous even when it’s just Shannon Preston.’

"I understand, Grandfather."

"You’re a good kid, always quick on the uptake. I trust you’ll handle this well. Go on now, go find Adrian."

Mia Kane got up and went to the backyard.

Adrian Preston was sitting in the pavilion, drinking tea.

Mia slowly shuffled over and sat down beside him.

"What is it?"

Adrian’s voice was crisp and clean, which was finally a relief to hear.

"About last night... I’m sorry. I was being inconsiderate. It was just so late, and I didn’t want to trouble his parents by having them drive ho. I figured since his parents were there and I was staying in a guest room, it would be..."

"It won’t happen again, you can rest assured."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. ’She made no ntion of calling next ti,’ he thought. ’If this happens again, she won’t think of . She’ll handle it by herself.’

"What will it take for you to not resent ?"