Adrian Preston swatted her hand away irritably.

"Hurry up. My patience is limited. Don’t wait for me to change my mind."

"If you change your mind, will you take all this back?"

Mia Kane asked curiously, but Adrian Preston didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at her with a profound gaze, his eyes like black holes that could suck a person in.

His stare made her feel a little unnerved, and she didn’t dare meet his eyes.

"How about... I take these back and think it over?"

For some reason, Adrian Preston was feeling terribly irritated.

He was the one who had proposed the divorce. He was willing to let go, to grant her freedom.

But he didn’t like Mia Kane dragging her feet, getting on his nerves.

"Right now."

Adrian Preston looked at her, displeased, his demeanor domineering and tyrannical.

Mia Kane stood there and thought about it seriously.

’Let’s just get divorced.’

She felt that Adrian Preston was more dangerous than anyone. And for such a dangerous man, she still found herself wanting to peer into his heart.

He held an indescribable attraction for her.

His profession, his sense of mission, his heroic image...

It was all deeply captivating, enough to make one sink in deep. She was afraid of repeating her past mistakes and falling for someone she shouldn’t.

’Better to nip it in the bud.’

"Fine. Let’s get divorced."

As she said the words, her heart clenched with a pang of pain for some reason.

Mia Kane picked up the gel pen from the table, about to sign her name.

But the moment the pen touched the paper, Adrian Preston grabbed her wrist.

"I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to grant you this."

"You..."

Mia Kane was getting angry. ’Why is he so capricious? Isn’t this just toying with me?’

He was the one who brought up divorce. She agreed, and now he immediately goes back on his word. ’What is he playing at?’

"Adrian Preston? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We’re not getting divorced! You want to be with Chase Lockwood? Not a chance."

"Fine, we don’t have to get divorced, but you have to give me all this stuff! And write it down clearly, as a gift, so that even if we do get divorced later, it’s all my personal property!"

Mia Kane said, fuming.

"Fine. It’s all yours, as long as we don’t get divorced."

Adrian Preston readily agreed, seeming not to care at all about these worldly possessions.

Mia Kane’s anger was finally appeased, just a little.

It couldn’t be helped; Adrian Preston was simply giving her too much.

She left, clutching a stack of property deeds as high as a small mountain, and spent a good while cursing Adrian Preston after she got back.

She took a photo and sent it to Shayla Quinn, who immediately replied with two drooling emojis.

"Damn, he’s way more generous than Chase Lockwood. Girl, seriously, I think Adrian Preston is so much better than Chase Lockwood. A high-quality guy like that is impossible to find, even if you search high and low. You have to hold on to him. Do you have any idea how popular Adrian Preston is? In a nationwide poll for ’The Man People Most Want to Marry,’ he came in first!"

"Girl, cherish what you have! And you were right not to rush into a divorce. If Chase Lockwood heard about this, he’d think you’re so in love with him, that you can’t let him go. He’d think you dumped even Adrian Preston for him, and I can’t imagine how smug and narcissistic he’d get."

Mia Kane scrambled out of bed.

"You have a point. I’ll make things clear with him tomorrow and tell him to stop bothering me."

「The next day.」

Mia Kane was still asleep in bed when she was woken up by a call from an unknown number.

"Mia Kane, it’s already nine. Where are you?"

"At home... sleeping..."

"Are you still playing these hard-to-get games? I’ll give you half an hour. Get over here."

"Chase Lockwood, we’re not getting married. I’ve already..."

But Chase Lockwood wasn’t listening to her at all and simply hung up on her.

Mia Kane got up with a headache. This was the downside of blocking him completely; now even communicating was a hassle.

Feeling she had no other choice, Mia Kane unblocked Chase Lockwood’s phone number and WeChat. She sent him a message, but there was no response for a long time.

’Chase Lockwood probably hasn’t seen it,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, he would have definitely contacted me.’

’I’ll just go and explain things to him properly, and then we can be done with each other.’

Mia Kane got ready and left, not noticing a car tailing her all the way to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Chase Lockwood was actually waiting there obediently.

"What took you so long!"

Chase Lockwood glared at her sullenly, his eyes menacing, as if he wanted to eat her alive.

It was always others who waited for Eldest Young Master Lockwood, never his turn to wait miserably for someone else. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Why didn’t you answer my calls?"

"My phone broke."

Strictly speaking, he had smashed it himself.

That morning, Vivian Lynch had specifically called him. She said she understood how difficult it was for him as a son and grandson, that she knew he was a filial person and wouldn’t force him or put him in a difficult position.

She even wished him a happy life with Mia Kane.

"Miss Kane is gentle and beautiful; she’ll surely take good care of you. Chase, once I leave this time, I don’t know when we’ll see each other again. Promise me you’ll be happy."

When the call ended, Chase Lockwood’s heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife, and he smashed his phone in agony.

Now, looking at Mia Kane, he was filled with utter disgust.

"Mia Kane, you got your wish. After we’re married, I won’t give you a single ounce of affection. You can just suffer in your position as Mrs. Lockwood. You tore me and Vivian apart, and for the rest of your life, I’ll make you wish you were dead,"

he said viciously, grinding his teeth.

Mia Kane’s head throbbed.

"Chase Lockwood, get this straight. Your grandmother is the one who won’t let Vivian Lynch in the door. Your parents disagreed with it, fearing your deceased parents would be heartbroken. What does that have to do with me?"

"You’re the one who made Grandma come back! If she hadn’t, Vivian and I would be fine!"

"I told you, it wasn’t me. Besides, I didn’t come here to marry you..."

Just then, a car pulled up, and one of Vivian Lynch’s close friends hurried over.

"Young Master Lockwood, something’s wrong! Vivian fainted at the airport... It’s serious, you have to go see her!"

"How could this happen?"

"I don’t know either, just hurry and go see..."

Chase Lockwood had no time to worry about Mia Kane and rushed toward the hospital.

Mia Kane was also curious what sort of act Vivian Lynch was pulling this time. ’Another suicide attempt?’ she wondered.

Curious, she was about to get in the car when he stopped her.

"What are you getting in the car for?"

"Chase Lockwood, honestly, I’m so moved by your love story. You two are like tragic, inseparable lovers. I’ve decided to help you. The love between you two makes me feel so insignificant. I’m truly humbled."

"Of course! The love Vivian and I share is unparalleled!"

"Right, right, right. That’s why I’ve had a sudden awakening. I won’t be a stumbling block for you two; instead, I’ll be your matchmaker. I’ll take care of your grandmother and make sure she stops forcing you to marry me. As for whether Vivian Lynch can enter your family, that’s up to your own efforts. I’m also very worried that Vivian fainted. Let me go see her, or I won’t be able to eat or sleep."

Mia Kane batted her eyes, laying the innocent act on as thick as she could.

As expected, Chase Lockwood relented.

"Drive! To the hospital!"

Mia Kane sneered inwardly. The first woman Chase Lockwood ever got involved with was Vivian Lynch. After spending so much time with such a master manipulator, his ability to spot one was practically zero.

They arrived at the hospital to find that Vivian Lynch had already woken up.

"Vivian..."

Chase Lockwood burst into the hospital room and hugged her tightly. "Why is your face so pale? Why would you suddenly faint like that...?"

"How are you all taking care of a pregnant woman? The first three months are critical. You must avoid major emotional fluctuations, or there’s a risk of miscarriage."

"Pregnant?"

Chase Lockwood froze.