The man’s breathing was ragged and quick, his hot breath searing her chest.

A pleasant tingle spread through her, like a feather brushing against her skin.

Her face burned uncontrollably, and the tips of her ears slowly turned red.

Adrian Preston’s gaze was dark and inscrutable, fixed on her like a wolf’s, as if he might devour her whole at any moment.

"Are you nervous?"

"Put me down,"

she snapped.

"Give me a kiss, and I’ll put you down."

"You... Adrian Preston, have you no shame? Who’s the one really suffering here?"

"I can handle it."

"You..."

They remained at a stalemate.

Mia Kane glanced out the window. Quite a few passersby were already shooting them strange looks. ’Public indecency in broad daylight,’ she imagined them thinking.

She lowered her head, mortified.

Adrian Preston’s self-control was terrifying. Even now, he was as steady as a mountain, though the desire in his eyes was a raging storm, threatening to break free at any second.

Yet he just watched her, certain of his victory. He was betting that she would be the one to break.

In the end, Mia Kane had no choice but to give in, quickly pecking him on the cheek.

He didn’t push his luck by asking for more.

His large hand released her, and she scrambled over to the passenger seat.

Her eyes flickered toward a certain... area. She cleared her throat twice and quickly turned to stare guiltily out the window.

Adrian Preston started the engine and drove off without saying where they were going.

The car eventually stopped at the airport.

"What are we doing here?"

"Shannon is back."

"Shannon Preston? Your sister?"

Adrian Preston nodded. "Then why didn’t you tell me sooner? I should have at least bought her something."

’A woman meeting her sister-in-law for the first time, and I came empty-handed.’

"I’ve already taken care of it."

He opened the trunk, revealing a pile of gifts he had bought. Only then did Mia Kane relax a little.

Soon, a girl appeared at the arrival gate. She wore a poofy princess dress and looked like an exquisite porcelain doll.

When she saw Adrian Preston, she ran over and leaped into his arms.

"Brother, I missed you so much!"

She nuzzled his cheek affectionately, pouting in a cute, pitiful way.

"Alright, that’s enough."

Adrian Preston set her down without indulging her clinginess. Shannon Preston was a little unhappy, but she didn’t think much of it.

"Brother, look! I’m wearing the dress you helped me pick out last time."

She spun around on the spot, a faint, sweet scent wafting from her.

"I didn’t pick it out. Your sister-in-law did."

"Sister-in-law?"

Shannon Preston froze, staring at Adrian Preston in disbelief. Only then did she notice the other person standing behind him.

"Shannon, I’m your sister-in-law. My name is Mia Kane. These are some gifts I brought for you, have a look..."

As she held out the gifts, Shannon Preston slapped them out of her hands and onto the floor.

"What sister-in-law? I don’t accept her! Brother, how could you just marry some random woman without telling the family? Did you even ask if I agreed?"

Shannon Preston’s eyes instantly reddened.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

’Looks like my new sister-in-law doesn’t like me very much.’

Adrian Preston’s face instantly darkened. "This is my business, and I’ll make my own decisions. It doesn’t matter if you accept her, as long as I do. If you want to live at my place, you will apologize to your sister-in-law. If not, the Preston Family has plenty of other houses. Live wherever you want."

"Brother, you’re being harsh with me for an outsider! You’ve never been harsh with me before..."

Tears streamed down Shannon Preston’s face, and she looked utterly wronged.

"She is not an outsider. She is your sister-in-law."

"No, she’s not..."

Crying, Shannon Preston ran off.

Mia Kane felt awkward. "You should probably go after her. I can just get a taxi back on my own."

"Don’t worry about her. We’ve spoiled her rotten. She’s upset I didn’t tell her about something as major as my marriage. But that’s no excuse for her to be rude to you. You are, after all, her sister-in-law."

"It’s not like it’s real..."

Mia Kane couldn’t help but mutter under her breath.

Adrian Preston’s expression instantly iced over.

Frightened, she bit her tongue and didn’t dare say another word.

Adrian Preston took her home, but he didn’t just leave Shannon Preston to her own devices; he had someone follow her.

Shannon Preston had been away from Argent for a long time and didn’t have any close friends there. The only place she could think to go was Lockwood Manor.

After all, she had dated Chase Lockwood in the past.

But it had just been a fling; neither of them had been serious about it.

"Chase, my brother doesn’t want me anymore..."

"What’s wrong?"

Chase Lockwood had no romantic interest in Shannon Preston. Back when his parents sent Vivian Lynch abroad, he had spiraled, becoming a player and dating one girl after another.

He and Shannon Preston had been together for over half a year, but he had always seen her as a little sister. He wasn’t such a beast that he would actually sleep with his good friend’s sister.

"My brother... he brought home a sister-in-law. I don’t want a sister-in-law, I don’t like her... SOB..."

"Adrian Preston is married?"

Chase Lockwood’s heart skipped a beat. Mia Kane was proud. The moment she found out about him and Vivian Lynch, she had broken up with him immediately.

’And yet now she’s the mistress of a married man like Adrian Preston?’

’He’d thought she had more integrity than that. But in the end, she was knowingly being a homewrecker, debasing herself like this.’

’Did she choose Adrian Preston just because the Preston Family has a higher status than the Lockwood Family?’ 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Chase..."

Shannon Preston kept talking to Chase Lockwood, but he didn’t hear a word she said.

"Keep talking."

"I don’t want a sister-in-law. If he has a sister-in-law, then my brother won’t dote on just me anymore..."

"But he has to get married someday."

"SOB... I don’t care."

"Let me talk to her."

Vivian Lynch walked in. "It’ll be easier for another girl to talk to her. You wouldn’t understand."

Shannon Preston looked at Vivian Lynch and suddenly realized something. ’That new sister-in-law... she looks a lot like Vivi.’

She used to like Vivi, but now, because of this resemblance, she found she couldn’t quite like her anymore.

After Chase Lockwood left, Vivian Lynch sat down beside her.

"You want your brother to dote only on you, right? And you’re worried other women will distract him?"

"Yeah. He was even harsh with me today because of that woman. My brother always doted on me the most, but now he’s scolding me... It’s all because of that bitch."

"He even told me to apologize, and that I can’t live at his house if I don’t. Who cares? I’m not going to apologize."

"My dear, silly girl, you have to apologize. You can’t move out. Only if you live there will you have the chance to make things difficult for your sister-in-law and figure out what she’s all about. Just do as I say..."

Vivian Lynch began to coach her.

Shannon Preston’s eyes lit up.

"You’re so smart! I can’t leave. I can’t just let them be happy together."

Shannon Preston had arrived in tears, but she left with a smile on her face.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing much. I just told her not to be so childish and to apologize to her sister-in-law. They’re going to be family, after all."

"You’re always so sensible, my dear Vivian. I’m so lucky to have you."

Chase Lockwood gently pinched Vivian Lynch’s nose, making her blush and smile as she snuggled into his arms.

Chase Lockwood savored the moment, but for some reason, his mind drifted to Mia Kane.

’Maybe she didn’t do it on purpose,’ he thought. ’Even I didn’t know Adrian Preston was married, which means they kept it a secret.’

’Mia Kane might have been deceived by Adrian Preston, too. She could be a victim in all this.’

’For the sake of the three years they’d been together, and for the way she’d helped him out this time, he should be charitable and lend her a hand.’

’It seems I need to find her and have a serious talk before she gets in too deep.’

...

Shannon Preston returned to the villa, her heart filled with resentment.

"Apologize to your sister-in-law."

That was the first thing Adrian Preston said the moment he saw her. His tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.