"Don’t worry. I don’t have any skeletons in my closet."

She said it angrily, but she looked so pitiful that her anger carried no weight.

"You... where did you go last night? It doesn’t seem like you went home, either."

"I went to find Shannon. She’s getting more and more out of control, hanging out with all sorts of shady characters."

"All night?"

"Yeah... I was at the hotel watching her. I was afraid she’d run off."

Adrian Preston said calmly, not daring to tell the truth. He didn’t want her to know he’d stayed up all night watching over her, not sleeping a wink.

Mia Kane scoffed internally. ’Such deep affection between brother and sister. He even has to watch her through the night.’

’Adrian Preston probably has feelings for Shannon Preston. Maybe he’s in love and doesn’t realize it, or maybe he does, but can’t express it because they’re siblings.’

Just as she was thinking this, Shannon Preston arrived unexpectedly, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.

"I came to see you, sister-in-law."

Shannon Preston’s tone wasn’t as harsh as before; she even had a smile on her face. Mia had no idea what Adrian Preston had said to win her over.

’He probably confessed that our marriage is just a contract, all for show.’

"Go home, Adrian. You don’t know how to take care of someone, anyway. I can handle things here."

"No. I’m staying here. You go home."

Hearing this, Shannon Preston’s heart tightened. ’I can’t let the two of them keep spending time alone.’

She quickly pulled Adrian Preston aside, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear.

"Adrian, don’t you want me and my sister-in-law to get along? Then you have to let us be alone. I’ll definitely take good care of her. It’s good for you too if we don’t have any problems between us."

Adrian Preston wavered at her words.

"Besides, your eyes are really red. You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Very obvious. Go home and get some sleep."

"Fine. You take care of her. Call me if you need anything."

"Don’t worry about a thing!"

Shannon Preston smiled happily, shaking his arm and acting coquettishly like a child.

Seeing the two of them whispering intimately to each other, Mia Kane felt a pang of discomfort and simply turned her head away.

’Are they afraid people won’t find out about their little incestuous romance?’

"Shannon will stay here and take care of you. I have some business to attend to, so I’m leaving."

"I’m fine on my own."

"Shannon is staying."

Adrian Preston’s tone was firm. He was also worried Shannon Preston wouldn’t take good care of Mia Kane, so he hired two caregivers as well.

Shannon Preston sat by the bed, peeling an apple.

"Sister-in-law, I realize I was wrong. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. From now on, we’re family. And sister-in-law, I’m really curious... how did you and my brother meet?"

"Have you known each other long? I’ve almost never heard him mention you."

"Not long. Only two months."

Two months?

’But my brother has liked her for many years. Could it be unrequited love? Does Mia not love him?’

"Are you still in touch with Chase? I heard you two were together for three years."

"You certainly know a lot. Did your brother tell you?"

"Of course. My brother tells me everything."

"Everything? Then do you know about when I was kidnapped..."

Mia Kane’s heart clenched, and she asked instinctively.

"I know. It’s not what you’re thinking, sister-in-law. I won’t look down on you for it."

Shannon Preston said with a straight face.

Mia Kane felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if it had been viciously stabbed.

’Adrian told Shannon something that private?’

’What right did he have to tell someone else? What gave him the right?!’

She silently clenched her fists, her face growing even paler. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"My brother told me everything about you two, down to the last detail. He feels a lot of pity for you, too."

"I don’t need your care. You can go now."

"Sister-in-law, did I say something wrong?"

"I’m tired. I need to rest."

"Then please get some rest, sister-in-law. I’ll be on my way."

The moment Shannon Preston left the hospital room, she called Chase Lockwood.

"Chase, is Vivi doing okay?"

"She’s already been discharged from the hospital. I’ve also taken care of the online rumors. Once things die down, I’ll take her out for a bit."

"As long as she’s okay. I don’t know what’s going on lately, with everyone ending up in the hospital."

"Who else is in the hospital?"

"Mia Kane. She had surgery, and it seems like it was pretty serious. She’s in a really pitiful state. My brother couldn’t care less about her; he just dumped her at the hospital. She doesn’t dare to notify her family, so she just hired a caregiver. It’s so sad. I couldn’t bear it, so I went to check on her."

"What kind of surgery? Is it serious?"

There was an urgent edge to Chase Lockwood’s voice.

"I don’t know. She wouldn’t say, and I didn’t want to press her, but it seems very serious. Chase, you should come and see her. After all, Mia was with you for three years. Even if there’s no love lost, you can’t deny the effort she put in. Right now... she must be lonely and in need of company, don’t you think?"

"But if Vivian finds out..."

"Vivi is so understanding; why would she mind? If she knew, I’m sure she’d be the first to encourage you. Chase, honestly, you and Vivi wronged her. The state she’s in now... you’re partly responsible."

"My fault?"

"Yes. You have to take some responsibility, don’t you? Even if you couldn’t give her marriage or love, can’t you still be friends? It’s normal for friends to show some concern for each other."

Shannon Preston’s appeal to both reason and emotion finally persuaded Chase Lockwood.

To keep Vivian Lynch from getting the wrong idea, he decided to keep it from her. He’d just go take a quick look, and if it was nothing serious, he’d come right back.

If Mia had kept pestering him or acting aggressively, Chase wouldn’t have felt guilty. He would have just thought she was being unreasonable. ’She had it good for three years, what more does she want?’

But now, Mia’s change of heart made Chase clearly recognize that he and Vivian were the ones in the wrong.

But he was too proud to admit it. Still, seeing Mia in such a sorry state made him feel a little bad.

Mia had even visited Vivian in the hospital. There was no reason he shouldn’t visit Mia now that she was the one who was seriously ill.

"You should come tonight. She’s tired and needs to rest right now."

"Okay, I’ll head over tonight."

...

In the afternoon, Adrian Preston called Shannon Preston to say he was coming over to see Mia.

"She’s sleeping now," Shannon said. "You should come later. I’m afraid you’ll disturb her."

"Alright. I’ll go later, then."

Shannon Preston hung up, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.

’Tonight’s show is going to be good.’

Around six in the evening, Chase Lockwood arrived. Mia Kane was in the middle of her meal.

She was now able to eat some easy-to-digest liquid foods, all of them bland and tasteless.

Unexpectedly, someone came in holding a bouquet of flowers. It was so large it obscured his face, but when Mia saw the man’s tall, straight posture, her heart skipped a beat, thinking it was Adrian.

But when the bouquet was lowered to reveal Chase Lockwood’s face, her expression immediately fell.

’Then again,’ she thought, ’when would Adrian ever think to buy flowers to make a girl happy?’

’What was I even hoping for?’

Chase Lockwood didn’t notice the disappointment in her eyes. He just saw that she looked pale from her illness and had lost a lot of weight. Her frail, sickly appearance stirred a feeling of pity in him.

"Why are you in the hospital?"

"What are you doing here?"

Mia frowned. ’Who on earth told him I was here?’

She was so weak right now; she really didn’t have the energy to deal with him.

Just then, Shannon, who was waiting outside the door, deliberately took a picture and sent it to Vivian Lynch.

"Vivi, something terrible has happened! I overheard Mia calling Chase, crying her eyes out. She said she’d had surgery and was dying, and that her last wish was to see him."

"But it’s not a major surgery at all, just an appendectomy! She totally tricked him into coming here!"