Meanwhile, at the hospital—

Vivian Lynch was revived. After the anesthesia wore off, she slowly regained consciousness.

She saw Chase Lockwood, her eyes filling with tears. She wanted to speak, but her throat was in agony, and she couldn’t make a sound.

Her expression was tense as she pointed to her own throat. ’Am I going to be mute for the rest of my life?’

"The doctor said you haven’t lost your ability to speak. You should be able to talk in a couple of days."

However, he wasn’t sure if her voice would ever be the same.

Vivian Lynch breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her phone to type.

"Chase, Adrian Preston went too far. How could he do this to me right in front of you? He’s a man; how could he stoop to bickering with a woman like me? You have to stand up for me."

But when Chase Lockwood read her words, he remained unmoved, looking at her coldly.

"Why did you do it?"

"Why did you have to bring up the fact that she was violated?"

Vivian Lynch knew he was angry and quickly typed a reply.

At the time, she just wanted to divert attention, to make everyone stop focusing on her losing the bet. She wanted to save some face.

She hadn’t expected Chase Lockwood to care so much about it.

"I wanted to clear your name. Only if both Mia Kane and I were seen as flawed would people believe it when you broke up with her and seamlessly got together with me. I wasn’t thinking straight at the time; I was only thinking about protecting you. I’m sorry, Chase. I was being thoughtless. If I had known how much you cared about this, I wouldn’t have said it."

"I’ve thought of many vicious schemes, even making her disappear from Argent, but I never thought of publicizing her humiliation. After all, it was my fault for not protecting her properly. If I had known those kidnappers would get out of hand, I never would have left her there alone."

Chase Lockwood said, his words slow and deliberate. Hearing this, the color drained from Vivian Lynch’s face.

’What... did he mean by that?’

Chase Lockwood closed his eyes heavily. A flicker of regret passed through his heart.

’If only he had rescued her in time, he and Mia Kane wouldn’t have ended up like this.’

’Why did he have to celebrate Vivian Lynch’s birthday that day? Birthdays happen every year, but at that moment, Mia Kane was going through hell!’

He clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the guilt in his heart.

’What’s done is done. It can’t be changed.’

’That day, he didn’t go.’

’And now, Vivian Lynch had blurted it out.’

"Mia Kane has decided to hold a press conference. She’s going to explain exactly how everything started."

Vivian Lynch’s eyes widened, and her fingers flew across the screen.

"What? Does she have no shame? Even if she doesn’t care about herself, has she stopped caring about you? It’s one thing for her to give up on herself, but why does she have to drag you down with her? She’s gone too far!"

"She has gone too far, but ultimately, you were the one who brought it up first. We both have to bear the consequences. I can handle it. My reputation was already bad; I’m just a prodigal son returning. But Vivian, you might not be able to. I can’t clean up this mess. You’re on your own. I have to go."

After saying this, Chase Lockwood turned and left without a second glance.

Vivian Lynch, unable to speak, couldn’t call him back. Frantic, she could only watch helplessly as he walked away.

She clutched the blanket tightly. She still couldn’t believe that Mia Kane would dare to publicly admit she was violated by the kidnappers.

’With Mia Kane’s current status, going public would be like nailing herself to a pillar of shame.’

’If she were an ordinary person, people might sympathize with and forgive her.’

’But now she’s Mrs. Preston. Netizens are more likely to criticize her marriage and her life.’

’The entire Preston Family would be dragged through the mud with her.’

’No way. She wouldn’t risk it all!’

She composed many long text messages to Chase Lockwood.

She repeatedly explained that she had acted impulsively, without thinking, and begged him to forgive her.

But Chase Lockwood didn’t reply.

Tonight was supposed to be their wedding night, but it had turned into this.

She spent it all alone in the hospital.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t cry out. Her throat burned with a searing pain.

’This was all thanks to Mia Kane.’

’If she hadn’t set me up, I wouldn’t have brought up her being violated at the banquet, and things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand.’

’Now, even Chase Lockwood was ignoring her.’

’Fortunately, they were legally married. Chase Lockwood couldn’t possibly abandon her completely.’

’But their relationship had still been damaged.’

’That bitch Mia Kane...’

’If I ever get the chance, I’ll skin her alive, pull out her tendons, eat her flesh, and drink her blood!’

...

Mia Kane was having trouble sleeping that night when she heard a knock at her door. It was Adrian Preston.

"What are you doing here?"

"To sleep with you."

"Huh?"

Mia Kane froze. She watched as Adrian Preston strode into the room and lay down directly on her bed.

’Does he mean he’s going to sleep in my bed?’

He almost never shared a bed with her. He’d always avoided it, only doing so out of absolute necessity, and even then, he would toss and turn all night.

But now...

"Aren’t you coming over? I’m tired."

He patted the space beside him on the bed, gesturing for her to come over.

She walked over dazedly and stared at him. "You’re going to sleep with me?"

"Is it not perfectly normal for a husband and wife to sleep together?"

He actually posed the question with a casual, nonchalant air.

Mia Kane was dumbfounded. It was normal, but for her and Adrian Preston, it was anything but.

’They weren’t a real couple, after all.’

"Sleep."

She was still standing by the bed, unable to process what was happening, when Adrian reached out a large hand, scooped her up, and pulled her onto the bed, holding her in his arms.

Mia Kane had been suffering from insomnia, but smelling the unique, crisp scent of mint on him, she felt a profound sense of peace. It was as if, even if the future was shrouded in darkness, she would have the courage to face it head-on.

"Go to sleep. Don’t overthink things."

He said it in a commanding tone.

Mia Kane didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"I can sleep. I’m just worried you’ll be tossing and turning all night, like the bed is full of needles."

"Don’t worry about me. Just get some sleep."

His voice was clearly a little strained.

"Are you worried I won’t be able to sleep, or that I’ll have nightmares, so you’ve specially come to sacrifice yourself for me?"

’You have to hand it to cops; they’re just good-hearted people. Can’t stand to see suffering in the world, so he’s sacrificing his body to comfort me.’

’Sigh, I wonder who will end up by Adrian Preston’s side in the future. A man like him is hard to find, even if you search with a lantern.’

’If he really does get together with Shannon Preston, I’d feel a little resentful. I don’t think Shannon is good enough for him.’

’Then again, I’m even less worthy of him.’

’Now, I’m a ruined woman, a fact everyone knows. I have even less right to be with him.’

Adrian Preston pursed his lips and said nothing, but she was one hundred percent certain she’d guessed right.

"Adrian Preston, do you know how dangerous it is to sleep with me? I might not be able to stop myself from getting handsy!"

She said it deliberately, wanting to see Adrian Preston’s reaction.

"Don’t mess around."

The tips of Adrian Preston’s ears were an unbelievable shade of red.

Mia Kane’s tense nerves had finally started to relax.

She purposefully slipped her hand through a gap in his clothes and began to let it wander. Everywhere it touched, she could feel his muscles tensing.

Lust began to smolder in the man’s eyes, but he fought hard to suppress it.

Suddenly, he rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

"Give yourself to me, Mia Kane. Become the real Mrs. Preston. I’ll be responsible for you for the rest of your life."

His voice was hoarse, his gaze clear, but his breathing was heavy, and his chest heaved rapidly.

With him on top and her on the bottom, his dominance felt intensely threatening.