Mia Kane looked at Adrian Preston before her. ’Such good genetic material, what a waste!’

Adrian Preston said with a cold face, "Mia Kane, ’once bitten, twice shy’ is one thing, but you’re the most pathetic person I’ve ever met. Get out. I don’t need you to take care of me."

Mia Kane could only leave dejectedly. She called for Theo Thorne and asked him to take care of Adrian Preston.

Mia Kane called Shayla Quinn to tell her the plan had failed.

"What? You went that far and he still didn’t touch you? Is there something wrong with his head? Even if he has principles, isn’t that taking it too far?"

"Forget it. I don’t get it, but I respect it! So... how do you apply to a sperm bank to, uh, borrow some ’seeds’?"

"Are you serious about this?"

"I want to start looking now. Adrian Preston and I have been married for almost four months, which means we have eight months left at most. Once Grandpa passes away, we’re getting a divorce. With a sperm bank, don’t you have to be picky and choose the best one? If I start looking now, I’m bound to find a suitable match."

"Fine, I’ll send you the link to the website."

"Is it legit?"

"Totally legit. It’s a proper overseas hospital. I heard a lot of celebrities who don’t want to get married but just want kids go there. They even provide their own eggs and have surrogates carry the baby!"

"I’ve been researching this for years, there’s no doubt about it. They’ll send you profiles of lots of high-quality donors, and you’ll know all about their information and qualifications."

"Will the donor know about me?"

"Of course not. That’s to protect your interests. This way, no one can try to fight you for the child."

Mia Kane was genuinely tempted by the idea.

She saved the link and even looked up the medical institution online. It was indeed quite famous.

The only thing was the price—it was expensive. The deposit alone was several hundred thousand, and there were more payments after that.

But the service was excellent. They provided a lot of information, with donors of all different nationalities. Mia Kane even started to want a mixed-race baby.

But after looking through them all, Mia Kane wasn’t satisfied with any.

She wasn’t in a hurry. This was a lifelong service, so she decided to just keep browsing for now.

Even if she did find a suitable one, she’d have to wait until after the divorce to go through with it.

The thought that she would have a child of her own blood in the near future gave her a strange, wonderful feeling. It felt like she would no longer be alone in the world.

Adrian Preston was discharged after two days in the hospital, as a mountain of work was waiting for him at the corporation.

Worried about a repeat of last time, she constantly urged him to rest well and apply his medication on time. The wound didn’t get worse and soon healed over, forming a scab.

A few days later, you couldn’t even tell he’d been injured when he walked. He went directly to the hospital to have his stitches removed.

The corporation was especially busy during this period. Adrian Preston stayed overnight at the office every night, so busy he was practically run off his feet.

Mia Kane had her own career to focus on, but she worried that Adrian Preston would be too busy to eat. After some thought, she took a picture of her lunch and sent it to him.

"What delicious thing are you having for lunch? Make me jealous."

Adrian Preston was processing documents and didn’t feel hungry at all, so he had Theo Thorne take his lunch away.

But now, seeing the text message, he hesitated and put down his documents.

"Theo Thorne, where’s my lunch? Bring it here, quick."

He quickly took a picture and sent it back.

"This is what I’m eating."

"Looks delicious. Have a few extra bites for me."

Adrian Preston looked at the text message, the corners of his lips twitching into an unnatural smile, then lowered his head to eat.

Theo Thorne quickly sent a message to Mia Kane.

"Ma’am, you’re the only one who can get through to him. Adrian gets so absorbed in work he forgets to eat or sleep. Nothing I say works. You’re the key!"

Mia Kane saw Theo Thorne’s text and shook her head slightly.

’He’s really overthinking it. It’s not that I’m so important. Adrian is just willing to give me, his wife, some face.’

During this time, Mia Kane consistently checked in, even telling him how many glasses of water she drank a day. Adrian Preston also started checking in with his daily routine.

Although they were just plain words, he was completely content.

Mia Kane finished the design drafts she was working on and finally had some free time. Shayla Quinn wanted to treat her to a meal.

It was because that Star Actor Chaucer was completely finished. He divorced his wife, and the York Family would no longer support him.

The penalty fees for breaching his endorsement contracts were enough to ruin him. On top of that, his rivals were ruthlessly kicking him while he was down, and he was losing fans in droves. He would never return to the public eye again; his career was utterly destroyed.

"Girl, it’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, why would Adrian Preston care if I lived or died? That’s why I’m treating you to a meal. I’ve booked a Michelin-starred restaurant to thank you properly today."

"Okay, I’m on my way."

Shayla Quinn knew her boundaries. She would never get too close to her best friend’s husband; even the slightest hint of it was unacceptable.

She hurried to the mall and called Shayla Quinn, but no one answered.

She was about to dial again when she noticed a crowd gathered around a jewelry store not far away. To her surprise, Shayla Quinn’s voice came from inside.

"It wasn’t me! I didn’t even touch her bag! You’re framing me!"

Mia Kane immediately rushed over. She saw not only Shayla Quinn but also Vivian Lynch and Shannon Preston.

Shannon Preston was aggressively holding onto Shayla Quinn, not letting her leave, insisting that she had knocked Vivian Lynch’s bag and broken a jade bracelet inside.

"What’s going on?"

Mia Kane hurried over, slapped Shannon Preston’s hand away, and pulled Shayla Quinn behind her protectively.

The back of Shannon Preston’s hand immediately turned red.

"Mia Kane, it’s you again!"

Her eyes were red as she glared viciously at Mia Kane.

’If it weren’t for her, how would I have been kicked out by my brother?’

’I risked my life trying to take her down, but I ended up falling into my own trap.’

"Shayla, what happened?"

She didn’t even glance at Shannon Preston, turning her head to look at Shayla Quinn.

Shayla Quinn quickly explained that she had come to the store to buy a small piece of jewelry for Mia Kane as a thank-you gift, but she’d unexpectedly run into the two of them.

At first, the two of them hadn’t seen Shayla Quinn and were bad-mouthing Mia Kane in a really nasty way.

Shayla Quinn couldn’t stand it, so she rushed forward and started yelling at them.

Shannon Preston had gotten physical first, and Shayla Quinn, of course, didn’t hold back. As they scuffled, Shayla Quinn didn’t even notice that the bag Vivian Lynch was holding had fallen to the ground.

She insisted it was Shayla Quinn’s fault, produced a shattered jade bracelet, and claimed it was worth a million, demanding Shayla Quinn pay for it.

"What does the security footage show?"

"She came up to break up the fight, and I did bump into her, but I swear I didn’t pull the bag off! They’re deliberately framing me!"

"Where’s the video?"

Just then, a nearby store clerk handed over a tablet, which was playing the replay.

Vivian Lynch had stepped forward, pretending to break up the fight. The bag was hanging from her wrist, dangling precariously.

Shayla Quinn gave her a shove, telling her to mind her own business. Vivian Lynch cried out in surprise, and the bag slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.

Mia Kane could also see that Vivian Lynch had done it on purpose, but Shayla Quinn had, in fact, touched her bag.

No wonder they were clinging to the point and wouldn’t let go.

Even if the police came, it probably wouldn’t help.

"Let’s call the police. Once they get here, we’ll see what’s what. And when we do, I’ll make sure to press charges and have you thrown in jail."

Shannon Preston said smugly.

Vivian Lynch, at her side, said with false sincerity, "Shannon, don’t be so cruel."

"No way. People like this need to be taught a lesson."

Shayla Quinn’s face paled slightly.

"Then call the police! I’d like to see if Vivian Lynch is completely blameless. I’ll pay whatever the police tell me to pay."

"Fine, then. We’ll just wait here for the police."

Shannon Preston crossed her arms, glaring furiously at them.

The group remained in a standoff in the jewelry store. There were other people in the store as well.

Suddenly, someone pulled out a gun and pressed it against a clerk’s face.

"This is a robbery! Bag up everything valuable, and the stuff from your stockroom, too. I want it all."

"Robbery! Help—"

The clerk screamed and made a run for the door.

The clerk brushed past Mia Kane and was just about to reach the door when a gunshot rang out from behind.

Warm blood splattered across Mia Kane’s face.

Her eyes went wide, her mind a complete blank. She watched, frozen, as the person before her collapsed into a pool of blood, their body convulsing. A dark red hole had been blown through their back and heart, and blood gushed out like a fountain.