Upon hearing that, Vivian Lynch shot her friend a glare, then stepped forward and warmly grabbed Mia Kane’s hand. "Miss Kane, you must be here to congratulate me, right? I just knew you weren’t that petty. No matter how many other friends wish me well, none of their blessings would mean as much as yours. Only your blessing can make me truly happy."

Vivian Lynch’s eyes were shining, and she had an air of natural innocence.

Such a perfect damsel in distress. The very picture of innocence.

"You’re thinking too much. I just came here for dinner. I didn’t know Chase Lockwood was here."

With that said, she tried to leave, but Vivian Lynch unexpectedly grabbed her and refused to let go. She even managed to squeeze out a few sorrowful tears. "You still refuse to forgive me, don’t you? I know I’ve wronged you, and I’ll do whatever you want. If I have to, I’ll get on my knees right now to appease you."

Before Mia Kane could even say a word, Vivian Lynch swayed and dropped to her knees.

Her continuous sobbing drew the attention of people heading to the restroom, who stopped to watch the scene unfold.

Her friends, their anger now at a boiling point, rushed forward to pull Vivian Lynch up.

"Why are you kneeling to her! You’re not the one in the wrong—she is! She’s the home-wrecker! She stole what should have been yours and enjoyed it for three years. How can you let her push you around like this?"

"Exactly! I’ll go get Young Master Lockwood. He’ll make this right for you."

One of them scurried away in a flurry.

A short while later, Chase Lockwood rushed over. He didn’t even spare Mia Kane a glance as he swept the fragile-looking Vivian Lynch into his arms, tenderly wiping away her tears.

"They told me Mia Kane was giving you a hard time and forced you to kneel. How can you be so good-natured? What right does she have to make you kneel?"

With that, he shot a furious glare at Mia Kane.

Vivian Lynch was sobbing too hard to form a complete sentence, which only made Chase Lockwood’s heart ache for her more, fanning the flames of his anger toward Mia Kane.

Mia Kane watched the scene unfold with cold detachment.

She was the one who insisted on kneeling. What does that have to do with her? She tried to leave, but Vivian’s theatrics were meant to keep her here. Isn’t this exactly what she wanted—an audience for her little show?

She scanned the crowd but, to her surprise, didn’t see Adrian Preston. Where did he go?

"Young Master Lockwood, she followed you here! She knew you were going to propose and came to sabotage it."

"Mia Kane, will you ever quit!"

Mia Kane deliberately glanced at the back of his head. It looked like a piece of gauze was taped there, almost impossible to see from the front.

Looks like it was just a surface wound. It must have bled a lot, but it didn’t seem to be a deep injury. Chase Lockwood was probably too busy with Vivian’s return to find time to come after her.

"I didn’t know you were having dinner here, much less that you were planning to propose. She knelt of her own accord. I didn’t say a single word. If you’re done, I’m going back to my meal."

With that, she turned to leave, but Chase Lockwood seized her wrist as she walked past. "Still spouting lies? I’m ordering you: apologize to Vivian and stay away from her from now on."

Mia Kane was speechless. "Why on earth should I apologize to her?"

"Because you stole her spot and enjoyed the benefits that should have been hers for three years!"

Those few words made Mia Kane’s breath catch in her throat, a sharp pain piercing her heart.

Did she do that on purpose? Wasn’t he the one who intentionally deceived her? Was she just a fool who gave him three years of her life?

How could Chase Lockwood say that without an ounce of guilt?

Oh, right, how could he feel guilty? The two of them are partners in crime. They don’t have a conscience to begin with!

"I did nothing wrong! Let go of me! I’m here for dinner!"

"Apologize!"

Mia Kane struggled desperately, but Chase Lockwood’s grip was too strong. He squeezed her wrist so tightly that a red mark appeared, and it throbbed with pain. The force he used felt like it could shatter her bones.

As Chase Lockwood held her fast, Vivian Lynch’s friends ganged up on Mia Kane, trying to force her to her knees to apologize.

"Chase, don’t," Vivian pleaded. "She’s only doing this to me because she loves you so much."

"Vivian, you’re always so kind. Even when you’re the one being bullied, you still defend her."

The two exchanged a long, smoldering look, their eyes filled with deep affection.

Meanwhile, Mia Kane suddenly fought back like a cornered animal, ready to bite anyone who came near. Her ferocity startled Vivian’s friends, who quickly let go. She freed one of her hands and swung it hard.

SLAP! The sound was crisp and loud, echoing through the room for everyone to hear. Luckily for her, they were standing close together. She had slapped them both in one go.

Vivian Lynch immediately burst into tears.

Chase Lockwood’s eyes turned a terrifying shade of red, like a ravenous beast. He raised his arm high, clearly putting all his strength into the motion.

If that slap landed, her face would be ruined.

Mia Kane had nowhere to run, held in his unyielding grip. She closed her eyes, bracing for the searing pain, but instead, Chase Lockwood’s enraged voice roared in her ear.

"Preston, what the hell are you doing?!"

Trembling, she opened her eyes to see Adrian Preston gripping Chase Lockwood’s wrist. In a swift move, he twisted Chase’s arm behind his back in a restraining hold.

Wincing in pain, Chase was forced to release his grip on Mia Kane.

She noticed Adrian Preston’s subtle gesture—he had wrapped an arm around her, pulling her behind him protectively.

Her heart, which had been pounding in her throat with anxiety, finally settled back into her chest.

"Look how far you’ve come all these years," Adrian said, his voice laced with scorn. "Now you’re hitting women?"

At his words, the surrounding crowd turned to stare at Chase Lockwood with disdain.

A man hitting a woman was a classless act. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Preston, whose side are you on?! Didn’t you see her bullying Vivian? Let me go, or I’m going to get pissed."

As requested, Adrian Preston released him.

"I saw the security footage. Vivian Lynch was the one who approached her and started the trouble."

"I thought Mia was here to congratulate us," Vivian said, her voice full of feigned hurt. "I didn’t think she’d be unable to let Chase go and would secretly follow him."

Vivian Lynch said it with such convincing detail.

"Do you have any proof?" Mia Kane retorted coldly. "This is a restaurant. Anyone can eat here. I came here for dinner with my new boyfriend."

She didn’t specify that Adrian Preston was her date, nor did she make any intimate gestures toward him. At a glance, he just looked like a good Samaritan stepping in to uphold justice.

Mia Kane wasn’t sure if he was truly willing to have a falling out with Chase Lockwood over her.

"That’s hilarious! If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable," one of the friends sneered. "Young Master Lockwood just dumped you, and now you’re claiming you already have a new boyfriend?"

The others burst into mocking laughter, but Chase Lockwood’s expression was grim, his eyes dark and sunken. "Who is he?"

Chase Lockwood believed her.

After all, Mia Kane was crazy enough to offer herself to a kidnapper. If she could do something that insane, what wouldn’t she do?

When Mia Kane saw Adrian Preston about to step forward, she instinctively pulled him back.

Adrian Preston frowned slightly and glanced back at her, a look of confusion in his eyes. She doesn’t want him to step forward? Is she worried about hurting Chase Lockwood’s feelings?

At that thought, a shadow passed over Adrian Preston’s eyes. He remained where he was, his expression unreadable.

Mia Kane, however, wasn’t thinking about that at all. She was completely over the scumbag. She just wanted to mess with him a little. She wasn’t ready to let Chase Lockwood know that her new husband was his own good friend.

She wanted to make him guess!

Chase Lockwood would probably drive himself crazy trying to figure out who her husband was. The not knowing, the constant suspicion—that would be the most agonizing part.

"Let’s just say he’s hotter than you, taller than you, has perfect proportions, and an eight-pack. And most importantly," she added with a smirk, "he’s way better in bed."

"Mia Kane!"

Chase Lockwood was furious and flustered. People were already starting to give him strange looks. He knew perfectly well that he hadn’t touched Mia in three years, but outsiders didn’t know that.

Who would believe that Mia Kane, the woman who had been by his side day and night for years, was still a virgin?

Vivian Lynch bit her lower lip. "Did you... Did you... Sleep with her?"

"I didn’t! Vivian, you have to believe me..."

Vivian Lynch ran off, sobbing and heartbroken.

And just like that, the whole thing devolved into a farce. The crowd dispersed.

A relieved smile spread across Mia Kane’s face. She had scored a point. Just then, a voice spoke right next to her ear.

"How did you know I was so good in bed?"