Chapter 105 She is my wife

She plucked up the courage to ask about Mike, "Are you feeling better now? The doctor said you had kidney stones; you need the pain under control before you can go back."

"I feel much better." Mike didn't even look at Darian, his eyes stuck on Nicole. "Thank you." 

"We're all friends, no need to be polite." Nicole had to let Darian know she and Mike were just friends, nothing more. She couldn't let him think there was anything unclear between them. 

Given his personality, if she said something wrong, he'd definitely take it out on Mike. 

She could only be tactful in front of Darian now.

Mike could somewhat understand Nicole. What could she do with that man staring right there? 

"Nicole, I'd like some water. Could you please pour me a glass?"  

"Sure." she was about to leave, feeling a bit worried. 

If she left, would Darian cause trouble for Mike? 

Darian slightly raised an eyebrow, his gaze making Nicole scared, so she had to leave. 

When she left, Mike faced Darian directly. 

"Mr. Blaze, thank you for today." he broke the silence first. 

"I'm here because of my wife, no need to thank me." 

"How long have you known Nicole?" Mike suddenly changed the subject. 

He knew they had no feelings for each other. Their marriage was just about possession for the man. 

Whenever possible, he wanted to rescue Nicole. 

Darian touched the ring on his ring finger. "That's none of your business." 

"Nicole doesn't know many men. We've had a friendship for six years, understanding what kind of person we'd choose to spend our lives with. Her sudden marriage was a bit unexpected, but I still hope she married for love and can be happy." Mike's voice was weak but firm. 

Between rivals, the atmosphere would always be tense. 

Darian said lightly, "No matter how long you've known each other, it doesn't change the fact that she's my wife." 

Mike felt frustrated. With just those few words, he felt defeated. 

"Nicole may seem gentle on the outside, but she's actually quite strong-willed. She dislikes being forced to do things she doesn't want to do. She can endure, but not for a lifetime." Mike had his own trump card. 

Nicole not loving Darian was his biggest trump card. 

Darian sneered, "All of that doesn't matter. After all, she's my wife." 

Mike felt powerless. With that statement, everything he said seemed ridiculous. 

After some silence, the atmosphere felt a bit awkward. 

"Do you like my wife?" Darian asked in return. 

"She's excellent." 

"She's my wife." 

Mike, usually calm, felt like hitting Darian at that moment. 

Darian's tone was clearly provocative. 

He was telling Mike that regardless of Nicole's excellence, she belonged to him. 

"An excellent person, regardless of their status, cannot prevent others from appreciating and liking them." Mike needed to make Darian understand that Nicole might not always be his wife. 

An excellent person could have countless admirers. 

Darian shifted slightly, his eyes glinting. "Are you trying to break up my marriage?" 

Mike took a deep breath. "What I mean is, Mr. Blaze, if you care so much about her, you better treat her well. After all, there are many others who want to do the same." 

"Are you one of them?" Darian asked directly. 

Mike didn't beat around the bush. "Of course." 

Darian twisted the ring on his finger, a slight sneer beneath his mask while his eyes were emotionless.

Nicole hurried back after pouring the water, worried they might start fighting.

Seeing no change in their postures, she felt a bit relieved. 

Handing the water to Mike, he thanked her gently. 

"I'm fine here, so don't worry about me. You two should go back soon." he wanted her to stay with him, but he couldn't. 

Darian kept staring at him. 

It wasn't that he was afraid of Darian, but he just didn't want her in a difficult position. 

Glancing at the time, Nicole said, "I'll go straight to the hospital from here in a while." 

Mike said, "Then, Mr. Blaze..." 

She turned to Darian and said, "You should go first." 

On the other hand, Mike took a sip of his water.

Darian's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Are you going to use and then discard me?" 

She pursed her lips. 

He had brought her to Mike's house at early morning, bringing him to the hospital afterward and staying for two hours without breakfast. Her mind was quick, so she knew what he meant. 

"Mike, you should rest well." she then turned to Darian. "Let's go." 

Darian reached out to her. 

She bit her lip, reluctantly taking his hand. 

He stood up, hugging her with a slight tug. He said to Mike, "We're leaving now." 

"Take care on the way." Mike saw Nicole's stiff body in in Darian's arms and felt uneasy. 

But what could he do? 

They were a legitimate couple. 

Watching them leave, he slowly leaned back, holding his lower back as he closed his eyes. 

Once out of the hospital, Darian released her and got into the car. 

Nicole didn't know what he and Mike had talked about. 

With someone like him, she couldn't wait for him to get angry before trying to please him. 

She fastened her seatbelt in the passenger seat. "Let's go home." 

Darian didn't respond, stepping on the gas pedal. 

The more he acted like this, the more unsettled Nicole was. 

Her phone vibrated, seeing a message from Mike. 

She glanced cautiously at Darian before reading it. 

[Is he causing you trouble?]  

She replied, [No.] 

[Don't be too submissive or try to please him. Do what you want to do, and don't make it hard on yourself.]

Reading the message, she felt a bit down. 

Since agreeing to marry Darian for Kristina, she had lost herself. 

Not submissive, not trying to please, not being obedient— she didn't know if these days were more or less difficult. 

She didn't like her current self, but for her family, what else could she do? 

People sometimes had to compromise for a better life; for certain people and things. 

"You can't seem to let go of him. You just left, and you're already messaging him." Darian glanced at her, seeing her distracted. 

Nicole put her phone back in her pocket and looked ahead. "No, Sophia just asked about Mike." 

He sneered, parking the car on the roadside. "Get out." 

She looked at him in confusion. 

He continued a bit impatiently, "Aren't you going to work? I'm not going that way."