Cid rushed into Harvey's office as soon as he heard about the fight between Mia and two employees. He stormed in, finding Harvey already seated behind his desk, impassive, while Mia stood with her arms crossed, a calm yet almost defiant expression on her face.
— What happened? Cid asked, trying to catch his breath.
Harvey placed his report on the table and looked up at him.
— Mia got into a fight with two of her colleagues. Result: a bloody nose and a handful of hair missing for one of them.
Cid turned a stunned gaze to Mia, who merely shrugged, unfazed.
— They deserved it, she said simply. I should've pulled out more hair from the one who talked too much.
Cid's eyes widened.
— Are you serious? Mia, this was your first day! And you don't even regret it?
— No.
Her tone was sharp, devoid of hesitation.
— You're going to apologize, Cid ordered firmly.
But Mia shook her head.
— No way. I won't give them that satisfaction.
Cid, troubled, tried to understand. He turned to Harvey before responding:
— I'll talk some sense into her.
Harvey nodded, then stood up.
— Very well. I'll leave you two alone to find a solution.
With that, he left the office, leaving Cid and Mia face to face.
Cid took a deep breath before turning to her.
— What on earth did they say to make you react like this?
She looked him straight in the eye, her anger finally surfacing.
— They were speaking badly about you.
Cid let out a bitter laugh.
— That's neither the first nor the last time. You shouldn't pay attention to it.
— I disagree, she shot back. It's not fair. They talk as if they know you, but they don't know anything about you!
Her gaze hardened.
— They call you a coward. Just because you never respond to their provocations. Because you don't react when they humiliate you.
Cid looked away, but Mia stepped forward, forcing him to face her.
— Why do you let them do this? Why do you let them trample all over you?
Cid remained silent for a moment before answering in a neutral tone:
— Because I don't care. I'm used to it. It doesn't affect me.
Mia shook her head, exasperation tinged with sadness.
— You're lying.
She lowered her eyes, then murmured:
— Even if it doesn't bother you… it bothers me.
Cid felt his heart tighten before he could control it.
— It hurts me to see you suffer… because… I have no one else but you.
A silence settled between them. Cid, troubled, searched for words, but Mia continued, her voice trembling:
— Last night, I saw you.
Cid frowned.
— Saw what?
— When you were rehearsing.
He looked away, caught in the act. Mia smiled slightly.
— You told me you were going to sleep… but in reality, you were practicing your script. You always do that, don't you? You give everything to make sure everything is perfect. And despite that, there are idiots who think they have the right to belittle you, to trample on your hard work…
Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.
— And you… you let them.
Cid didn't know what to say. He watched her wipe her tears away with the back of her hand before taking a deep breath.
— My whole life, I've had to fight to survive. But today… I fought not for myself, but for you. Because I refuse to let those shadows of the past, the ones that broke me, break the people I care about too.
She lifted determined eyes to him.
— But this fight… it's not mine, Cid. It's yours. I've done my part. The rest… is up to you to write.
She took a step back, inhaling deeply.
— If Harvey refuses to take me back, it doesn't matter. But I won't apologize.
Cid opened his mouth, but she silenced him with a single look.
— I did what I thought was right.
She walked to the door, placed her hand on the handle, and, without turning around, added:
— See you at home.
And then she was gone, leaving Cid alone with his thoughts.