The air in the mansion was thick with unspoken words. Mila lingered near the grand staircase, her eyes flicking toward Mia, a scornful smile playing on her lips. She had hoped to stay a little longer, to observe, to manipulate—but Aiden's voice cut through her scheming.
"Leave," he said, his tone sharp, commanding. "I have work to do."
Mila's smile faltered, but she held her composure. "As you wish," she said softly, though her eyes darted toward Mia one last time, sending a silent warning. With that, she turned and walked out, heels clicking sharply against the marble floors.
Aiden's gray eyes followed her retreat, then slowly shifted to Mia. Disappointment lingered in his gaze, unspoken but heavy. Without a word, he wheeled himself toward his study, the door closing with a definitive thud that left Mia feeling a pang of unease.
Uncomfortable with the charged atmosphere in the mansion, Mia decided to leave. She needed a break, a moment of normalcy—so she headed to the hospital to visit her mother.
The hospital was quieter than she expected, corridors echoing her soft footsteps. She approached her mother's room and gently knocked. "Mom… it's me," she whispered.
Her mother's hand, pale and trembling, reached out. "Mia… my brave girl," she said softly, voice hoarse. "How are you today?"
Mia smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her mother's face. "I'm okay, Mom. I… I have news. The job at the mansion… I think I can pay for your surgery soon. Just a little longer, and you'll see again."
Her mother's fingers tightened around hers. "I trust you, Mia. You always find a way."
As Mia left the room, she ran into a familiar figure in the corridor—Dr. Phillip, her senior and mentor at the hospital. He smiled warmly at her, the kind of smile that made her heart flutter. "Mia, you look tired. Let me walk you home. It's no trouble."
Mia hesitated only briefly before nodding. "I'd… I'd like that," she said softly, feeling a wave of relief.
The drive home was quiet at first, filled with the hum of the engine and the city outside. Once they reached the mansion, Mia stepped out, Phillip close behind. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she laughed lightly at something he said, the sound bright and carefree.
For a few moments, Mia allowed herself to feel normal, to forget the tension of the mansion and the storm brewing inside. They talked quietly, shared small stories of the hospital, and even joked a little as they walked to the front door.
But outside, unseen and unnoticed by Mia, Aiden watched from his study window. His gray eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a tight line. His chest heaved, an unfamiliar storm of emotions raging inside him—jealousy, protectiveness, confusion. He could not understand why the sight of her laughing with another man made his stomach twist, why his pulse raced and his mind spun.
One thing he knew for certain: he would not, could not, allow himself to see Mia with another man. Not now. Not ever.
The mansion was quiet again, but the tension within it had only grown, the invisible threads of desire, jealousy, and possessiveness tightening around everyone involved.