Chapter 4

POV: Mia

I never imagined that my last day there would bring the worst moment of my life.

That afternoon, I was feeling drained and decided to take a nap. All of a sudden, I started having trouble breathing.

Someone had left my bedroom window wide open. A gust of wind carried in a storm of pollen.

My breathing grew more labored by the second.

I slipped off the bed and collapsed onto the floor, but my survival instinct pushed me to crawl toward the nightstand where I kept my allergy meds.

When I finally yanked it open, it was empty.

By then, my body was giving out. My vision dimmed, and my foot hit the leg of the table. The vase on the table came crashing down.

A giant bouquet of roses spilled out in front of me. At that moment, I thought it was the end of me.

The loud crash must have startled Leo and Max outside.

They burst through the door, picked me up, and frantically searched for my meds.

Just before I blacked out, I saw Ella rushing in with a familiar pack of medication in her hand. The moment the needle pierced my skin, everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital.

There was no one around. I struggled to sit up. The first thing I did was text Ella.

[You’re fired. Pack your things and get out of my house now.]

Not long after I sent the text, the three of them showed up.

Leo’s brows were furrowed. “Why are you firing Ella? She’s got nowhere else to go. If you kick her out, she’ll have to go home, back to her father, who beats her bloody. You shouldn’t fire her.”

Max, usually the calm and logical one, pushed up his glasses with a frown. “Honestly, firing her now isn’t a practical decision. She knows your routines better than anyone. Most importantly, we all get along.”

I coldly replied, “Save it. I hired her, and I have every right to fire her, unless you can give me one good reason not to, because she nearly killed me.”

Leo snapped the moment I said that.

“Mia, you cannot frame her like that! She was with us the whole time. You have misunderstood her!”

I misunderstood her? Who was dumb enough to believe that? My window just happened to be left open, my meds just happened to disappear, and the roses just somehow ended up on my table again?

Hearing his defense of her, I coldly said, “Then explain the roses in my room.”

Leo fell silent, but Max spoke up.

“I’ve asked Ella about it. She had no idea your pollen allergy was this severe. She didn’t know a few flowers could nearly kill you. She promised me it wouldn’t happen again.”

As he finished, he nudged Ella forward to me.

Ella kept her head down and mumbled, “Mia, I really didn’t know your pollen allergy was that bad. I swear I won’t bring flowers into your room again. I just wanted to make the place look nicer for you.”

I did not look at her. I did not say a word.

My attitude made Leo, with his usual fiery temper, snap again.

He jabbed a finger in my face. “Mia, quit acting like a spoiled princess! Ella has apologized. What more do you want from her?”

I pointed coldly at the door. “I want all of you out. I want to rest.”

Max looked like he wanted to say something to smooth things over, but Leo grabbed Ella’s hand and said, “Let her sulk for all she wants. We’ll come back when she’s calmed down. Come on!”

Without another word, Max followed them out the door.

The moment they left, I yanked the IV from my arm and slipped out of the hospital.

I called my contact and told them to have my passport delivered straight to the airport.

Then, I booked a car and headed there myself.

I made it just in time for my flight. Right before boarding, I removed my SIM card and tossed it into the trash.

I would never see the three of them again.