LOGINRYAN'S POV“Let go of me.”The moment we got inside the car, I pulled my arm away from Rebecca and moved to the back seat, putting as much distance between us as possible, but not after being sure that no one could see us.“I never thought you were this cruel.” My eyes remained fixed on the restaurant through the window. I could still see Mia.She was standing with Sophie and the two women she had been talking to, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.I didn't need to. I had felt her pain the moment our eyes met. And the way she had looked at me... There had been hatred in her eyes. Betrayal and pain. She looked at me as though I was the worst person she had ever known. And I deserved it.My fingers tightened around the edge of the seat.I had once promised Mia that I wasn't like Logan. I had told her I would never treat her the way he had. I had promised her the world. And now I had become worse than the man I had spent so much time despising.“You knew she worked there,” I said
MIA'S POVI didn’t understand it. Something wasn’t right. Why did I feel like Ryan was hiding something from me? Why did it feel as though he wasn’t the cruel man everyone believed he was?I shook my head, 'No. Stop it, Mia. He hurt you. He deserves everything that happened to him.'But even as I told myself that, something inside me refused to believe it completely.“He will never do this to another girl.”Sophie’s voice pulled me back. I turned toward her.“Y-you…” I didn’t know what to say. She had just risked her job for me.“Thank you,” I finally whispered.She smiled. “Always.”My heart warmed for a second.Then someone called my name.“Miss Carter?”I turned. It was the woman who had defended me. She was standing in front of me now.“I am so sorry for everything you are going through.”Before I could answer, she pulled me into a hug. I froze. Then slowly I relaxed in her arms.“I can feel your pain,” she whispered, gently patting my back. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”When
MIA’S POVI didn’t know what to say, how to react, or even how I was supposed to act in front of the two people standing before me.Were they here to finish what they had started?Had Ryan really brought Rebecca here so she could stand in front of everyone and remind me that I was nothing but something that could be stepped on and erased from his life?They had already taken everything from me. My face, my reputation, my relationship, even the little pride I had left. But apparently it wasn’t enough.My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt. My hands began shaking. Cold sweat gathered along my forehead.For the first time in a very long time, I realized something I didn’t want to admit.I was scared.I had always been good at hiding fear. Even when I was terrified inside, I would put on a brave face and pretend everything was fine and stood for myselfand my family. This time I couldn’t hide it. Ryan had really reduced me to nothing.“What the hell do you want here?”Another vo
I turned away from him, walked over to the customer who had been waiting for his glass of water and placed it carefully on the table.“I'm sorry for the delay.”The man didn't even answer me.His eyes moved over me with open disgust before he looked away.I didn't blame him.I was becoming used to being looked at like I was something people could judge simply because they had read something about me online.I turned and walked out of the restaurant, needing air, and Logan followed me.The moment we were outside, I wrapped my arms around myself and faced him.“And why exactly would I do what you're asking?”“Because you have nothing left to lose.”“You are a fool.” I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.“What's wrong with you?”“Do it, and I'll forgive you.”I froze.He rubbed his temple as though he was the one being inconvenienced.“I'll even consider taking you back as my mistress.”For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.Then I laughed. I actually laughed.“Your mistres
MIA'S POV“Well, well, well, who do we have here?”I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart almost jumping out of my chest at the familiar voice, and for a second I nearly dropped the tray of food in my hands.Shit.I knew this would happen eventually. I knew that the moment I stepped into the outside world again, someone from my past would find a way to remind me of everything I had lost, but somehow I had still dared to pray that it would not happen so soon.“So, someone is now reduced to a waitress,” the person continued behind me.I didn't turn immediately.I knew that voice too well.“From being...what again?” he continued, his tone dripping with amusement.That was enough.Slowly, I turned around and found myself staring straight into the face of Logan Brooks.He stood there with that annoying smile plastered across his face, his eyes wide with amusement as one of his hands remained raised in the air as though he had just made some grand discovery.“From being Ryan Hayes's personal
MIA’S POVFor a few seconds I couldn’t move.I just stood there staring at Sophie’s phone lying on the floor between us. The screen still glowed as Ryan’s voice continued, but I couldn’t understand a single word. Everything inside my head had gone quiet.Not peaceful quiet.The kind of quiet that came after something inside you had shattered so completely that your body didn’t know what to do with the pieces.“He didn’t say that, right?”My voice sounded strange. Small. Broken.I lifted my eyes toward Sophie. The moment I saw the tears gathering in hers, something in my chest twisted so hard I almost doubled over.“Sophie?”She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Speaking was clearly difficult for her too.I couldn’t even bring myself to care whether Sophie had known how I felt about Ryan. The truth was already standing in front of me, impossible to deny.I had feelings for him.Real feelings.And now I regretted every second I had allowed myself to trust him.“Sophie, tell me I h





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