LOGINAs if she had expected it, Mia felt her heart split in two, but she hid it behind a faint smile. "You know I wouldn’t," she said softly. "It’s been years. I’d never leave you alone. I just want us to talk. Where did you go? What happened all those years? Please… tell me." There was genuine concern in her eyes, but Axel pretended not to notice. "Why does it matter?" he said coolly. The question landed like a slap, making Mia feel like someone he had never known. "If you ever cared," he continued, "you’d be relieved I disappeared. So stop asking. You’re wasting my time." As deeply as the words cut, Mia found herself sadly happy because he was speaking to her now, at least. There had been a time when he wouldn’t even acknowledge she was there. "I am happy you left," she said at last. "But I wanted to go with you. I hated the way my family treated you." Her chest tightened as memories surfaced... the sharp sounds that had once echoed through that room, the muffled
Axel remained perfectly still as Mia stepped inside. She did not notice him at first. Her eyes wandered across the living room, taking it all in. The space felt warm and comfortable, nothing like the stiff, unwelcoming rooms of her parents’ house. Axel, on the other hand, caught her scent immediately, yet he did not turn. Then she saw him, and her heart froze. His back was to her. She knew it was him. After all, who else could it be in his own house? "Axel…" In the next moment, she was beside him, while he remained focused on the flower before him. Her lips trembled, unable to hold back the faint smile that surfaced as she studied his side profile. A few strands of his hair fell into his eyes, and she found herself drawn to the sharp line of his nose, the defined edge of his jaw, the thinness of his lips... he was perfect. Axel felt her gaze linger, long and unbroken, until his jaw tightened. Mia, however, noticed nothing. Her heart raced uncontrollably. The fee
*A/N: I just got my nails done, so typing is a bit difficult ಠ‿ಠ. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!(ʘᴗʘ✿)*____The moment Mia got to her room with Angela, she shut the door and bolted it. Then she turned to Angela. "Spill it," she said, folding her arms. Angela raised a brow. "Spill what?" "Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean," Mia Said. "What were you talking about with my parents? You were practically a tomato in front of them. Tell me. "Oh, that," Angela said with a small smile, turning away. She strolled over to Mia’s desk. "It’s nothing," she said, then leaned against it. "We were just talking. Getting to know each other." She brushed her fingers over her cheek, as if checking if they were still pink. "And this?" she added, a small smile on her lips. "Just a little compliment, that’s all." Her thoughts instantly wandered to David, his smile, those lips… they looked so soft, red, and dangerously distracting. She could feel her heart skip, just imag
"Angela, right?" Brenda asked. Angela nodded. "Yes, ma’am." "Mia never mentioned you," Brenda said mildly. "Not that I expected her to. But do tell, how close are you to my daughter?" That was when David finally looked up. His gaze landed on Angela, and the instant she felt it, she stiffened "Uh… we’re best friends," she said, her fists clenched tightly together. Brenda hummed, her lips curving slightly. "Best friends. Of course." Really? David thought. This? So this was Mia’s idea of a best friend. She looked plain, too plain. The tight blue jeans and fitted white shirt screamed cheap, far below his standards. He dropped his gaze back to his phone, dismissing her completely. Angela then released a quiet breath of relief. "Gosh," she murmured, resisting the urge to clutch her chest in front of Luis and Brenda. But Brenda saw it all. She flicked a glance at Luis, who smirked. The look on his face was openly mocking, though Angela missed it. "So, Angel
"What was that all about, Luis?" Brenda asked as they made their way home. Luis, meanwhile, was lost in thought. He replayed the encounter with Axel over and over, painfully aware of how foolish he'd been. "I thought we were going to ask about his whereabouts all those years," Brenda continued. "We didn't even get the chance. He was so rude, and you just took it." Luis wasn't listening. Not really. And that only deepened Brenda's irritation. Her frown darkened as she nudged his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you even listening to me at all?" He blinked. "What is it?" "Oh, please," Brenda scoffed. "You want me to repeat myself all over again? What were you even thinking about? Do you know how ridiculous you were in there?" Luis frowned. "You were acting like a moron," she went on, "almost like a dog." "Enough!" "Oh, so now you can't tolerate an insult?" Brenda shot back. "But you were perfectly fine tolerating his rudeness in there. What we
Later that evening, Luis decided to visit Axel at his mansion. He hadn't expected him to return to his parents' house, so he'd relied on the news to figure out where Axel was currently staying. His car rolled to a stop in front of the gate, and this time, he arrived without the excessive entourage he used to bring. He didn't want to attract too much attention, he preferred it this way. Stepping out, he removed his glasses, and Brenda, exiting from the opposite side, did the same. David emerged from a second car. He wasn't wearing sunglasses, but the scowl on his face was more than enough. As the guards shut the doors behind them, they all took a moment to peer through the railed gate at Axel's place. It wasn't massive, but it was still undeniably large. The house was painted in white and grey, with wide black-framed glass windows scattered across its façade. The compound held a neatly arranged garden, a spring at its center, and countless other details that showed caref







