LOGINEric's POVI stood there long after Mia left. The chair across from me sat empty, her untouched plate still warm, and her glass barely touched.My eyes remained fixed on the entrance she had just walked through, my mind replaying her family's name.My chest tightened.No.That didn’t make sense. It couldn’t make sense because if it did…I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling sharply as I fell back to my seat.That would mean I had been sitting across from my own daughter. I had been talking to her, and laughing with her.My stomach twisted violently.I didn't even recognize her. God, how could I have missed that?“D*mn it,” I muttered under my breath.My jaw clenched.If she were my daughter, then... No. I couldn’t jump to conclusions. I still needed to get my facts set straight. I can't just claim her as my daughter just because she's from the Warren family. I needed proof.“Sir?”I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts as the waiter approached cautiously.I exhaled, straightening sl
Mia's POVFor a moment, neither of us spoke. He was still looking at me, but not the same way he had been just seconds ago. There was something sharper in his eyes now. It was almost like he was searching for something in my face.It made my chest tighten.“Do you know him?” I asked again, softer this time.His jaw shifted slightly, like he was thinking too fast to respond normally.“I’ve heard of him,” he repeated. "Yes."Before I could say anything else, the waiter returned, placing our food down between us. The rich smell of brunch dishes filled the air, but neither of us reacted to it.The waiter poured a glass of water for him. Eric reached for it immediately and gulped it down in one go.I blinked.That… wasn’t normal.“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.He didn’t answer right away. His fingers tightened around the glass for a second before he set it down.“I’m fine,” he said.But he didn’t sound fine not even a little.I frowned.“Are you sure?” I asked again.He
Mia's POV By the time I stepped out of the house, I felt like a criminal because I had managed to dodge breakfast, my mother, and any further discussion about the grand, life-altering, absolutely unnecessary graduation party she was planning for me. It took careful timing, a bit of quiet footwork, and slipping out just as the staff got distracted with something in the kitchen, but I did it. And now, as I slid into the driver’s seat and shut the door behind me, I let out a long breath. “Freedom,” I muttered under my breath, starting the engine. I adjusted my hands on the steering wheel, trying to ignore the way my heart was already beating a little faster than normal. I exhaled slowly, pulling out of the estate gates and onto the road. And by the time I pulled up in front of the restaurant, my nerves had settled just enough for me to pretend I was completely normal. I stepped out of the car, smoothing down my outfit instinctively before heading inside. The restaurant was elegant
Mia's POVThe phone rang three times, and just before it could slip into voicemail, the line clicked.“Hello?”My breath caught instantly at the sound of his voice. It was deeper over the phone.“Hello?” he said again, a little louder this time.My lips parted, but no sound came out.Why couldn’t I speak?“Hello…?” There was a faint shift in his tone now. It sounded like confusion, maybe curiosity.My heart was racing so fast it felt like it might burst straight out of my chest.Say something, Mia, anything. But my throat locked.What was I even supposed to say?God, he was going to think I was insane, or worse, desperate.“Hello?” he tried again, softer this time.And that was it as panic surged through me, causing me to endthe call.The silence in my room slammed back into place, heavy and suffocating. I dropped my phone onto my bed like it had burned me, pressing my palms over my face.“Oh my God,” I groaned. “Why did I just do that?”I fell backward onto my pillows, staring up at
Mia's POVI held Mr. Eric's card between my fingers as I drove home that night, glancing at it more times than I cared to admit. It sat on the passenger seat like it meant something, and I didn’t understand why.By the time I got back to the estate, the house was quiet. Dinner had long ended, and the staff moved around in peace. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Miles laughing—probably on a call, probably being dramatic about something.I slipped upstairs without announcing my return.Once I was inside my room, I kicked off my heels, letting them fall somewhere behind me. I pulled the card out again, ran my thumb over the smooth surface. Then I sat at the edge of my bed, staring at it.What was I even supposed to say?Hi, it’s Mia. The girl who interrupted your dinner?Or—Hi, I don’t know why I’m calling, but I haven’t stopped thinking about you since dinner.I groaned softly, falling back onto the bed.“This is ridiculous,” I muttered to myself.It was just a card, but still…
Mia's POVA few weeks before graduation, I decided I needed to go home and not because I was overwhelmed, or because I was running from anything. But because something inside me felt… restless.Graduation was approaching fast. The end of one chapter. The beginning of something entirely new. And before that shift happened, I wanted to be home. I wanted to sit at our impossibly long dining table. I wanted to hear Miles arguing about something ridiculous. I wanted to see Mum’s smile and Dad pretending he wasn’t emotional.So I booked my flight.Miles, of course, insisted on traveling with me.“Like I’d let you go alone,” he scoffed when I suggested separate arrangements. “Besides, I need to make an entrance.”“You always make an entrance.”“Exactly.”When we landed in New York, I already knew what to expect as our family never did anything quietly. Still, when we stepped through the private terminal and I saw the long line of black cars waiting, drivers standing in neat formation, I sigh
Mia's POVI didn't know when I drifted away to sleep and stayed in my room longer than I intended to. I had woken up a few minutes ago, but still remained in my bed.I lay across my bed with my phone resting on my chest, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts looping endlessly back to Alan, to the fun
Mia's POVBy the time I finally decided I was done with Dave, my patience had been scraped down to its barest edges. I was sick and tired of him, and I wanted nothing more than to have him far away from me.We stood near the edge of the engineering quad, the late afternoon sun slanting low across t
Mia's POVIt was evening and the service was finally over. Alan stayed close to me the entire time, and when it was clear that most people were leaving, his hand found mine again, and he gently tugged me toward the driveway.“Let me walk you to your car,” he said softly.I nodded. “Okay.”We steppe
Mia's POVBy the time I reached the faculty building, my confusion had settled into a dull, persistent throb behind my eyes. The engineering faculty wing was quieter than the main academic hall. I slowed as I approached the reception desk, my bag heavy on my shoulder.My being here could mean anyth







