Mia’s POVThis wasn't the best time to argue with Kraven with regard to the contract marriage he had just brought up, and deep down, I understood that. He had already made it clear that I shouldn’t ask him "why," and if I'm being honest, it wasn't just a demand—it felt like a warning coated in silent urgency. As much as I hated being left in the dark, I chose to let it go… for now.To a fault, I understood that it was all for my own good. This was the headway I needed, a chance to get things rolling, and maybe—just maybe—find my way around the assignment fully. One day was already gone. One out of one hundred and eighty-two. Six months—that’s what I was given. I needed to constantly remind myself of that in case I had forgotten so soon.It might not seem like much, but I knew better than to let time slip through my fingers. And judging by everything I had seen so far, this wouldn’t be a walk in the park.But I had to believe I could do it. Something inside me kept saying, “You’ve got
Mia's POVAt first, I liked it all because the first we had was the sweetest of its kind. Anyway, I haven’t had so many, and so there was no need to compare. Aside from the intercourse that brought Ramson—but at least I knew I did. But then, this pace, this energy he came with was uncalled for. Nothing about it felt spontaneous because, of course, too much of everything was bad and I haven’t exactly been a freak for sex.I pulled away gently, placing a hand against his chest. “Kraven… Let’s actually… make breakfast first, yeah?”His body barely stiffened for half a second. Then his features smoothed out like silk. “Alright, my co-chef. Pancakes it is. But you said you’re better off a spectator, and so I haven’t forgotten that.”He turned around and walked to the kitchen counter with a casual bounce in his step, but I didn’t miss the way his jaw tightened for a brief second. That was the real him peeking through—a heavy sign of something deeper before the mask slid back on.I stood the
Mia's POV"It's fine, dear." To my surprise, he actually bought the excuse I gave about the buzzing phone being spam. I had barely strung that lie together in a panic. It was indeed a weak save. Although that sound could only be a message notification, but then, I think maybe he wasn’t interested in arguing right now.Or let's assume he just didn’t care enough to question it.Still, I could feel his eyes linger on me a second longer than they should have, like he was trying to read between the lines. But I offered him a quick smile, and to my relief, he looked away.Could it be that he was more interested in this “surprise” he mentioned earlier than any other thing? Probably. Or maybe he just had his own internal clock ticking that didn’t allow room for confrontation. Either way, I knew that when eating with a devil, one needs a longer spoon.“Let’s get to the other room for what I have for you, and then to the kitchen,” he said casually, already walking away.I followed him, though
Mia's POV The call came again the second time, and then the third, buzzing impatiently like it had something more urgent to say than to inquire about the progress of the assignment. But then, there was no way I could have picked the call. Not with Kraven sitting barely a foot away from me, breathing that same calculated air like he wasn’t watching my every twitch.Why couldn’t Agent Thompson understand that now wasn't the right time to call as I refused to pick the call?Even if I had one of his kidneys in a cooler, two missed calls should have done justice to that.With a heavy sigh, I pressed the power button to silence it and flipped the phone in my hand, aiming to put it in ‘airplane mode’. One switch, and that’d be the end of it—for now. But just before I could do that, Kraven's hand shot out, snatching the phone from mine so fast I barely caught the blur.He had been lounging like he wasn’t interested, but clearly, that was all a front."Why did you intentionally refuse to answ
Mia’s POVThe room was quiet after Selene stormed out, but the silence didn't last forever as Kraven had to apologize, just when I didn't see that coming.I gave him a half smile, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s fine, Kraven. You don’t need to apologize for anything. Mafia dons don’t do that—and I already know.”His apology caught me off guard, honestly. Men like Kraven weren’t the type to say sorry. I didn’t expect him to either. But the fact that he did, even if it was brief, said more than a long speech ever could.I wasn’t trying to act unbothered. I just didn’t see the point of throwing a fit over a woman who clearly wanted a reaction. That wasn’t me in any way.As I looked at him this time, even though I didn’t see a perfect man, I saw someone who was battling with himself every day—between who he used to be and who he was becoming. There was something unsettling and yet comforting about that. But then, to think that maybe I was just over assuming things in my hea
Kraven's POV“You heard all she said, would you want to defend that?”“By now, you should know that she’s only been jealous of you, and you shouldn’t take her words to heart, Aria. You’re in good hands as long as you’re with me and abide by my rules. So you need to worry about nothing. Once again, I’m sorry for the way she must have barged in and made you a bit uncomfortable.”“It’s fine, Kraven. You don’t need to apologize for anything. Mafia dons don’t do that—and I already know,” she said with a light smirk, her fingers brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.I noticed that her calmness to unnecessarily react, just like most women would do if given the opportunity, was disarming and I think she had that rare ability to steady a storm with nothing but her presence. Her eyes held mine, not accusing or questioning, just—watching. As if she was trying to read beneath the surface of my cold demeanor.As much as I didn’t want to compromise who I am, I still felt the need—deep and word