Mia's POVNate's call came out of the blue. I stared at my phone screen, his name glowing insistently, my finger hovering over the accept button. I consider not answering.Why was he calling now, after weeks of silence? After leaving without a word?I swiped to answer, my heart already racing. "Nate?""Mia." His voice was low but tense. "Are you alone? Can you talk?"Something in his voice makes me feel weird. I glanced around my apartment, quiet except for the gentle snores of Gas sleeping at my feet. Mom had gone out for her morning walk, a new routine she'd adopted since the doctor cleared her for more activity."Yes, I'm alone. What's going on?""Are you okay?"he said.Am I okay?Well, so is that why he called? To ask if I'm okay.It feels like he's holding back."I'm okay, Nate. Did something happen?" I asked.He was silent for a long time, and I even thought he was going to hang up."I need you to listen carefully." He took a breath, as if steeling himself. "What do you mean,
Mia's POV"Don't react," I tell myself, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Don't give them what they want."But I can't stop scrolling. It's like watching a car crash—horrifying, but impossible to look away from. Every news site, every gossip blog, every social media platform seems to be exploding with "breaking news" about the scandalous gold-digger who trapped billionaire CEO Kyle Branson with a pregnancy.Me.The New York Times article is predictably more restrained than the tabloids, presenting "allegations" and "sources close to the family" rather than outright character assassination. Still, the implications are clear: I manipulated my way into Kyle's life, used my position as his secretary to seduce him, orchestrated a pregnancy to secure my financial future, and am now engaged in a bitter custody battle while carrying his children.The headline stares back at me: "Branson Billions Battle: The Secretary, The Scandal, and the Surrogate Mother Claims."Surrogate mother claim
Mia's POV Mom studies my face for a long moment, then sighs. "I'll call Edmund. At least he's a security-cleared driver." "Thank you." I grab my purse and phone, relieved to avoid further argument. Mom makes the call, her voice clipped as she arranges for Edmund to pick me up immediately. When she hangs up, she turns to me with a stern expression. "One hour. That's all. Then you come straight back here to rest." "One hour," I agree, knowing better than to push my luck. Gas whines as he watches me prepare to leave, clearly unhappy about being left behind. "Sorry, buddy," I tell him, crouching awkwardly to give him a quick hug. "I'll be back soon. Take care of Grandma for me." The doorbell rings—Edmund arriving more quickly than I'd expected. Mom gives me one last searching look. "Be careful," she says quietly. "And call me if you need anything—anything at all." "I will," I promise, kissing her cheek before heading for the door. Edmund greets me with professional co
Mia's POV"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked, noticing that I had fallen silent.I blinked, pulling myself back from the spiral of thoughts threatening to drag me under. The conference room felt too small suddenly, the air too thick despite the building's perfect ventilation system."I'm fine," I lied, shifting in the plush executive chair that was still somehow uncomfortable against my aching back. "I just want to see Kyle."Scarlett studied me with the intense scrutiny that only lifelong friends can get away with, her eyes narrowing slightly."Okay," she said finally. "But promise me one thing, alright?""What?""If things get out of hand, or if the press seems to have noticed your presence, you have to leave immediately. No arguments."I nodded. "I promise." The last thing I wanted was to appear in tomorrow's tabloids, looking emotional and desperate as I confronted my ex-husband. It would only reinforce Taylor's narrative of me
Mia's POVThe car ride home fast. I can't stop seeing them. Kyle and that woman, even when I close my eyes.Why am I so angry? Kyle and I are divorced. He's free to see whoever he wants, talk to whoever he wants, laugh with whoever he wants."You're awfully quiet," Scarlett raised eyebrow.When we arrive at my building, Edmund jumps out to open my door."I'll come up with you," Scarlett says, not a question but a statement."You don't have to. Scar, I know you need to get back to the office. I already felt that I owe you so much." I leaned over and gave her a hugShe just told me she would always be there. My dear Scarlett.Mom is waiting when we enter the apartment, her expression is a I-told-you-so. Gas bounds over, his entire body wiggling with delight at my return. At least someone is happy to see me."How did it go?" Mom asks, watching as I lower myself onto the sofa."It didn't. Kyle was in meetings. I didn't see him." I said."I told you it was a waste of time," Mom says, "You
Mia's POVUnderstanding then happiness in his face. "You saw me in the hallway."It's not a question, but I nod anyway.Kyle visibly brightened up. "You saw me in the hallway." He repeated.I wanted to tell him that I was not deaf.But he quickly added, "With Alexis Moore," he continues. "My new PR director.""Oh. "I looked away. “Okay.”So that's who she is. His PR director. I keep my expression carefully neutral. "It doesn't matter who she is, Kyle. I just needed to know what you're doing about these articles. The lies they're spreading about me. About us."I could tell Kyle was studying my expression carefully. “Are you jealous, Mia?”I rolled my eyes. This bastard. "I think I should tell my mom that the five minutes are up."He stopped me.He cleared his throat. "That's exactly what Alexis and I were discussing," he says. "Our strategy for addressing the media situation.""And?" I prompt when he doesn't continue."And I'm handling it," he says. "Robert is filing injunctions, as I'
Mia's POVI wake before my alarm, the twins already active. Gas lifts his head from his spot at the foot of the bed, watching as I push myself up with a quiet groan."Morning, buddy," I murmur, scratching behind his ears.My phone chimes with an incoming email as I'm brushing my teeth. From Kyle's assistant, Linda:Subject: Statement for Review As requested, please find attached the statement that will be released to the press at 9:00 AM. Mr. Branson would appreciate your feedback as soon as possible, if you have any concerns.I finish brushing my teeth before opening the attachment, taking a deep breath as I prepare for whatever Kyle has concocted as damage control.The statement is brief, professional, and surprisingly straightforward:"Branson Industries wishes to address recent speculation regarding the personal life of CEO Kyle Branson.The marriage between Kyle Branson and Mia Williams was a genuine relationship entered i
Mia's POVWhat the fuck with Kyle?My phone rings—Scarlett. I answer on autopilot, still reeling from what I've just read."Tell me you're watching this," she says without greeting. "Kyle has lost his fucking mind.""I saw the article," I manage. "Is it—is it really as bad as it sounds?""Worse," she assures me. "He's on every major news channel right now. I'm sending you the video."Moments later, my phone pings with an incoming message. I open it with trembling fingers, bracing myself for whatever I'm about to see.The video shows Kyle standing at a podium bearing the Branson Industries logo, his expression serious but determined. He looks immaculate as always, in a perfectly tailored suit that emphasizes his broad shoulders and lean frame. But there's something different about him—an intensity, a barely contained energy that radiates through the screen."Good morning," he begins, his deep voice steady. "I a
Mia's POVPain unlike anything I'd ever known tore through my body, a white-hot blade slicing from my spine to my abdomen. The contractions were relentless now, coming one after another without respite, each one stronger than the last. I could feel myself slipping, the edges of my consciousness growing dim."Her blood pressure is dropping again—80/40," a nurse called out, her voice tight with tension. "Heart rate 135.""She's hemorrhaging," Dr. Levine's voice cut through the haze. "Looks like a partial placental abruption. We need to get these babies out now."A mask was placed over my face, the rush of oxygen cool against my skin. The room swam before my eyes, faces blurring into indistinct shapes as blood loss pulled me closer to unconsciousness."Type and cross for four units of packed cells, two units of fresh frozen plasma, and one unit of platelets," Dr. Levine ordered. "And get me an OR. We're doing an emergency C-section."My body felt foreign to me now—heavy and light simulta
Kyle's POVPain. Unimaginable pain.My consciousness came in waves, each one bringing a fresh torrent of agony. The bullet had torn through me like fire, leaving devastation in its wake. I could hear voices around me, urgent and clinical, but they seemed to be coming from underwater, distorted and distant."BP dropping again!""More blood, now!""We're losing him!"I felt myself slipping. The pain began to recede, replaced by a strange weightlessness that should have alarmed me but instead felt oddly peaceful. Was this what dying felt like?The operating room faded around me. The harsh lights, the metallic clink of instruments, the desperate commands of the surgical team. All of it dissolved into a soft darkness.And then, unexpectedly, light.I was small again. Six years old, terrified, huddled in the corner of a damp warehouse. The ropes had cut into my wrists, leaving them raw and bleeding. I could still feel the ache of hunger, the desperate thirst that had made my tongue stick to
Mia's POV"KYLE!" My scream echoed through the hospital corridor as they wheeled him away, his blood leaving a horrifying trail on the white floor. The medical team moved with terrifying urgency, their faces grim."BP critical at 70/30!" "He's tachycardic, pulse 140!" "Blood loss approximately two liters!" "Move, people! We're losing him!"I lunged forward, desperate to reach him, my hands outstretched toward his motionless form. His face had turned an ashen gray, lips tinged blue, eyelids still. So still. Not like Kyle at all."Ma'am, STOP!" A nurse blocked my path as they rushed Kyle through swinging doors marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. "You can't go in there.""He's dying!" I sobbed, my voice breaking. "He took that bullet for me!""If you want him to live, you need to let the surgical team work," she said firmly, gripping my shoulders. "And you—" her eyes dropped to my blood-spattered belly, "—need immedia
Kyle's POVMia.She was alive.The maintenance door opened into a utility closet adjacent to the main room. Through a narrow ventilation grille, I could see part of the penthouse interior—plush furnishings, expensive artwork. A man's voice continued speaking, the tone cultured and cold."...the Branson bloodline ends today."I'd heard enough.The door burst open under my shoulder, splinters flying as the reinforced wood gave way. The scene unfolded before me with crystal clarity—Mia, bound and terrified. Charles Porter, gun raised. Nate Pierce, lunging forward too late.My first shot took Porter in the shoulder, spinning him away from Mia. The second caught him in the upper chest, not immediately fatal but debilitating.Our eyes locked across the room—his filled with shock and hatred, mine with the cold certainty of a man protecting what was his."Kyle," Mia gasped, her voice breaking through the ringing in my ears.Porter recovered with surprising speed, raising his weapon toward me
Kyle's POVTime became a physical entity, something I could feel slipping through my fingers as I raced across the Atlantic. Seven hours had never felt so eternal.As soon as the plane touched down in New York, I was already on my phone. "Status update," I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries."No response from Ms. Williams," Matthew replied, his usual professional detachment wavering slightly. "Her phone appears to be turned off. We've checked her apartment—she's not there. Her mother hasn't seen her since this morning.""And Nate Pierce?""Still tracking. His digital footprint is... unusual. Almost professionally scrubbed.""What about the surveillance feeds? I know you have access."Matthew hesitated. "We've been searching traffic cameras near her building, sir. Nothing conclusive yet.""Keep looking," I said, already striding toward the waiting car. "And tell the security team at her apartment to stay alert. I want to know the instant she returns."But she hadn't returned. Fo
Mia's POVThrough my tears, I recognized the man—it was Nate.I hadn't seen him in so long, and he seemed different from the Nate I remembered. Seemed thiner, taller. His usually compassionate features were hardened.My heart surged with relief and confusion. Had he come to save me?"Uncle Charles, don't kill her," Nate said, his voice steady but urgent.Uncle Charles? I blinked in confusion, my mind struggling to process this new information as it tried to fit the pieces together.The man named Charles turned to face me, sizing me up through the rim of his glass. "Wasn't that your decision? You lost Carol, and now you want Alexander Branson and Kyle Branson to lose their wives too. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."My head was about to explode. The fragments suddenly aligned, and I finally understood the truth.Diana's daughter was Carol.Carol was Nate's wife.Nate's expression was filled with sorrow. He looked at me, then back at Charles, his posture tense with indecision.C
Mia's POVI couldn't see a thing. The blindfold was tight. My wrists burned from the restraints, the plastic cutting into my skin whenever I shifted position. A gag filled my mouth, the taste of fabric making me want to retch.I tried to focus on my breathing. In through the nose, out through the nose. Slow and steady.The twins were still. Too still.This scared me.Stay calm for them, I told myself. They can feel your fear.The car made another turn—right, I thought, though it was hard to be certain. I'd been trying to keep track: left out of the restaurant district, straight for what felt like ten minutes, then right onto what must have been a highway from the sudden increase in speed. We'd been driving for at least forty minutes now.Each minute took me further from the city. Further from anyone who might help me.No one had noticed when the man approached me outside Yiayia's restaurant. No one saw the gun pressed against my back, or my expression as I was forced into the black se
Mia's POVI stared at the photograph, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing. The woman in the picture looked exactly like Diana Porter. But the timeline didn't make sense. If Diana Porter had only given birth to a daughter, how could she be the mother of Nate and his brother?"Yiayia," I began hesitantly, "did Thea ever use another name? Perhaps for work or... before she married?"Yiayia tilted her head, considering the question. "No, always Thea. Short for Dorothea." She smiled fondly at the photograph. "My beautiful Dorothea."Not Diana, then.I thought about how to say this." Yiayia, did Thea ever mention having a sister?Yiayia's eyes narrowed slightly. I added, "You may not believe it, but I've seen someone who looks exactly like Thea. Someone from many years ago. "Yiayia's weathered hands stilled on the table. She studied my face intently, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.She reached out and stroked my cheek gently, her palm warm against my skin. "You have honest e
Mia's POVI couldn't sleep. My mind raced with fragments that refused to connect.I kept thinking about what my dad had told me before he died, that Nate was involved in this whole thing. But Nate wouldn't tell me anything.Nate's grandmother. The thought appeared suddenly, bright and clear amid the chaos in my head. Yiayia. The warm-hearted Greek woman at that small Mediterranean restaurant Nate had taken me to months ago.If anyone might know something about Nate's past, it would be his grandmother. She had looked at me with such knowing eyes that day, commenting that "growing babies need food" before I'd told her I was pregnant.I made the decision in an instant.Mom was at another of her mysterious "appointments" that made her eyes sparkle. No one would miss me for a few hours.Gas watched me accusingly as I prepared to leave."I won't be long," I promised him.The taxi ride to the small restaurant i