Chapter 1

Ethan was running behind a thief. As he got him and tried to snatch the bag, the thief pushed him, causing him to stumble on his feet. The thief, attempting to escape, darted into a nearby small alley. After balancing himself, he turned around; suddenly, a car halted just an inch away, causing his heartbeat to race rapidly.

The car door opened slowly, revealing black heels, followed by a perfectly manicured hand reaching for the door. A woman wearing black sunglasses appeared from the car.

Defiantly standing before him, a woman's stance contrasted starkly with the chase chaos. Before he could react, she grabbed the purse from him. He regained his footing, standing up to the accomplice of the thief. 

He found himself face to-face with.... a beautiful lady. Describing her differently was impossible. She was captivating the orangish hue of the sunset illuminating her made her look even more beautiful, almost ethereal. She raised her arm, ready to throw a punch at him. Ethan caught her small fist with ease, not taking his eyes off her emerald green eyes that framed her face. Although she might have bested him while he was distracted. Now that he is on guard, he will not be harmed by her.  

“Let go of my wrist.” She said, yanking her delicate wrist out of his hand, taking a few steps back as if he might try to attack her even though she was the one who started the previous attack. 

“don't come near me, I already called the police,” the lady said, making Ethan blink back in surprise.

Ethan assessed the women. She was wearing running gear with a simple tank top and leggings that hugged her curves, with earphones hanging from her neck.

Within a moment, he realized that this woman was not the thief's accomplice, but a brave young woman attempting to catch him. It appears that she heard the call for help while running around the neighborhood. The only thing that stung him was that she assumed Ethan was the thief. Is he a thief in her eyes? So, he asked her just that.

“Miss, you are misunderstanding. I am not a thief. I am the one who chases them down. Now, because of you, the thief escaped. How could you even assume I am a thief?” Ethan asked the lady, offended by the accusation. 

“Stop making excuses after getting caught. And yes, you look like a thief.” She said, eyeing my head-to-toe black outfit. Damn, he thought. He looked hot, or at least smart when he chose a black outfit for the day. Never had it crossed his mind that someone would mistake him for a thief. 

“Shame on you, stealing from someone who cannot defend themselves. You look healthy, go and find a job. Stop resorting to such cheap tricks.”

“Miss,” a woman called from behind the lady, who was not ready to believe my innocence. Ethan looked at the woman to find that she was the one the purse belonged to.

“Mam, please stay behind me, we don't know what this thief might do,” the lady said, standing between Ethan and the woman as if she could take me on, making me laugh. Ethan shook his head. There was no convincing her. 

“Miss, you have got it wrong,” the woman said, coming to stand in front of me. “He is the one who followed the thief, not the thief.” 

For the first time since Ethan met this fierce lady, he saw that she had no words. “See, I told you. I am not a thief.” Ethan said with a smug smile, crossing his arms and sniffing indignantly at her. 

Color rose to her cheeks, staining them pink in embarrassment. “What? Cat got your tongue?” Ethan asked, wanting to tease her more. 

She narrowed her eyes at me, catching my intent. Without backing down, she raised her head, meeting his gaze head-on, “Well, forgive me for thinking you were a thief.” She said. Ethan narrowed his eyes on her, there was no way she could so easily back down. “it's just that...” she paused, looking him up and down, “You look like a crook. Next time maybe choose an outfit that doesn't scream thief.”

Before Ethan could reply sirens wailed in the distance and within a moment a police cruiser appeared, and without a word, the lady who appeared like a hurricane in his life vanished without a trace. Long after the incident, Ethan would smile a small secretive smile, thinking about a certain woman who had emerald green eyes. 

As soon as Mia entered her house, she could hear the news on the television, alerting her to the presence of her mother. Mia entered with caution, making sure not to make even a squeak, feeling like a spy in the movie, not the criminal lawyer she was. Only to avoid catching the attention of her mother. The irony is not lost on her - while she is seen as someone to be feared by the outside world; she lives in fear of her own mother. If her friends only saw this side of her, they wouldn't let her live it down.

One might think her mother is someone scary who rules the house with an iron fist, but they could not be more wrong. Mia Anderson's mother is the sweetest thing on earth. But she has perfected the art of getting what she wanted with her charm and cuteness that Mia couldn't resist. For Mia to find her mother in the house on this Saturday night could only mean one thing. She is here to convince her about something. Normally Mia would agree to just about anything her mother wishes without any convincing, but there are certain things, like marriage, that her mother has been trying to convince her for the past few years, to no avail. To avoid this predicament, Mia had already taken precautions, but today was a surprise when her mother swung on her. 

As Mia entered the living room, she could see the slim figure sitting on the couch. “Mia Anderson, the lawyer who defeated Charlie Johnson, the best-known lawyer in the case of Christopher sterling versus Mitchell Reynolds. Miss Anderson has become a sensation after the...” The voice faded as Mia tiptoed into the kitchen to grab some water. 

Now all she has to do is make sure she gets out of the house to the very important party that is waiting for her. As the cool water cooled her thirst from the interesting run, she had had this evening, Mia could not help but think about the guy she ran into. In the vacant kitchen, Mia let a small embarrassed smile appear on her lips as she thought about the amusing mistake she made. 

Now that she thinks about it, he does not look like a crook at all. Once the fear of facing the crook unarmed was subdued, she could see him. He was handsome in a timeless, classic way. The fact that a handsome guy like him was involved in something like that disappointed her. It doesn't matter now, not that she will meet the stranger again, anyway. There was no need to think about it. 

Feeling good about herself for avoiding her mother like a pro, Mia exited the kitchen. She wondered if Christopher had sent the dress he told her about.

After she won the case, Christofer sterling has been very grateful for Mia and has been praising her and “wanting to do something to return the huge favor she did him”. So he arranged a party and told her that he would be sending her the most beautiful dress for the beautiful woman. At first, Mia was wary of his friendly behavior. She knows he was not flirting with her because of how dotted he is with his wife and because he is an old man who treats her as his kid.

 Mia came to a halting stop as she found her mother standing outside the kitchen waiting for her. Clad in a cream blouse and a modest skirt, her mother stood with her arms crossed with a knowing look on her face that conveyed that she was, in fact, her mother and no matter what, Mia could never outsmart her.

“Mia, were you trying to avoid me?” she asked in her sweet, soothing voice, blinking at me innocently. Mia gave a defeated sigh. Why did she ever think that she could one up her own mother? 

“Why would I ever avoid you, mom?” Mia said, smirking at her she quickly enveloped her mother in her sweaty embrace, making her squeal in surprise. 

“Mia!” her mother exclaimed. “let go of me. You are sweaty. Wash yourself first.” She tried to push Mia, to no avail.

“But mom, I missed you soooooo much” she exaggerated, they met only a few days ago.

“Mia” at her mother's reprimanding tone, Mia let go of her mother. 

“You do not love me anymore, I am hurt,” she sniffed dramatically, “I am going to my room now, please don't come after me.” Mia said walking towards her room, hoping that her mother could not figure out her act. 

“Mia Anderson, did you take me for a fool?” her mother asked, shaking her head at her. The look on her face made Mia pause in guilt, gnawing at her. 

“I just don't want to talk about men or marriage or about how hot Charlie Johnson is. And I have to get ready for the party. I am already late.” Mia said, making a beeline to her room. 

“Charlie is hot. Are you shy about discussing men with me? You never had a problem before. You would tell me about your every boyfriend before what changed?” her mother asked, following her to her room. 

“Charlie is my rival! And he is not hot,” Mia argued, “and I don't want to get married to the men you want to discuss. I have no interest in getting married. I want to focus on my career.”

“You can focus on your career after the marriage.” She fired back, making me glare at her. Even though Mia is the lawyer, her mother has a knack for making her opponent at a loss for words. Main paused, searching for the right answer, but there was no right answer. Even if she were to say that she does not have time to find the right person, her mother would only take that as an invitation to start finding a groom for her. 

“I am getting late for the party. Do you want me to be late for the party that is being held for me?” she asked. 

“No,” her mother sighed heavily, “you are not getting any younger, Mia. I was married and had you at your age. I want you to have what I had with your father. The love, the care, the family, everything. Just keep your eyes open for the right guy. Maybe you might even find him at the party.”

Mia knows that her mother wants the absolute best for her, but she is not ready for such an enormous commitment yet. The thought of being tied to someone is not something that Mia is comfortable with. There is so much more she has to achieve. Defeating Charlie Johnson is only the start of her career.

“I will,” Mia replied, giving her mother false hope. 

Mia has no idea if she will find the mister right tonight, but she is going to enjoy her fullest. She has earned it.