[8]

"Oh, no! Victor wasn't being truthful with me," she thought to herself. She clenched her hands in nervous anticipation. Had she finally had her lucky streak end? Oh, no. It seemed that God was simply postponing their meeting. In a nutshell, Miya was going to interact with that man. The man who gave Miya the creeps. 

"What should I do later?" Miya bit her fingertips. She couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety and fear that came over her. "Should I just pretend to faint?" Miya closed her eyes tightly. It was ridiculous that the thought had even crossed her mind.

"Never mind!" Miya gave her cheek a good, firm pat. Alex, who was driving, immediately focused on the girl in the backseat.

"What's the problem, Miss?" she asked, sounding rather frantic. Although Miya could see that the blonde-haired girl was agitated, she was surprised that Miya would slap herself on the cheek.

"Nothing." Miya let out a long sigh. "Don't worry about me."

Alex still wasn't convinced. The girl's face looked flushed, which didn't seem to match what she was saying. If Damian saw the girl's flushed face when they arrived... Alex couldn't picture what would happen next. "But your face looks flushed. I'll have to find something to relieve it, Miss."

"There's no need. Just think of it as my brain starting to function normally again."

Although he didn't really understand what the girl was saying, Alex tried to calm down and drive the vehicle that brought them back in a stable state. Before long, they arrived at Damian's mansion, which was luxurious. Alex quickly opened the door for Miya and let the girl be greeted by her personal maid: Desi.

"Welcome back," Desi said with a quick smile. "Mr. Damian was waiting for you."

"I know," Miya replied quietly. 

"But before you see him, let me help you look your best."

Miya's brow furrowed. "How bad do I look? Did you choose this dress for me?"

Desi nodded, still with a somewhat forced smile. "You look a little pale in the face. Otherwise, you look great. You look like a beautiful doll."

Miya's hands were clenched tightly. She really didn't like being called a doll. Even though Desi was trying to compliment Miya on her appearance, the words were also used by Victor in a teasing way. This further reinforced Miya's stance that she was a puppet of Damian, due to the contract that had been agreed upon.

"I'm not a doll, Desi," Miya said, with a hint of sarcasm. "And just show me where your boss is. There's no need to make any changes to my appearance. If I'm just a doll to you, then I'm the same to everyone else. I bet your boss feels the same way."

Desi picked up on the hint of disdain in the compliment she had just made. There was nothing she could do but nod and let Miya follow her. They didn't say anything to each other, just the sound of their shoes hitting the floor until Desi's steps stopped at one of the doors in the right wing of the mansion.

The mansion is laid out with a large area split into two parts, separated by a glass-walled corridor. The room had a great view of a lovely, landscaped garden and an outdoor swimming pool that was hard to resist. Miya had never been to the right-wing area, which she thought was much more spacious and felt very private.

"Mr. Damian is in this room." Desi knocked on the beautifully carved wooden door. "Miss Miya has arrived, Mr. Damian."

"Come on in."

That voice made Miya realize that she couldn't just walk away from this situation. The voice was deep and authoritative, and there was a hint of intimidation in it. Even though Miya hadn't met him in person, she suddenly felt frozen in place.

"I'm just here to show you the way."

Oh, no! Her luck had run out completely.

The door opened to reveal a large room. The room was mostly a dark brown, either because of the lighting or the decorations, but Miya got the feeling it was a bit spooky. The room had lots of bookshelves with books neatly arranged on them. There was a set of plush leather sofas in the center of the room. As Miya looked around, she saw the figure waiting for her sitting comfortably reclined in the corner.

However, there was something that needed to be said.

Two people were seen checking out the man who owned the room.

"Why don't you come on in, Miya Ashton?"

Miya shuddered. That baritone voice really got her attention. "No."

"Come here."

Miya bit her lower lip, trying to keep her steps steady, and she managed to get through the day. 

"It's finished, sir. Just make sure your wounds aren't exposed to water for now." 

One of the guys near Damian spoke up. Another person was tidying up a box not far from the table. 

"I asked Doctor Cedric to come by right away, Mr. Damian. You'll want to be there for the follow-up exam. Condition-"

"Come on out," Damian said as he buttoned up his shirt again. 

"But, Mr. Damian,"

"I don't like repeating orders, so let's not do that!"

Miya gave another look of displeasure. Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt as the cursing echoed like the roar of a male lion. Oh my goodness! If Miya died now from a heart attack, at least she wouldn't have to see the news that brought her down just because of bullying. On the other hand, dying in this room didn't seem like an elite choice either.

"Yes, sir." The two got down to business and left Damian and the guest who had just come in. They didn't want to linger in this room, especially not to further upset the owner.

While Miya stopped at the end of the sofa, quite a distance from Damian. She was a bit confused and didn't know how to greet the man who looked serious with his cell phone. Damian's shirt, which was buttoned up earlier, didn't fully cover his athletic body. If Miya were being honest, Damian's face hadn't changed. Not at all. He was still the same as when they met by accident at the business meeting. 

His eyes are still soot-black and coldly, sharply staring at the opponent. He had slightly curly hair that fell near his right temple, which added to his handsome yet somewhat unapproachable appearance. Damian had an athletic body and seemed to be taller than Miya. Maybe the guy standing in front of Miya was like a giant, about to drown the girl without a trace.

"How long are you planning to stay there?" Damian put his phone down. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at Miya with a neutral expression. "Have a seat."

Miya swallowed nervously. "Okay." That was all Miya could say in the moment. Even though her legs felt like lead, Miya couldn't very well disobey Damian's order, could she? She sat down where Damian indicated. On the side of the long sofa right in front of Damian. 

"You don't need me to spell out what I want, do you?"

Miya closed her eyes, feeling a little frustrated. "Yes."

"Is your vocabulary a bit limited, Miya?" Damian stood up from his comfortable seat. He winced slightly as he felt pain around his waist. Oh, damn it, Barto! Even though the guy had already gotten a reply, Damian could tell from his movements that he was still injured. He wanted to make sure Miya was helpless under his support on the first day they met.

Shit!

The man leaned in closer to the blonde girl, who looked surprised. Her eyes widened in disbelief as Damian leaned in, closing the distance between them. 

"Just a minute," Miya said, trying to keep Damian from pressing her. As they get closer, Miya is hit with a puff of warm breath mixed with the scent of nicotine. 

"What else?" Damian let out a chuckle and looked at Miya with a look of distaste, his gaze falling upon her beady eyes. His plans were interrupted. Damian was not a fan of being interrupted, no matter how minor the issue.

"What are we going to do about it now?"

Damian tilted his head slightly, his forehead wrinkled, but a moment later, he laughed. The nearby girl's face turned red as a result. Damian didn't care if she was embarrassed or not happy about being laughed at.

"Are you really that keen to have my child, Miya?" Damian guided Miya's chin closer to his mouth. Miya's eyes met his with a hint of fear, but Damian found it endearing. He gazed into her eyes, which shone as warmly as the morning sun, with no intention of diverting his attention elsewhere. "Unfortunately, I can't do that for now." He gave Miya's nose a quick kiss, making her close her eyes. Damian's lips curled into a sly grin. 

"I'm hurt, Miya," Damian said right above her lips. Damian's lips met hers so softly. "When I'm better, I'll make sure you regret asking me that question." Damian pressed his lips gently but firmly against hers.