She swallowed, trying to keep her composure. “We were just talking. Nothing more.”
“Just talking?” Carl’s tone dripped with disbelief. “You seemed awfully friendly for just talking.”
“Carl, I don’t understand why this is an issue,” Mia said, frustration creeping into her voice. “Hans is your stepbrother. We work together. I can’t just ignore him.”
“Don’t act like I’m stupid,” he retorted, stepping closer.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Carl’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as he turned to face her.Mia frowned, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.”His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer.
“You’re my wife, Mia,” he said softly, his voice laced with something that almost sounded like desperation. “You shouldn’t be spending time with him like that. It’s... inappropriate.”
Mia blinked, taken aback by his words. The word “wife” felt foreign, like a title that didn’t quite belong to her. The concept was laughable given the state of their marriage. The only thing binding them was a piece of paper, and even that felt tenuous.
“Carl, we’re only married on paper,” she reminded him gently. “We barely know each other. You can’t expect me to…..”“I expect you to respect our arrangement,” he cut in sharply. “And that means keeping your distance from Hans.”
Mia’s heart pounded, her mind racing. She needed to defuse this, to keep him from digging too deep.“You’re overreacting. Hans and I barely know each other.”Carl’s gaze bored into hers, unrelenting.
“I don’t care. I don’t want you near him. Understood?”
She swallowed hard, her mind flashing back to that night months ago—the drinks, the laughter, the way Hans’s eyes had burned with desire as they stumbled into the hotel room together.
She had woken up the next morning with a dull ache in her head and a tangled mess of regret in her heart. Hans was lying helplessly on the bed, and she had vowed to forget it ever happened.
But now, working so closely with him, it was impossible to forget. Every time he looked at her, every time he smiled that easy, charming smile, it was like a punch to the gut.
She prayed Hans didn’t remember that night, but the way he looked at her lately made her wonder.
“I understand,” she said finally, her voice tight.
Carl’s eyes narrowed as if he sensed her turmoil. “Good. You can go.”Mia turned, eager to escape the weight of his scrutiny. But as her hand touched the doorknob, she paused, glancing back at him, her heart conflicted.
“Carl, why does this bother you so much?” she asked, her voice soft. “Not like you care about me.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “Because you’re mine, Mia. I own you, whether you like it or not.” His words sent a shiver down her spine, a mix of fear and something else she couldn’t quite place. She nodded slowly, then left the office, her mind swirling with confusion and unease.Hans was waiting for her by her desk, leaning against the wall with that easy, charming smile that seemed to disarm everyone he met. But today, Mia felt a pang of guilt at the sight of him.
Hey,” he greeted, his eyes searching hers. “Everything okay?” Mia forced a smile. “Yeah, just... busy.”Hans raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Did Carl say something?”
“It’s nothing, really,” Mia insisted, though she knew Hans could see right through her. “I just think we should be more careful.”
Hans frowned, his playful demeanor vanishing. “Careful? About what?”
Mia sighed, lowering her voice. “Carl doesn’t like us talking too much. Especially during work hours. He thinks it’s... inappropriate.”
Hans’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in irritation. “That’s ridiculous. He can’t dictate who you talk to.”
“I know,” Mia said quickly. “But he’s my boss, and... well, you know how things are.”
Hans stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”
His tone was light, but Mia could sense the tension beneath it.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of meetings and paperwork, but Mia couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Every time she glanced up, Carl’s gaze was on her, cool and assessing, as if waiting for her to slip up.
By the time she left the office, exhaustion weighed on her like a heavy coat. Her mind was numb, and all she wanted was to disappear into the quiet solitude of her room—away from Carl, away from Hans, away from the tangled mess she had made of everything.She was heading to the elevator when Hans appeared beside her, his expression unreadable.
“Let me walk you out,” he offered, his voice soft.
Mia hesitated, glancing around nervously. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”Hans sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Mia, you can’t let him control you like this.”
“I’m not,” she protested, though even she wasn’t sure if that was true. “It’s just... complicated.”
Hans studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. But I’m here if you need me.”
Mia smiled, genuinely this time. “Thank you, Hans. I appreciate it.”
She couldn’t afford any more interactions with him, especially after Carl’s outburst. As she approached the elevator, her arms full of paperwork, she mentally prepared for the inevitable separation between work and home—the cold reality of her sham of a marriage.
She stepped into the elevator, The doors slid shut, and Mia leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. She had a feeling things were only going to get more complicated from here.
Her hands were full, clutching her bag and a hefty pile of files she had intended to sort through later. The weight of it all made her feel unbalanced, in more ways than one. She fumbled with the paperwork, trying to squeeze her things into her arm to press the elevator button.
In her haste, the elevator doors unexpectedly flew open, and the sudden motion caused her to lose her balance. Everything happened in slow motion. The files slipped from her grasp, papers fluttering through the air like snowflakes. Her bag tumbled to the floor, and she fell—straight into someone’s arms.
For a moment, everything was suspended in silence. Mia’s heart pounded in her chest as she tried to regain her bearings, her face flushed with embarrassment. But when she looked up, she couldn't believe her eyes…….
Mia's POV My heart pounded in my chest as I realized who I had fallen on. Hans. His familiar scent and the warmth of his body made my stomach churn with embarrassment. I felt his steady hands on my shoulders, helping me back to my feet, but the awkwardness of it all was unbearable. I needed to get away, fast.I scrambled to pick up my papers, my hands trembling as I tried to put some distance between us. "I'm so sorry, Hans," I whispered, my face burning with shame.Hans, always calm, smiled gently. "It’s alright, Mia. It was an accident."But before I could say anything else, the air around me turned cold. I felt it before I saw him. Carl. I froze, my heart sinking, knowing that this moment had just taken a terrible turn.I slowly lifted my gaze and there he was—standing just a few feet away, staring at me and Hans. His face was hard, a mask of fury barely contained. My stomach twisted into tight knots.“Carl…” I whispered, my voice weak, but it didn’t matter. The tension in the air
Carl's POV********I pounded on the door, my knuckles striking the wood with impatience. Each second that passed made the heat of my anger bubble up even more. Why was she taking so long to answer? Did she think she could avoid this conversation?“Mia!” I shouted again, my voice echoing down the hallway. It was nearly midnight, but I didn’t care. Sleep was the last thing on my mind.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard the soft creak of the door opening. Mia stood there, her eyes wide and uncertain. “Carl...” she began, her voice barely above a whisper her body stiff and tense. It was obvious she was scared. Even though I couldn’t see her eyes clearly, I could sense it—hear it in the way her breath hitched and her lips parted nervously.Good. She should be scared after what she pulled tonight.I didn’t give her a chance to finish, without wasting another second, I thrust a thick stack of papers into her arms, not bothering to hide the coldness in my voice. “I want all o
Carl's POV....The next morning, I pulled up outside Hans’ house, intending to apologize. I had overreacted last night.He lives with his dad and his mom while I live alone, well I'm married now I have to live with my so-called wife.Punching him had been out of line, and I knew it. As I approached the door, I could hear his mother, Mrs. Diana, speaking inside.I steeled myself, thinking about how I would start.But before I could even knock, the door swung open, and there she was. Her cold eyes met mine immediately, and without warning, her words cut into me like a blade.“Carl,” she hissed, “you’ve always been so self-centered. Just like your father. Do you think everything revolves around you? You attack my son over your... insecurities?”Her voice dripped with disdain. I stood there, frozen. She wasn’t done.“You may have all the power in that company, but in this house, you’re just a selfish, spoiled boy who never grew up,” she spat, her face twisted in anger.“You were just luck
Mia's POV ...I heard Carl scream my name from his office.What is it now? I muttered silently to myself as I stood up and made my way to his office, trying to mentally prepare for whatever nonsense he was going to throw at me this time.When I stepped in, he was glaring at me, pointing to the spilled coffee on his desk.“What is this?” he barked, his voice cold and accusing. I rolled my eyes inwardly.Like it’s my fault you spilled your coffee, I thought but didn’t dare to say it out loud.“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll make another one right away,” I apologized, trying to keep my voice steady.Carl narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not impressed.“Like the rubbish you just made?” His words were sharp and condescending. I bit down on my lip, forcing myself to stay calm.“I’m sorry. It’ll be better this time, I promise.” I turned to walk out, ready to escape his suffocating presence, but his voice stopped me mid-step.“And where the hell do you think you’re going?” he demanded. I paused, taking
Mia's POVThe day had dragged on, and as evening fell, I was finally out of his office tidying up my desk, eager to leave the office. Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any worse, I felt Carl’s presence beside me. His expression was, as always, unreadable.“Mia, follow me,” he said sharply."Okay...sir,” I replied, swallowing the rising irritation in my voice as I trailed behind him.Carl led me to the break room and turned to face me. His eyes scanned my dress, my roughly tied-up chestnut hair, and the heart-shaped glasses that rested on my nose. The way he stared made me feel self-conscious, as if every aspect of me was somehow wrong in his eyes.I could feel the tension thick in the air. Before Carl could speak, the door swung open and Hans strolled in. His eyes lit up with surprise, and something more jealousy maybe?“Am I interrupting something?” Hans asked with a grin, but his eyes flicked sharply between Carl and me.Carl straightened, his usual cold face slipping back in
Third personal POV “I know your secret, Mia. Watch your back.”“Who could have sent the message?” She thought.As she tried to focus on her work, the words of the message echoed in her mind.Due to Carl's endless demands, she was forced to work late most nights. I missed the warmth of the grandpa’s bakery, and the comfortable rhythm of kneading dough.But she was determined to make this work, no matter how challenging.It was late on a Friday evening when Mia noticed Carl still in his office, staring at his computer screen with a look of frustration.His tie was loosened, and the usually immaculate man seemed tired and worn. She had noticed over the week that Carl often skipped meals, relying instead on coffee to keep him going. Concerned, she decided to do something about it.Back at home, cooking had always been a way for Mia to unwind and show care for those she loved. She knew her way around the kitchen thanks to her grandfather’s teachings. Determined to help, she headed to th
**MIA'S POV**It was another day for me to struggle with my nightmare called a husband. Everything just gets me pissed, my whole I'll be treated as a slave and would never be heard. All thanks to my mother and my grandfather."I think I'm done here, what's left?" I looked around to be sure that I had nothing left behind.My days would be numbered if I get to work late. I put on finishing touches on the things that I had left."Ohh, I forgot something." I went back inside and came back with a pile of files. The cars were ready to move, I got into one of them and I left for the company.When we arrived at the company I rushed out and ran to the office. Everyone looked at me like a mad woman but no one knew what I would have to face.The door squeaked as I opened slowly. Carl was there already struggling to get the files that were beneath him.I cleared my throat and opened the door fully. When he heard my voice, he slowly took his head up and sighed."You really think you can stress th
MIA'S POVEverything Carl said in the office still had a space in my head. I thought of it and how I got to be very different."Don't feel so special, they say." I giggled...At least I don't have any job today. I don't have to struggle with the shouts and all the harsh things my husband had to say."Who's there?" I muttered with a bit of annoyance.It was too early for anyone to come find me, not even Carl.I opened the door and saw Hans standing in front of me. "Seriously?" I rolled my eyes and lowered my head."I don't know what might be on your mind now but I just had to check and also...." He brought out a book from behind."This." He stretched it to me."I thought we are on break, I'm not supposed to work on anything." I shrugged while I forcefully took the book from him."Yeah I know, but It would be advisable you look into them now. Carl doesn't like his time to be wasted anytime he needs something." He winked.That was actually true but I was tired and needed to rest before
Hans’ Discovery(Hans’ Personal Point of View)I never believed in fate.Coincidences, sure. But fate? That was something weak people clung to when they needed an excuse for their choices.And yet, as I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the small, delicate hairpin in my palm, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the realization crashing over me.This was Mia’s.And I had seen it before.Not just recently. Years ago.It had been tucked away in the back of my wardrobe, inside a small, forgotten box I hadn’t touched in years. The moment my fingers brushed against it, something in my mind snapped into place—a memory that had been buried so deep, I hadn’t even realized it was missing.A memory of her.Of that night.And suddenly, everything I thought I knew came unraveling before my eyes.I had been drunk that night.Not the kind of tipsy that made you laugh at everything, but the kind where the world blurred at the edges, and thoughts no longer made sense.The party had been loud, chaotic
Hans’ Curiosity Deepens(Third-Person Point of View)Hans Oswald was not a man who believed in coincidences.Everything in life followed a pattern—an equation waiting to be solved.So why was it that the sight of a single hairpin had set off a nagging feeling in his chest?He had been watching from a distance as his father humiliated Mia, and for the first time, he had felt something close to pity for her.Mia had always carried herself with an air of quiet defiance, a subtle strength that made it easy to overlook her struggles. But when their father, Richard Oswald, had torn into her with sharp words, she had looked… small.It had surprised Hans.Not because of his father’s cruelty—Richard had always been ruthless—but because of the way Carl had stepped in.Carl had defended her. Not as his assistant. As his wife.That alone had been shocking. But as the heated exchange settled, Hans’ gaze had landed on something unexpected—the delicate silver hairpin tucked into Mia’s dark locks.H
The Unraveling Threads(Third-Person Point of View)The air in the office was thick with tension. Whispers rippled through the employees like an unstoppable current, their eyes darting between Victor Oswald, Carl, and Mia. The moment had passed, but the weight of it still lingered.Hans Oswald stood frozen in place, his mind struggling to process what had just unfolded before him.He had seen his father angry before, countless times, but never quite like this. Victor was a man who prided himself on control, on discipline, on calculated anger. Yet, when he had lashed out at Mia, there had been something more—a deep, unfiltered contempt.It unsettled Hans.But what shocked him more was Carl’s reaction.His brother—the ever-proud, ever-distant Carl—had defended Mia. Not as his assistant. Not as someone beneath him.But as his wife.Hans couldn’t believe it.Carl had spent every moment since this arranged marriage treating Mia like an unwanted burden. He had ignored her, belittled her, t
The Weight of His Words(Mia’s Point of View I couldn't move.I couldn't think.Carl's words kept ringing in my ears, over and over, like a broken record."She is my wife."My body felt frozen, standing in the middle of the office floor, with eyes still on me. Whispered conversations filled the air, the weight of their judgment pressing down on me. I wanted to disappear.Ashley’s smug face wasn’t so smug anymore. She was glaring at Carl’s office door like she wanted to set it on fire.Good.At least something about today wasn’t completely humiliating.But my heart still ached.Not just because of what Victor Oswald had said to me. Not just because of the coffee-stained humiliation.But because Carl had defended me.And I didn’t know why.What Did It Mean?Carl had never stood up for me before.Never.He had made it his mission to remind me, every single day, that I was a mistake in his life. That I didn’t belong in his world. That I was nothing but an inconvenience.So why… why now?
(Mia’s Point of View)I should have seen it coming.Ashley had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and today, she found it.I had been moving carefully, balancing the tray with Carl’s coffee, trying to focus on anything but the argument we had last night.His words still lingered in my mind."You’re nothing but an inconvenience in my life."I knew he didn’t mean it. Not after the way he looked at me. Not after the way his body tensed when I mentioned the colors.But knowing that didn’t erase the pain.And now, as I walked toward his office, trying to shake the memory, Ashley’s voice cut through my thoughts."Watch where you’re going, sweetheart."Before I could react, her elbow slammed into mine, sending the tray flying.Time slowed.The hot coffee spilled through the air before splashing down—not on the floor, but on the one person I had never expected to see today.Carl’s father.Gasps filled the office floor.Employees froze, their eyes darting between me and the man now
Mia’s Confrontation with Carl(Mia’s Point of View I had been patient.I had been silent.I had swallowed my pride, endured the cold glares, the sharp words, the constant reminder that I was nothing in his world.But tonight—tonight, I snapped.Carl had always been unkind to me, but lately, it had gotten worse.His indifference had turned into something sharper, something more deliberate.One moment, he would ignore me completely. The next, he would find the smallest excuse to criticize me.My presence irritated him.Everything I did seemed to bother him.And I could take it—I had taken it for weeks. But what I couldn’t take was the way he kept pretending.Pretending like he didn’t see me.Pretending like I didn’t matter.And yet, I knew he was lying.Because I caught him watching me when he thought I wasn’t looking.I noticed how he drank the coffee I made every morning, even when he never asked for it.I saw how his gaze softened for a split second when I brought him dinner, only
Carl’s Internal Battle(Carl’s Point of View I didn’t believe in fate.I didn’t believe in accidents either.Everything in life had a cause, a reason, a pattern. That’s how I had learned to navigate the world—by controlling what I could and shutting out what I couldn’t.But now, something was wrong.Mia.I saw her in color.And I had no logical explanation for it.For as long as I could remember, faces had been a blur to me. A disorder, they called it—prosopagnosia—but I had long since stopped caring for labels.I learned to live with it.I memorized voices, movements, the way people carried themselves. I didn’t need to see details to understand who someone was.But my world was gray.Everyone was the same. Shadows. Outlines. No color.Until her.Until Mia.The first time it happened, I thought it was a mistake. A trick of the light.But it wasn’t.It kept happening.Every time I looked at her, I saw more.The deep brown of her hair, the warmth in her hazel eyes, the soft blush of he
Mia’s Growing Influence(Carl’s Point of View I never liked changes.Routine was predictable, controllable. I knew what to expect, how things worked, and where everyone belonged. That’s how I kept my life in order, my emotions in check.But then she happened.Mia Miloslava Pankraz.My unwanted wife. My unexpected problem.She was supposed to be nothing more than a contract—an obligation. Yet, somehow, she was everywhere.And worse?I was starting to notice her.It started with something small.My coffee.I was particular about it—strong, just a little sugar, no milk. No one ever got it right. Not my previous secretaries, not my staff, not even Tashi, despite her years of working with me.But one morning, as I sat at my desk, drowning in files, Mia walked in and placed a cup in front of me.I barely looked at her. “I didn’t ask for this.”She didn’t flinch. “I know. Just try it.”I frowned, but the smell of it was familiar. Too familiar.I hesitated before picking it up and taking a
Tashi’s Growing Rage(Third-Person Point of View Tashi Matsuda had spent years by Carl Oswald’s side, believing—knowing—that she was the only woman who truly understood him. She had been patient, watching from the shadows, waiting for the moment when he would finally see her the way she saw him.But that moment never came.And now, it never would.Because of her.Mia Miloslava Pankraz.The woman Carl barely tolerated. The woman he was forced to marry. Yet, somehow, he was protecting her.Tashi had expected Carl to treat Mia like an obligation—nothing more. But instead, he was defending her. Subtly, perhaps. But still.It was enough to drive Tashi to the edge.She had wasted too much time waiting for Carl to come around. If he wasn’t going to acknowledge her, if he was going to let Mia take what should have been hers, then she would take everything from him.And she knew exactly how to start.By turning to the one man who had just as much reason to hate Carl as she did.Hans Oswald.