**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
(Mia’s POVI wasn’t sure what had pulled me toward the dining area, but as I stepped inside, I halted. There, seated at the long, grand dining table, was Carl.He wasn’t eating. He was simply sitting there, staring blankly at the plate before him. A faint, unreadable expression crossed his face as he lifted his fork, poked at the food absentmindedly, then set it back down. His posture was stiff, shoulders drawn in slightly, as if he were deep in thought.I frowned. It wasn’t the first time I had noticed this.In the weeks since our forced marriage, I had observed Carl’s peculiar relationship with food. He barely ate. If anything, he only picked at whatever was served, never truly indulging in a meal. At first, I thought it was just his preference, but the more I paid attention, the more unsettling it became.
Office Politics(Mia’s POV –I had always known that LiveStrong was Carl’s world. It was the one place where he truly belonged, where his sharp mind and ruthless ambition made him untouchable. But what I hadn’t expected was how much of a presence Hans Oswald had in this company.Hans.Carl’s stepbrother.The man who always seemed to be lurking around, watching, smiling.There's something about him that made my stomach twist.He was charming, in a way that made people lower their guard. But there was something beneath the surface, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.And now, standing in the office, watching the way everyone gravitated toward him, I felt it even stronger.Hans wasn’t just present in the company.
Carl’s Cold and Harsh Attitude(Carl’s POV –I had no interest in playing nice.Mia had been forced into my life, into my company, into my space. And I hated it.Every morning, she showed up at my office like she belonged here, with that calm, unbothered expression, as if my presence didn’t affect her. As if she had every right to be here.She didn’t.She was an outsider.A woman my father forced into my life for reasons I still didn’t fully understand.And I made sure she knew it.“Coffee,” I said without looking up as I flipped through the morning reports.I heard her pause for a second before responding. “You already have a cup.”I exhaled sharply
Chapter 18: Determined to Succeed(Mia’s POVCarl Oswald was an insufferable man.Cold. Harsh. Unforgiving.And I was stuck working under him.I had done nothing to deserve his resentment, yet he treated me like I was an intruder in front of everyone, an inconvenience he had to tolerate. Every word that came out of his mouth dripping with condescension, every glance was filled with disdain.I wasn’t blind. I saw how he went out of his way to make things harder for me—his endless demands, his dismissive remarks, his need to remind everyone that I was beneath him.But I wasn’t going to break.Not for him. Not for anyone.The next morning, I arrived at the office earlier than usual.The floor was quiet, the o
Carl’s Face Blindness at Work(Carl’s POV ….I had spent years perfecting the art of control.In business, in life, in every interaction—I made sure I was the one in charge.But there was one thing I had never been able to control.My face blindness.It was a weakness, a flaw I had learned to hide so well that no one—no one—had ever suspected it. Not my employees. Not the board. Not even Hans, despite his attempts to always be one step ahead of me.But today, I came dangerously close to slipping.The boardroom was full, and the conversation buzzed around me.I sat at the head of the table, my expression unreadable as I listened to my executives discuss projections and expansion strategies. The numbers made sense. The words were clear
Carl’s World in Black and WhiteMia’s POV –I wasn’t supposed to notice.But I did.I saw it in the meeting—the hesitation, the flicker of uncertainty in Carl’s usually sharp eyes.At first, I thought it was just his usual arrogance, his way of making people squirm before giving them an answer. But the more I paid attention, the more I realized—Carl Oswald wasn’t just being cold.He was struggling.It hit me like a slow-burning revelation, the pieces falling into place one by one.Carl never addressed anyone by name in meetings.He relied heavily on voices and body language.And just earlier, when the finance director had spoken, I’d seen it—a brief moment of panic in his eyes 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.