A faint smile graced his lips as he pushed open the front door. When Shawn entered, the house was enveloped in silence, and the lounge bathed in dim light. "She must have retired to bed," he surmised, feeling a subtle pang of disappointment.He sighed, fatigue pressing upon him as he made to ascend the stairs. Yet, just as he approached the staircase, his steps faltered. He turned to the side and spotted a frail figure curled up on the couch. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the Little One.Why was she there? He moved closer to the couch, his tall frame looming over her as he observed her in silence.Right at that moment, Madam Susan entered the lounge and took in the scene. She instantly grasped what was going through the Young Master's mind. "Madam insisted on waiting for you here and refused to retire upstairs to sleep..."Without her needing to say more, Shawn already understood. A warm feeling swelled within him."Thank you, Madam Susan. It's late; you should retire for the nig
Stretching as she yawned, Mia grinned sheepishly, slowly opening her eyes to greet the new day. Her night had been so splendid that she even dreamt of sharing a bed with the demi-god. How absurd of her. She knew very well that such a fantasy would remain just that, for centuries to come.Pushing her daydreams aside, she gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, then all of a sudden, her eyes widened in sheer horror.Where was she? How had her white ceiling transformed into grey? Moreover, her room had a faux plaster ceiling, not marble!Swiftly, she sprang up and sat upright, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings as she threw the duvet away. This wasn't her room! Her thoughts raced back to the previous day.She had been devastated as she watched Shawn, impeccably dressed, leave the mansion for Grandpa Mandez's birthday banquet.He had been gone for several hours, and all she could do was pass the time by checking the clock repeatedly and occasionally venturing downstairs to see i
After finishing breakfast, Mia swiftly made her way upstairs. The morning encounter with the cold-hearted man had left her yearning for solitude, craving the comfort of her bedsheets. She approached her room and reached for the doorknob, but as much as she turned it, it remained stubbornly locked. Confusion clouded her features until realization dawned.She had moved—no, she had been moved. Into the man's room! Mia stood frozen, the world spinning around her. What should she do now? No more privacy... Sharing a bed with him seemed like a nightmare, and her imagination immediately began to run wild."Madam," Madam Susan's voice brought her back to reality.She blinked away her sorrows and turned to face the older woman. "Yes?""Please," Madam Susan gestured towards Shawn's bedroom door, and Mia's heart sank as she met its gaze. Slowly, she reluctantly shuffled towards it, with Madam Susan and a couple of maids following closely behind.Once inside, Mia stood awkwardly, watching Madam S
Shawn and Mia spent the entire day in their bedroom, working on arithmetic problems. Mia couldn't deny that the man was impressive. Was there anything he wasn't good at in the world? He was just too perfect!The way he explained complex problems in such a simple manner and guided her through solving them like a piece of cake made Mia wonder where he had been all her life. His patience and kindness made her forget all that had happened in the morning. She had been mistaken.There was no way the man sitting beside her, teaching her, could be cold-hearted. Her previous assumptions had misled her. The issue must have been with her, not him. She was the problem, not the charming man.Shawn nodded and gently patted Little One’s head, placing the book he held down. "You did well."Seated in close proximity, Mia could feel his minty breath gently brushing her face as he spoke, "Let's call it a day here. We'll pick up tomorrow."As he got up and started walking toward the bathroom, Mia snappe
The following day arrived, and since Mia had been engrossed in her studies the previous day, she hadn't been able to visit the hospital. After having breakfast, she swiftly made her way there.Meanwhile, Shawn left for his undercover job, but before he departed, he glanced at the calendar. That day was here once again… This caused his mood to dampen.After her visit to the hospital, Mia returned home and cheerfully announced, "I'm home, everyone!" She quickly changed into indoor flip-flops, raced upstairs to change her clothes, and in no time, she was out of the house again.For a while, she had been admiring the garden from her window, hoping to go down there someday. And now she had finally decided to explore it. Someday was that day. Brimming with excitement, she made her way to the back of the mansion, venturing there for the first time since she had moved in.As she entered the sprawling garden, her eyes widened with wonder at the vibrant display of flowers and the lush greenery
As the meeting drew to a close, five grueling hours had elapsed, and half the team had been dismissed."Meeting adjourned," the CEO declared, prompted by an urgent call from his grandfather.Those remaining among the officials hastily gathered their belongings and scurried away on unsteady legs, well aware that if they lingered a moment longer, the CEO might very well have fired the rest of them.After the officials had left, Shawn relaxed his hardened face a bit and picked the call. "Grandpa,""Shawn, I'm sorry. I won't be able to make it back tomorrow. The doctor says I need to spend a few more days here," Bitterness laced the old man's voice as he spoke. "I promise, as soon as I'm able to leave, I'll come straight home." His weakened voice wavered, accompanied by a persistent cough.Shawn could hear the old champ's strained breathing on the other side of the phone and his heart twisted in his chest. "It's okay, Grandpa. Spend as much time as you need, I'm fine. Take care of yoursel
The next day, Mia awoke to find her husband burning with fever beside her. It was the first day of the school that week, and she had been planning to attend, particularly as she had been absent more often than not lately. However, given Shawn's condition, how could she possibly leave him?She frantically rang the bedside bell, but when no one responded after a few minutes, she hurried out of the room and down the stairs."Madam Susan," she called out, rushing into the kitchen. To her surprise, the kitchen was deserted.That's when Mia realized she hadn't encountered anyone on her way there. The house was eerily quiet and empty. There were no maids inside, and no guards outside. Not a single soul was in sight.She wondered if the rapture had occurred. If so, how come she and her husband didn’t make it to heaven?Dismissing the thought, she quickly returned inside to try the maids' quarters via the landline. No matter how many times she dialed, the line remained dead. Was it their day
His mother had passed away on his birthday, that was sad.Mia, unsure of how to console him, chose to remain silent, her heart filled with sympathy."Today marks three years since I lost her," Shawn uttered, his gaze distant, his voice low. "And I caused it. If only I hadn't insisted on..." His voice trailed off, bitterness and regret evident in every word.Unable to find the right words to comfort him, "Let's go visit her." Mia offered.Shawn turned to her, wearing a puzzled expression. "Right now?"She simply nodded. It was the anniversary of his mother's death, it was only right he paid his respects.It wasn't that Shawn didn't want to visit his mother; he had never gone on the actual anniversary due to an annual bout of fever. He would always go to her grave the following day. However, with someone to take care of him this time, he could make it today... There was still time."Okay," Mia then nodded before swiftly making her way into the walk-in closet to change. Soon, the couple