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CHAPTER NINE: Unspoken Truths
Last Updated:
2024-12-10 18:52:52
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Mia stood frozen, gripping the form so tightly her fingers ached. She had rehearsed this conversation a hundred times in her head, convinced she was ready. But now, standing here in front of Xiang, made her feel uneasy. Xiang was not the kind of man who welcomed deviation from his carefully laid plans—he thrived on control. And she was about to disrupt that. His voice cut through her thoughts. “I don’t have all day, Mia. Speak.” Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I need to talk to you about my position.” She stepped forward, setting the form on his desk. Xiang picked it up with a quick flick of his wrist and stared at it, frowning. “What is this?” “It’s a job application—for a personal assistant,” Mia replied briskly. “A friend of Zac’s gave it to me.” His expression did not change, but his voice turned colder. "And how does this concern your work here?" Mia chose her words carefully. “I work in the kitchen. That limits how much I can observe and what I
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Mia’s hands shook as she dropped the shards of the vase, panic twisting her chest. She knelt beside the unconscious man, her fingers fumbling through his jacket. Who was he? Her breathing quickened as she searched for anything—an ID, a clue—anything that could explain why she was there. Suddenly, she froze. She could hear faint footsteps behind the door. Someone was coming. The sound was sharp, deliberate. Her heart pounded harder with each step. Who could that be? The door burst open, and she jumped, turning toward the noise. It was Zac. Mia’s stomach flipped at the sight of him. He stood in the doorway, tall and commanding, his sharp eyes moving from her to the man on the floor, then back to her. The calmness in his voice sent a chill down her spine. “What’s going on, Mia? What did you do?” Her heart raced. She didn’t even know where she was. The last time she checked, she’d been at least three hours away from home, stuck on a desolate street. How was Zac here?
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It was a beautiful Saturday evening, the kind Mia had craved for weeks. She relaxed in her small living room, nestled between her mom, who sat on the couch absorbed in their favorite Mexican soap opera, and Samantha, settled on the floor with a bowl of popcorn. For once, the world felt distant, her problems tucked away in some unreachable corner. Her phone buzzed on the side table, pulling her out of her brief escape. She ignored it at first, letting it buzz again before finally glancing at the screen. It was Zac Cornell. Her heart sank as she closed her eyes briefly, inhaling to steady herself, then stood and walked toward the kitchen counter. She hesitated before answering, knowing Zac never called unless it was important—or inconvenient. “Hello, Sir,” she said, keeping her tone light, though her fingers tightened around the phone. “Mia,” Zac began, his voice calm and annoyingly smooth. “I have a file I need you to look at before you resume on Monday.” Mia blinked, caught
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Zac saw it too, but he said nothing—just shifted slightly in his chair, then gestured toward the bedroom with a subtle lift of his chin.“You should take it,” he said in a neutral tone. “It might be important.”Mia blinked, surprised by his calmness. “It’s fine. I can call him once we’re done.”Zac didn’t answer immediately. He just leaned back in his chair, looking down at the laptop again. “I’m also in the middle of something, so run along.”She waited a bit, searching his face for any trace of resistance, but there was none. He was calm. Mature. Composed.She nodded, gently straightening up. “I’ll just… go inside.”Zac didn’t respond. His eyes had already returned to his laptop, though his fingers weren’t typing anymore.She slipped away, robe brushing softly against her thighs as she padded back into the bedroom. The call connected before the door even closed behind her.“Angelo?”“Hey.” His voice was warm, calmer than she remembered. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”“No, I was up.” S
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“Zac, you’re awfully close,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t be.”He didn’t move back. Instead, he stared deeply into her eyes. “And why not?”Her throat went dry. “Because… we both know this marriage is just a contract.”“Is that so?” Zac tilted his head, the corner of his lips curving slightly. She exhaled with a shaky breath.“That’s not what I remember.” His voice was maddeningly calm. “I remember you swearing a vow to me. In front of the priest. On the altar.”Mia’s fingers curled against the sheets. “That was just—”“Just words?” Zac murmured, his tone hard to decipher. “Funny. You said it like you meant it.”“I was only playing my part,” she muttered.Zac hummed. “Then I guess I wasn’t doing mine properly. Because I didn’t get to kiss you like I was supposed to.She bit her lip, her pulse racing. The space between them seemed to shrink, or maybe it was just the intensity in his stare.“It wasn’t necessary,” she said quickly, though she’d expected it.Then, without warning, he le
