Mia immediately recognized the similar features between Xavier and the older man. He had grey eyes and dark hair, his steps exuded command and power as he finally got to where they stood. His arm was wrapped around the woman, a brunette with brown eyes. Mia noticed she had no resemblance to Xavier. Was that his mother? She didn't know much about the Singh family, except what the media potrayed. "Father," Xavier called, his grey eyes unmoving. "Welcome son," a small smile played on Mateo's lips as his eyes scrutinized Mia. Mia held her breath, anticipating his approval. She didn't know if she should care or not. She's not his real fiancee anyway. "Is this my daughter in law?" "I didn't come with anyone else," Xavier replied coldly. "Good evening Sir," Mia tried to be as polite as possible. "Sir?" Mateo chuckled, "She's beautiful, son. You should call me dad from now on, my dear." "Yes... dad," A warm hue appeared on Mia's rosy cheeks. Xavier raised his brow questioningly
"What are you doing here?" Mia asked quietly, wondering why Lucas would come into a ladies restroom.He shut the door, walking in completely, "I seem to have lost my way, or maybe," he paused, his eyes glinting with interest, his lips curling up, "I wanna know more about my sister-in-law."She instantly knew he wasn't here for something good. Lucas kept approaching her, but all she could do was stand defiantly, not daring to move an inch backwards. If she didn't get intimidated by Xavier, maybe she did, then who's Lucas?"You should leave now," Mia chuckled, releasing her clenched fists, she didn't like the aura around this man before her.Lucas finally stood in front of her, his height towering over her small frame. "How much did he pay you to act as his fiancee?""What?" "C'mon, my brother doesn't even have a girlfriend. And you know, he had a fling with someone, they just parted recently. So he couldn't have been dating you secretly right?" Lucas lowered his lips to her ear, his
Gripping her flowing gown tight, Mia shot daggers at Lucas, who wore a sly grin on his face as he watched her trudge after Xavier."Game's on," Lucas muttered, wincing at the pain in his groin. "Ahh! That bitch."Meanwhile, Mia struggled to keep pace with Xavier's long strides, and as they entered the ballroom, gazes followed them. Music played softly in the background, with chatter filling the air, because the night was still young."Xavier," Mia called, breathless.He didn't respond, and she couldn't see his face, only his broad masculine back as he walked out of the building, with Silas trailing behind. A bodyguard opened the door of the Roll Royce, and Xavier slipped inside elegantly. Mia's hazel eyes drooped in confusion, but she followed."It's not what you think," Mia began immediately the car started moving out of the place slowly, but when she turned to face him, his dark gaze pierced hers, his eyes a deeper shade of grey, making Mia's heart thud in her chest. She can't be in
Tammy's eyes locked onto the TV screen, the news anchor's voice was filled with excitement: "Billionaire Xavier Singh finally reveals mysterious fiancee at engagement party." And pictures and videos clips that were taken in front of the magnificent building surfaced. "Is.. is that.." Tammy stammered, her eyes still fixed to the TV, and her lips trembled, unable to form coherent words. Bella hesitated, it's obvious Mia didn't tell her mother and sister. How dumb of her, but there was no hiding now. "Yes, Mia is engaged to Xavier Singh." The words barely left Bella's lips, before Amelia stiffened, her heart twisting in shock, and her body went limp, dropping to the cold floor. "Mom!" A cry tore out of Tammy's throat, echoing off the walls as she raced towards her mother, with Bella behind. "No! Mom, please," she begged, grasping Amelia's hands, her lips quivering. "Aunt, please wake up! Check her pulse! Call the doctor!" Bella dropped to her knees, her eyes wide with horror, her sh
Her body went limp in the arms of the first man holding her, and his eyes widened, "what the f**k!" "Is she dead?" asked the second man, moving closer to feel her pulse and the first man shook his head, "She's just unconscious." The hoodie guy who she had hit, laughed mockingly, "That's none of our business, let's get down on this bitch, dead or alive." The fourth one hesitated, "we should let her go." His words made the hoodie guy's eyes turn into a ball of fury, and he faced the fourth hoodlum, throwing a punch across his face, "We're f**king getting down on her, understood?" They nodded in affirmation, and he turned to the man holding Mia, before hurling her onto his shoulders. As they were about to disappear into the darkness, headlights flashed in their direction, and they froze on their feet. Four cars screeched to an halt besides them, and hefty men in black suits dashed out, with wired earphones connected to their ears, their faces mean and professional. "Let go of th
*THE NEXT MORNING*Mia's eyelids fluttered open to the bright rays of sunlight filtering into the room. She groaned, mumbling as she sat up groggily, "Who the hell opened the curtains this early?" But when she looked around, a gasp escaped her lips as shock registered on her face. This wasn't her room. Where the hell is she?This room was extremely luxurious, it had royal purple colored curtains, draped on the floor to ceiling glass windows, there was a huge dazzling chandelier hung up and her eyes continued to run around the room. A fancy decorated closet was at the side of the three meter sized bed she sat on, and an enormous mirror stood on the wall beside a 10 inches plasma TV screen.This place looked beautiful, like a five star presidential suite. A throbbing headache hit her as she tried remembering how she got here, and she winced. Did she have a one night stand with a billionaire? Or maybe the president?'You're engaged, remember?' her subconscious mind whispered. 'It's just
Xavier returned his gaze to his system, his cold, grey eyes narrowing slightly as he scrolled through some documents. Silas walked in, the soft sound of the vast translucent door sliding open and he bowed, "Mr Singh, your fiancee just left the estate. Location indicates she's heading to the hospital."Xavier didn't respond, his expression remained unchanged. His brows dipped and he nodded curtly, his eyes still fixed on the screen. Silas strutted forward, placing some files on his desk, "These contain all information about the actress Mr Martinez recommended as the female lead in our movie project. She'll replace Harper Hernandez."Xavier's gaze flickered to the stack of files, then back to the screen, "I'll review it," he replied this time, his deep voice voice firm.Silas fidgeted for a moment, closing and reopening his mouth intermittently."Anything else?" His boss deep voice sounded."Yes sir, there's something else. Crystal Entertainment is planning to sign Harper under their la
"You are so beautiful, ma'am," one of the hairstylist gushed and the others nodded in confirmation. Mia, who was lost in thought turned to look at the mirror, and a gasp escaped her lips."Is this...me?" She couldn't recognize herself, she was completely different. She could see a stunning, classy bride staring back at her."Thanks," she mumbled, lifting her finger to touch her face. The makeup was perfect, her heart shaped red lips glossed with nude lipstick. Her chestnut brown hair, which was always kept in messy buns, was now styled in an elegant braided bun, with crystal hairpins that adorned it, exuding sophistication. Her softly defined hazel eyes shone brightly, featuring long, lush lashes. She wore specially designed pearl earrings, and a unique piece of diamond pendant hung on her neck, courtesy of President Singh. The makeup artists and hairstylists all beamed with pride as they inspected her, and they exited when the door opened.Tammy and Isabella walked in, their faces l
"Yeah," Mia nodded, and Isabella almost let out a scream."Let me see!"Mia sighed, then hesitated for a moment, before showing her the screen."Oh my! It's him," Isabella squealed, her lips quirking up in excitement, "Where's the nurse?""She should be here soon. I really don't know if it's Xavier, Bella. I mean, why will he be concerned?" Mia mumbled, her eyes gleaming with doubt."Because you're his wife!" Bella stated, her voice firm.Mia rolled her eyes, drifting her gaze to her mother, and she went back to sit beside her bed, while Bella paced about, staring constantly at her phone.Then a middle aged lady, hair packed in a bun and dressed in a white gown walked in.She wore a warm smile as she looked towards Mia, "Mrs Singh, please follow me. You can't stay here while the press is restless outside.""Oh yeah," Mia stood up, exchanging glances with Bella."Go girl! I'll be with Aunt for sometime before leaving," Bella probed her forward, smiling reassuringly."Take care Bella,"
She dared ask for a divorce? After everything he's done for her? Her words hung in the air, hitting him like a ton of bricks.In a swift motion, Lucas struck her hard across her face again, and her head snapped to the left direction."Don't you ever repeat that again," he spat venomously, his eyes blazing red.Mitchell kept mute for a moment, recovering from the slap, then she slowly turned to look at him again."I'm tired, Lucas. I'm tired of everything. You've never treated me like your wife, except in public. I can't do this anymore. I'll send my lawyer."With that, she turned to leave, but he grabbed her roughly from behind and spun her to face him."Mitchell," he growled, locking eyes with her intensely."Do not test me."His grip around her arm was like a vice, and she winced painfully, her bones crushing slowly."Please let me go, Lucas," she whispered.But he only jerked her towards him harshly, and she winced again.Then he held her chin tightly, "Tell me. Do you want to go b
Even after hearing those words, Xavier's expression didn't change one bit, but his eyes grew colder.He had already been waiting for this, especially after Silas informed him earlier about the news that was released about his company.However, Mateo spoke up, his voice firm and stern, "I'm afraid I do not understand, Xavier is capable of leading the empire into greater success. He has every skill and ability needed."Another burly man with a shaggy black hair and small nose, dressed in an expensive grey suit stood up with a scowl. "With all due respect, president Singh, Xavier's reputation is on the line of tearing apart and as we speak at the moment, the press and media are throwing hounding comments.""How do we then trust Xavier to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company?"Everyone nodded in agreement."Yes! Xavier can't be the president.""Why not Lucas?"With his calm, yet intimidating demeanor, Xavier stepped forward, his piercing grey eyes scanning the room.
Her gaze lingered on the black exclusive card that was in her right hand for a minute longer, with the other hand hoisted on her hips. Biting down on her tongue, Mia shoved it into her purse, with a sneer on her face. "Use the card from now on," she mimicked how his deep voice would have sounded if he were right in front of her. Stripping out of her nightwear, she ventured into the luxurious bathroom, shutting every thoughts from creeping into her mind. She isn't the type to depend on a man, so if he thinks he's doing her a favor, he better snaps out of that reverie. After brushing her teeth, she filled the cozy bathtub with warm water, adding and inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry and lavender. When she was done, she stepped out of the bathroom, and wrapped a towel around her body and another around her wet chestnut brown hair. Mia entered the boutique- like closet and selected a simple cream- colored laced frock and packed her hair in a simple messy bun. Since she
She felt an irritating sting of dryness in her throat, so she shuffled out of her queen-sized bed. With her legs wobbling on the floor and oblivious to the fact that she was still in her nightie, Mia sauntered out of her room and into the hallway. Taking the glittering stairs that led her to the kitchen, she located the large, classy fridge and brought out a bottle of water. Twisting the cap open, she took a long gulp. The cool liquid soothed her parched throat and she exhaled a sigh of relief. Trying not to think about that party and how naive she had been, she left the kitchen, remembering to switch off the lights that had casted a warm golden light when she had come in. As she made her way back to her room, she halted, dreading the feeling of going back to sleep again. What if the nightmare came back? She turned towards the direction of the balcony and when she got there, her feet rooted on the spot. The dark silhouette of a familiar stood by the railings, gazing ou
Irene turned pale, her face as white as sheets, as if she's just seen a ghost. What does Mia thinks she's doing? Going against Xavier's order?"I'm.. I'm sorry, ma'am... I can't stand up without Mr Xavier's permission," she stammered, her head still lowered, her eyes fixed on the delicate marbled floor of the living room.Mia folded her arms, a tight frown on her face, then she looked at Xavier whose forehead puckered, his earlier hardened expression replaced with a squinted glint in his enchanting grey orbs.She suddenly wished to know what he was thinking in that head of his."Xavier, I really need to talk to you," she repeated her words, more calmly this time, then she added meekly, "Can nanny Irene stand up?"A scoff escaped Xavier's lips, his gaze expressionless. The effrontery she had to stand up to him and say words without any hint of fear stirred something within him... the urge to see her break.A dark thought crept up in his mind immediately, "I didn't ask her to kneel in t
KENZ HOSPITAL, 2:56PMHer stomach rumbled for the umpteenth time and she groaned, not willing to leave her mother's bedside.Well, that wasn't the real reason. She brought out her purse and checked inside, only to find just her phone.Her cheeks flushed pink, as if someone was there, watching her.Mia sighed, looking at her mother whose eyes were peacefully closed.Kissing Amelia's forehead gently, she walked out of the ward, making sure she didn't wake up the other patient in the room.She got out of the hospital and made her way to the chauffeur who was standing outside the black sleek car that brought her in the morning.He opened the back door for her and she got in, before he jammed it close and got into the driver's seat."Where to ma'am?"Mia thought for a moment. If she says she wants to go to a restaurant nearby, she couldn't even afford a meal. Going back to the mansion would be boring, so she made her decision.[TWENTY MINS LATER, BELLA'S ART]"Mia, I can't believe you ditc
Mia slammed the door of her room shut, before getting on her bed and under the duvet. Her lips were still parted, her brain absorbing everything that just happened. Did she push his button that hard? Why did he flare up so much at the mention of his mother? But he started it, he had been the one to... Her phone began ringing, interrupting her thoughts. Having an idea of who it might be, she picked up. "Tam, are you home already?" Mia asked immediately, checking the time. It was 9:36PM. "No, Mia. I don't know what's happening, they're moving mom out of the private ward," Mia could hear the strain in her voice and she swallowed, her fists clenching into a tight ball. "Just be calm, Tam. I'll fix this. Mom will still be taken care of, okay?" "Okay," Tammy mumbled, her voice calm now. After ending the call, Mia buried her face in her pillow, "Arrgh! I hate you Xavier Singh." She screamed, the pillow muffling her shrill voice. Trying not to think about him, she tossed and
Mia watched slowly as his muscles tensed, the lining of his broad shoulders stiffening as his jaw set in a hard line.She could feel the darkness emitting from him, and she knew she must have said what she shouldn't have.Turning to leave quickly, her arms got grasped from behind in a flash movement and she was spun around to face him."How dare you?"Color drained out of her face at the change of expression on his face.His eyes were no longer grey, they were now burning with a fiery intensity that sent chills down Mia's spines."Let me go," she winced, a sore feeling lingering around her wrist but his grip tightened, bringing her closer, till her chest almost meet his.His sharp gaze sliced through her like a knife through cold butter, and his voice came out gravelly, "The next time, you talk about my mother... You'll wish I'd sent you to jail, Mia."Releasing her roughly, her feet missed a step and she staggered, falling on her butt. Her hazel eyes blinked in shock, in an attempt t