This chapter is dedicated to @annilite...
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Mia decided to walk the street of New York city. It was as busy as usual, 1pm when everyone was taking their lunch break.

"Hello Danny?" Mia had just received a call from Danny.

"How soon are you gonna get here?"

"Let's say fifteen minutes. Why?"

"Just get here quickly."

"Okay. Hope I'm not in big trouble or anything." Mia said.

"Come see for yourself."

"Fine fine." Mia hung up.

Mia arrived at Van's Events. On arriving, she sighted a black Bentley Bentayga V8. There were two men dresses in black suit, wearing dark shades at the entrance which Mia found normal because a few times, she'd seen clients bring bodyguards too.

Must be an important person... She thought.

She entered the building. "Danny." Mia called Danny's attention.

"You're here." Danny left the front desk. She frowned when she saw Mia's face. "Why do you look pale?" Danny asked her.

"Because I have to. I'm gonna tell Mrs V that the contract between Van's Events and Mi-Tech Empire can no longer push through." Mia smiled happily.

"What! Are you for real?" Danny fluttered.

"Yep." Mia was happy. "And ooh, I noticed a nice looking car outside, Bentley is it? And two bodyguards too. Who's the VIP client?" Mia asked Danny.

"It's a VIP client alright but it's not just any VIP client. It's the CEO of Mi-Tech Empire, he's here. Ryan Webster is here." Danny informed her.

The smile on Mia's face disappeared and her face went blank.

"Wait what?" Mia stared at Danny.

"You heard me, Ryan Webster is here. He's talking to Mrs Van as we speak." Danny said to her.

"What! What! What's he doing here?" Mia scratched her forehead. Did he want to tell Van about her cold behavior towards him? Or maybe complain about her? No, not after practicing her fake heartfelt words.

"He's been with Mrs Van for a while now. I have no idea what they've been talking about."

Why was he here? She'd already told him she quit, what else did he want?

"I'll have to know what's going on." Mia said to Danny before heading to Van's office.

She took a deep breath and knocked slowly. She was gonna pretend not to know that Ryan was in the office, she'll say she had wants to speak to Van about her canceling the contract.

"You're finally here." Van said, as soon as Mia opened the door.

Ryan turned to look at Mia. He was seated across Van's table. Mia looked different, her face was looking pale and white. He also noticed that she didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was also in the room.

"Good morning Mrs V-I'm sorry if I came in unannounced. You're busy, I'll come back later." Mia tried as much as possible not to look nervous. She made sure her eyes didn't look at Ryan.

"Good timing. Please join us Mia." Van beckoned on her.

Mia slowly walked to the chair beside Ryan, she mumbled an inaudible 'good morning' greeting to Ryan and still didn't look at him.

Ryan watched her take her seat.

"Are you alright? You look pallid." He asked her.

"I'm a bit feeling under the weather but It's nothing serious." She kept a straight face.

"Mia, there's a reason I wanted you to join us," Van started talking and Mia gulped. "Mr Webster here, told us that you quit. Is that true?" Van asked her.

"He's not wrong. I do have my reasons." Mia said to her.

"Did you read the terms and conditions thoroughly?" Van asked.

"Yes I did." Mia nodded.

"Then you should know you can't just back out from the contract once a sum of money has been paid. Mr Webster already deposited a sum of money into the account." Van told her.

"Mrs Van I'm really sorry. The workload at Mi-Tech is such a burden that it cost me my health. I really hope you would understand." Mia said meekly.

Van looked at Ryan... "Mr Webster, if it's okay with you, I would like to talk to Mia privately." Van gave him a smile.

"Alright. Take your time, but I can't wait for too long." Ryan stood up and walked out of the office.

"What the hell is wrong with you Mia!" Van frowned at Mia.

"Mrs V I can explain." Mia could sense that Van was pissed.

"I don't need an explanation from you. Do you know how much is at stake here? Two fucking million."

"Two what? I thought it was a million dollars." Mia got confused.

"Was. Now it's two. He's investing two million on you, so whatever ideas you have about quitting inside your head should end."

"But I can't."

"I don't care if you can't, you will. Why won't you work with him?"

"Because interior designing isn't my thing. I can't, I just can't. Archu should take my place." Mia told her.

Van sighed... "You don't have a valid reason. Mr Webster said if you're not interested then he'll pull out. It's either you fix this or you lose your job."

"What?! But why me?!" Mia couldn't believe Van was threatening to fire her.

"Maybe you should go ask him that. I'm not losing a potential client because of you." Van shook her head. "You're a good girl, just work things out with him. This is me begging."

Mia sighed sadly... "I'll try." Mia stood up, leaving the office.

She went straight to the front desk.

"Hey, what did Mrs Van say?" Danny asked her.

"Where is Ryan?" She in turn asked Danny.

"He's waiting in his car. Mia talk to me, is everything okay?" Danny asked again.

"I'll tell you later." Mia told her. She walked out of the building and spotted Ryan's Bentley. A bodyguard opened the door to the car for her and she thanked him.

"Hello Mia." Ryan smiled, watching her sit beside him.

Mia turned to him. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"What?" Ryan asked her.

"You know I can't work with you because I already quit, yet you still found a way to pin me."

"You quit because you were mad at me not because of anything else."

"I quit because you don't think I'm good enough for you. Why don't you find someone else?" Mia said to him.

"I don't want anyone else, I want you. You and you alone. If you want, I don't mind adding an extra five million for you to agree to work with me." Ryan told her.

Mia narrowed her eyes at him... "Do you think you can buy me? I'm not a thing you can order from a market Mr Webster." Mia frowned.

"I'm sorry for what happened yesterday and I promise not to stress you again. You were right, I wanted payback. I intentionally turned down all your proposals. That was foolish of me, can you forgive me?" Ryan said.

Mia turned her face away... "Can I forgive you? No. You cost me my health, you frustrated me, you mentally drained me, you-"

"I'm sorry Mia. I'm really sorry. You can't actually blame me for your health, we both know it's those pills you're -"

Mia turned sharply at him... "Let's not talk about my personal stuff, because it doesn't concern you."

Ryan frowned... "Have you stopped taking them?"

"That's not your problem anymore."

"It's my problem now because I know it's bad for your health." Ryan said to her.

"It's my body and you don't even know me." Mia glared at him.

"Mia stop being stubborn."

"We are here to talk business right? I don't see how my personal matter is related to it." Mia closed the drug topic.

"I want us to start again. I don't want to keep arguing with you. Let's forget everything."

"Really?" She folded her arms over her chest. "So then, Can I add a few more conditions to the contract?"

"Okay. If they are relevant though." Ryan relaxed against the seat.

"I get to pick most of the themes. Except business related topic, no other topic should ever be discussed, we should be strictly ethical and professional, under no circumstances would there be any 'in the heat of the moment' what I mean is; no perverted talks, no irrelevant closeness or touches including kisses and hugs." Mia stated her rules without breaking eye contacts with him.

Ryan moved closer to her and sighed... "These rules, do they apply to both of us or just me?" He asked her.

"Just you. God forbid I want you close to my skin." Mia said to him.

Ryan chuckled... "It didn't seem like that last night." Ryan smirked. "You were practically begging for my kiss, you can't deny that." He kept on smirking.

The smirk on his face irked Mia the more. "Think whatever you want. I don't care." Mia was glaring angrily at him.

"I know you care, I can see it in those eyes." He leaned closer to her face. Mia didn't turn away, she kept on looking at him as he inched forward.

"If there are two things I despise in men," she whispered close to his face. "Flirts and perverts. I'm warning you Mr Webster, if you cross me, I won't back down." She said to him. She was very pissed at the moment that she could slap his face.

"Excuse me." She turned away and reached for the door.

Ryan chuckled, leaning away.
"No need to panic, I won't break any conditions." He watched her leave, slamming the door shut. "I have one month to make you mine, you'll be mine." He said to himself with a corner smile.

Mia heaved... She had one month and she would never see his face ever again. She entered the building while Ryan's car drove off.

As soon as Mia entered the building, Danny asked, "So?" Danny was dying of curiosity.

"Plans crashed. I'm stuck with Ryan for a damn month." Mia groaned.

"Relax babe, one month is gonna pass so quickly."

"I really hope so. I can't believe Mrs V made me choose, my job against that arrogant bastard. As it is, I can't stand his presence." Mia said and facepalmed herself.

"Why? Because he reminds you of the kiss huh?" Danny wiggled her brows, teasing Mia.

"That I'll forever regret." Mia rolled her eyes.

"But, you know, Mr Webster is quite the hottie! I was starstruck that I couldn't get words out of my mouth the moment he said 'good morning, I am Ryan Webster.' God, I felt my brain go numb for some seconds, he's even more good looking in person. His sexy blue eyes, his wonderful scent, his pink lips, his god-like face, his-" Danny is instantly interrupted.

"Okay stop stop stop stop!" Mia stopped Danny, waving her hand carelessly at Danny's face. "Can you listen to yourself? You sound crazy."

"Mia that guy is fucking gorgeous. I don't see any reason how you can hate someone like him." Danny shook her head.

"He's a pervert, a per-ver-t." Mia stressed on the pervert word. She snapped her fingers at Danny, twice. "Better snap out of that thought of yours because you already have a boyfriend."

"Doesn't mean I can't admire God's creation?" Danny stuck a tongue at Mia.

"Well keep him, he's all yours." Mia placed her hands on her waist as she walked away.

Mia walked into her office space.

"Hey guys." She greeted the people she met in the office. They all acknowledged her presence.

"Hello Mia." Julia waved at Mia.

"How are you Julia?" Mia asked, walking to her seat.

"I'm fine. But you know I've missed you these days. You spend most of your time at Mi-Tech." Julia told her.

"Yeah, me too Julia. I missed you. I'm pretty sure that you'll be better than me soon and finally plan your own event by yourself." Mia told her.

"We all know that your skills is one of a kind and I'm no where close to you." Julia blushed.

"What do you mean? You're very good at what you do and you're a fast learner. You have so much potentials Julia." Mia said to her.

"If you say so." Julia smiled.

Mia turned to Archu who was busy with her laptop.

"Can I at least say hello?" Mia smiled at Archu.

Archu stayed silent for a while but spoke. "Don't think you're better than everyone because you got the best deal."

"You're mistaken, I don't think I'm better than anyone. I didn't want the Mi-Tech deal, they came to me." Mia said to Archu. "I turned down the deal, I even wanted you to replace me-"

Archu scoffed and turned to Mia. "Is that supposed to be my consolation?"

"No. I just don't want you thinking that I'm being favored over you. I had no hand in the Mi-Tech deal." Mia said to Archu.

"You really are something aren't you? You think I don't know that you used your body to get the deal? You seduced Mr Webster into choosing you for the contract, if not, why else would an even planner be given the role of an interior designer, tell me." Archu said coldly.

Mia gaped at what was being said to her.

"Silent I see... You should be ashamed of yourself. You think you're some God-sent saint? Well let me tell you, you're nothing but a cheap hooker who uses what she has for an advantage. You'd never be half my equal no matter how hard you try. I know the true you, I know who you are Mia Simpson and I know your dirty little secrets." Archu spoke with scorn and hate.

Mia was confused on why Archu insulted her, She had nothing to say to Archu. Their colleagues kept on looking at them, waiting for an intense drama.

Mia closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them she stood up.

"I have one thing to say to you. You hating me is fine, but once you step on my dignity, you cross the line. I don't back down from a fight and you don't want to pick a fight with me." Mia said to her.

Archu scoffed and asked, "Is that a threat?"

"I don't need to threaten you," Mia shook her head with a small smile. She leaned down to Archu's face, narrowing her eyes. "My fist speaks for me." Mia cracked her knuckles.

Julia and her partner gasped while others watched intently.

Archu wasn't moved at all, infact, she was smirking at Mia. "Are you done?" Archu asked her.

"Actually yes!" Mia stood erect. "Have a good day Archu." Mia gave her a fake wide smile before turning to the door. Mia made sure she didn't have any eye contact with anyone until she left the office.

Archu looked at the audience...
"Wasn't that spicy?" Archu chuckled. "Who knew darling Mia had this dark side?" Archu shrugged, turning back to her laptop.

Mia walked out of the building, trying to keep a tough face. Deep down, she was devastated over everything Archu said to her.
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Mia sat, resting her head against the window of the taxi. She kept exhaling and sighing. She was strong and she could handle everything, nothing could get to her, she always had situations under control but then she was feeling empty. Nothing could chance the fact that she has an empty space in her. She wasn't happy, she hated herself everyday, she pretended to be strong and confident but she was only putting up a deceiving front.

She was hurting that she couldn't be normal not after everything she'd been through in the past, yet she couldn't cry. Crying was for the weak, her mom once told her. Somethings she wondered how she kept her sanity in place and managed to fool everyone, even her best friends. Yes, she might have told Andrew the truth but not everything... She still had a lot of unfinished business with her past.

She needed fast relief from the pain she was feeling and so she opened her bag and took out her Benzodiazepines pills. It was the only thing that kept her calm and stable. She was an addict, what did it matter?! She opened up a bottle of water and swallowed one of the pills. She exhaled slower, feeling a bit relieved.

There was traffic, cars lined up, honking very loud. Mia faced the window at her side when she noticed that someone inside a black Audi beside her taxi, waving at her. She was sure the face was familiar but had no idea where she had seen it. She decided to wave back and then it clicked into her head... The guy from the movie? The celebrity guy!!

"Oh hi!!" Mia was excited, she stuck her head out the window as she waved back at him.

"Heyyyyy!" Alex waved, grinning at her...