mother, the only person she had to lean on, had passed away on her birthday.
She should have known better. Someone like her, cursed with bad luck, was never going to stumble into a fairytale ending. A chance meeting wouldn’t lead a wealthy heir to fall for her, let alone marry her.
It all made sense now.
She was nothing more than a stand-in.
“Why are you crying? Seriously, is this worth crying about?” Jenna scoffed, a mocking tone in her voice. “Xena is only staying for a couple of days, and here you are acting all pitiful. Mia, you’re so petty!”
Mia quickly shook her head. “No, this has nothing to do with Miss Quinn…”
But before she could finish, Xena’s eyes reddened, and she interjected softly, “Forget it. I’ll leave. I don’t want to cause any strain on your marriage because of me.”
A dark cloud immediately settled over Nick’s face.
“You’re not leaving,” he said, stepping in front of Xena. His tone was commanding, leaving no room for argument. “I make the decisions in this house! Uncle Jacob, take her luggage upstairs!”
The driver hesitated, glancing uneasily at Mia. He didn’t move.
Nick noticed and turned his sharp gaze toward Mia.
“Do you have a problem with this?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with warning, like a predator cornering its prey.
Mia shook her head again, her eyes reddening as she forced a smile. “No, I don’t have a problem. Miss Quinn is more than welcome to stay here.”
No problem at all.
Why would she have a problem?
Someone who was about to leave for good had no right to care.
She would step down gracefully, give up her place, and disappear forever—never to return.
