She paused, eyes flicking down to her hands in her lap. Softly, almost to herself, she added, “I don’t work because I’m poor. I work because… what else am I supposed to do?”
Ellie blinked, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Sit at home? Go shopping? Watch movies? Isn’t that better than doing a boring job you don’t even like?” She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “And if you really have nothing to do, come to me every day. I have so much to do—I swear, twenty-four hours are never enough to have fun.”
Mia pressed her lips together tightly, staring down at her folded hands. She didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
She didn’t want to tell them the truth—that she was scared. That she wasn’t living with Alexander anymore. That she didn’t have a home to return to.
She worked because without work, she had nothing.
She didn’t tell them that all this money felt wrong, because none of it was truly hers.
Her fingers curled slowly in her lap as she clenched them, holding onto thoughts she couldn’t speak aloud. All this money belonged either to Alexander or the Stark family, and it felt wrong to accept it. If she and Alexander truly separated, she would have nowhere to go.
She didn’t want to become a burden on the Starks—especially when they had always treated her with nothing but kindness.
Mia pushed the card back toward Sawyer, her fingers firm this time. Then she lifted her gaze and looked at all three of them, her expression calm but resolute.
“If I need money, I’ll let you all know,” she said evenly. “You guys are my family. Of course I’ll come to you. But right now, I really don’t need it. I already have money.”
She paused, then added lightly, almost dismissively, as if trying to brush the matter aside, “I just go to work for fun. Nothing else.”
She lifted her hand in a small, casual gesture, signaling the end of the discussion.
The tension on Liana’s face eased slightly. Her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded slowly, relief softening her features.
“Alright then,” she said. “If that’s what you like, then that’s another story.” Her tone gentled. “But if you ever need anything, you call me immediately. I don’t want to hear that our child is suffering quietly.”
“Mhmm, thank you, Aunt Liana,” Mia replied obediently, dipping her head slightly.
Liana smiled at her warmly.
After that, breakfast ended quickly. Chairs shifted back, plates were cleared. Ellie and Sawyer left together for a business party, and Liana had to attend an urgent meeting scheduled months ago. She invited Mia to go along, but Mia declined, saying she wanted to rest. Liana hesitated for a moment, then nodded and didn’t insist.
By afternoon, the house had grown quiet.
Mia had just finished lunch when her phone buzzed softly on the table.
Alexander.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a brief second before she finally picked it up. The moment she lifted the phone to her ear, his voice came through.
“What are you doing?”
The question caught her slightly off guard. She glanced down at the table, then answered quietly, “Lunch.”
Silence followed.
It stretched between them—awkward, heavy—but Mia didn’t fill it. She sat still, phone pressed to her ear, listening to his breathing on the other end. Then, after a moment, Alexander spoke again. His voice was lower now, softer, carrying something hesitant beneath it.
“I’m missing you at home.”
Mia’s heart dipped sharply.
Her body went stiff, heat rushing up her neck as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. She tightened her grip on the phone, staring at nothing as the words echoed inside her chest.
She stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. “I’ll hang up now.”
There was another pause.
