“Have lunch with me,” he said, voice low and steady, almost like a statement rather than a request.
“I won’t. I don’t have time,” Mia shot back instantly.
Alexander tilted his head slightly, a faint crease forming between his brows—not anger, just the irritation of a man who wasn’t used to being refused.
“If that’s your answer,” he said, his tone dropping, “then I’ll be in your office every day until you say yes.”
“I’m not going to say yes, Mr. Graves! Please go home.” Mia grabbed her purse with a tight jaw and turned toward the door.
His voice hardened, stripped of the earlier amusement. His voice turned cold, the easy tone gone. “If you say no today, I’ll be back tomorrow. And the day after. And every damn day after that, right here in front of every single one of your colleagues, until you finally say yes.”
Mia’s fingers tightened around her purse strap, knuckles going pale. She drew in a deep breath, then turned back to face him with visible frustration.
“Mr. Graves, we aren’t together anymore. You need to stop acting like this,” she said firmly, standing straight, her voice steady even though her hands weren’t. “You clearly don’t love me. And I’m not interested in finding out what motive you had for trapping me in this marriage. You’re rich and powerful. You can do anything you want, but I don’t want to be a prize you grabbed just to beat another man.”
Alexander didn’t blink. His expression didn’t shift, not even a twitch.
“I don’t want anything except you. By now you should know that.” His brows lifted slightly, his gaze pinning her in place. “I’m the only man you have, and the only man you’re going to build a life with. So your only real option is to come home with me now, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
He stepped closer again, the broad line of his shoulders tightening before easing only a fraction to show something fragile beneath it. His voice dropped lower—almost pleading.
“Don’t be angry with me, Mia.”
But Mia moved back immediately, her breath uneven, her heart thudding painfully.
“I won’t. I’m leaving you for lying to me. And I’m never coming back!”
Alexander’s eyes froze for a moment but it was enough to show a crack beneath the sharp surface.
“We’ll see about that,” he said finally. His voice quiet, controlled.
He turned away from her, his shoulders stiff, the tension in his body obvious even from behind. His gaze shifted to the bag he’d placed on the table earlier. He picked it up, then held it out toward her.
“Eat this,” he said, his voice low and firm. “You always skip breakfast. Did you even eat today?”
Mia didn’t answer.
Without another word, he reached for her hand, his grip warm as he wrapped his fingers around hers. He lifted her palm and slid the handle of the bag into it, making sure she held it.
Then he turned and walked out of the meeting room.
The door clicked shut behind him.
The moment he left, Mia let out a shaky breath. Her hands trembled as she looked inside the bag. A neatly packed breakfast—sandwiches, juice, small snacks.
All her favorites. Everything he used to watch her eat.
She slammed the bag back onto the table, untouched, and strode out of the room before her emotions could swallow her whole.
By afternoon, Mia had forced her mind back into work. Emails, calls, errands—her tasks piled up so fast she barely had timeto think, and exhaustion settled into her bones. At lunchtime, she finally stepped out of the office building, relieved to breathe fresh air.
She walked toward the crosswalk with one of her coworkers, Steve, planning to grab a quick lunch across the street.
But the moment she stepped outside—
She froze.
Alexander was standing on the street, waiting beside his car.
