Mia froze for half a second, then whipped her head toward him.
“Mr. Graves, let me out,” she snapped. “I’ll go on my own!”
Alexander’s jaw flexed hard. A muscle ticked near his temple.
He didn’t answer her.
Instead, he turned forward, slammed his foot down on the gas, and spun the car back onto the main road. The engine roared as the car surged ahead, swallowing the silence between them.
The rest of the drive passed in suffocating quiet.
When the car stopped outside the Italian restaurant, Mia didn’t wait even a second. She shoved the door open and stepped out first, moving away from the car as if she couldn’t put enough distance between them fast enough.
The place wasn’t fancy—just a modest restaurant with warm lighting and simple, cozy décor. The kind of place Alexander would normally never step into.
Mia headed straight inside.
Alexander stayed in the car for a moment, watching her back disappear through the entrance. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled sharply before finally getting out and following her.
She didn’t look back.
At the reception counter, Mia spoke quickly. “Has the team from Kayla Corporation arrived?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the receptionist replied. “They’ve reserved a private room. Please follow me.”
Mia nodded and immediately followed, her steps fast and stiff. Alexander walked behind her in silence.
She quickened her pace, wanting to enter the room before him.
She pushed the door open and froze.
Almost everyone from the office was already seated.
Heat rushed to her face, her cheeks burning bright red as she stood there stiffly.
“Mia!” Freddie noticed her right away and waved. “Finally! You took so long—I thought you’d reach before us.”
Mia’s mind scrambled. Her lips parted, then closed again. After a second of awkward silence, she said weakly, “There was… traffic.”
It didn’t make sense, but no one questioned it.
Alexander entered behind her.
The shift was instant. Every gaze in the room snapped from Mia to him.
“Mr. Graves is here,” the manager, Irvin, said hurriedly, rushing forward to pull out a chair at the head of the table. “Please, sit.”
People near the head immediately moved aside, clearly startled by his presence.
Alexander ignored the chair completely.
His eyes followed Mia as she walked to an empty seat and quietly sat down. Without a word, he changed direction and took the empty chair right beside her.
Silence rippled through the room.
No one spoke.
Mia felt every pair of eyes on her. Her fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the table as she lowered her gaze to the water glass in front of her, pretending not to notice the attention.
