pte

er gaze swept across the space, cold and assessing, before landing on the woman lounging on the couch. Mia's eyeb

e had just walked off the set of some over-the-top fashion shoot, her glittering gown clinging to every curve, leaving very little to the imagination. S

sharply, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. She didn'

n bother to acknowledge the question. Instead, she turned her attention back to her glass, lifting it

e tilted her head slightly, her tone colder now. "I

nly seemed to deepen. "You must be Mia," she said smoothly, her v

together what she didn't want to admit. This woman wasn't here by accident. She wasn't some stranger who'd wandered in

something like this.

doubt creeping through Mia's expression. "It's good to finally meet you," she said,

, her voice unwavering. "I don't know who you think you are or why you're

. His footsteps faltered when he spotted Mia standing there. His express

ke a child caught sneaking meat from the pot of hot stew. His t

nt. "Oh, I see," she said, her voice dripping with sarcas

sponse. "It's not what you think," he said quickly, his words tumbling o

," she muttered under her breath, her words biting. She glanced back at the woman on the couch, who still sat the

nto their home, the same house he had shared with her late mother? It was disrespectful. No, it was disgusting. Did

e space. "Mia, I....." he started, but she cut him off w

oman. "And you. Sitting here like this is normal, like you belong here." She

ia's glare. "Oh, darling," she said smoothly, her tone dripp

stop it." Ethan said

uriating. But Mia refused to let her see how much it hurt. She wouldn't give her the sati

her voice cutting through the room like gla

ng on Mia's nerves. "We'll see about that,

e stairs. Her steps were firm, deliberate, each one fueled by the simmering anger and bet

father, she was told he was out. She nodded before walking to her room to meet