MIA’S POV
I couldn’t believe my uncle had made such a decision without even
telling me. Of all people, why assign these stepbrothers to me?
Agh! the most hated one–Nathan.
The man I hated the most, the man I wanted to be as far away from as
possible-was now my so-called protector.
I spun around, hands on my hips, glaring at him. “You. Stay away from
me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t breathe near me. Don’t even exist in my
general vicinity.”
Nathan smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You wound me,
princess. What if I just want to keep you safe?”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. You didn’t care about my safety when you
were ruining my life.”
His smirk faltered for a brief second before returning, softer this time.
“I’m trying to fix that.”
I scoffed, turning on my heel. “Too little, too late.”
Ignoring him, I made my way down the city streets, enjoying the buzzing
energy around me. Shopping was the only therapy I needed right now,
and I wasn’t about to let some overgrown, regretful ex-bully ruin it for
me.
But of course, Nathan had other plans.
He followed. Everywhere.
I grabbed a dress from a boutique rack and held it up. He was still there.
I walked into a bakery, inhaling the sweet scent of fresh pastries. He was
still there.
I stopped to admire a perfume stand, spraying a tester on my wrist. And
yep-still there.
I turned abruptly, catching him off guard. “Are you seriously going to
follow me all day?”
Nathan leaned lazily against the perfume counter, acting as if he
belonged there. “That’s the job, princess.”
I faked a sweet smile. “Then you wouldn’t mind holding my shopping
bags, would you?”
He eyed the growing pile of bags in my hands and let out a dramatic sigh.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I beamed at him. “Oh, absolutely.”
With a defeated sigh, he took the bags from my hands. I almost laughed
at the ridiculous sight of him holding floral boutique bags, but I had
bigger plans in mind.
Time to lose him.
I took off, weaving through the crowds of the marketplace. I ducked into
a side alley, slipped through a back entrance of a store, then doubled
back through another exit.
A quick glance behind me-Nathan was gone.
Victory.
I smirked, brushing my hair back as I strutted down the street. “Nice try,
Nathan.”
I was free. Or so I thought.
Just as I turned the next corner, I bumped into something solid-a
warm, muscular, very familiar body.
I had done everything to shake Nathan off, yet here he was-standing in
front of me, smirking like he owned the damn world.
My stomach twisted, but I refused to acknowledge the strange heat
crawling up my spine. It was just frustration, nothing else.
Nathan smirked down at me, arms crossed. “Lose something, princess?”
I groaned, throwing my head back. Of all the people to run into, why
him?
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” My voice was flat, but inside, my mind
was screaming. How did he find me so fast? And why did he have to look
so damn pleased about it?
Nathan tapped his temple, his smirk deepening. “You really think you
can lose me that easily? Cute effort, though.”
I huffed, crossing my arms. “You are infuriating.”
And he was. Everything about him irritated me. The way he leaned
against the wall like he was posing for a magazine, the way his shirt
stretched over his annoyingly broad shoulders, the way his stupid, messy
hair fell over his forehead like he had just rolled out of bed-stop it, Mia!
I snapped myself out of whatever that was and focused on the important
part-I needed him gone.
Nathan winked. “And yet, you’re still blushing.”
I gasped, stepping back like he had physically slapped me. I was not
blushing! My cheeks were just… warm from all the running. Yes. That
was it.
“I am not!” I snapped, my voice a little too high-pitched.
Nathan chuckled, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “Mmm-hmm.
Keep telling yourself that.”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “I swear I will-”
Before I could finish, he casually lifted my shopping bags like a trophy.
“You forgot these.”
I snatched them from his hands, my fingers brushing against his for the
briefest second. My skin tingled, and I hated it.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, spinning on my heel. Why
did he always have to ruin everything?
Nathan’s voice followed me like an irritating echo. “Better luck next
time, princess.”
I stomped away, my mind racing with a million different thoughts. I
can’t keep letting him get under my skin like this. I need a new plan. A
better plan.
One that involved losing him for good.
Nathan was like a bad dream that refused to fade. No matter how fast I
walked, how many times I turned the corner, he was always there. His
presence was suffocating. Every time I glanced over my shoulder, he was
right behind me, hands in his pockets, smirking like he owned the air I
breathed.
I was done.
I needed to lose him.
As I reached the shopping mall’s washroom, I spun around, blocking his
path. “You wait here,” I pointed a finger at him, standing my ground.
“Men aren’t allowed inside.”
Nathan arched a brow, looking far too entertained. “Mia-”
I cut him off, wagging my index finger at his face. “No excuses. Wait.
Here.”
His lips curled into a slow smirk. “You really like bossing me around,
don’t you?”
I narrowed my eyes, tapping my foot. “Yes. Now stay put.”
Nathan leaned down, his breath fanning my ear. “You know, princess, if
you keep teasing me like this, I might just have to do something about
it.”
Heat crawled up my spine, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. I
rolled my eyes, masking the way my pulse quickened. “Gross. Stay.”
I stepped inside the restroom and locked the stall door behind me.
This is my chance.
I glanced at the small window above the sink. It was tiny, but I could
squeeze through. Without hesitation, I climbed onto the sink, gripping
the ledge and slipping out. My heart raced as my feet hit the ground.
I took off running.
Nathan was going to lose his mind.
By the time I reached home, I was grinning like an idiot. Finally-I had
done it.
Or so I thought.
As I stepped onto the porch, something felt… off. My skin prickled,
sensing a presence behind me.
I turned just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.
Nathan.
My stomach dropped.
He smirked, arms crossed, looking smug. “Did you really think you could
lose me, princess?”
I groaned, shoving past him. “I swear to the goddess, you’re worse than
a cockroach.”
Nathan chuckled, matching my pace. “And yet, you keep running.
Almost like you enjoy the chase.”
I whirled around, jabbing a finger at his chest. “You? Are not my problem
anymore. And I’m about to make sure of that.”
Without another word, I stormed inside.
My uncle and Damon were deep in conversation, but I didn’t care. I
slammed the door open, making them both look up.
“Revoke it,” I demanded, my voice firm.
My uncle sighed, rubbing his temples. “Mia-”
“No,” I cut him off, standing tall. “I don’t need them following me
around like lost puppies. I can protect myself.”
Damon crossed his arms. “You were attacked by rogues, Mia. You expect
us to just let you roam around alone?”
I clenched my fists. “I was handling it just fine.”
Nathan entered the room behind me, leaning against the wall. “Yeah,
because nearly getting torn apart was totally ‘fine.'”
I shot him a glare. “No one asked you.”
Uncle sighed heavily, as I was hoping any minute he will revoke his
decision, but then he asked Nathan, “Can you give us 10 minutes to
talk?”
Nathan nodded his head and walked out of the room. Uncle turned back
his gaze to me.
His face was unreadable; I can’t say whether he agreed with my decision
or not. “Mia, this is final. You’re keeping the protection.”
Rage bubbled inside me. I let out a cold laugh, shaking my head. “You’re
really going to force this? Even knowing what they did to me?”
Silence.
Damon’s expression didn’t change. My uncle exhaled through his nose.
I froze, a sickening realization hitting me.
They knew.
Damon. My uncle. The people I trusted, the people who took me in, who
gave me a new home. They knew everything. They knew what those
bastards had done to me, how they had ruined me, broken me into pieces
I could barely put back together.
And yet, they still assigned them as my guards.
I felt sick.
A cold laugh slipped from my lips, bitter and sharp like a blade. “You
already knew… didn’t you?”
Silence.
Not a single word.
Damon’s jaw tensed, my uncle exhaled through his nose. Neither of them
looked surprised. Because they weren’t.
My chest tightened, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my
throat.
I stepped back, my voice shaking with fury. “You knew… and you still let
them near me?”
Damon’s expression didn’t waver. “Mia, it’s not that simple.”
I barked out a short, humorless laugh, shaking my head. “No. It is
simple. You chose them over me.”