CHAAPTER ELEVEN
Alex sat in his office, remembering his own words. He had told her to get ready for it, but he wouldn’t, at any cost, force her for this because that wasn’t his fault. Of course, he had his own twisted ways to get the work done, but forcing someone didn’t sit well with him.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He allowed the person to enter, and George came in with a file in his hands.
“Sir, your signatures are needed on these papers,” George informed, keeping the file in front of him and standing patiently.
Alex glanced at the papers, read them first, and then signed before handing them back to George.
“Is Ella taken care of?” he asked, and George fumbled, trying to form an answer.
“Sir, she is threatening to pull a publicity stunt. Didn’t give the details but left with a warning and a very pissed-off mood.” George kept looking at his boss’s face with nervousness.
“Such a nuisance,” Alex sighed, shaking his head, and dismissed George with a wave of his hand. George sighed in relief and left before Alex could change his mind.
Alex hated nuisances, and Ella was turning out to be just that.
Mia was lying on the couch watching television when she heard some commotion from outside. She sat up and lowered the volume to hear properly. Her eyes widened as she realised who it was rather than what it was. Jumping off the couch, she ran outside and, as expected, saw Chloe arguing with the guard.
She slapped her forehead and ran towards them.
“How dare you stop me from going inside? And what is this? A president’s mansion? Listen, I’m telling you, let me go inside, or else it won’t be good for you,” Chloe warned the guard, who looked tired of making her stay.
“Chloe,” Mia waved from far away, taking hurried steps towards them.
Both Chloe and the guard sighed in relief but for different reasons.
“Finally. Thank God you’re here. Now tell him to let me in,” Chloe glared at the guard, who ignored her and looked at Mia.
“Ma’am, please ask her to leave. Sir has strictly asked me not to let anyone in except Mr. Mark, and she isn’t understanding,” he said. Chloe fumed more, but Mia came to the poor man’s rescue.
“But she isn’t anyone. She’s my best friend, sir. Please let her in, and I’ll inform your boss about it. I promise you won’t lose your job,” Mia requested. The guard looked taken aback as she called him “sir.”
He couldn’t believe that someone had called him with respect in his thirty years of service, and it was this girl who had just met him for the first time.
“Sir?” Mia called him, and he came out of his trance.
Her hopeful eyes were enough for him to smile warmly and nod his head at her. Mia gleed happily and pulled Chloe in, thanking the guard continuously.
As they turned back to leave, he called her from behind. “You don’t need to call me sir. Just uncle will do,” he said with a smile, and Mia smiled back, nodding her head.
“And you don’t need to call me ma’am. Just Mia will do,” she recited the same thing, giggling and running inside with Chloe while the old man chuckled lightly.
He was happy that he saw some life coming to this mansion.
Inside, Chloe huffed, sitting on the couch, and Mia brought her a glass of water. She glanced at Mia with a frown and picked up the glass.
“Why am I not like you?” she whined, and Mia rolled her eyes, knowing this was coming. She was the same back then at the orphanage when she used to converse with any kid, and Chloe used to whine afterward for not having such skills.
“Because you are different,” Mia shrugged with the same answer she usually gave, and both ended up having a good laugh.
“Okay, on a serious note, what happened about that IVF treatment?” Chloe asked, turning serious, and Mia sighed, knowing she had to tell her the truth.
“The results came out negative,” she blurted out with a sigh, and Chloe looked at her with wide eyes.
“So that means you’ll have to do it?” Chloe asked, and Mia just nodded in reply.
She knew Chloe was on the verge of losing her calm, and saying anything would lead to more disaster.
“What were you thinking while signing such a contract, Mia? Dammit!” Chloe growled in anger, and Mia didn’t dare look up at her.
“Look at me, Mia,” she demanded, and Mia slowly looked at her and smiled meekly, but Chloe wasn’t having it as she glared in return, making Mia sigh.
“Okay, I know I shouldn’t have agreed and signed such a contract, but at that time, I had no other option, Chloe,” she began.
“You know, right? I had been trying to convince the doctor since then, but he wasn’t ready to listen. Mr. Ian made one call, and the doctor hasn’t shown his face ever since.”
“In a way, I am grateful to him for helping me protect my orphanage, and I have to pay the price for it, be it in any way,” Mia completed and stared at her for some reaction, but Chloe gave only a blank look.
All of a sudden, she hugged Mia tightly, which startled her, but she quickly composed herself and reciprocated the hug.
“You should know that I’m with you in whatever decision you take, even if it pisses me off,” Chloe grumbled in the hug, and Mia just chuckled.
“I know,” was her only reply as she smiled to herself.
Alex freshened up and walked out of the bathroom when he saw Mia on his bed again, but this time, she was fully awake.
“What is it?” he asked, looking at her, and she stared straight into his eyes.
“I’m ready,” she announced without any hesitation or nervousness in her voice, and Alex couldn’t comprehend, even by looking into her eyes, if she was afraid or not.