Xander’s POV
Friends 11 be damned before I ever considered Mia a friend. In the past, the was merely a tool to fulfill my sellinh desires, but with time. Mia became more than just a tool, and it was only after the disappeared that I realized it.
I couldn’t quite place a finger on the proper term but what I felt for Mia was something stronger than what friends should feel for each other. It was different from what I’ve ever felt and it took her absence to unveil those feelings.
I stormed out of the grand hall, attempting to conceal my growing irritation as the paparazzi swarmed around me, cameras flashing and clicking wildly as they clamored for a statement. The bouncers struggled to keep them at bay, forming a barrier between me and the frenzied media.
As I made my way to the parking lot, my chauffeur sprang into action, starting the car. I settled into the backseat, but my mind was elsewhere. The image of Mia lingered, haunting me. I pictured her in the man’s arms, their bodies entwined, and a pang of unease shot through me.
Sering Mia again unleashed all the proof that I needed, watching her walk away with a man, probably locked in his arms already as he swayed her in a dance, made my heart leap with jealousy.
I tugged at my tie, feeling constricted, and gazed blankly into space, unable to shake off the unsettling vision.
But one question lingered in my mind, why had she returned now after shutting everyone off for four years? Why did the stay away! all these years just to come back now with a memory loss!
One thing was palpable, amidst my confusion: Mia’s return and launch of Amor Luxe just around the same time as M&S construction was not a coincidence.
Restless. I grabbed my phone and dialed Sam, my private investigator.
“Mia Walton, I want everything on her from the past four years. Every move, every incident, every damn thing you can lay your hands on. I need them as soon as possible”
Without waiting for a response. I ended the call but I was still on edge.
“Stop the car,” I ordered Hubert “Til drive”
At a quick pace, we had switched. From the rearview mirror, I noticed Hubert’s gaze avoiding mine. He was used to situations like this, driving was my own way of easing stress, and he knew it,
My grip tightened around the steering wheel as I roared the car back to life and continued the journey.
Mia had changed, so dangerously and so excitingly. Knowing she was alive and well was one thing I was grateful for but it was all too much to take in at a go.
It has been four whole years, and all of a sudden, she’s Walton’s missing daughter and CEO of a promising jewelry company. What the hell happened to her? And most importantly, who was he? The lanky dude she referred to as babe.
I parked the car roughly and left the rest for Hubert as I climbed out.
“Um… Mr Schaeffer?” Hubert hesitated, cowering at my rigid demeanor. “Didn’t Miss. Irene accompany you to the party?”
Impulsively, my gaze darted to my sides, and I realized that truly Irene hadn’t departed with us. She had left for the restroom and I hadn’t seen her ever since.
“Take the car back and pick her up
I made my way into my company, ignoring every word of greeting that followed from my workers.
“Is it true? Is Mia really the big CEO of Amor Luxe and the long–lost daughter of the Waltons?” Brett’s eyes were almost bulging out.
I wasn’t a fool to not luve known that the news would circulate pretty fast even though the briefing was yet to be published.
I slammed the door to my office and completely got rid of my tie, easing the pressure in my chest. Brett hovered around me, desperate for an answer he already had
“Yes, Brett. You heard right”
B
Chapter 14
“But how? What happened?” The exp
expression on his face was similar to the one on mine when Mia first walked out.
I went behind my desk and plopped on my seat, heaving a hard sigh.
I’m just as curious as you,” I flashed him an irritated look
“But something doesn’t add up. I think Mia came back with a purpose.
Brett pulled out a seat, leaning towards me. “You think she’s lying about losing her memory, and the Waltons are helping her?”
I nodded. It was a hunch but not impossible in the grand scheme of things. If I figured out her actual reason for returning, then I would know what she was up to.
As Brett started to speak again, my eyes flicked toward the balcony where an unfamiliar woman stood, quietly vacuuming the floor.
“Who is that?” I asked him.
He followed my gaze, “Oh, she’s the new cleaner.
“Your” I signaled to her. “Leave.”
She quickly gathered her cleaning supplies and scurried out of the room.
“So what are we going to do?” Brett asked.
I already have Sam looking into it.”
He nodded. “Were you able to identify the top businesses behind Amor Luxe?”
After seeing Mia again, my purpose for attending the function disappeared completely. I was supposed to gather a list for Brett and have him bring a better offer to them that would have them withdraw their support from Amor Luxe.
But that was before I found out that my ex–wife was my competitor. The big opponent I had looked forward to meeting was Mia, my ex- wife who was obsessed with me.
“You know what, I’ll just review the event details once the videography is released online, I can fish them out that way, Brett brushed off my silence. “By the way. I noticed that Mia’s profile has been uploaded, but there is some missing information. For instance, her marital status was recorded as single, not divorced.”
Brett passed me the tab and I peered into it, scrolling through the pages with a grimace on my face.
He was right. In Mia’s profile, her life was completely altered. There was no mention of our marriage or her time with Schaeffer; her birthdate was different, too, and her last name right from the beginning was Walton- as though they never lost her.
The article portrayed her life as perfect, leaving aside her struggle growing up. Was this what she really wanted? To cut out her past like it never existed? The accident was mentioned, and her memory loss was emphasized, but nothing about the pregnancy.
I wondered if she was aware of these changes Was Mia really doing all of these to get back at me? Or did she really lose all the memories of her past and thought it was best to abandon them?
“If she’s truly back with a motive, then we should strike before she gets the chance. With Amor Luxe getting this much attention just after its construction, M&S wouldn’t stand a chance,” Brett said. “But why do you think she’s doing this? Could it be because of the divorce?”
It was a known fact that Mia had been head over heels in love with me and was completely shattered after the divorce but was that enough reason for her to put me up as a rival first thing after her recuperation?
Mia had been such an open book and that always kept me on edge. Now, my anxiety was becoming a reality, but I needed Sam’s report to prove me right or wrong.
Rather than alert, I looked forward to seeing Mia’s strategy in action. Just the thought of it was exciting, but one thing was certain: getting rid of me wouldn’t be an easy job for her. I would make sure of it
Brett continued, “She must still be upset about the divorce, you know how obsessed she was with you”
“That might be the case,” I shrugged, nonchalant
“Then we shouldn’t take it lightly. With the Waltons backing her up. Mia has attained a lot of power. We should pull her down before it supersedes ours.
Chapter 14
He was right, but breaking Mia before she even acted was no fun, and the impact might make her disappear again with our child. I can’t lose them again. At least, not until I found out where she was hiding him or her.
“Should I prepare a meeting and give the order?” Brent asked.
“No,” my voice was thick with refusal. “No one must threaten or touch a strand of hair on her head.
“What about Schaeffer’s? If there’s one person who knows the companies in and out, it’s Mia”
“Not with a memory loss,” I stood up, brushing off the conversation.
Brett was persistent. I knew he meant well but my mind was already made up.
“What if it’s part of her plan? What if there’s no memory loss?”
Then she can go ahead and try. I was tempted to say but instead, with a stoic expression, I uttered.
“Mia must not get hurt. Until I say otherwise, nothing should be done to her. It’s an order.
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