If she ran right now—just turned and bolted for the door–then that would either make her look bguilty /bbor /bconfirm the exact bifiing /bAlex to moni asked.

    bIf /bshe told the truth… they might take Aiden away from her.

    Her mind was racing so fast she could barely hold onto one thought before another came crashing in.

    This was not how she wanted it to go, if at all she was going to tell Alex about Aiden. Not like this…

    It’s supposed to be on her terms. When she is ready. When Aiden is ready. When she will be sure there would be no danger, nd suddenwyers at bher /bdoor, no custody battles that would tear her son apart.

    Not like this.

    Not because of a cornered conversation in apany she has no business being in…

    Her stomach twisted.

    Herst option was to lie.

    Her legs felt weak as she slowly turned to face Esther ckwell again.

    Her heart wasn’t just pounding now,

    , it was

    s banging against her ribs so hard it felt like it might burst right through her chest.

    Her throat felt dry.

    “No,” Mia said, forcing the words out even though they felt like sandpaper. “Alex is not his father.”

    The lie tasted bitter in her mouth, like she had just swallowed something rotten. But she had to say it.

    She had no choice.

    Esther didn’t react right away. She just kept staring, her eyes sharp, unreadable, giving away nothing. Not a flicker of surprise. Not even a blink.

    She clearly didn’t believe her and Mia was seconds away from panicking..

    The woman had changed so much. Thest time Mia had seen herb, /bshe had been standing in the middle of Alex’s living room, watching Mia like ba /bthief.

    Back then, Mia had been too shy to even meet her eyes, mumbling polite answers and keeping her head down.

    She had heard plenty about Esther ckwell before meeting her…stories that painted her as strong, kind. But now… she looked different. Colder.

    Like mother, like son, Mia thought before quickly pushing the thought away.

    This had been a terrible idea. Coming back? Pure insanity.

    She needed to leave. Today. Right now. And never look back.

    Mia bowed slightly, her voice steady only because she forced it to be. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. ckwell.”

    Esther’s reply was calm, almost too calm. “See you tomorrow, Miss Rivers.”

    Mia froze. Her head lifted slowly.

    “You’re… not firing me?” she asked carefully, her voice small.

    b1/4 /b

    bDid /bbyou /bbdo /bbanything /bbthat /bbshould /bbget /byou fired?” Esther asked bback/bb, /bher btone /balmost like a challenge

    Mia hesitatedb. /bb“/bbNo/bb,/bb” /bbshe /bsaid softly, shaking her head.

    “bI /bjust bthought–/bb” /bShe bstopped/b, unsure how to say it without making things worse.

    b*/bBecause you’re my son’s ex?” Esther finished bluntly.

    Mia’s lips pressed together. She didn’t answer, but her silence said enough.

    “This is a workce, Miss Rivers,” Esther continued, her voice firm but even. “Although I should put your past with my son into consideration when deciding whether to let you work in hispany…But I’m going to trust you have no bad intentionsing here. Can f trust you on that, Miss Rivers?

    ?

    Mia’s eyes widened. She nodded quickly. “I swear, I have no bad intentions at all.”

    Esther studied her for another long second before giving the smallest nod.

    “You are good at your job so far. I have noints. So, I see no reason to fire you…just yet.” She leaned back slightly. “But I do have a bquestion/bb. /b

    Mia’s stomach dropped.

    Her heart started pounding again, so loud she could almost hear it in her ears.

    “Did you hurt my son on purpose? I just need one word. Yes bor /bbno? /b

    “No,” Mia said without hesitation.

    Esther nodded once, almost bto /bherself. “See you tomorrow, Miss Rivers. And onest thing..don’t let anyone push you around here. Everyone is employed just like you. Doing their jobs is what we pay them for.”

    Mia’s eyes widened slightly. She was clearly talking about the workers who had dumped their work on her earlier.

    She knew?

    Of course she knew.

    Well, today had been Christmas for them, their holiday is over starting tomorrowb, /bnobody will be dumping their work on her again.

    She wasn’t going to be anyone’s pushover- not ever again.

    “Thank you, ma’am,” Mia said quietly.

    She turned and walked out.

    She didn’t know how to feel about how today had turned out.

    Was she supposed to be relieved? Excited? Or… suspicious?

    Her mind kept reying every second of her conversation with Esther ckwell.

    The way the woman’s gaze had locked on her like she could see straight through her skin, straight into the thoughts Mia was trying bto /bhide.

    And then those words.

    Did you hurt my son on purpose?

    Why… Why would she think that?

    As how?

    bChapter /bb199 /b

    bHurt /bbAlex/b? The bthought /bbmade /bbher /balmostugh out loud, bexcept /bnothing about bthis /bwas funny

    bAlex /bwas bthe /bone who had hurt her. Not just once. He had torn her apart in a way that had left sears she still carried yearster

    Unless…unless there were holes in the story.

    Holes bthat /bmeant what she thought had happened… maybe wasn’t the full truth.

    I mean she has been having doubts since she heard Alex had cut ties with his father long ago….

    Her chest tightened.

    Could it be false? Could the version she had lived with all these years be lies.

    Mia had no idea what to believe anymore.

    How could she possibly have hurt Alex? Though…..She was the one who had been targeted by that evil man for the simple crime of being with bhis /bsort

    Her hands stilled over her desk.

    “Mia, stop,” she whispered to herself. But the thoughts were already fighting inside her.

    Alex’s mom seems to think she had hurt Alex. What in the freaking hell happened after she left Willowcrest?

    Wait…

    What if… they had lied about her to Alex?

    What if Charles ckwell had gone to his son and twisted everything? What if he had spun some neat little story to make her the viin, the girl bwho /bbetrayed him, just like he had lied to her about Alex getting married to Zoe?

    Her pulse was racing now.

    She let out a tired sigh

    If Alex had truly loved her and had no idea what his father did to them that night…surely he would have found out what his father did to her.

    He would have gone to her house and asked what happened, investigate her sudden disappearance…Surely he would have looked for her..

    Right?

    vestigate

    But no.

    No.

    He had moved away. He had built his perfect life without her. Climbed his way to the top, made himself into the untouchable CEO of a multi–billion enterprise, the golden ison /iof the ckwell empire.

    And all the while he hadpletely erased her from his world.

    Forgot she even existed.

    She bent down to shove some papers into her bag, more forcefully than necessary. Her hands were shaking.

    Because the truth she didn’t want to face was right there…..cold and unwavering.

    While she had spent years telling herself she didn’t love him anymore, while she had begged her heart to ept the reality that bthey /bbwere /bbover/bb, /bbshe /bbhad /bbeen lying to herself.

    b3/4 /b

    Chapter b199 /b

    bEvery /bbday/b,

    bEvery /bbsteepless /bnight when her mind wandered back to him.

    Every moment she taught herself wondering if he was happy, wondering if he thought of her at all.

    She bhad /blied.

    She had told herself she had moved on, that she was free of him. But her heart… her stupid, stubborn heart… had bnever /breally let bgo/b.

    And it never would.

    The truth was ugly and bitter—she had loved him. She had loved him in a way that consumed her.

    And in the end… she had been the only one who loved.

    The only one who cared.

    The only one who got hurt.

    Over.

    And over.

    And over again.

    Alex ckwell… never loved her.