Chapter 257
Chapter 257
“Thank you again, Mia,” Esther said gently.
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They were both sitting on cushioned chairs facing the open night on one of the balconies. Esther had turned her body slightly toward Mia, her eyes never leaving her.
Mia only nodded at first. She wasn’t good with these kinds of words…gratitude, emotions with someone she barely knows.
But she understood what Esther meant.
“I mean it,” Esther added, her eyes softening, her hands resting together on her lap. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
Mia nodded again, quietly this time, her gaze falling to her hands. She didn’t know how to respond.
She was grateful she had saved her. She really was.
Different thoughts still linger in her mind…. What if she had not come here? What if she hadn’t gotten on that plane? Would Esther have died?
It almost felt like the universe had moved its pieces deliberately, like it had chosen the exact moment to push her into this place.
She swallowed and glanced at Esther, who was watching her with a kind smile. “Honestly… I had to do it,” Mia said, her voice quiet but steady. “Even though I was afraid of what your reaction would be, I knew if I didn’t… the guilt would’ve haunted me forever.” A small smile tugged at her lips.
Esther’s smile deepened. “You have a kind heart, Mia.”
Mia returned the smile, a soft one, the kind that didn’t need words.
“You saved my life and…” Esther’s voice thickened with emotion, “…you also gave me a grandchild. You have no idea what I would do for you, Mia.”
Mia chuckled softly, ducking her head. She has no response for such gratitude.
“Thank you, Mia.”
“Yeah,” Mia said quietly, not really knowing how else to respond.
Silence settled between them for a few moments. It wasn’t uncomfortable, they were both just lost in their own thoughts.
Esther cleared her throat gently. “I have two requests to ask of you.”
Mia blinked, pulling herself back to reality. “What?” she asked cautiously.
“Come back to the company,” Esther said, her tone calm but firm.
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Chapter 257
Mia shook her head almost immediately. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
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Esther gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, I know. You don’t really need to work anymore…… Alex would buy you the clouds if he could.”
Mia paused, her lips twitching into a nervous chuckle. “That’s not what I meant.”
Esther laughed, her eyes crinkling with the sound. “Relax, I was joking. But seriously, come back to work.”
Mia hesitated, chewing on her lip, then finally smiled faintly.
She nodded. “You know what… I think I will.”
Esther’s eyes brightened. “Good. I can give you a promotion if you want, or maybe another department, or maybe even work close to Alex.”
“What? No, no…” Mia said quickly, almost panicked, waving her hands. “My former position is fine.”
Esther laughed heartily, the sound filling the balcony. “Good,” she said, settling back in her chair. Then, suddenly, her expression grew more serious.
“And the second request.”
Mia tensed up…She looked at Esther cautiously, her heart beating in her chest. She already had a feeling what was coming.
Esther stayed quiet for a moment, as if she were choosing her words carefully.
“Please give Alex a chance?” she finally said.
Mia felt her chest tighten instantly. Here we go.
“Don’t get me wrong, Mia,” Esther continued quickly, her voice soft, “I will respect whatever decision you make. But I want you to know Alex had no idea about what his father did. It was a lot for him during that time. He wanted all of us to leave Willowcrest… including you.”
Mia glanced at her
“He was devastated when he couldn’t find you,” Esther went on, her voice breaking just slightly. “But he had to leave with us. He saved me, he saved his brother, he saved us.”
“I know he has shortcomings,” Esther admitted, her voice firm again. “He is mean most of the time, and he has no idea how to express his emotions most of the time.”
Mia looks away from her.
“He was… he was practically the very version of his father back in Willowcrest.” She paused, her lips pressing together. “But I saw him change after he met you. He started acting more… human. With emotions. Mia, you made him smile, laugh, cry. You were the only person who pulled those emotions out of him.”
Mia swallowed hard, her throat aching as she listened. Her heart was pounding, her chest tightening with
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Chapter 257
every word.
“He’s
my
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son,” Esther said softly, her voice trembling now. “But if there’s one thing I can beat my chest for- it’s that Alex loves you.”
Mia bit her lip hard, her eyes stinging.
“I honestly don’t know why I’m so angry with him,” she admitted suddenly, a sad chuckle slipping out.
The confession startled her. Should she even be saying this to Esther? But the words had already escaped, and there was no pulling them back.
“Maybe I still blame him for what his father did,” she continued slowly. “Maybe because I programmed my mind for so long to believe he never loved me… and that he got married. The fear is still there. Like he’ll turn on me. Like something bad will happen.”
Esther reached out, placing her hand gently on Mia’s. “And it’s okay, Mia. No one is asking you to jump into anything. Take your time. If there’s a possibility that you can still love him again—”
“I love him,” Mia cut in suddenly, her voice trembling. The words slipped out before she could stop them. Her eyes filled instantly with tears.
“I never really stopped, did I?” she whispered, and one tear finally rolled down her cheek.
Esther’s eyes softened. “Oh, child.”
“I’m just so scared,” Mia admitted, her voice shaking now as she tried to hold the tears back. “I’m so scared.”
“Can I hug you?” Esther asked gently, her eyes full of motherly love.
Mia hesitated for just a second before glancing at her and nodding.
Esther leaned forward and pulled Mia into a warm embrace. Mia’s chest tightens as she lets herself sink into the hug, her tears falling silently against Esther’s shoulder.
“Take your time, Mia,” Esther whispered, holding her tightly,
“Take your time”
AD
