Ethan’s nanny walked into the dining room, her face full of concern. “Young master, you’ll be late for work if you don’t leave soon.”
Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know, I know.” He glanced at Mia, who was still picking at her food.
Mia immediately sat up. “I should go then,” she said, standing up quickly. “I didn’t mean to keep you.”
Ethan shook his head. “You’re not keeping me. Stay as long as you want.”
His nanny smiled at Mia. “It’s good to see you here. You should visit more often.”
Mia forced a small smile, still feeling emotionally drained. She watched as Ethan grabbed his blazer and phone, preparing to leave. Before he walked out, he paused in front of her.
“I’ll be back later,” he said. “If you need anything… you know where to find me.”
Mia nodded, not trusting her voice to speak.
Ethan gave her one last look before heading out. As soon as the door closed, his nanny sat beside Mia with a warm smile.
“You know,” she started, pouring Mia another glass of juice, “he cares about you more than he lets on.”
Mia looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
The older woman chuckled. “Let’s just say… he’s never let anyone stay here like this before.”
Mia didn’t know what to say to that. She glanced toward the door Ethan had just walked out of, her heart feeling strangely lighter than before.
Later that day, Mia returned home, feeling exhausted but determined. She found her father in his study, going through some business documents.
She took a deep breath before stepping inside. “Dad,” she called softly.
Her father looked up, his expression unreadable. “Mia,” he said, setting his papers down.
She hesitated for a moment, then walked closer. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “I should’ve listened to you. You were right about Alex… I was blind.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she held back her tears.
Her father studied her for a long moment before finally sighing. “Mia, I wasn’t angry because you made a mistake,” he said. “I was angry because I didn’t want you to get hurt. But…” He exhaled, shaking his head. “I suppose some lessons in life have to be learned the hard way.”
Mia looked at him in surprise. She had expected him to still be furious, but instead, he sounded… understanding.
“I just wanted to believe it was real,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her father stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know,” he said gently. “But real love isn’t something you have to buy, Mia.”
She lowered her head, ashamed. “I feel so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid,” he corrected. “You’re just someone who loves deeply. But next time, be careful who you give that love to.”
Mia nodded, her chest feeling heavy, but for the first time in days, a little bit of peace settled in her heart.
The next morning, Mia’s parents were relieved to see her dressed for school. Her mother gave her a warm smile. “It’s good to see you getting back to yourself, Mia.”
Mia returned a small smile and grabbed her bag. “Yeah… I think it’s time to move forward.”
But instead of heading straight to school, she made her way to Ethan’s house first. She stood outside his large mansion, hesitating for a moment before finally ringing the doorbell.
A few seconds later, Ethan’s nanny opened the door. “Oh, Mia! What a surprise,” she said warmly. “Ethan’s in the living room.”
Mia stepped inside and found Ethan sitting on the couch, casually flipping through a newspaper. He looked up when he saw her. “Mia?” He raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
She sighed and walked closer. “I just… wanted to thank you for yesterday.”
Ethan studied her carefully. “For what?”
“For distracting me,” she admitted. “For not asking too many questions and just letting me be there.”
Ethan leaned back against the couch. “So you’re feeling better now?”
Mia nodded. “A little.”
He smirked. “Good. Because if you started crying again, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Mia laughed softly. “Don’t worry, I won’t cry.” She paused, then looked at him seriously. “But, Ethan… you really are a good person.”
Ethan’s smirk faltered for a second, and he looked away. “I don’t know about that,” he muttered.
Mia tilted her head. “Why do you always do that? Whenever someone says something nice about you, you act like you don’t deserve it.”
Ethan didn’t answer right away. Then he exhaled. “I just don’t think I’m as good as you think I am, Mia.”
Mia frowned. “Well, I think you are.”
Ethan shook his head with a small chuckle. “You’re stubborn.”
Mia smiled. “I’ve been told that before.”
After a moment of silence, she finally said, “I should get to school.”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, you should.”
She turned to leave but paused at the door. “Ethan?”
“Hm?”
She hesitated before saying, “You deserve to be happy too.”
Ethan blinked, caught off guard by her words. Before he could respond, Mia smiled and walked out the door.