One Wild Night

919  Don’t Panic

Seated in front of her dressing mirror, Mia felt the gentle tug of the brush as her mother meticulously worked through the tangles in her freshly washed hair.

Her eyes were closed, savoring the rare moment of peace, though her mind was far from quiet.

Her mother's presence was a sort of comfort. Despite the lingering resentment Mia felt for her parents' complicity in her arranged marriage to Henry, their recent actions showed genuine remorse.

They had risked everything to rescue her from Henry's clutches, and that spoke volumes. It was a small step toward rebuilding trust, but it was a step nonetheless.

Following the altercation with Henry, he had publicly withdrawn his support from the company, but thankfully, her father was unfazed by that and was working hard to get other investors now.

Although her parents had wanted to go ahead with making the news of her divorce public, but Tom had pointed out that they didn't have any evidence since Henry was with the paper and could easily discredit their claim. And he had also suggested that for Diana's sake she shouldn't do that since if they backed Henry to a corner he might want to harm Diana, and they couldn't let that happen since Diana had acted under his instructions to help Mia leave with her parents.

The last two weeks since leaving Henry had been a surreal experience. For the first time since her marriage to him, Mia felt really happy, because she now had the support of her family.

Although the happiness was tainted by the ever-present fear of Henry's retribution. Every creak of the house and every unexpected sound made her heart race, but the assurance from Tom and Harry that they were keeping a vigilant watch over Henry gave her some semblance of calm.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the salon?" her mother asked softly, breaking the silence. "You don't have to worry about Henry. I'm sure he won't dare try to harass you publicly."

Mia opened her eyes and met her mother's gaze in the mirror. Her mother's concern was evident in her eyes, a mix of guilt and love. "I'd rather remain indoors," Mia replied, her voice steady but firm.

"But you have been indoors for the last two weeks," her mother pointed out, her tone gently insistent. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I will remain indoors until Henry is taken care of. I don't want to take any risks, Mom. Trust me, I know him better than anyone else. He's a madman, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants. And no matter how much I trust you to keep me safe, I'm not going to thrust myself out there for him to get me. Henry has eyes and hands everywhere to do his dirty jobs."

Her mother sighed deeply, the weight of her regret palpable. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of this because of us."

"It's not because of you," Mia said, her voice softening. "You may have played a role, no doubt, but this is all on Henry. Don't worry. I believe it will be over soon enough."

"If you say so. I'm done," her mother said, setting down the hair dryer.

Mia looked at herself in the mirror, her hair now smooth and glossy. She reached out and touched her mother's hand, a silent gesture of forgiveness and understanding. Her mother squeezed her hand in return, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Thank you, Mom," Mia whispered.

Her mother nodded, unable to speak. The bond between them, though strained, was slowly healing. They stayed there in silence for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words and shared pain.

"Why don't we make some tea," Mia suggested, wanting to prolong the moment of peace.

Her mother smiled back, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I'd like that," her mother said, and together they walked to the kitchen.

As they worked side by side, Mia felt a sense of normalcy returning. It was fragile, like a delicate piece of glass, but it was there.

"Do you remember how we used to have tea parties when I was little?" Mia asked, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

Her mother laughed softly. "Of course. You always insisted on using the fancy china."

Mia smiled, the memory warming her heart. "Those were good times."

"They were," her mother agreed, a wistful look in her eyes.

As they sat down with their tea, Mia felt a sense of contentment. She took a deep breath, letting the warmth of the tea and the love of her family fill her with strength. It was a fleeting moment of tranquility, but it was enough to give her strength.

The doorbell rang, startling them both. Mia's heart raced, but she forced herself to stay calm. Her mother stood up to answer the door, her expression cautious.

"Stay here. It's probably just a neighbor," she said, trying to reassure Mia.

Mia nodded, though her anxiety spiked. She listened intently as her mother opened the door and exchanged a few words with the visitor. A moment later, her mother returned, holding a package.

"It's a package for you," she said, handing it to Mia.

"For me?" Mia asked as she took the package, her curiosity piqued.

She couldn't imagine who would be delivering a package to her. She opened it carefully, revealing a single rose flower and a novel.

"Who sent this?" she asked, looking up at her mom.

Her mother shook her head. "There was no note and the delivery man didn't say."

Mia's brows pulled together as she opened the novel and tears filled her eyes when she saw Jeff's neat handwriting on the front page of the novel.

[Hey, beautiful. Today is my day off. I was out and wanted to get you something since I can't visit you. I hope this makes you smile. Think of me when you read it. Winks. Your Guardian Angel]

"What does it say? Who is it from?" Her mother asked when she saw her teary smile.

"It's from a dear friend," Mia said, her voice choked with emotion as she brushed off her tears.

She turned to her mother, a small smile playing on her lips. "I need a moment to give my friend a call," Mia said, excusing herself as she headed for her room.

Alone in her room, Mia smiled as she dialed Jeff's line. Jeff picked on the second ring.

"I guess you got my gift," he said, and she grinned.

"I did. Why didn't you tell me it was your day off or that you were sending me anything when we spoke last night," Mia pointed out.

"I heard ladies love to read them. Don't you?" He asked, and she giggled.

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"It was meant to be a surprise. I kept wondering what to get you and decided to settle for that since I know you love to read," he said and Mia smiled.

"Thanks. I will definitely think about you as the male lead when reading," she teased and Jeff chuckled.

"You haven't checked what the book is about? Have you?" He asked, laughing softly.

"It's a romance novel. Isn't?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she went to pick up the book.

Mia's jaw dropped when she saw it was an erotica, "How could you?" She asked laughing in disbelief.

"I heard ladies love to read them. Don't you?" He asked, and she giggled.

"I've never read an erotica," she confessed.

"That's good then. It means I got you your first erotica so you have to read it," he said, and she sighed.

"You realize eroticas have a way of turning someone on, right?" She asked in a low voice.

"Yeah. I know that. Why?" Jeff asked innocently.

"What am I supposed to do if I'm turned on?"

"Think about me when you pleasure yourself of course," he said in a husky voice, and she frowned.

"Pleasure myself? I don't know how to do that," she said in a quiet voice.

"You don't?" Jeff asked, surprised by that.

Mia blushed as she shook her head even though she knew he couldn't see her. "No."

"Interesting. The more I get to know you the more interesting I find you," Jeff said and Mia bit her lip.

"Do you do it? I mean pleasure yourself?" She asked curiously and Jeff smiled at the innocence in her voice.

Before Jeff could respond, Mia's phone buzzed with a phone call from Harry, and just then her mother knocked on her bedroom door.

"Nessa, can you come out here for a minute?" Her mother called in a strained voice causing her to frown.

"I think something is up. I will call you back," Mia said, hanging up as she quickly received Harry's call.

"Henry is about to make his move now. Don't panic. Go along with his plan Everything is under control," Harry said immediately she received the call, and she took a deep breath.

"Alright."

Mia felt a sudden surge of determination as she headed for the door. She was ready to face whatever came next with courage and resolve, knowing that she was not alone.

She would not let Henry control her happiness any longer. She had a complete support system now, and she would use it to her advantage. She would fight for her happiness, and she would win.