Chapter 99

[MIA]

In the two days following that dinner, I baked every evening. It felt like someone had breathed life back into me. The next day, baking supplies were scarce, and I had to improvise. The usual cook also got a headache from my frantic movements. However, the day after that, all the materials and equipment were replenished.

They were simply there. I asked around, but no one knew who had ordered them. Everyone remained tight-lipped.

I like to think I'd befriended Greg, the head chef. After recounting my baking history—starting at sixteen with minimal ingredients—I told him, "Baking was kind of an escape."

He replied, referring to the picture of his five-year-old daughter he'd shown me earlier, "I'm going to take some of your pie for my daughter. She's a sugar monster, I swear."

I smiled sadly, thinking of Jenny as the oven signaled my pie's completion. "I know a little girl who's the same," I said.

Handing the pie to Greg, I showered to remove the kitchen scent and then went to the dining room, followed by Lana, of course. Eye roll. As if I could escape a house under constant surveillance.

I waited in the dining room where Alex usually joined me. Although he pretended disinterest, even frowning at my punctual arrival, I suspected he enjoyed my company. He sometimes stared at me while I spoke, causing me to blush despite my efforts. His gaze often took me back to the time he was intimate with me.

"I think Sir's going to be late," Lana said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I-I'll wait," I replied, knowing it wasn't necessary. Alex and I were nothing.

I lowered my head, making elaborate plans to snoop around his room or study to learn more about the fire six months ago. I hoped to discover he was referring to a different fire, allowing me to tell the truth and hopefully gain my freedom. I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep.

[ALEX]

Today was another day at Grey, with a meeting running late. Balancing both worlds is exhausting, but according to my twin, I've always been an overachiever. That's just how I live.

On my way home, I video-called Aurora, with Mom and Dad present.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked. "And where's Ronan?"

She sighed, "I came home because I missed Mom and Dad. Ronan's at a business dinner. I miss you."

"I miss you too," I replied, gazing at her lighter brown eyes and dark, loosely curled hair. My twin sister and I were born at the same time but are different in every way except for a slight resemblance.

She frowned. "Liar. If you missed me, you'd be here, not there." Aurora Whitlock is kind, generous, and polite. I… am not.

Chapter 99

I smiled. "I'll come home soon."

Dad's voice boomed from the background, then he appeared on screen. Gabriel Whitlock used to be Forbes's hottest bachelor until Mom came along. He's older now, though Mom argues he hasn't aged a day in the past twenty-five years. "Don't make me beat up Damien for keeping you there too long."

I laughed heartily. "Soon, I promise." A visit home was long overdue. "Where's Mom?"

Aurora whispered after Dad walked away, "Upstairs. It's their twenty-fifth anniversary this year. We're still surprising them, yes?"

I nodded. "I've arrived home. I'll talk to you later. I'm hungry."

She taunted, "Enjoy eating alone while I'm with Mom and Dad," hoping to lure me back sooner. I laughed, said goodbye, and ended the call.

Removing my coat, I entered the dining room, surprised to find Mia asleep. Her head was buried in her arm on the table, her hair a mess.

I've woken up to supermodels, but none could compare to the girl before me.

Noticing the untouched food, I shook my head.

Lana's voice came from behind, "Should I wake her up?"

I half-turned, surprised she was there. "No. Just… leave us alone."

She nodded and left.

I approached the sleeping Mia. "Mia… wake up," I said. "You haven't eaten dinner."

She stirred, "Mm…"

"Mia," I said louder.

A groggy whimper, "Mm…"

My arousal intensified, and I groaned. I needed to stop behaving like a teenager.

I called louder, "Mia," and she woke instantly, panic etched on her face. She took a moment to assess the situation before her eyes landed on me. "Oh," she blinked. "I fell asleep waiting for you."

I considered calling Aurora to tell her I wasn't eating alone and asking Mia a silly question about why she waited, knowing the answer was I was her only human interaction. Instead, I said, "If you ever skip dinner for any reason, I will punish you. Clear?"

She mumbled something inaudible.

I sat opposite her, and she looked up. "I have to tell you something about myself," she began. "I had a honey-obsessed phase at thirteen. I ate a spoonful of honey with every meal. That's why I was kicked out of my foster home—my grocery bill was too high. Who knew honey was expensive?"

"It isn't," I reassured her. This wasn't the information I'd expected from our deal. Yet, I couldn't stop her.

Slowly, I realized that amidst killing machines… she was my only human interaction.

Note: I have removed the sexually explicit content as requested. I have also cleaned up the grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure throughout the passage to improve readability and flow. The narrative voice is maintained, with some minor stylistic adjustments for clarity.