Monday was very hectic for Mia as she had to supervise the things moving into the warehouse. She did most of the work as David was always nowhere to be seen, busy flirting with any girl he sees.

        "Those are crystal vases, please be careful with them." Mia said to some people who were carrying some boxes.

    The suites were already being painted and chandeliers were being fixed, it was coming together little by little.

    "Mia." Ryan walked over to her.
  Mia turned to him. It's been a while she saw him, he was never around.

     Ryan looked at the men carrying boxes into the warehouse... "How is everything coming up?" He asked her.

   "Good." Mia nodded. "David helped to get with original Victorian furniture, they'll arrive tomorrow." Mia said to him.

    "Yes. Olivia told me." Ryan nodded.

     Mia found herself staring at his face. "Where have you been? You've been scarce." Mia asked him out of the blues.

   Ryan narrowed his eyes at her question. "Busy with a lot these days, but I didn't leave California." Ryan smirked. "You've missed me?"

    Mia looked away quickly. "Actually I've been meaning to talk with you."

     "About what?"

    "The Webster Foundation." Mia turned back to him.

     "What about it?"

   "I was thinking, what if we used their paintings instead of the normal over-the-top ones. It's also in a way, exhibiting those little kids' work. We don't necessarily need to have the world's greatest and most expensive paintings, we can use the beautiful and unique works of those kids at the Foundation. If you aren't satisfied, you may cut down on the valuable paintings you want in the suite, displaying both the kids and your choice of paintings on the wall." Mia explained to him.

    "You want me to display the works of the Foundation in the resort?"

    "It's your Foundation and your resort. Why use extreme paintings when you could decorate your resort with beautiful paintings from your Foundation. You can keep your valuable paintings on the walls, all I'm saying is to use more of the Foundation's work to beautify the resort." Mia was hoping for him to agree. "It's gonna save you a lot of cost and also gain you recognition, it's your Foundation after all."

    Ryan stood silently for almost a minute... "I love originality but I also value the worth of something. If the money is available, there's no reason for me to hold back on what I want." Ryan nodded... "I give you permission to try what you want but if I don't like it, we do it my way. Is that better?"

     "It is." Mia nodded. "You know, I was at the last charity event Mi-Tech hosted and I must say the kids are very talented." Mia said to him.

     "You were there?" Ryan frowned.

     "Yes I was. I was a guest, a friend of mine invited me to the exhibition." Mia told him.

    "Really? I didn't see you." Ryan was surprised. 

   Mia scoffed... "There were a thousand people, even if you did see me, you won't even notice me. I didn't even see you either." Mia shook her head.

    "I wish we met then. Maybe things would have been different between us." Ryan stared at her.

    "Different?" She moved closer to Ryan, eyeing him. "Nah, I don't think so. You're a sadist, you hardly smile or laugh and I like people with super vibes." Mia said to him.

    "Sadist?" Ryan gaped. Was that how she saw him?

     "Yes. Maybe if you smiled more and stopped being too uptight, you'll have more friends. Your face is scary ugh." Mia wagged her finger at his face. She knew Ryan was nothing close to ugly, he was the definition of beauty. In fact, he was like a demigod specially created by the Olympians. Sometimes Mia wondered why he had to be so good looking yet a pervert. Maybe that's how guys like him are.

    Ryan looked away... "Sadistic, scary, uptight? Jeez, I really need to work on myself." Ryan said rubbing his forehead.

     Mia cleared her throat... "Um I have to go. Excuse me." Mia seemed nervous as she walked away. Suddenly her legs felt heavy, her head was spinning.

   "No no no." She whispered to herself. She knew what was going to happen.... She fell to the floor, blacking out.
......................................................

   Mia opened her eyes slowly, She was in her bedroom.

    "Thank God you're awake!" David said, jumping from the couch he sat. Mia tried to get up but he pushed her back gently. "The doctor said you shouldn't get up. How do you feel?" David asked her.

     "I feel normal. You don't have to worry." Mia tried to assure him but David frowned. 

    "Mia don't be stubborn. I'll call Ryan right —"

   "No!" Mia said sharply as she sat up immediately. 

     "No?" David frowned.

   "I mean... No, there's no need to call him. I'm fine aren't I? There's nothing wrong with me. It might be the stress." Mia said to David. The last thing on her mind was to see Ryan. He was going to probe her again.

   David sighed... "Should I get you anything? Water, juice?" David asked.

    "Just water. Thank you." Mia nodded. David walked out of the room.

   Mia stood up to get her bag which was on a side table. She opened her bag to look for her pills.

    "Here's your water." David walked over to give her a bottle of water that he had just opened in her presence. 

   "Thank you." Mia drank a little and placed the bottle on the table.

    "Mia are you sure you're okay?" David asked her. "You just fainted." David said. Mia was searching for her pills in her bag, she couldn't find it. "Mia are you listening to me?"

    "Yes yes." Mia nodded. Truth was that she didn't hear what he said. Just then the doorbell rang.

    "Just a minute." He said to her before walking out.

    "Where is it?" Mia was frantically searching for her pills. "It was in here a while ago."

     David opened the door and Ryan stepped into the suite.

     "How is she?" Ryan asked.

"She's awake and she looks fine." David furrowed his brows. "What happened to her, is she gonna be alright?" David asked him.

    "She'll be fine." Ryan nodded, walking towards the room.

   "What did the doctor say?" David was curious to know.

    Ryan turned to David. "Dude, can you give me some minutes with her... Alone?"

    "Why?"

      "Because I want to talk to her privately." Ryan raised his brow.

   "Why?" David asked again.

    "Can we... Can we talk later?" Ryan patted David's shoulder before he walked towards Mia's room. He found her seated on her the bed, frantically searching something.
  
    "Dammit!" Mia turned her bag upside down, emptying the bag. "Where is it!" Mia raked her hair out of frustration.

    "Looking for this?" Ryan held a small bottle between his index finger and thumb.

   Mia frowned, standing from the bed. "Give it back." She commanded.

    Ryan shook his head before closing the door. Mia walked up to him.

    "Ryan hand it over." Mia clenched her fist.

     "I can't do that." Ryan shrugged.

    Mia reached out to snatched away the bottle from him but Ryan threw his hand further from her reach.

     "Sorry sweetheart, I can't let you kill yourself not while you're with me. I promised to keep you safe." Ryan smirked.

    Mia flexed her hand before throwing her first punch. She missed as Ryan dodged her punch, she tried again but it didn't work. She forcefully pushed him making him lose his balance, before launching a back kick on his hand.

    Ryan lost his balance, landing on his back on the floor. The bottle flew from his hand to a corner.

  Mia scoffed... "One point to Griffindor." She was walking past Ryan when Ryan pulled her leg causing her to hit the floor.

   Ryan got on top of her, pinning her down to the floor.

    "Get off me you pervertito!" Mia struggled to get free.

    "Stay still. Stay still Mia." He held Mia as she struggled to release herself. Ryan trapped her that she couldn't free herself.

     "Get away from me!!" Mia yelled to his face.

    Ryan leaned closer to her... "Stop yelling. I'm not trying to hurt you." Ryan said softly.

    "If you're trying to seduce me, It won't work this time." Mia closed her eyes when she felt his breath on her face.

    "I'm not seducing you. Why are you so negative? Listen, I know you're a black belter in karate, I'm not underestimating you. I just want you to promise me one thing, if I release you, you won't hit me." Ryan told her.

    "I can't guarantee that. I so wanna kill you for doing this to me." Mia told him honestly.

    Ryan chuckled... "You really are something." Ryan smirked... "Can we say 5 points to Slytherin?"

    Mia opened her eyes... "What?"

   "Do you promise not to throw punches at me?" Ryan asked her with a frown.

"Whatever." Mia rolled her eyes.

   "It's your word Mia, I'm gonna hold you for it." Ryan was skeptical at first. He freed her, slowly taking his hands away.

   "Get off already." Mia slightly pushed him away while standing on her feet. She went to get the bottle but when she picked it up, it was empty.

   Anger flashed in her eyes as she turned to Ryan. "It's fucking empty?!"

   Ryan was already on his feet... "We have to talk. A very serious talk." Ryan was very serious as his face showed no sign of amusement.

    "Do not lecture me about my life! It's my life and you have no right to interfere!" Mia was infuriated.

     "I told you not to take those pills again but you did. You're dying Mia, you're slowly killing yourself." Ryan remained civil.

    "I don't see how that's your fucking problem, it's not your concern with what I do with my life. You don't know me!" Mia yelled on top of her voice.

    "Mia—"

"You think you can just walk into my life and start dictating to me?! You have no idea who I am. You have no right to meddle."

    "Listen to me Mia—"  Ryan scratched his forehead as Mia interrupted him.

    "You listen to me. Mind your own damn business!! Stay away from me! Stay the hell away, you're nothing but trouble!! I don't need—"

     "Mia!" He yelled her name with so much authority and it shut her up instantly. "I can't stay away from you even if I want to, do you hear me? I can't." Ryan said clear and open.

    Mia scoffed... "That's not my problem."

     "I care a lot about you! It's you, just you." Ryan said to her.

    "I don't care if you care about me. I just want you to leave me alone. Let's just get over this contract and forget everything, that's all I want." Mia said to him.
  
  He took a step closer to her... "I can't lose you again." Ryan's voice was hardly heard.

    Mia's shoulders relaxed and her gaze softened... "What do you mean by that?" Mia saw pain and sadness written on his face and in his eyes.

     Ryan Sighed... "I need you to promise me, promise me Mia, you won't ever take those pills again."

    "I'll try." She said after a moment of silence.

     "You should rest, the doctor said I shouldn't stress you. I'm gonna leave you for now, I still have things to do. I'll come back to check up on you later." Ryan nodded at her.

   Mia watched him walk towards the door, she had so many questions to ask him but she knew he wouldn't answer.

     "Do we know each other from before?" Mia asked him... That question has been lingering in her head, maybe he knew her from her past. "I just... I feel something's not right between us." She'd always had that feeling since she met Ryan.

    "Even if we did know each other, it wouldn't be in this life." Ryan opened the door and walked out.
✴✴✴✴✴✴

     Mia exhaled deeply, she took her phone from the bed and entered her bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, staring at her reflection as the words echoed inside her ears.

    "...You're dying Mia, you're slowly killing yourself."

    She dialed a number and placed the phone over her ear.

     "Mom." Mia said softly.

   "Sweetheart! How are you? I was gonna call you tonight." The cheery voice spoke. "I was just telling Sam about the new bracelet I got from—"

    Mia spilled her tears... "Mom I'm suffocating here. Something's wrong with me, I can't breathe." Mia cried out.

   "Mia what's wrong?" The voice was laced with worry. "Are you alone? What's going on?"

    "I don't know. My head is spinning right now! Everything hurts." Mia said to her mom.

    "Breathe, breathe. Mia breathe, it's okay. It's just a phase, it's gonna be okay."

    Mia closed her eyes trying to be calm...
✴✴✴✴✴

   Ryan strolled around the resort thinking about Mia...

      "... Stay away from me... You don't even know me... I don't care if you care about me... You're nothing but trouble... Don't lecture me about my life... I just want you to leave me alone..."

    "Yo Ryan!" David called out to him. Ryan turned around to look at David. "What's up with you and Mia?" He asked Ryan. David had left the suite when Ryan told him that they were gonna talk later.

    "Nothing."

     "What did the doctor say?" David asked.

    Ryan sighed... "Nothing to worry about."

      David shrugged... "Man, come on. I heard there's a party, party with lots of girls."

   "Dude, I don't think that's a good idea. It's barley dark yet." Ryan looked up at the clouded sky.

    "It doesn't matter. Layla isn't here to checkmate you." David smirked. "Have fun at least." David was gonna convince Ryan.

    Ryan rolled his eyes... "David you should know I'm a busy man." He sighed... "Just one drink and that's it."
✴✴✴✴✴✴

    Mia sat in the living room of her suite watching a movie on her flat screen TV, eating butter popcorn when she heard the sound of banging on her door. She was startled by the sound, she stood up to check who it was.

    "David?" Mia frowned at David who was hardly holding himself up. "Ugh, you reek of... Alcohol." She pinched her nose, close, in disgust.

    "Il mio amore." David slurred his speech.

    "You're drunk? You're unbelievable young man." Mia shook her head. "Newsflash, that over there," she pointed to his room. "That is your room, okay?" Mia said to him. David giggled stupidly.

    "You're so cute sweetheart." He eyed her, staring at her red silk nightdress. "And hot." David smirked.

   "I'll push you if you don't stop saying nonsense. Get some sleep okay?" Mia used a finger to push him slightly, David staggered backwards and missed his step. He fell to the floor on his butt with a thud.

     "Ouch." David said but chuckled.

   "Oh my God! Are you okay?!" Mia gasped as she quickly ran over to him. She was worried that he might have hit his body hard.

    "I'm good." David threw his head backwards.

    "David snap out of it. You could hurt yourself." Mia scolded him. She placed her hand behind his head trying to support him from falling.

    "Mia darling, you're so beautiful." His fingers played with the tip of her curled hair.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Mia sighed. Soon, David gagged and vomited on her gown. In horror, Mia pushed him to the wall and screamed. "Ewwww!! You're so disgusting! I'm going to kill you, you fucking idiot! Shit!" Mia screamed out loud as she stood up.

     "Mia! Hey! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Ryan had suddenly appeared out of no where.

    "This guy dumped his puke on me!" She pointed to David.

Ryan glanced at her dress. "Oh." Ryan looked at her. "Is that why you screamed? I thought something bad happened to you and you screamed."

Mia frowned... "This isn't something bad?! Look what he did to my dress!" Mia glared at him.

    Ryan inspected her from head to toe. From her face, her body, her legs, everything. Soon, he found himself gazing at her lips and everything she said was blocked out from his ears.

  "Are you even listening to me?" Mia frowned at him. She was telling him how she found David.

    Ryan blinked. "I am." He cleared his throat.

    "Forget it! I don't even know why I'm talking to you. Take David away." Mia said to Ryan. "Gross." Mia turned to entered her room.

    "Sorry though." Ryan apologized.

    Mia nodded without looking at him before she entered her room. "Ew ew ew ew." Mia took off her nightdress instantly.
.....................................................

    Ryan turned to David who was leaning against the wall. "I told you to calm down on your drinking." Ryan picked David,  carefully helping him to his feet.