"Thank you John." She thanked the driver after he parked by the roadside near Van's event.

      "When should I come pick you up ma'am?" The driver asked. "The normal time or..."

      "No no, it's okay, I'll find my way." She told him.

     "But ma'am, the boss said I should bring you home after your done." He said to her

      "Doesn't matter. I'll talk to him about it." Mia said to him. Ryan had gotten a driver for her and made it compulsory that she came home with the driver. To him, he was protecting her but to her, he was only being paranoid.

    Mia got out of the car. She waited for John to drive off before proceeding  towards the entrance.

      "Pumpkin."

The voice caught her off guard.

     She quickly turned around and Ares was walking towards her. Before he could take another step, Mia took quick steps to meet up with him.

      "What do you think you're doing here?" She asked Ares, almost hushing him.

      "You don't own the place, I'm free to roam around." He grinned wickedly at her.

      "Are you following me? Get out of here." Mia looked around. What if John came back and saw her talking to Ares.

      "Yeah, I'm stalking you. I couldn't stop thinking about you since we met four days ago so I stalked you. I went to the church, I followed you to that apartment you went to meet your friend. David is it? I got to see you and your boyfriend in a restaurant. I guess that's your favorite because you both love going there. I followed to the park, I was there when your boyfriend kissed you. So today, I followed you from your penthouse and now I'm here. Surprise!"

      "Have you gone mad?" She whisper-yelled at him. "What do you want for you to leave me alone?!"

     "You. I want you. Simple and short." He gave his infamous smirk.

     Mia frowned at him. "For heaven sake Ares, leave me alone. I don't know what kind of game you're playing but I want no part of it." She said to him.

     "Pumpkin listen to me, all these would be over if you just come with me. We'll get married, start our family. I love you so much that I could forget all the pain I'm feeling right now, that's if you just come with me." He said calmly.

      "Stop being delusional Ares! There is no you and me, there was never a you and me." She tried to reason with him.

      "Fine. Have you told Ryan everything? When I say everything, I mean everything about your past or do you want me to tell him for you?" He raised a brow at her.

     "Don't you dare blackmail me you bastard. Ryan knows what I want him to know, you wouldn't dare tell him anything." She clenched her fist tightly.

      "You have more to lose than I do, so I make the threats not you. Capisce?" He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I always win." He said, giving her a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later pumpkin." He said before taking his leave.

     Mia nervously rubbed around her neck. Ares wasn't serious that he was gonna tell Ryan, was he?
✴✴✴✴✴

      Mia walked into the dinning dressed in a very skimpy black spaghetti strap nightdress. She noticed Ryan was still working on some papers.

     "It's late." She said walking up to him and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's go to bed."

     "Not yet. I still have a few things I'm working on." He said to her, skimming through some papers.  

    Mia went behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and slowly massaged them. "What's it this time, maybe I could help." She said to him.

      "It's the resort at Wellingtons, we're renovating it. I'm looking through the plans and—"

      "Wellingtons? Isn't that the place you grew up?" Mia asked him.

    He nodded... "I have to be there to check it out. Plus we're opening a store for Mi-tech products too, everything's consuming so much energy."

    "Relax. Everything would be fine, I'm here to help too." She told him while massaging his shoulders.

      "I also have to leave for Wellingtons on Friday but I'm still thinking, I don't want to leave you here alone, all by yourself." He said to her.

     An idea suddenly popped into her brain. What if she joined him on his trip to Wellingtons at least that would keep them away from the reach of Ares.

     "Mhhm, I was also thinking, what if I join you?" She said to him.

     "You want to come along?" He asked.

      "Ye-yes. I want to know the place you grew up in, the lifestyle there, change my environment a little bit." Mia said. She was gonna do everything in her power to convince him.

      "Universe, you'll get bored." Ryan said to her. He didn't want her near any place that could trigger her memories back.

        "I wanna go with you, please let me come with you." She sat on his lap. "I promise to be a good girl." She gave him her cute puppy eyes.

       "But baby," his knuckles caressed her face. "You won't like it there."

    "I could adapt." Mia pouted... "Just let me come with you."

      "Baby... It's the weekends, you might want to hang out with your friends or enjoy it with a whole lot of freedom. I won't stop you from seeing anyone you wanna see... Even if it's David." He said to her not actually meaning it.

      "You're just saying that." She rolled her eyes, she knew Ryan very well. "Pleeeeeeeese..." She begged but Ryan frowned slightly at her. Mia kissed him, as she unbuttoned his shirt.

      "What are you doing?" He chuckled softly.

      "Bribing you." She smiled seductively.

      "This time it won't work." He looked at her with a small smile.

     "It will." She grinned.

      She finally convinced Ryan to take her along with him to Wellington.
✴✴✴✴✴

      "Aren't you gonna tell Ryan about Ares?" Andrew spoke through the phone. 

     "No of course not. If I do that, it'll only make him more paranoid, the little freedom I have would be gone. What if he hires a bodyguard?" Mia said to him.

      "Then what do you plan to do if he keeps harassing you?"

      "I don't know. Ryan and I are leaving for Chicago, that should buy me a little time to think." She told him.

     "That Ares really has some nerves."

      "That's not what bothers me. That good for nothing is trying to blackmail me, he wants to tell Ryan everything and he—"

      "Okay, I'm ready." Ryan entered into the room.

     "I'll talk to you later." She quickly hung up.

      "So how do I look?" Ryan smiled at her.

       Mia walked up to him, helping him fix his necktie. "You look hot." She kissed his lips. "Let's go?" Mia laced her hand in his as they walked out of the room.

     They got out of the penthouse and Ryan remembered he'd forgot something.

     "Jeez! I think I forgot the proposal for the investors coming from Dubai. Hold on, I'll get it quickly." He said to her. 

     "Okay." She collected his briefcase. "I'll just drop this in the car."

      "Thank you." He said, hurrying back into the elevator.

    Mia went outside to the garage and that's when she saw someone lurking around. She decided to see who it was.

      "What are you doing here?" Mia glared at Ares.

     "Oh hi pumpkin, I was hoping to see Ryan." He grinned... "Do you think I can talk to him?"

     "Ares get out! Get out of here." She was getting anxious. "There are cameras around, please leave before Ryan sees you." Mia said to him.

      "I want him to see him." Ares shook his head. "Pumpkin, I can't let you be happy when I'm not."

      "Ares I'm begging you, don't cause a scene here. If Ryan sees you, you'll make things complicated." Mia begged.

       "I just wanna say hi." He teased her.

     "Universe? Universe?" It was Ryan calling her.

      "Ares leave!" Mia kept pushing him away.

     "Okay okay." He scoffed, turning away to leave.

    "Baby?" Ryan had seen her with someone but before he could get to her, the person left.

     "Oh." She masked her panic with a smile. "That was quick."

     "Yeah, Olivia called. She's with the proposal." He said looking at the person who had left. "Who... Who was that?" He asked before looking at her.

    "Who?" She acted clueless.

     "The person I saw you talking to."

    "Oh him? He was only asking for directions." She said with a nod. "You should leave, you don't want to be late for your meeting." She smiled at him.

    "Mhmm." He kissed her lips before entering his car.

      "Ryan?" She called him.

     "Yes love?" He looked up at her.

     "I love you." She managed to smile at him trying to conceal her guilt.

   He chuckled... "I love you too baby." He blew her a kiss before shutting the door.

    She watched Ryan drive off and guilt continued to hunt her. She loved him so much, she couldn't bring herself to tell Ryan everything. What was she going to do?
✴✴✴✴✴
    
     Mia sat in a restaurant, feeling a little restless as she waited for her mom. They weren't on speaking terms but she needed her mom's help so she invited her mom over for a talk. She saw her mom walk into the restaurant in blue palazzo pants and a strapless top with a jacket. 

      "Mom." Mia said, looking at her mom who seemed to be doing very well.

     "You don't seem to be doing bad yourself." Karen flipped her hair before taking a seat. "So why have you called?"

    It was a little awkward as Mia hadn't been this close to her mom. "Mom... Mamà I need your help."

     "So now you need my help?" She scoffed...

     "Mamà please, I don't want to lose Ryan. I can't lose Ryan." Mia pleaded with her. She was helpless.

     "Stop. If this is about Ryan, I want nothing to do with him." Karen eyed her daughter.

      "Mom please." She placed her hands over Karen's. "It's Ares. Ares is here, he's threatening to ruin my relationship with Ryan and only you can stop him. Get him off my back." Mia begged Karen.

     "Why would I do that for you? You never listened to me anyway, so why help you?" Karen was unmoved.

     "Because I love Ryan mamà, I love him and I don't want to lose him." She had tears in her eyes. "Ares says he's going to tell Ryan about my past if I don't go back to Italy with him."

    "If Ryan really loves you, I'm sure he'd be able to handle the baggage." Karen told her.

      "Mom I'm begging you, I know you're mad at me, but please, if I lose Ryan I won't be able to take it." Mia said to him.

     "Do you know why I can't help you? Ares being here is for your own good, he's the only one that can bring you back to your senses."

     She wiped her tears... "What are you saying?"

     "I'm saying, I was the one who told Ares to come here." Karen smiled.

   Mia withdrew her hand, leaning away. "What?"

      "Yes Mia. Since you won't listen to your own mother maybe you'd listen to Ares."

      "How... How could you do this to me? I'm your daughter! I just want to be happy and you're ruining it for me! I even came to you!" Mia snapped at Karen.

      "Ryan's not the saint you think he is, he's a snake and a user! He's only pretending he loves you."

     "You're wrong! He loves me! He adores me, he protects me!" She defended the man she loves. 

      "Until when will you continue to be deceived by that man. Do you really think he's been honest with you all these while? You're my daughter and I only want what's best for you." Karen told her. "How can you let a man put a rift between us?"

      She sniffed and then scoffed... "I was wrong, I was so wrong thinking you could help me." Mia stood up. "Why did I even trust you anyway." Mia picked up her bag, furiously walking away.

     How could her mom do that to her?! Now she couldn't even trust her own mom...
✴✴✴✴✴

      Mia had gone to Alex's apartment to pass the time.

     "Stop drinking, that's enough." Alex tried to pry the glass away from her hand but Mia smacked his hand away.

     "Why don't you join me, the wine tastes so good." She took another sip from her glass.

      "I'm getting worried. Can you just tell me what's going on?" He sat next to her on the sofa.

      Mia laughed... "What? Can't I drink without something going on? Everyday is a celebration you know." She grinned.

    "You've finished the whole bottle Mia and you're drunk. Ryan wouldn't be happy seeing you in this state, he's gonna scold me for letting you get drunk in my house." He said to her.

      "Then I'll go to the penthouse to drink myself to sleep, alright?" Mia giggled. She stood up, before she could take a step, she fell back to the sofa. 

     "If you have a problem, why don't you tell me. Drinking don't solve it." He told her as he pulled her up, draping her arm over his shoulders for support.

     "Are you taking me home?" She asked, feeling drowsy.

      "I can't let you leave. Ryan's gonna come pick you up, so for now I'll let you rest in a room." He said to her as they walked down a corridor.

     "Oh God I feel sick." She whispered.

      "Toilet first then." He led her to the toilet.

       Mia threw up as soon as she got to the toilet.

       "Easy, easy." Alex cooed, stroking her back while lifting her hair.

    She kept puking her guts out. "What the fuck is happening?" She kept on throwing up, it just kept coming. "Is this normal?" She managed to say before gagging.

    Alex remained with her until she was done. He led her to the room and laid her on the bed.

      "Please don't go Alex, stay for awhile." She croaked from too much vomiting.

     "I'm here." He told her, sitting beside her. "Just go to sleep." He said to her.

       It didn't take too long, Mia fell into a deep sleep.

    Alex watched her chest rise and fall continuously. "I still remember when you'd drink so much and I'd be the one taking care of you." He smiled sadly, removing some strand of hair from her face. "Sophie I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you. I just hope when you eventually find out the truth, you won't push me away. I love you so much, not once did I ever stop thinking about you. I could never forget my best friend." He leaned over her, kissing her cheek.

     Mia slept for hours and even Ryan was worried where she could have gone to. Ryan called up Alex who told him that Mia was at his place, he decided to get her.

      "You allowed her drink?" He frowned at Alex.

         "She didn't want to stop, I tried to stop her." Alex told him. "I'm sorry."

     "Where is she?" He asked.

     "She's asleep." Alex answered. "I'll take you to her."

Ryan followed him to a room, there he found Mia sleeping like a baby.

     "Oh baby." Ryan shook his head, going to sit by her side. "She doesn't drink without a reason," he looked at Alex. "Why? Did she tell you?"

     "She only told me she went to see her mom, nothing else. They must have argued about something." He suggested, walking closer to Ryan.

    Ryan turned back to look at the sleeping Mia. "Look at her, so peaceful." He smiled, just by staring at her face.

     It wasn't a lie that Ryan had been the happiest since he started dating Mia. Not a day went by that he was not grateful to God for bringing her back to him. He wasn't going to lie, he was overprotective and possessive when it came to her, he gave her anything she wanted, he treated her like the queen she was, he was careful not to hurt her feelings. Her happiness was his happiness, she was his everything! Waking up by her side was one thing that made his day, he did all his best to have time for her and not repeat the same mistake twice.

       "Isn't it about time you told her everything?" Alex said to him.

       "She's happy is she not? She's not complaining. I want her to have no reason to doubt my love for her when the time comes." Ryan told him.

       "I wonder if you even have any plans on tell her. I'm just scared, I don't want her thinking we took advantage of her." Alex complained. "Aren't you worried that she could just wake up and she'll remember everything?"

        "Then I'll keep praying she doesn't." He said, caressing her face.