"Mia, I'm proud of you," she said sweetly.

I wanted to smile but I held it back and shrugged. "It's only been a month, Doc."

"But a month of consistency," she urged. "You'd be surprised at the people who come once and never come again."

After leaving Jeradua I came to Juva with nothing but a couple of outfits and jewelry to sell. I was able to rent out a small studio apartment on my own after selling it. I had to learn about bills and shit on my own but after getting settled, I figured it out.

I got a job at a bank not far from my house and with my new income, I was able to afford to finally furnish my place with money left over to talk to someone. I didn't have any friends yet so I liked talking to my therapist. It provided me with at least a little bit of company.

My reasons for leaving the palace were vast. I spent weeks completely secluded and alone in my room. That's when I realized no one truly cared for me. My best friend never came by, my dad didn't call, no one talked to me. It was my fault but I decided that I'd rather leave and get my own life together instead of staying there and being depressed that others were living.

"I feel like we're finally ready to talk about him, Mia. Do you think we can do that?" She asked soothingly.

I truly wasn't at all. But I trusted her. If she would talk me through it then I was sure I'd be able to somehow manage. "I think so."

"Well lay down, Mia."

I followed her instructions and laid back on the comfortable couch. I stared up at the ceiling and took a few large deep breaths.

"Now I want you to close your eyes and take me back. Take me to the day you met Syn SinClaire."

8 Years Ago

I sat in the chair in front of the mirror and grinned at Genesis who was fixing my hair into some fancy braid. Moving into this palace alone without my family was a bit terrifying but Gen always kept me company.

"Happy birthday, Mia," she said once again.

"Gennie, you've said that so many times," I said with a laugh.

"I'm just so shocked that you're eighteen now. I remember when we came to the hospital and you were like this tiny," she said as she held her hands a few inches apart.

"And now I'm huge," I said sadly as I looked at myself in the mirror. My weight was always something I had an issue with. It took me and Gen hours of shopping because I felt like almost all of the dresses showed off my unflattering rolls. I'd be lying if I said I loved myself at all.

Gen sighed and put her arms around my shoulders. "Mia, you're beautiful. Once you start seeing it you'll feel a lot better."

I smiled at her. Not because I believed her but because I didn't want her to continue complimenting me. Gen was beautiful. There was no flaw of hers that I could see and I would often find myself comparing myself to her. It was unhealthy but I couldn't help it.

Xyla also wouldn't hesitate to let me know that I should lose weight either. She even taught me how to make myself throw up after I eat but I only did it once. It resulted in me crying by the toilet for the next twenty minutes in shame.

"My son will be coming today," Gen said excitedly. "I haven't seen him in a few months."

I had heard about her son, I'd be living under a rock if I didn't. The infamous son of Lucifer. It was terrifying that he'd be staying here but Gen's enthusiasm kept me calm. She wouldn't be as happy if there were truly a monster coming here.

"That's nice," I said and she shot me another one of her beautiful smiles.

"Well, your party is about to start, Mia. Let's head downstairs," she said as she clapped her hands.

I stood up from the chair and looked at myself in the mirror one last time. The only thing that looked okay to me was my face, that was also what some other people also told me. So I believed it.

Gen pulled me by my hand and as we neared the ballroom, the loud music grew. When we reached the level of the castle where the ballroom was, we had to maneuver between dozens of people that I didn't even know. I assumed they were friends of my father or Julius.

I spotted my dad near Julius and he shot me a quick nod as we neared him.

"Mia," he said sternly. After my mother died my father wasn't the same. He became cold, threw himself into his work, and rarely made time for me. Our relationship became strained from that point on and he dropped me off here and claimed it was because he had to leave for work. I knew that wasn't true though, it was because every time he looked at me, he saw my mother.

"Hi, Dad," I said.

After a while, I found myself alone at the party. There were some girls my age but every time I would glance their way they would laugh at me. It didn't take a genius to figure out why but it still hurt.

I went to a corner of the ball and planted myself on a chair and just watched the night pass me by. Gen and Jess tried to make me dance with them a few times but I wasn't interested.

Felix walked up to me and sat down. "Hey Mia, you look amazing today."

"Thanks," I muttered. I know he didn't mean it though. The only reason he ever buttered me up was so that I'd give him a good word with Xyla. He spent the better half of his days pining after her. It was sweet but I wish he left me out of it. All it did was make me think about how no man would ever try that hard for me.

"Do you know where Xyla is?" He asked.

"She's staying in her room for the party, she's not feeling well."

He immediately sat up at my words and a worried look passed his features. "What's wrong with her?"

"Just go check on her," I said.

He looked in the direction of the door but hesitated. "Do you think she'd want me to?"

"Sure," I said. Truthfully I didn't know but I just wanted him gone. The sudden attention from the girls in the room because of Felix was beginning to get to me.

"I'll see you later, Mia. Happy birthday," he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek that made me redden and he walked away with a wink. I sunk into my seat as I felt everyone's sudden eyes on me and I wanted to disappear.

"Why the hell did he kiss the fat bitch?" I heard a girl say from somewhere in the room.

"She's so ugly."

"Why'd they throw a party for such a pig?"

Tears began stinging my eyes as everyone's words began to drown me. With a loud screech, I stormed out of the room just to bump into a hard chest.

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly as I looked up at my victim. He looked as if he didn't even notice or care that I was there even if though a bus just bumped into him. The only thing about his stoic features that seemed to have a semblance of life in them were his green eyes.

"Watch where you're going," he said as he walked past me. I remained in my spot in mild shock at what just happened. As I began to hear words about me from the ballroom, my feet sped into action.

I went to Xyla's room for the company but she seemed busy with Felix. I took the moans as an indication to find another way to busy myself. A sudden distraction popped up in my mind and I walked to the kitchen to go to my greatest friend. Food.

Trays of what looked like thousands of cupcakes and all types of food sat on the counter and on several tables around the large room. I grabbed random things and I stuffed my face until my stomach began to pain. I looked at the empty cupcake wrappers around me and immediately felt disgusted with myself.

Tears flowed down my face once again as I cleaned up my mess. 'Just throw it up'. Xyla's words passed through my mind and I saw no other alternative. After all this food I was bloated beyond compare and my dress clung to places I wished it wouldn't.

I scurried out of the kitchen to find a nearby restroom but cringed when I bumped into someone. When I looked up my eyes widened when I saw the same man from earlier.

He gave me a frustrated sigh and stepped away from me. "How many times a day do you feel the need to do that?"

"I-I'm really sorry," I muttered sadly.

"Watch your fucking step so you don't hurt yourself."

I nodded and turned around slowly. This was embarrassing, to say the least. I continued on my quest to the restroom and let out a sigh of relief when I found it. I walked into a stall and did as Xyla instructed. When I was done I sat down on the toilet in disgust. I cursed myself for everything. My weight, my face, my hair...I hated it all.

I covered my mouth as I heard the restroom door open. Giggles of girls came into the room and they stood directly in front of my door.

"Get out bitch," a girl said as she hit the door.

I jumped at the sound but remained where I was. "Wh-what do you want?"

"How dare you kiss Felix, you disgusting skank?" The girls all laughed at the comment and I cried once again. They somehow managed to push the door and a girl stormed in. She smiled down at me and grabbed me by my hair. I screamed and tried to fight her but her friends helped me and they all turned me to push my head into the toilet.

I held my breath as I saw what was coming and every time my head came up, I heard their laughs. They let go of me abruptly and I dropped to the floor with a loud gasp to get air. I felt gross as I wiped my wet face. When I opened my eyes I saw the boy from earlier that I bumped into.

He stormed into the stall where I was and grabbed the hair of the main girl who pushed my head into the toilet. The other girls remained frozen in their spot for some reason as he pushed her head into the toilet next to me.

I watched him as he kept a bored look on his face as she struggled to get air. He pulled her up for a few seconds but then put her right back in.

"Stop," I said softly as I reached my hand to touch her arm. His eyes went to where my hand was and he looked back at me. I didn't like the girls but I wouldn't want someone to go through what I did. Besides, I felt like she learned her lesson.

He let go of her roughly and she collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. Her elegant dress was now stained with water and mascara was running down her face.

"You two," he said as he pointed to her friends who still looked terrified. "Get her and get the fuck out."

They immediately did as he said and hurriedly left the restroom, leaving the man and me alone. He turned to look back down at me and held his hand out. I hesitantly took it and he helped me off the floor. My cheeks flamed as my hand remained in his and he led me out of the bathroom. After a silent walk, we arrived in an empty room with a couple of suitcases on the bed.

"Here," he said as he passed me a large robe and towel. "Go shower and I'll bring you something to wear."

I nodded quickly and did as he said. I took a shower fifteen-minute shower and dried myself off. When I was done I put on the robe and looked at myself in the mirror. My makeup was washed off and my red hair lacked its original braided style. I looked like absolute shit.

I hated having to be around a boy, well a man looking this horrible. I looked bad enough all dolled up. With a deep breath, I opened the door and walked out. The man was sitting at a table with his phone in his hand but his eyes moved to mine when I exited the restroom.

He stood up swiftly and picked up a blue dress from the bed. He walked over to me and laid it in my hands. "Here."

"Thank you," I said quickly and went back into the restroom. I slipped the dress on and it fit but it wasn't one I normally wore. It hugged my curves and no fat girl wants a dress like that. I wasn't going to complain to him though, he was being so nice.

It was already form-fitting even though I hadn't zipped it up in the back. I dreaded seeing how it would look then.

A knock at the door deviated my attention from the mirror. I opened the door and he raised a brow at me. "Why are you taking so long?"

"Sorry, I'm just trying to zip it up."

He opened the door further and my eyes widened. He moved behind me and his hands went to the zipper and he swiftly pulled it up.

His eyes met mine in the mirror and he shrugged. "That wasn't so hard. Was it?"

"I guess not," I said as I looked at myself in the mirror again. I swallowed as I looked down at my swollen stomach and large arms.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm just..." I trailed off with a shrug, not wanting to say it.

"You're just what?"

I gestured along my body and he raised his brow in confusion. I sighed and shook my head. "My body just isn't made for a dress like this."

His eyes raked my body in the mirror and my breath hitched. After a few moments, he looked at me directly in the mirror. "If it's any consolation, I think you're beautiful."

Why would he say that? There was no reason to. I didn't know him, he didn't know me. There was nothing he could possibly want from me.

"I-umm...my name is Mia," I said as I turned around and held my hand up between the small distance between us.

He looked down at my hand and then back up at me. I swallowed nervously and he sighed and took my hand into his.

"Syn. Syn SinClaire."

꧁꧂

"That was quite the story, Mia," She said as she wrote it down on her paper. "Do you believe that you may have sought validation from him instead of yourself?"

I sat up and wiped the tears from my eyes that had come from my memory. I shrugged at her question. "I'm not sure."

"From what you told me, you had a deep hatred for yourself and he was the first person that saw something in you that you believed. Perhaps you looked at him as some sort of savior."

"He did save me," I said.

"He did, but that doesn't make him a superhero Mia. As soon as you realize that, you can move on."

I nodded and just in time, her alarm went off and I smiled at her. "I'll see you in a few days, Doc."

"Take care of yourself, Mia," she said sweetly as she stood up.

I stood up and waved to her as I left her office. I felt the familiar sense of clarity as I always did when I left her office. It felt good.

I glanced at my watch and saw that I had about thirty minutes until work started. Thankfully the bus was only a fifteen minute ride. I stopped by a nearby coffee shop and grabbed a quick cup of coffee and waited at the stop.

I held my purse in my arm and moved the cup into my other hand to adjust the pencil skirt I was wearing. I despised the formal wear but I had to do what needed to be done.

After the usual fifteen-minute ride I was used to, I arrived at the bank and was greeted by Stacy. "Hey, Mia."

"Hey," I said nicely as I passed by her. We didn't talk much but I appreciated the daily hellos from her. My heels clicked along the white marble floors of the bank and I walked towards the back. The bank was usually not as busy during this time of day since people were at work but looking at my watch, I knew that rush hour was coming soon.

I put my purse away in my locker and adjusted my blazer quickly in the mirror. My coworkers were pretty nice, to say the least, I kept to myself but they were sweet.

My shift went by as usual. It was a boring job but I needed stability for now since my emotions were a wreck. So I'd deal with it until I was better. A few hours passed by when suddenly I heard gunshots being fired and screams filling the building.

I looked through the bulletproof glass to see almost fifty men in black suits. They were all wearing white masks except one who was wearing a black one. The one in black stood up on a chair in the room and held a machine gun in his hands.

"If anyone moves, I'll kill you! Everyone get on the floor now!" He screamed. He must've been the leader since he was sending orders to his guards. He removed his mask and everyone gasped as they looked at him. "You all know who I am, and you know if you are shot with my weapon, you'll die immediately."

The chaos in the room turned into a silent but fearful one as everyone did what he said. From behind us, the door burst open and his men walked in and pointed guns at our backs.

"Nobody press that button!" A man yelled as he walked in. He was referring to the button under each of our desks to call the police and I sighed. There were seven of us behind the glass and for each of us, one man was pointing a gun at our backs. "Put the money in the bags he ordered as he tossed it to us."

The seven of us did what they said as we emptied our spots. One of the men took Liam, my coworker to the safe of the bank to empty it. After a few minutes, they returned with large bags with money spilling out. They walked in a single file line out the building to vans parked in the front.

My eyes accidentally drifted to the leader of this mess standing on the chair and I found him looking in my direction. He hopped off the chair and walked toward me and I averted my eyes.

He knocked on the window to get my attention and I looked up in mild fear. I should've been more afraid but I wasn't. I wasn't scared of death anymore. I was only scared of not being able to live my life the way I wanted.

I wasn't expecting him to be so ruggedly handsome though, and it caught me off guard. A corner of his mouth was tilted up in a smirk and I took a relaxing breath. He was hot. I hated that I was thinking that but I couldn't help it.

"What's your name?" He asked.

His voice sent flutters straight down my spine and I bit the inside of my cheek. Get it together, Mia. He's robbing you. With that in mind, I took a deep breath.

"Don't worry about it," I replied.

He raised his brows but a smirk still played on his features. His eyes zeroed in on my chest and I looked down to see him looking at my name tag. "Mia," he rear in a purposefully slow tone. "That's an amazing name."

Liar.

I ignored his words and shook my head. "Wouldn't you like to know my name?" He asked.

"Not really," I replied dryly.

"Cain. My name is Cain," he said.

"Okay," I shrugged. His name was completely irrelevant to me. He was robbing my workplace for fucks sake.

A woman at the entrance of the building began screaming as the man pointed his gun at her and her child. Cain's head snapped in the direction and I took the chance to press the button. I didn't want people dying.

"Hey!" The guard behind me growled as he gripped my hair roughly. I felt the barrel of his gun against my head but I remained calm.

Cain turned back to me with eyes full of amusement as he leaned his forearms against the counter. He tapped against the glass and shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that, Mia."

I rolled my eyes at him and he looked to the guard. "Let her go. Get everyone together. We have two minutes to get out," he ordered calmly.

The guard let me go and I fixed my hair and clothes. Cain's eyes moved back to mine and he stood up straight. "Why did you have to press the button? I was enjoying talking to you."

I ignored the way my cheeks flamed and remained strong. "You should leave before the cops get here."

He nodded once with a smug smile still on his face. "Thanks for the advice, gorgeous."

"Mhmm," I hummed boredly.

"I'll see you around. Mia."

With that, he walked out swiftly and I let out the breath I was holding in. Liam, my coworker grabbed my arm. "Are you insane? Do you know who that was?"

I moved my arm away from his grasp and frowned. "I don't care who he was."

"That was Cain," he said.

"Yeah, that's his name."

"You don't understand," he said in a frightened tone. "He's Adam's son. We all thought he was dead but he's back now."

My eyes widened. "Like Cain and Abel Cain? That one?"

"Yes!" Lucas shouted. "The first murderer to walk the earth just told you 'I'll see you around'."

Karma is a real bitch.