Cain

Out of all the years, we'd known each other, I never liked seeing Mia cry. I hated it with a passion and I would deal with anyone who brought tears to her beautiful eyes.

But now I was the one doing the damage.

It broke my heart to see her this way but I've been putting her first after all of these years. Anytime she needed or wanted anything, I put everyone including myself aside for her. It took me getting severely injured for me to realize that she'd never done anything like that for me.

I'd be a fucking liar to say that realizing she chose Abel over me didn't make me turn her away. It did. The realization that it was him and she along with everyone I'd ever met chose him over me was daunting. I lost the spirit to fight after that.

I didn't even realize the words coming out of my mouth a few minutes ago when I rejected her. But sitting here now, it seemed like the best option.

If she had told me she didn't love Jackson, this would've been a different conversation...but she didn't. There was no change and she was once again confused.

In the past, I would've taken advantage of her uncertainty but I'm a coward now. I couldn't continue investing my heart and energy into her when I knew she'd choose someone more "stable" in a heartbeat.

I needed to protect myself.

For once, I wanted more than to chase an unrequited love. I wanted someone that looked at me and decided then and there that they wanted me. No games, no manipulation, just love.

The bitter truth that Abel made me realize was that Mia would never be that person who did that for me. She'd already done that...with him.

In him, she saw all the answers to her problems. Her dependency as much as she hated to admit, had been tethered to his "stable" job..."stable" emotions...and "stable" life.

No matter how much she claimed she wanted me, a part of her life that she had built for herself in all her years of therapy...would be yearning for a man that I'd never be.

"I can't do that," she whispered and snapped me out of my daze. I cleared my mind of my rampant thoughts and focused my gaze on her.

"Do what?"

"Chase you," she answered. "I don't think it'd be good for me mentally. Especially if you like someone else."

I'd heard enough about her past situation with Syn to understand her hesitation when it came to things like this. It wasn't as if it truly mattered to me whether she hunted me down to the ends of the earth...I just wanted her to feel something.

To feel it enough that she'd show me any bit of effort. That's what you do when you love someone, right? I suppose I wouldn't know well enough considering my view of love came from romantic comedies. My parents were forced to be together and the only models to show me what it looked like were Syn and Queen.

Even when they got separated by death, they managed to find their way back to one another. That dedication— that was what I wanted.

"I understand, Mia," I said. I stood up from my chair to end this draining conversation and I looked down at her. "I'll drive you home."

"What about the interview? I thought if I passed I could stay," she said.

"You didn't pass."

"How not?"

"The contract has a rule about emotional attachments. It'd be inappropriate to continue this with you," I said as I looked towards the window.

"Since when do you care about rules?!" She snapped.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I don't want you here, Mia. You don't belong here."

"What—"

A knock at the door made us both turn to it. My subs knew better than to interrupt any of my meetings so this had to be important. "Come in."

The door opened slowly and Iris stepped in. Instead of the subs normal attire, she was wearing jeans and a sweater. She had a purse on her shoulder and a folder in her hands as she hesitantly walked towards us.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt," she said softly. "I can come back in a few minutes if you'd like."

Iris always followed rules to a tee so seeing her break one was troublesome, to say the least. If it wasn't for that, I would've sent her back out to wait.

"Yes, we're in the middle of a conversation..." Mia said slowly.

"I know, sorry." She ran a hand through her hair weakly and turned to leave.

"Wait," I said. She turned around to face us once again and I turned to Mia. "Excuse us."

"Are you serious?" She asked sadly.

"Yes, get ready to leave. I'll drive you home when I'm done speaking to Iris," I said.

Mia looked between us before scoffing and getting out of her seat. She rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her and I turned to Iris. "Have a seat?" I asked as I gestured to the chair.

She nodded and sat down. She looked around hesitantly and I raised a brow. "What was it?"

"Right, sorry," she said with a shy smile as she passed me the folder. "This is our contract. I need to terminate it. Now, I know that there's a big fine for ending the contract early and I can't exactly pay it at this second but I'm getting a job and I'll retu-"

"You're leaving?" I interrupted her rant.

"Yes, I am," she said.

"Do you mind telling me why? Is everything okay?"

"My grandfather is sick. I'm the only family he has so I'm going home to take care of him," she answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I replied earnestly. "Does he live in the Underworld?"

"Yes, he does. I won't be going that far but I still would rather live under the same roof as him. Hence the ending the contract thing," she laughed softly as her skin turned a light blue; indicating her nervousness.

"How are the medical bills?"

"Isn't that private?" She retorted with a raised brow.

I was taken aback by her sudden backtalk considering she'd never done it before. Where had the timid and reserved Iris gone? Maybe since she was leaving she didn't feel the need to bite her tongue with me.

"Sure. But I'm still asking."

"They're expensive, understandably," she said.

"Do you need help with them?"

"I...no, I'm going to be working as much as possible so I'll figure it out. Thanks for the offer though," she said appreciatively. "Also is it possible to pay the fine monthly? I didn't realize how much it was."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, I'm making a decision so I should deal with the repercussions." She stood up from the chair and I did the same. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Master. I will forever be indebted to you."

I nodded and walked around the table. She held her hand out for me to shake it but I swatted it away and pulled her in for a hug. Her body became rigid against mine but she relaxed a few moments later.

"Will you visit?" I asked.

"For what?" She questioned as she pulled away and looked up at me. "I said goodbye to the girls and we weren't really close anyway."

"I meant—...never mind. Take care, Iris."

"You too." I could hear the hint of sadness in her voice and it tugged at my chest, urging me to say something else. She gave me a small smile before waving and turning on her heel and I leaned against the table as I watched her leave the room.

When she was gone, I groaned and my shoulders slumped. I liked her. A lot more than what was appropriate and it drove me insane that she was leaving. I knew it was coming eventually but I didn't think it'd be this soon.

I didn't want her to leave, honestly. But now that she was gone, could I live with never seeing her again? There was something between us but we had no time to explore it and there was a lingering want inside of me. Was that something I could live with as well?

The possibility of what if...

With the whole situation with Mia, a better person wouldn't have brought in an innocent party. But I wasn't a better person and I didn't feel like being one at all.

With that in mind, I stormed out of the room and straight into the living room. "Where's Iris?!"

The subs pointed towards the elevator and I turned to see it closing. Our eyes landed on one another's before it completely closed and I darted towards it. I pushed the button repeatedly for it to open but I looked up to see it already going down.

"Fuck!" I ran from the elevator to the exit in the back of the penthouse and walked into a long stairwell. I quickly rushed down it to beat the elevator but I never thought there would be this many. I guess I never really imagined going down fifty flights of stairs.

What happened to no chasing?

This wasn't chasing. I needed to go downstairs anyway....for mail; at least that's what I told myself.

I almost fell multiple times skipping stairs and I glanced down at what seemed like an endless spiral of stairs. I pushed through them and after what felt like an eternity, I reached the large door that led out to the lobby.

I sprinted towards the front of the elevator and saw that it was on the fifth floor. I let my hands on my knees to catch my breath as I waited and I shook my head. What the fuck am I doing?

I heard the elevator ding open and a crowded group of people exited the elevator and bumped into me. "Watch where you're fucking going!" I seethed. I was petty enough to evict them all for this dumb shit.

Someone else bumped into me and I snapped as I grabbed them. "I fucking said—"

I looked down to see a frightened Iris looking up at me and I smiled as I gently let go of her. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

She nodded slowly with her eyes still widened in shock and I ran a hand through my hair. "What are you doing down here?"

"Umm," I started as I tried to control my breathing. "I-...umm...I came to say..."

"Say what?" She asked.

"That if you can't afford the medical bills, you can rob a bank. It's a pretty effective way to get money," I said in a rushed voice.

She laughed softly and nodded as she moved her eyes away from mine. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," I whispered awkwardly.

"Is that all?" She asked as she slowly stepped to the side to allow people to walk into the elevator.

"Mhmm," I nodded. "I just wanted you to know that...there are options."

"I've always wanted to know what the inside of a prison looks like," she joked. "So I appreciate it."

"It doesn't look as cool as you would think," I added. She nodded slowly at my words and gave me a strange look and I shook my head. "Not that I've been inside of a prison."

She laughed again and I rubbed the back of my neck. "Will you be safe?"

"I'll try my best."

"Okay," I whispered.

"Goodbye, Cain," she said as she walked away slowly.

"Bye, Iris." I watched her leave again and when she was out of the door I tried not to punch myself for being so stupid. She probably thought I was crazy.

I was left puzzled by how I managed to be the biggest fucking geek ever. This wasn't me. I was suave and sexy. What just happened was disgusting.

I walked towards the front desk to get all of my mail and when I turned to go back to the elevator, I saw Iris outside with a tall man looking over her. He shook her hand and she smiled in return. At the sight, rage began to take over all my senses and I rushed outside.

I approached the two angrily and that was when I noticed it was my brother. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" I said lowly.

Iris looked between the two of us worriedly and I clenched my jaw. Abel gave me a sneaky smile and shoved my hands into my pocket. "I tracked my girlfriend Mia to here. What a coincidence that you live here brother."

"Mia is your girlfriend?" Iris asked as she looked up at him.

"Well, technically fiancé. I'm just not understanding why she would be here. Would you happen to know anything..."

"Iris," she introduced herself.

"Iris," he said slowly. "Beautiful name."

"Thanks," she muttered. "Nice meeting you, I need to go. Bye." She waved at the both of us but I couldn't pay her any mind as I focused my attention on Abel.

"What are you doing here?"

"Was that your girlfriend?" He asked.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"She didn't seem like your type at first but she is quite nice-"

"She is none of your fucking business," I said menacingly as I stepped towards him. "Don't talk about her."

"No worries," he said as he held his hands up. "I love Mia. You don't need to worry about me."

"Why are you here?"

"As I said, I tracked Mia's phone here since she hasn't been answering my calls," he said.

"You track her?" I asked dryly.

"We have each other's locations," he gestured to his phone.

"But you knew I lived here."

"Of course," he said with a smile. "And I'm sure she was with you. Please tell her to come down."

"Why should I?" I asked.

"Because of this." He held out a magazine to me and I turned to see Queen on the front page. It was about her entry into the Queenz competition and I snatched it from his hands. "That's our sister, isn't it?"

"Who told you?"

"You're not the only one following people," he said as he circled me condescendingly. "Our sister, Queen of Hell...I would've never guessed. She and I will get along amazingly, I'm sure."

"You said you wouldn't try to reach out," I argued.

"That was dependent on you keeping my identity from Mia. Now it will be depending on how fast you can get her to come down here."

"She called off your engagement, Jackson," I sneered.

"She did but I know her. We love one another and the reason she didn't call it off in person is that she loves me. I just need to speak with her."

"Just speak with her? You're not going to ask me to stay away from her or anything?" I asked with a scoff as I crossed my arms.

"No, there is no need. If there was truly something between the both of you she would've left a long time ago. She's only running right now because we argued."

"An argument?" I asked.

"Yes, why do you think she called off our engagement?"

She said it was because she realized her feelings for me.

"When?"

"Friday," he answered with a shrug. "It doesn't matter. All couples argue."

I did matter, though. Friday was the day that I got into the car accident. If Mia had her sudden epiphany after her argument with Abel...then she was as confused as I believed she was.

"Stay away from Queen," I muttered. "I'll have Mia come down."

"Sounds like a deal."

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Author's Note
😬

I wasn't going to upload until tomorrow but I wanted to get these specific chapters out of the way🤭.
Let me know your thoughts✨