Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Mia sat on the floor of her room, her back pressed against the edge of her bed. Her knees were drawn to her chest, and silent tears streamed down her cheeks. The weight of her heartbreak pressed down on her like a physical force, suffocating her.
She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. How naive. She had allowed herself to believe, even for a fleeting moment, that someone like Alex Blackwell could care about her. She hugged her knees tighter, shaking her head at her own foolishness.
There was a knock at her door.
“Mia? Are you okay?” her mother’s concerned voice called from the other side.
It was an unusual thing for her mother to show this much concern.
She must have looked awful when she came into the house.
Mia squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to stop crying. She didn’t answer.
“Mia, open the door,” her mother tried again, her voice soft. “What happened?”
But Mia didn’t move. She couldn’t face her mother, couldn’t face anyone right now.
What would she even say? That she had fallen for a rich boy who had only used her as part of some cruel game? That she had given him her heart, her trust, her first time, only to be discarded like she was trash?
Her mother lingered at the door for a moment longer before finally walking away, the sound of her footsteps fading down the hall. Mia let out a shaky breath, her tears falling harder now.
She felt utterly broken.
The memory of Alex’s cold, mocking words replayed in her mind on an endless loop, each one cutting deeper than the last. She had never felt so humiliated, so small.
How could she have been so stupid?
What was she thinking-that Alex Blackwell, the most sought-after man in Willowcrest, would actually want her? She was a Turner. Her family was nothing but a stain on the town’s reputation. Of course, he had never really cared about her.
She buried her face in her hands, her body shaking with silent sobs.
Meanwhile, Alex sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drove back home. His jaw was clenched, and his thoughts were a chaotic mess.
He had done what he needed to do, what Zoe had insisted on. But for some reason, it didn’t feel as satisfying as he thought it would.
His mind kept drifting back to Mia’s face as she stood in his room, her eyes filled with heartbreak. The way her voice had trembled when she asked if she had done something wrong. The tears that had rolled down her cheeks as she realized the
truth.
Alex shifted in his seat, his hands tightening on the wheel.
Why was he even thinking about it? She was a Turner, that family deserves the worst.
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and that was her problem, not his.
Still, the image of her tear-streaked face wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, hitting the steering wheel in frustration.
When he had thrown the bundle of cash on the table, he thought it would make things casier. He thought it would erase whatever tiny flicker of guilt he felt. But instead, it had made everything worse.
She hadn’t taken the money.
He let out a tired sigh as he pulled into the driveway of his family’s estate. If she had just taken the cash, it would’ve been easier to write her off as someone who was only after his wealth, someone who didn’t deserve even a second thought.
But she hadn’t.
Instead, she had looked at him like he had ripped her heart out and crushed it in front of her.
Alex exhaled sharply as he got out of the car and walked into the house. He needed a distraction, something to take his mind off the whole thing.
The smell of coffee greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen. His mother, Esther Blackwell, was seated at the counter, a stack of photographs spread out in front of her. She was sipping her coffee and humming softly to herself.
“Hi, baby,” she said warmly, glancing up as Alex walked in.
“Mom,” Alex greeted, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He glanced at the photos on the counter. “What’s this?”
Esther beamed. “I’m looking for a wife for your brother.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, leaning over to get a better look at the pictures. They were of various young women, all impeccably dressed and clearly from wealthy, influential families.
“You’re doing what?” Alex asked, his tone incredulous.
“I’m helping Julian find a wife,” Esther said cheerfully, sipping her coffee.
Alex let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Have you even talked to Julian about this?”
“No, not yet,” Esther admitted, her excitement not slowing down. “I wanted us to do it together. I’m so excited about it.”
“Mom,” Alex said patiently, “you can’t be excited about something that might not even happen. You need to talk to Julian first before making plans like this. Where did you even get these pictures?”
Esther waved a hand dismissively. “Believe it or not, a lot of women want to marry your brother.”
Alex shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself. “You’re unbelievable.”
Just then, a voice came from the doorway.
“Who wants to marry me?”
