Chapter 8 The Survivor
James answered, but only long enough to hear the man’s lazy, teasing drawl:
“I just watched your precious Kylie get destroyed by a very cool woman at Max Mall. Coming to save your beloved damsel?”
James hung up without a word.
The man huffed a laugh. “Touchy,” he muttered, sliding his sunglasses back onto his face.
Before Mia could decide between a cab or her driver, a store assistant rushed toward her, practically tripping over her own feet. Her posture was stiff with nerves, her voice trembling as she bowed slightly.
“Mrs. Graves, please don’t worry,” she said quickly. “We’ll send all your items, including the newest version of that dress, directly to your home.”
Mia softened, offering a small, polite smile. “Thank you.”
The assistant exhaled in relief. “We only need your signature on a small receipt. Could you please come inside once more? I’m so sorry to trouble you.”
“It’s alright,” Mia said gently.
She turned and walked back inside, unaware that the man leaning on the car was watching every step she took.
***
Across town, James’s phone dinged while he was speeding through traffic, heading toward Max Mall like his life depended on it.
He glanced at the notification—and froze.
It was a text from Gavin, the friend he had hung up on moments ago.
James tapped the screen. The image loaded.
His breath stopped.
It was Mia. And Kylie.
His heartbeat thundered against his ribs, each beat harder than the last.
So Kylie wasn’t lying. Mia really was at Max Mall.
His fingers clenched around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. The accelerator sank beneath his foot as panic shot through his veins.
How the hell was she here?
He had men watching the entire city. He had ordered an intense search. Yet she had slipped past everything and appeared just like that, out of nowhere. Walking around like she hadn’t vanished into thin air for days.
James’s breath turned ragged; his mind spun. He pressed the accelerator harder, weaving through traffic with reckless speed. Cars honked, brakes screeched behind him, but he didn’t stop.
Within minutes, he skidded into Max Mall’s entrance, tires screeching so loud heads turned.
James barely remembered shutting the car door. He was already running.
Gavin uncrossed his arms, eyes lighting up with amusement as James sprinted toward him. With a leisurely step, he slid right into James’s path and slapped a hand onto his shoulder.
“You got here fast,” Gavin said with a grin. “Since you ignored my call, I figured you weren’t coming.”
“I didn’t come here for Kylie,” James snapped, brushing his hand off. His voice was tight, shaking with urgency. His eyes swept the area—entrances, exits, corridors—every second Mia wasn’t in sight felt like a noose tightening around him.
Gavin slung a lazy arm around James’s shoulders. “Yeah, yeah, totally believable.” He waved dismissively. “Anyway, I just met a very cool woman a few minutes ago. Honest to God—love at first sight. Gorgeous. Fierce. And she absolutely destroyed your annoying girlfriend.”
James’s jaw locked. Hard.
“Where is Kylie?” he ground out.
“Nearby,” Gavin said with a shrug. “Probably changing clothes. The ones she was wearing got torn clean off by that woman.” His expression softened, lower lip tipping forward as if admiring the memory. “God, she looked incredible while doing it too.”
A muscle in James’s cheek twitched violently.
He moved toward the edge of the parking lot, positioning himself near a car, posture stiff, eyes glued to the mall’s entrance.
He wasn’t going to let Mia slip away again.
Gavin watched him with raised brows. “By the way,” he said casually, “what’s the deal with your wife? You’re still married, right? Got Kylie on the side or something?” He snorted. “It’s been years and I’ve never met the woman. She must be very… interesting for you to stay married that long.”
A flash of displeasure—and jealousy—crossed James’s face before he replied, “Nothing special. Just an average wife. As a wife should be.”
Gavin snorted so loudly a couple of people turned to look.
“Right,” he drawled. “Your mother chose her, didn’t she?
” He threw his head back and laughed, the sound loud and careless.
“What a shame. Imagine being stuck in an arranged marriage with some boring, lifeless woman. Years wasted.” He shook his head dramatically.
“If it were me, I’d lose my mind. Thank God you’re divorced now.
At least now you can finally live. Planning to settle with Kylie? ”
James didn’t answer.
He didn’t even hear the question.
His head was turning, eyes darting across the entrance, over each passing face, scanning every corner with frantic, barely controlled desperation.
Then—
He stopped breathing. His body stiffened.
His gaze locked on one spot… one person… walking out of the glass doors.
Mia.
His entire body snapped straight. Every muscle locked. Shock washed over his face as he stared at her.
This wasn’t the Mia he remembered.
Not the quiet woman who wore long skirts and soft colors. Not the woman who tied her hair back and avoided makeup because his mother once said it looked “desperate.”
This Mia…
This Mia walked out in a short, flowing dress that hugged her waist and draped around her thighs, stopping mid-thigh and swaying with every step.
Her hair fell freely down her shoulders, glossy and wild, framing her glowing face.
Light makeup highlighted her eyes and cheeks, making her look younger—radiant.
She looked… breathtaking.
Without thinking—James rushed toward her.
Gavin jogged after James, still trying to understand why the man suddenly bolted toward the exit. But the moment Gavin’s gaze followed James’s—it landed right on Mia.
His reaction was instant.
His eyes flew wide, jaw dropping as he grabbed James’s arm with both hands.
“This is her!” he burst out, voice cracking with excitement.
“This is the woman I told you about—the one I’ve got a crush on!
You know her?” He stared openly at Mia, breath hitching in awe.
“Introduce me to her! She might be my future wife, dude. I’m serious.
” His voice was urgent, almost disbelieving.
James stopped so abruptly that Gavin smacked into his back.
James turned his head slowly, icy fury flooding his eyes. “Don’t even think about it!”
Gavin blinked hard. “Why not? Why are you refusing so fast? If you know her, just let me give it a shot. What’s the problem?”
James’s voice came out low and sharp, each word slicing.
“Because she. Is. My. Wife.”
Gavin’s mouth fell completely open. “Your wife? Stop lying. That can’t be right.” He let out a stunned laugh. “Isn’t your wife supposed to be that boring, lifeless girl your mother picked? You literally called her average.”
He pointed at Mia, baffled. “And this is not average.”
James didn’t respond. He was already storming ahead—steps quick, chest tight, eyes fixed on Mia like the earth would crack if he looked away.
Mia had slipped toward the quieter side of the mall that led to the parking lot. James’s pace turned frantic.
Within seconds, he cut in front of her, blocking her path.
Mia froze, breath hitching in surprise. She instinctively stepped back, clutching her bag tighter, her wide eyes lifting to his. For a beat, neither of them moved—her heart racing in shock, his entire world stopping at the sight of her.
Gavin stopped beside them, eyes glued to Mia in pure amazement. Then he leaned toward James—loudly enough for the dead to hear.
“She’s gorgeous,” he whispered. “And dressed like this? You let this woman go? You divorced her? Are you insane?” His tone was baffled, almost offended by James’s stupidity.
James felt something snap—jealousy spiking like a knife twisting in his ribs. His jaw clenched so hard the muscle ticked violently.
With a sudden, tense movement, James stepped into Mia’s space, grabbed her arm, and yanked her closer. Close enough that she could feel the heat of his anger and the tremble beneath it.
“You finally show up,” he hissed, voice raw. “Do you have any idea? Any damn idea how long I’ve been looking for you? Where the hell have you been all these months?”
His voice trembled, not from anger alone, but from the fear and desperation he had buried for months.
Then his eyes traveled over her dress, and something darker flickered across his face.
“And what the hell are you wearing?” he snapped, eyes traveling slowly from the hem of her dress up to her bare shoulders. His nostrils flared. “Since when do you dress like this?”
He stepped closer—breath uneven, chest rising with suppressed emotions. “What the hell is going on with you, Mia?”
Mia’s shock slowly drained away, replaced by irritation. Her expression hardened. She pulled her arm out of his grasp.
“I’m wearing it because I like it,” she said sharply.
Her voice was cold, rough, fed up.
That only poured gasoline on James’s already burning jealousy.
“Oh, I see,” he growled, stepping even closer, eyes burning into hers.
“You think wearing short clothes is enough to get my attention? You disappear for months—months—and then show up dressed like this?” He scoffed, breath shaky with anger.
“Do you actually think this will affect me? Make me want you more?”
His voice rose—raw, jagged, overflowing with everything he didn’t know how to express. “You think changing your clothes and pulling some dramatic disappearing act is going to get my attention?”
He stepped in, the anger in his eyes burning over the fear hiding beneath it.
“Give up this idea already,” he growled.
Mia’s brow tightened. She held his gaze for one long, cold moment before stepping back, deliberately widening the space between them.
“Did I ask you to find me?” she said, her voice flat as stone. “Did I ask you to care? I don’t care about you, James.”
The words hit him like she’d slammed a door in his face. His jaw locked. A dangerous calm slid over his expression, masking the storm underneath.