Chapter 13 Ungrateful #3
This time Mia put her hand on his chest and gently held him back. “Mr. Graves… really. We need to open the door. It’s been three hours. It’s working hours… and this is your company, not our home.”
Her voice was soft, her eyes pleading.
Alexander exhaled sharply—clearly not liking it—but finally loosened his grip around her waist. Mia quickly slipped out of his lap, breathless and flustered as she stood and adjusted her clothes. Alexander rose to his feet too, straightening his shirt with an annoyed swipe of his hand.
Then, he pressed the button on his desk, unlocking the office door.
The moment it opened, Allen rushed inside with panic all over his face.
Without looking at him, Alexander said, his voice cold as steel, “Allen, for you to keep banging on my door… whatever this is had better be worth disturbing me.”
Allen let out an awkward laugh and forced a smile. “Mr. Graves… your mom came to the office. And somehow she found out about Mrs. Graves’ kidnapping.”
Alexander’s expression hardened instantly. “How did she find out? Did you tell her?”
Alan shook his head so fast it was almost a blur. “No, Mr. Graves. Of course not! But… your mother always has her own sources. As always. She finds out everything.”
Alexander gritted his teeth and dragged a hand through his hair in frustration.
Allen continued quickly, voice more tense now. “But that’s not the main problem, Mr. Graves. The real problem is that now she’s outside—right now—and she’s insisting on going to James’s office herself to fight with him for putting Mrs. Graves in danger.”
Both Alexander and Mia froze.
Their eyes met, both shocked, and without another word, they rushed out of the office.
They sprinted down the corridor. Even before they reached the end, they could hear raised voices and shifting footsteps, enough to tell that something was wrong.
Camila paced in the waiting area, anger written all over her face. She grabbed her coat from the couch in one rough motion, throwing it over her shoulders.
“Thomas, pull the car to the entrance! I’m going to teach that motherfucker a lesson myself! If he wants to die, he can! How dare he put my daughter-in-law in danger!” Camila shouted furiously.
“Mom—wait!” Mia grabbed Camila’s shoulder, eyes wide with worry, trying to hold her back. “Please, it’s not a big thing anymore. Everything has already been handled.”
Behind them, Alexander strolled into the waiting room and leaned against a desk, his hip against the edge, arms folded across his chest as he watched the scene unfold. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Meanwhile Mia was practically wrestling Camila to keep her from storming out.
“Mom, everything is fine. Look at me.” She held Camila’s arms tightly. “I took care of it. There’s no need to fight anyone.”
Camila swatted her hands away. “You don’t understand! It wasn’t a small matter—it was a matter of life! How can you say it’s a small thing you ‘handled’? No. Don’t worry, I’m going to teach him a good lesson today. If he wants enemies, he can have them—but he will NOT put you in danger!”
“It wasn’t James who put me in danger! It was just an unfortunate incident.” Mia tried to explain, but Camila wasn’t listening to a single word.
“Mia Graves, don’t argue with me!” Camila frowned, pushing Mia’s hands away.
Mia looked helplessly over Camila’s shoulder at Alexander, silently begging him to step in.
But Alexander just smirked at her, their eyes locking, and he mouthed:
“Beg me.”
Mia’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
And in that exact moment, Camila finally shoved past Mia and stormed out of there.
“Mom—!” Mia tried to rush after her, but Camila was already out the door, marching toward the elevator.
Mia spun around and hurried toward Alexander, coming to stand right in front of him. “Mr. Graves, what are you doing?! Why aren’t you helping me? You have to stop your mother!”
Alexander stayed exactly where he was, leaning casually against the desk with zero tension in his body. Not even a hint of panic on his face.
He bent down slightly to bring his face close to hers, his heated eyes locking on her panicked ones.
“Call me Alexander first,” he smirked.
“Mr. Graves—not now! This is not the time!” Mia practically cried.
Alexander tilted his head, the smirk on his lips widening. “Call me Alexander and I’ll help you.”
Behind them, a loud bang echoed.
“Mrs. Graves! Calm down—calm down!” Thomas begged desperately. “The elevator is coming, don’t punch the door! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
Mia looked back at Alexander, panic filling her eyes. She took a deep breath, her shoulders dropping in defeat. She squeezed her eyes shut, took a sharp breath, then looked at him again.
“…Alexander. Please.”
Alexander’s face lit up instantly—brighter than Christmas lights. He straightened, smiled wide, grabbed her face in both hands and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth.
Then he turned and took quick strides out of the waiting room, going after his mother.
Mia blinked, stunned for a heartbeat, then scrambled to follow, Allen hurrying to keep pace beside her.
Alexander came to a sharp stop in the corridor when he reached Camila—who was furiously slamming her fist on the elevator call button like she wanted to break it.
“Mom,” he said sharply, “have you forgotten you’re banned from getting into fights? Did you forget the police warning last year when you fought with one of Magnus's business partners?”
Camila snapped back without even looking at him.
“Don’t disturb me! I’m going for something important!
” she shouted. “You should be ashamed—why are you stopping me from helping your wife? Does that James Sinclaire think Mia has no support? Is that why he thinks he can put her in danger whenever he wants?!”
She kept jabbing the elevator button aggressively, but the elevator still didn’t open.
“Why the hell is this elevator not working?! OPEN, DAMN IT!”
Just then, the elevator gave a soft ding.
Alexander took one urgent step closer, and his voice thundered through the corridor in a cold warning. “If you walk out of this office right now, I’m calling the police on you. Last time you got off with a warning—this time, they will put you in jail, Mother.”
Camila spun around so fast her coat swung behind her. Her eyes shot daggers at Alexander, full of fury.
“Alexander Graves! You disloyal brat!” she snapped.
The elevator doors finally slid open.
Camila, eyes blazing, her breath heavy, snapped her head toward Thomas.
“Thomas! Take me home. I will deal with this bastard later.” She threw one last vicious glare at Alexander, then stepped inside the elevator with Thomas.
Behind them, Mia leaned close to Allen and whispered quietly, “Who is Magnus?”
Allen stood stiffly with his hands folded in front of him, a little flinch in his shoulders. He glanced at her and then leaned in slightly, answering in the same quiet tone, “He’s Mr. Graves’s youngest brother.”
Mia stared at him in surprise. “I haven’t seen him until now. Where is he?”
Allen simply shrugged.