Chapter 14 Snitching To Mom
Magnus walked ahead, his pace brisk. Mia forced herself to keep up until he finally stopped in front of a VIP room.
He stiffened, lifted a hand, and pointed at the door. “He’s inside.”
Mia reached for the handle, her hand trembling. She pushed the door open and stepped in, closing it softly behind her.
Alexander was on his feet.
His hospital shirt lay discarded on the floor as he dragged his clothes on, movements sharp and restless. One hand trembled slightly as he fumbled with the buttons—injured, stiff—but he ignored it entirely, forcing his fingers to obey through sheer will.
“What the fuck is wrong with this hospital?” he barked, yanking his sleeve down with unnecessary force. “Who allowed you to come in without—”
He turned toward the door.
The moment he saw Mia, the words died in his throat.
The anger on his face froze, then slowly rearranged itself into something harder, sharper, unreadable. Without saying a word, he turned his back to her. His jaw clenched so tightly she could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.
His movements grew rougher, more frantic. He shoved his arms into his shirt, buttoning it crookedly with his injured hand, as if pain meant nothing to him.
“Mr. Graves,” Mia said softly, taking a cautious step toward him.
He didn’t respond.
She moved closer, each step careful, until she stood right beside him.
“Alexander?” she tried again.
Silence.
Her hand lifted on instinct and closed around his.
His movements stopped instantly.
Slowly, he turned. The fury in his eyes softened by the smallest fraction when they met hers. He stepped closer—just enough to invade her space—and looked straight into her eyes.
“Why didn’t you hit my car?” he demanded, his voice low and cutting. “Do you hate me that much?” His jaw tightened. “So fucking much that you’d rather die than take my help?”
Mia flinched.
His voice wasn’t raised, but it carried something far more dangerous—hurt laced with fear, raw and unfiltered, burning straight through her chest.
She swallowed, her throat tight.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” she said quietly. “No matter what… I didn’t want you to get injured.”
Her fingers curled tighter around his hand.
“I couldn’t do it.”
Something flickered in Alexander’s eyes.
The rigid tension locked in his body slowly drained away. His shoulders loosened, his breath hitching once—then, before she could react, he yanked her toward him.
Her body slammed into his chest.
His arms wrapped around her brutally tight, crushing her against him. Her face pressed into his shirt as he held her like he was terrified she might vanish if he let go for even a second.
His voice broke against her ear.
“There is nothing more important to me than you,” he whispered hoarsely. “Don’t ever fucking do that again. Let me save you.” His grip tightened. “I’m your husband. That was my duty.”
Mia froze.
Her fingers dug into his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt. His words hit too deep, too hard. Her body betrayed her, her hold tightening around him without thought.
She pulled back slightly, lifting her face to look at him. Her lashes trembled as she swallowed.
“Alexander…” she said quietly. Her voice was soft, hesitant. “I forgive you—for lying to me.”
Alexander’s body went completely still.
The tension in his arms locked as if something inside him had snapped.
Slowly, he pulled away from the hug and stared down at her.
Shock crossed his face—raw and unguarded—his breath catching as if he hadn’t expected those words at all.
His hand lifted instinctively toward her face, fingers trembling, lips parting.
“Mia—”
She caught his wrist before his hand could reach her. Her grip was gentle but firm as she pushed his hand down.
She met his eyes then. Her expression was calm but there was a chill in it that made his chest tighten.
“I forgive you,” she repeated softly. “But Mr. Graves…” Her fingers loosened from his wrist as she stepped back half a pace. “I still won’t trust you again.”
The words struck him harder than any slap ever could.
Something dark flickered across his face as realization sank in. His shoulders stiffened. Whatever hope had surfaced moments ago died quietly in his eyes.
She didn’t look at him anymore.
“Please don’t leave the hospital,” she said quietly, her voice stripped of emotion. “You need to be treated.”
Then she stepped back fully.
Turned around.
And walked out of the room without once looking over her shoulder.
Magnus stood outside. His gaze flicked to her face, then away. He didn’t say a word.
Hazel immediately reached out, slipping an arm around Mia’s waist and taking her hand, steadying her as they walked back toward her room so she wouldn’t have to put weight on her injured leg. Mia leaned slightly into her support, her steps slow but resolute.
Behind them, Magnus turned back and pushed Alexander’s door open.
Alexander spun around instantly. “Mia?” he called, hope flashing across his face as he looked past Magnus.
“She’s not coming back,” Magnus snapped coldly, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. “Stop looking for her like a kicked puppy already.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened. His lips pressed into a thin line as he turned away and started pulling the hospital shirt back on, movements sharp and irritated.
Magnus watched him, his expression hardening.
“I’m your brother,” Magnus said sharply, moving closer. “But you’d never throw yourself in front of a car for me.”
“Stop acting like a jealous mistress already,” Alexander muttered.
Magnus shot him a furious glare.
Alexander dropped onto the edge of the bed, exhaling roughly. “Did you find out who messed with Mia’s car brakes?”
Magnus moved closer now that Alexander had finally settled. He pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward him.
“This woman,” Magnus said grimly. “Some flop actress. What the fuck is she trying to do? And how is she connected to Mia?”
“Kylie fucking Brown.” Alexander’s jaw clenched hard. His eyes darkened as he stared at the photo. He shoved the phone back toward Magnus, fingers tightening into a fist. “Throw her in jail before I kill her myself.”
“Got it,” Magnus muttered. He turned to leave, then paused at the door. “I’m going now. Don’t you fucking dare try to leave the hospital again, or I’ll call Mom and make her camp here with you.”
Alexander scoffed, leaning back against the bed. “Stop interfering in my life. Don’t you have something better to do—like going on blind dates with the women that Mom arranged for you? I think she’s busy dealing with you already.”
Magnus turned sharply. “Don’t get together with her. If I hear that you and Mom arranged another bullshit marriage for me, I’ll ruin your life.”
Alexander let out a low chuckle, clearly amused.
Instead of answering, he lifted his phone and dialed Camila’s number, putting it on speaker. He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.
“I’m so scared,” Alexander said flatly.
Magnus’s irritation deepened instantly.
“I’m serious,” Magnus snapped. “Do you know how fucking difficult it is to get rid of those women? The moment you send them to me, all they care about is my business, my money, and which country or hotel I’ll take them to. Like I’m running a goddamn kindergarten for gold diggers.”
Alexander turned his head slightly, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. “Is that so?” he drawled. “Then do you want Mom to introduce you to some men instead—if that’s how you roll?”
As he spoke, Alexander tilted his phone outward, angling the screen deliberately.
Magnus froze.
Camila’s furious face filled the display, her sharp eyes blazing straight at him. The color drained from Magnus’s face. His shoulders stiffened, and his mouth snapped shut as he stared at the screen.
Slowly, he pivoted, his glare cutting straight to Alexander. Fury simmered beneath his shock.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he barked. “Are you still five years old? Snitching to Mom? Really?”
“Magnus Graves!” Camila’s icy voice cut through the room.
Her glare sharpened, burning with authority.
“You skipped the last three dates I arranged for you. You’ve even gone and spread ridiculous rumors about yourself that you kill men and chop off the fingers of innocent businessmen to make profitable deals, and now you’ve even added that you gamble away millions every single day? You are completely shameless!”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her voice rising with barely contained fury. “Are you seriously going to keep making my life a nightmare? Do you even realize how much face I lose in public because of you?”
Camila leaned closer to the camera, eyes cold and piercing. “And what’s your problem with women expecting you to take them overseas? Isn’t that exactly what you’re supposed to do when you meet a woman?”
Her tone snapped like steel. “Get married already! How long do you plan to live in my house like a spoiled child?”
“Mom, I don’t live in your house,” Magnus shot back, arms flinging outward in exasperation. “I have my own house. And my own business.”
“Do you even know what happens to unmarried men?” Camila fired back instantly, not missing a beat.
Alexander leaned forward on the bed, deliberately angling the phone closer to Magnus. A low chuckle slipped out of him—he was enjoying this far too much.
“They die with cats,” Camila declared fiercely. “They wander the streets looking homeless, saying things like, ‘I was waiting for a woman to ask me out and marry me, but it never happened—that’s why I’m single at sixty-five!’”
Magnus raised a brow, folding his arms with exaggerated calm. “Why are you so obsessed with my marriage?”
“You don’t want to meet women on your own. You don’t want the arranged meetings I set up. You’re almost a grandpa,” Camila snapped. “What exactly do you want?”
Magnus’s jaw tightened, shoulders stiff with defiance.
“I want to die rich,” he said flatly. “Like a mummy. With all my money.”