Chapter 15 Let Me Eat You #2
Alexander’s eyes narrowed, intensity flaring dangerously. The way she dismissed it only made his chest tighten further, his fingers curling slightly at his sides.
Mia stood her ground, staring at him, her heart hammering violently in her chest. She looked away first, twisting slightly on her heel.
“I want to stay here tonight,” she said quietly, voice low. “You can go back to your house.”
Alexander’s body stiffened, every muscle coiling. “You’re coming home with me,” he said flatly, stepping closer. “I’m not going back alone.”
“I’m staying here for the weekend,” Mia replied, exhaling slowly, trying to force calm into her voice. “Then I’ll go back to my apartment on Monday.”
“Then I’ll stay at your apartment with you,” he said evenly, voice firm, eyes not leaving hers.
“Mr. Graves,” she murmured, tilting her head slightly, forcing calm into her tone, “don’t act stubborn.”
Finally, she looked at him fully, meeting his gaze steadily. “I’ll go back to your house on Monday.”
A long, heavy moment passed.
Then Alexander let out a slow, defeated breath. He stepped closer, bridging the last space between them. One hand lifted to the back of her head, fingers tangling gently in her hair. He leaned down, and his lips brushed softly against hers in a gentle, lingering kiss.
“Alright,” he said quietly, his voice low. “I’ll pick you up on Monday morning. Wake up early.”
Mia nodded faintly, eyes still on the floor.
Satisfied, he took a small step back. “Go on. I’ll leave after you’re in your room.”
“There’s no need,” she said immediately. “You can go now.”
But Alexander didn’t move.
Left with no choice, Mia let out a quiet sigh and turned toward the stairs. She ascended quickly, each step echoing lightly in the house, heading toward Ellie’s room before she could bring down more things for her.
As soon as Mia disappeared upstairs, Alexander’s gaze flicked to the dustbin near the bathroom. He walked over, his shoes clicking softly on the polished floor. He lifted the lid, peered inside, and retrieved the album she had tossed away.
His fingers lingered on the worn cover for a heartbeat, brushing over it almost reverently, before slipping it quietly into his pocket.
He straightened, taking a measured step back, and left Sawyer’s house without another word.
The faint hum of the front door closing echoed in the empty hallway behind him.
***
By the time Sunday rolled around, Mia had settled into a routine she hadn’t realized she had missed so much.
Sleeping.
Properly.
For the first time in weeks, she slept deeply—without jolting awake, without nightmares clawing at her chest, without exhaustion dragging at her bones. At Sawyer’s house, she sank into the soft, familiar pillows and blankets, her body releasing the tension she hadn’t even realized she was holding.
At breakfast that morning, Liana greeted her with a warm smile, the sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows casting a soft glow over the table.
“You look so much better, Mia,” she said, gently placing crab scrambled eggs onto her plate. Her eyes softened with care. “Your face is bright again. There’s no darkness under your eyes.”
Mia blinked, startled, the compliment warming her chest.
Liana continued, her tone gentle, but her brow furrowed slightly as concern crept in. “Is work very stressful? Haven’t you been sleeping properly?”
Something clicked.
Liana’s gaze snapped sharply toward Sawyer, her expression tightening. “Why is Mia working so hard?” she demanded, voice edged with anger. “Didn’t you give her money?”
Mia straightened instinctively in her chair, surprise and shock flashing across her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sawyer cut her off before she could say a word.
He adjusted his suit impatiently, the movement precise but tense, and pulled out his wallet. His brows drew together as worry crept into his eyes, making his usually composed face seem taut with concern.
“I gave her a card, didn’t I?” he said, glancing around the table. “Was there not enough money on it? Was there a limit on the card?”
His gaze snapped back to Mia, searching her face. “Why are you working? Why do you have a job at all?”
“No, I have money,” Mia tried to say, her voice rising, but the conversation around her drowned her out. Everyone was talking at once.
“My God, how can you be so careless?” Ellie frowned at Sawyer, shaking her head. Without missing a beat, she pulled out her phone and began tapping rapidly. “I’m sending you some money right now. Actually, you know what? I’ll send you some money every day. Don’t work so hard, Mia.”
Sawyer suddenly stood, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a sleek black card and pressed it firmly into Mia’s hand. His fingers wrapped around hers.
“Keep this,” he said seriously, eyes fixed on hers. “It has no limit. If you ever face any problem, call me. I’ll handle it. The password is 7812.”
“I really don’t need it,” Mia said desperately, trying to push the card back. Her palms pressed against his, but he didn’t budge. “I already have money. I still have the old card you gave me—”
Just then, her phone chimed.
Mia glanced down and froze.
A message flashed across the screen: $1,000,000 transferred to your bank account. Sender: Ellie Stark.
Her mouth fell open. She looked up, eyes wide, staring at Ellie in disbelief.
“No—I have money,” Mia said quickly, holding her phone in one hand, gesturing toward Ellie, while trying with the other to return Sawyer’s card. “I don’t need—”
But they didn’t listen. Voices continued to overlap.
Liana leaned forward, unlocking her phone with a calm efficiency. “Ellie, you sent money to her number? I will also send her some. Can you transfer it for me? I’ll send you the amount.” She smiled warmly at Ellie.
“Of course, Mom,” Ellie replied easily, tapping at her screen. “Don’t worry. I’ll send her two hundred thousand every day.”
Mia froze completely. Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. She stared at all three of them, shock written across her pale face.
Finally, she raised her voice, trembling slightly but firm.
“Enough!”
The table fell silent. All three of them turned to look at her.
Mia drew in a deep breath, chest rising and falling rapidly. “Guys, I do not need more money! I already have a lot!”
She paused, eyes flicking down to her hands in her lap. Softly, almost to herself, she added, “I don’t work because I’m poor. I work because… what else am I supposed to do?”
Ellie blinked, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
“Sit at home? Go shopping? Watch movies? Isn’t that better than doing a boring job you don’t even like?
” She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “And if you really have nothing to do, come to me every day. I have so much to do—I swear, twenty-four hours are never enough to have fun.”
Mia pressed her lips together tightly, staring down at her folded hands. She didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
She didn’t want to tell them the truth—that she was scared. That she wasn’t living with Alexander anymore. That she didn’t have a home to return to.
She worked because without work, she had nothing.
She didn’t tell them that all this money felt wrong, because none of it was truly hers.
Her fingers curled slowly in her lap as she clenched them, holding onto thoughts she couldn’t speak aloud. All this money belonged either to Alexander or the Stark family, and it felt wrong to accept it. If she and Alexander truly separated, she would have nowhere to go.
She didn’t want to become a burden on the Starks—especially when they had always treated her with nothing but kindness.
Mia pushed the card back toward Sawyer, her fingers firm this time. Then she lifted her gaze and looked at all three of them, her expression calm but resolute.
“If I need money, I’ll let you all know,” she said evenly. “You guys are my family. Of course I’ll come to you. But right now, I really don’t need it. I already have money.”
She paused, then added lightly, almost dismissively, as if trying to brush the matter aside, “I just go to work for fun. Nothing else.”
She lifted her hand in a small, casual gesture, signaling the end of the discussion.
The tension on Liana’s face eased slightly. Her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded slowly, relief softening her features.
“Alright then,” she said. “If that’s what you like, then that’s another story.” Her tone gentled. “But if you ever need anything, you call me immediately. I don’t want to hear that our child is suffering quietly.”
“Mhmm, thank you, Aunt Liana,” Mia replied obediently, dipping her head slightly.
Liana smiled at her warmly.
After that, breakfast ended quickly. Chairs shifted back, plates were cleared.
Ellie and Sawyer left together for a business party, and Liana had to attend an urgent meeting scheduled months ago.
She invited Mia to go along, but Mia declined, saying she wanted to rest. Liana hesitated for a moment, then nodded and didn’t insist.
By afternoon, the house had grown quiet.
Mia had just finished lunch when her phone buzzed softly on the table.
Alexander.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a brief second before she finally picked it up. The moment she lifted the phone to her ear, his voice came through.
“What are you doing?”
The question caught her slightly off guard. She glanced down at the table, then answered quietly, “Lunch.”
Silence followed.
It stretched between them—awkward, heavy—but Mia didn’t fill it. She sat still, phone pressed to her ear, listening to his breathing on the other end. Then, after a moment, Alexander spoke again. His voice was lower now, softer, carrying something hesitant beneath it.
“I’m missing you at home.”
Mia’s heart dipped sharply.
Her body went stiff, heat rushing up her neck as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. She tightened her grip on the phone, staring at nothing as the words echoed inside her chest.
She stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. “I’ll hang up now.”
There was another pause.
“Alright,” Alexander replied at last. “I’ll come to pick you up early tomorrow morning.”
“Mhm,” Mia murmured, ending the call.
She remained standing there, staring at the empty table, the phone still clenched in her hand. Unease settled heavily in her chest. After a moment, she checked the time, then slowly stood up.
By evening, Ellie, Sawyer, and Liana had returned home, but Mia felt restless. Alexander’s words replayed in her mind over and over.
‘I’m missing you.’
Each repetition weighed heavier than the last.
Unable to sit still any longer, she made her decision.
She went back to Alexander’s house.
When she arrived, the place was quiet. The lights were dim. He wasn’t home yet. She changed into comfortable clothes and waited in the living room, sitting on the couch with her hands folded in her lap. Time dragged on. Minutes blurred into hours. Eventually, a dull ache settled into her back.
She stood, climbed the stairs slowly, and lay down on the bed. The familiar scent of the room surrounded her. Exhaustion crept in quickly, and she fell asleep without realizing it.
It was very late when Alexander finally came home.
His body felt heavy with fatigue, his movements sluggish.
Reaching the bedroom, Alexander shrugged off his jacket and let it fall onto the chair by the window.
He loosened his tie absentmindedly, fingers tugging at the knot as fatigue finally caught up to him.
A slow breath escaped his lips as he rubbed his eyes, the day weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Then his gaze lifted toward the bed.
He froze.
Mia was lying there, facing him. Her hands were tucked beneath her head, hair spilling softly across the pillow. Her breathing was slow and even, her expression peaceful—so unguarded it stole the air from his lungs.
Shock flashed across his face, sharp and fleeting.
Then it melted into something warmer. Brighter.
Happiness surged through him so suddenly it left his chest tight.
He moved without thinking, crossing the room in two strides before dropping to his knees beside the bed.
His hand lifted hesitantly, as if afraid she might vanish, before gently brushing her cheek.
Her skin was warm beneath his fingers. He let his touch linger, thumb tracing a barely-there curve along her face.
At the sensation, Mia stirred.
Her lashes fluttered, eyes unfocused as they slowly opened. Still half-asleep, she looked at him.
“Mr. Graves?” she murmured, her voice soft and thick with sleep.
The sound of it nearly undid him.
“You came back already?” Alexander asked quietly. His voice was fragile, gentle, betraying the way his heart was hammering in his chest. Surprise and affection flickered unmistakably in his eyes. “When did you come back? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come home earlier.”
Mia blinked a few times before her gaze cleared. Recognition softened her expression, and she shifted slightly on the bed.
“I was waiting for you at home,” she said gently. “I didn’t realize you’d be late. I thought you had a lot of work.”
“I didn’t,” he said at once, almost too quickly. “You weren’t home, so I didn’t want to come back early. I planned to pick you up in the morning.” His voice softened even further. “If you had told me, I would’ve come sooner.”
The tenderness in his tone made her heart flutter.
Mia’s lips curved into a small, sleepy smile. Her eyes were still heavy as she whispered, “It’s alright… I’m already here.”
Alexander leaned closer, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. His knuckles grazed her temple. His voice turned warm. “Do you want to have dinner?”
She shook her head gently. “No… I’m not hungry.”
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Before she could react, he closed the distance between them, and his lips claimed hers, stealing her breath. Mia’s eyes widened in surprise before fluttering shut.
“Alexander,” she murmured, half-laughing, her voice breathless.
His hands slid to her sides, holding her as if she were something precious he had waited far too long to touch.
“Since you don’t want to eat,” he whispered against her lips, burning with desire, “let me eat you.”