Mia smirked, "Mr. Kingsley, are you joking with me?"
"A woman like me, who supposedly has ulterior motives and even has a name similar to your late wife, are you sure you want to hire me?"
Michael knew Mia was mocking his earlier attitude toward her.
He squinted his eyes slightly.
If it weren't for Juliet just coming back, and him being uncertain of her temperament, he wouldn't have swallowed his pride and come here to find this woman with questionable intentions.
He had already looked into her background before coming.
A woman who had returned from abroad, living a life of comfort, yet submitted a resume to work as a maid at Blue Bay Villa after returning to the country?
If this wasn't a plot against him or the Kingsley Group, then what was it?
"Wow."
As the two stood at the doorway in a stalemate, an exclamation came from the neighbor across the hallway, "Is that... Mr. Kingsley?"
Michael was a well-known businessman, frequently appearing in financial news, and there were few people in Banyan City who didn't recognize him.
The voice behind him made Michael's brows furrow deeply.
The next second, he grabbed Mia's arm and pulled her aside, striding into the apartment.
"Bang!" The door slammed shut.
Outside, the neighbor's voice continued, "You must be mistaken, right?"
"A big figure like Mr. Kingsley wouldn't come to a slum like this and be blocked at the door by a woman."
"Mr. Kingsley has a fiancée, they've been engaged for five years..."
The voices of the two people outside grew fainter.
When they finally disappeared, Mia crossed her arms and looked at Michael, "Mr. Kingsley, they're right."
"Someone of your status really shouldn't be in a slum like this."
Michael then looked up, casually surveying the room's decorations.
The paintings on the wall, the green plants on the table, and the plush bear on the entrance cabinet.
For a moment, he seemed to be transported back six years.
When he and Mia had just gotten married, that woman was always bustling around the house.
"Hanging a huge artwork here would look nice!"
"Putting a green plant here makes it feel more lived-in!"
"I put a little bear on the entrance cabinet, doesn't it feel like someone is welcoming you home..."
Michael looked down at the woman with the same beautiful eyes as Mia.
This woman named Mira Larson had been deliberately imitating Mia.
From her walking posture, her figure, to even the decorations she liked, she was imitating.
Knowing Mia's preferences wasn't difficult.
Mia, once a somewhat famous painter, liked to share her life and inspirations on social media.
The internet has a memory, and with effort, you could find Mia's likes and habits.
His gaze fell on the teapot on the coffee table.
He chuckled softly, elegantly sitting on the sofa and pouring himself a cup of tea, "Miss Larson also enjoys drinking tea?"
Mia frowned, responding with a faint "yes."
Michael sipped the tea, a cold smile forming on his lips.
It was jasmine tea.
But his wife, Mia, liked Da Hong Pao tea.
He looked up, lightly rubbing the teacup with his thumb, "Miss Larson, you've made a slight misstep."
"Not only have you mimicked my wife's behaviors and gestures, but you've also filled this place with her essence..."
"But you slipped up with the tea."
"My wife loves tea, but like me, she enjoys Da Hong Pao."
"She never drank jasmine tea."
Mia was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood his point.
She smiled, "So Mr. Kingsley's late wife liked Da Hong Pao."
Back when they were together, she had discovered he liked Da Hong Pao and told him she liked it too.
If he had been more observant, he would have noticed that she was actually drinking jasmine tea.
"So, you did it on purpose."
Michael set the teacup down.
The cup hit the glass coffee table with a resounding "bang!"
His deep, unreadable eyes coldly stared at Mia, "Why are you going to such lengths to imitate my wife? What do you want?"
Mia sat down across from him indifferently and poured herself a cup of tea. "Mr. Kingsley, what do you think my intention is?"
"That I admire her and want to become her."
"Or that I admire you and want to learn how to please you from her."
"Which answer do you prefer?"
Michael squinted his eyes sharply. "If your intention is to pursue me, I advise you to give up."
Mia yawned lightly. "Is it because you don't really like her? No matter how much I learn from her, I won't be able to win your favor, is that it?"
Michael stared at her coldly without speaking.
His gaze didn't make Mia back down. She continued smiling and said, "Mr. Kingsley, if I wanted to please you, wouldn't it be more appropriate to learn from your fiancée?"
"After all, she managed to turn you, her former brother-in-law, into her fiancé. You must be deeply in love with her."
Deeply in love.
These words made Michael's brows knit tightly together.
After a moment, he glared at Mia, enunciating each word, "My engagement to Kyle was my wife's dying wish."
"Was it specifically instructed by your wife before she died?"
Mia crossed her legs, appearing calm, but her heart was trembling.
Back then, they had treated her so cruelly, and now they had the audacity to claim it was her dying wish!
She steadied her hand holding the teacup and took a sip. "Your wife was truly kind, giving her husband to someone else even on her deathbed."
Michael's eyes turned icy cold.
He glared at Mia. "Remember your place."
"I don't want to hear such words again."
With that, he took out his phone and made a call.
Shortly after, there was a knock on the door.
White walked in with a contract and placed it on the coffee table. "Miss Larson, this is the employment contract. If you have any objections, feel free to voice them. We will do our best to accommodate you."
Mia picked up the contract and began reading.
"Being a maid is just a part-time job for me."
She pointed at some clauses in the contract, "But in the short term, I will focus my main efforts on the little princess."
She then meticulously discussed several detailed clauses and provided solutions.
Mia and White had an animated discussion.
Michael, on the other hand, sat coldly in the corner, his gaze drifting into the distance, lost in thought.
Half an hour later, the contract negotiations were complete.
Mia picked up the pen and solemnly signed her name.
With this stroke, her plan to infiltrate Blue Bay Villa succeeded.
After signing the contract, Michael was about to leave when his phone rang.
"Sir."
The butler's voice was filled with urgency, "Miss Kyle is here!"
"She directly dragged Miss Juliet out of her room, claiming she's an imposter!"
"You should come back quickly!"
"Watch Juliet, I'm coming back immediately."
Hanging up the phone, Michael stood up to leave.
"Wait!"
Hearing him mention Juliet, Mia quickly stood up. "What's happened to Juliet?"
Michael paused, his hand on the doorknob.
He turned and gave her a cold look.
Meeting his questioning gaze, Mia took a deep breath. "I will be Juliet's personal maid from now on. It's my duty to care about her."
The man opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "Let's go."
On the way to Blue Bay Villa, Mia tried to ask about Juliet's situation.
Michael glanced at her and tossed the contract at her. "You aren't her personal maid yet."
Mia pursed her lips, signed the contract, and handed it to him. "Mr. Kingsley, can you tell me what's happened to Juliet now?"
Michael frowned slightly. "Kyle went to the house to find Juliet."
One sentence, and Mia's heart plummeted.
Kyle went to find Juliet!
Why did she look for Juliet?
Juliet was the youngest of the three children. She had been deprived of many nutrients by her two brothers and was born small and frail. For six years, this was the first time Juliet had been away from her for so long!
Mia couldn't sit still.
She gritted her teeth, looking anxiously out the car window. "Driver, can you go faster?"
Sitting beside her, Michael watched her with deepening eyes.
"Miss Larson, you seem more concerned about Juliet than I, her father, am."
Mia froze.
Only then did she realize that her concern for Juliet had indeed gone beyond what a maid or nanny should feel for her employer's child.
She pursed her lips. "Now that I've signed the contract, Miss Juliet will be my source of income. Of course, I care about her."
Michael raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. "Is that all?"
His ambiguous attitude made Mia feel uncomfortable. She nodded. "Yes."
Michael said nothing more.
Soon, the car arrived at Blue Bay Villa.
"Sir, you're finally back!"
The butler quickly came forward as soon as the car stopped.
"What's the situation?"
Michael asked with a frown.
"They..."
Before he could finish, the other car door was flung open, and Mia dashed into the villa like an arrow.
The faint scent of blood filled the living room.