"I've told the agency that you'll be taking a leave due to health issues. Go back to sleep if you're still sleepy, Mia. I've also asked Lily to accompany you all day. Call her if you need anything."
"I understand. I'll stay at the apartment all day, Enzo."
Enzo tried hard to hold back his guilt when Mia only answered his words with a flat tone and forced smile. Since their fight a few days ago, neither Enzo nor the others could see the smile that usually etched on Mia's beautiful face. Mia's time after that was only spent on the bed or eating when Enzo asked her to because the girl would no longer move much if someone didn't order her. Mia was even sometimes still surprised if Enzo suddenly touched her. Her empty eyes kept staring at the wall without saying anything if Enzo had gone to work. Mia might try to look okay, but everyone knew the girl was not okay.
Enzo himself was still trying to be stubborn that Mia would get better if he didn't make the same mistake again. Enzo seemed to close his ears when Lily tried to persuade him to let Mia do what she wanted as long as it could make her get better. Enzo felt like he knew Mia better than anyone. He knew Mia wouldn't get worse for too long, as long as he gave her all the attention and affection he could give like Enzo had done since she first lived with him.
"Then, I'll go, Mia. I love you."
Mia was silent as Enzo kissed her forehead before leaving her room in a low mood. Once Mia was finally alone again in her room, the girl's eyes slowly noticed the table that was now empty without the jade statue decoration that Mia had previously kept there since she got it from Victor.
Enzo offered to replace it with his gift. But Mia was too lazy to answer, so she didn't see any statues in her room after that. Her cellphone also no longer had Victor's number after Enzo had deleted it himself right in front of Mia's eyes and head without the slightest guilt.
Enzo told Mia that he did all that for her good, but Mia felt like she couldn't smile anymore since she couldn't see more simple messages from Victor.
They might have just met and talked to each other recently. But since their first official meeting, Mia felt happy every time they talked. With Victor, Mia could freely say many things without having to worry that Victor would punish anyone who disturbed her, like what Enzo usually did when he heard her story. Victor also gave Mia a lot of valuable advice without restricting her movements when Mia talked about a lot of things. Victor might still not be completely open to Mia, but Mia thought it was fair because Mia didn't tell him her background either.
When Mia lost Victor's card, she thought she wouldn't be able to meet him again. Victor didn't know how happy Mia was when she came to his fan sign. Victor had given her another purpose than just being a singer. Victor showed her that many people were saved by her songs. That they could escape from their feelings of despair with her voice. That Victor could smile again after meeting her.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Mia's daydream was interrupted when someone knocked on her bedroom door. Lily came in shortly after with a bowl of warm porridge and milk on a tray.
"I made you some easy-to-digest porridge. I hope... this time, you'll eat it, Mia."
Mia was silent as a bowl of porridge was prepared by Lily. But unfortunately, the tempting aroma of the food that the woman brought did not affect Mia at all. Mia remained silent as her eyes returned to the empty table without replying to Lily's words.
"Mia, is there anything I can help you with? You know, I can accompany you around the building if you want. You need fresh air. It's not good for you to spend all your time in this room for days."
Mia looked at Lily, who looked very worried about her condition. Mia clenched her fists tightly. "I want to go for a walk alone," Mia whispered in the end. Her decision did not mean that she hated Lily. But Mia needed time to be alone. She needed time to think about many things and to forget many things without being disturbed by anyone.
"Um... Let me ask the Boss first, okay?" Lily said carefully. If Mia was with Enzo, she might not need his permission to leave the penthouse. However, if Mia wanted to go alone, Lily didn't want to risk Enzo getting angry again just because she didn't contact him first.
After seeing Mia's slow nod, Lily finally went out to call Enzo. Her call was answered shortly after, with Enzo's deep voice greeting her ears.
[Is there a problem, Lily?]
Lily's ears immediately turned red when she heard Enzo call her name in his masculine voice. Lily tried to calm her emotions right after she realized her cheeks were hot after Enzo answered her call. That was not the time for Lily to blush. Lily reminded herself of that before she said what she wanted to ask Enzo directly.
"Boss, Mia wants to walk around the building by herself. Maybe she needs some time to calm down. Can she go out, Boss?" Lily asked half-persuadingly. The woman could clearly hear Enzo let out a long breath on the other side of the call. Enzo was silent before answering Lily's question in a low voice.
[Okay. Besides, that building is only filled with our members, and there are CCTVs in almost every corner of the floor. You must be tired. Take some time to rest. I'll be back early today.]
"I'm sorry, Boss," Lily said when she saw the reflection of a tired person when she stood in front of the mirror. Lily felt that she couldn't show such a careless appearance in front of Mia. Lily was ready to be reprimanded after that, but Enzo's words completely changed her mind.
[It's my fault. I've given you too much responsibility. Just ask some people to tighten the security at each exit before you rest, Lily. I'm afraid Mia will still have thoughts of meeting that man even after she hears everything I've said.]
"Okay, Boss. I understand," Lily said before finally ending her call with Enzo. After calming her wild heartbeat because of the little attention Enzo showed her earlier, Lily went back into Mia's room to see her. Mia turned her head when Lily entered but immediately returned to focusing on her breakfast without saying anything else.
Lily knew that Mia was probably disappointed in her for revealing the message that the girl tried to hide from Enzo a few days before. Mia could also understand Mia's anger. So, instead of feeling hurt by the cold treatment she received from Mia, Lily preferred to ignore all of it and focus on making Mia feel better.
"Mia, Boss said you can walk around the building as you please. You might not know because you haven't been around since we moved here. But there are many facilities that you can enjoy in this building. You might already know a large swimming pool on the first floor. But besides the swimming pool, I suggest you visit the new shopping market that Boss made on that floor. Boss never took you there, right? The items there are complete, so you can almost find anything you want there. On the fifth floor, there is a fitness room and games room. And lastly, on the eighth floor, there is a restaurant where the chef usually cooks our food. You can ask him to cook anything if you want. If you are hungry, please don't forget to visit there whenever you want."
Mia just nodded when she heard Lily's explanation. With her shorts and sweatpants, Mia finally prepared to leave her penthouse. Lily stopped her again before she left. The woman handed her a black card, a special card that gave Mia free access to every facility in the building without having to pay anything.
"Please call me if you need anything, Mia. Have fun."
Mia's heart softened as Lily escorted her out with her usual gentle smile. The girl still nodded in the end. "Thanks," she said briefly before exiting the penthouse. Lily continued to observe the girl until Mia finally entered the elevator. All the fatigue only appeared when Mia finally left. Lily was sleepy, and it would be nice if she could get some rest, even if she could only sleep for an hour or two before Enzo finally returned.