Mia's pov
The message haunted me.
It lingered in the back of my mind, replaying over and over as I sat at my desk, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the room. I couldn't focus, couldn't think straight. Ryan's cryptic warning had crawled under my skin, making me question everything.
I hadn't replied to him. I didn't know what to say. Confronting him felt risky, like acknowledging his message would give him some kind of control over me. But ignoring it made me feel as though I were blindly and helplessly walking straight into a trap.
What game was he playing? And why did I feel like I was just another piece on his chessboard, being moved by unseen hands?
I spent the rest of the day going through the motions at the office, my body on autopilot as my mind wrestled with the growing sense of unease. By the time I left for home, the sky had darkened, and a soft drizzle had begun to fall, the raindrops tapping gently against the car windows.
When I pulled up to the house, my heart sank at the sight of a sleek, black car parked outside, definitely Ryan's. My stomach twisted into knots. I was not ready to see him. Not after that message, and certainly not after the way he had looked at me the night before, like he knew exactly how to break me apart.
But there he was.
I stepped out of the car, gripping my purse tightly, and made my way to the front door. The soft click of the rain falling around me seemed to echo in the stillness of the night. As soon as I stepped inside, I heard low voices coming from the living room, Aaron and Ryan.
My pulse quickened. I wasn't sure what to expect, but something told me that whatever they were discussing, it would not end well for me.
I stood frozen in the hallway, debating between slipping upstairs unnoticed or making my presence known. But before I could decide, Ryan's voice cut through the air.
"You can't keep her in the dark forever, Aaron. She's going to find out eventually."
I froze.
"She doesn't need to know anything, Ryan. It's none of her business." Aaron replied sharply and dismissively.
"She's your wife," Ryan retorted, his voice edged with irritation. "That makes it her business."
A heavy silence followed. I held my breath, straining to hear, my heart pounding in my chest. What were they talking about? What didn't I need to know?
"Don't lecture me on my marriage, Ryan . stay out of it." Aaron spoke again, quieter but with unmistakable threat.
Ryan let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it.
"You think you can control everything, don't you? Keep everyone dancing on your strings. But Mia's not some pawn you can manipulate, Aaron. She deserves better than this."
The words hit me and my breath caught in my throat.
"I know exactly what I'm doing," Aaron responded coldly, almost cruel. "And as far as Mia's concerned, I've kept her exactly where she needs to be, out of the way." he added
Each word sliced deeper, and I could hardly breathe. I knew our marriage was nothing more than a contract, a means to serve mutual interests, but to hear Aaron speak as if I was nothing more than a tool to manage...
I couldn't listen anymore. My legs moved before I realized it, carrying me upstairs. My hands were trembling, my chest tight with fury and confusion. What was Aaron hiding from me? And why was Ryan pushing so hard for me to know the truth?
Immediately I reached our bedroom, closing the door behind me and leaned against it, my mind racing. I had always known our marriage was a lie, but now, it felt like an iron weight pressing down on me. I had become a piece in whatever twisted game the Montgomery brothers were playing, and I had no idea what my role was supposed to be.
A soft knock on the door startled me.
I straightened up, my heart pounding, as I slowly opened the door. Ryan stood there, his expression unreadable, his green eyes darker than usual.
"We need to talk," he said, his tone low but urgent.
I hesitated, my hand still on the doorknob, I was not sure if I wanted to let him in. But something in his gaze made it clear that this wasn't a game for him either. Not tonight.
"What is it?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
Ryan stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He didn't speak right away. Instead, he just stood there, his eyes locked on my mine as if weighing every word before saying it.
"Aaron's not being honest with you," he finally said, his voice soft but firm.
I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest. "That much I gathered. What else is new?"
Ryan shook his head, taking a step closer. "It's more than that, Mia. This whole arrangement, your marriage, the deal with Hartley Enterprises, it's all part of something bigger."
My blood ran cold. "Bigger? What are you talking about?" I inquired
He hesitated, his jaw clenching for a brief moment before he spoke again. "Aaron didn't marry you just to save your company. That was never the real goal.
He's after something else, something that involves both of our families."
I stared at him, disbelief coursing through me, my mind struggling to process the weight of his words, each one hitting harder than the last, leaving me shaken and uncertain.
"What are you saying?"
Ryan took another step closer, his voice lowering to a near whisper. "Aaron is using you, Mia. And he's using Hartley Enterprises to gain control over something far more valuable than money."
Panic surged through me, and I felt the floor shift beneath my feet. I had always known Aaron was cold and cruel. But this, this sounded like something darker, more dangerous than anything I could have imagined.
"And you?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "What part are you playing in all of this?"
He didn't flinch. Instead, he moved even closer, his gaze steady, his tone softer. "I'm trying to protect you."
I shook my head, taking a step back. "Protect me? You're just like him. You've been watching me, using me for whatever game you're playing. Why should I trust you?"
Ryan's expression softened, he took another step and closed the distance between us, his eyes were searching mine with an intensity so fierce it made my breath catch in my throat, leaving me feeling exposed, vulnerable, as though he could see right through me.
"I'm not Aaron," he finally spoke quietly, his voice full of something I couldn't quite place, regret, maybe? "I may have my reasons for being here, but I'm not using you. Not like he is."
As I stared at him, the weight of his words pressing down, I found my voice, sharp with defiance.
"Why now, Ryan? Why tell me this after everything? Was this part of your plan, too?"
His eyes flashed. "You think I wanted this? To watch Aaron twist you around for his benefit?"
I took a step forward, my voice low but firm. "Then prove it. Tell me the whole truth."
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that Ryan was different, that somehow he was on my side. But after everything I had heard, everything I had experienced in the short time I'd been part of the Montgomery family, trust felt like a luxury I couldn't afford, not now.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly.
Ryan reached out, gently taking my hand in his. His touch was warm, steady, and despite everything, it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Believe me when I tell you this," he said, his voice low and earnest. "Aaron's plans go far deeper than you realize. And if you want to survive this, Mia, you need to stop letting him pull the strings."
I looked up at him, my heart racing, my mind spinning. The weight of his words pressed down on me, suffocating me. I was caught in the middle of something I didn't understand, and the more I learned, the more dangerous it seemed.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
Whatever game Aaron was playing, I couldn't stay in the dark any longer. I had to take control, before it was too late.
As I pulled my hand away from Ryan, a surge of determination coursed through me. At that moment, I made a decision, I wasn't going to let either of the Montgomery brothers control my fate any longer. I had spent too much time being manipulated, pushed around, and treated like a piece in their twisted game.
I was done being a pawn. I had spent too long being pushed around, controlled, manipulated. If I was going to survive this, I needed to break free of their web.
And I would.