Page 54 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Mia’s voice stayed steady, but her eyes softened—just slightly.

“I did it for myself.”

James froze.

She continued, each word sinking into him like a blade.

“You saved my dad once. You carried him on your shoulders when no one else stepped in. You saved his life.” She swallowed, her hands tightening into small fists. “So this time… I saved you.”

A shadow crossed James’s face. His eyes darkened—cold, tense. His jaw clenched hard enough to tremble.

Mia exhaled slowly.

“I’ve repaid what I owed you,” she whispered. “I owed you a life… and now I’ve returned it.”

She stepped back—one small step, but it felt like she was tearing something invisible between them.

“I don’t owe you anything anymore, Mr. Sinclair.”

James’s face grew tighter with every word Mia spoke. His jaw locked, muscles coiled under his skin, and the tension radiated from every inch of him.

Mia, in stark contrast, remained unnervingly calm.

He took a single, heavy step back. His eyes lingered on her. “We’ll talk about this later,” he said, his voice low, measured, but edged with a dangerous undertone. “Stay here. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

Before she could respond, he turned sharply and stormed out of the room. His footsteps were rough, echoing through thecorridor. His shoulders were stiff with anger, fists clenched so tight the veins stood out. Anyone looking at him would know—he was one second away from breaking something.

A while later, when he returned to the room, his stride faltered at the doorway.

The bed was empty.

His chest tightened, rage and disbelief flooding through him. The bag of dinner in his hand trembled violently. His chest heaved, fists clenched so tightly that he slammed the bag down onto the bedside table with a deafening thud.

“Where did Mia go?” James barked at William. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on her?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sinclair,” William said quickly. “When I got here, she was already gone. I checked the entire hospital, but she’d already walked out. After that… there was no sign of Mrs. Sinclair. I was just about to call you.”

James’s hands clenched again until his knuckles burned white, fingernails digging into his palms.

“I was gone for barely ten fucking minutes,” he growled, voice cracking with frustration. “I tried so hard to find her… and the moment she was finally in my hands, she walked out again?!”

He drew in a breath, jaw trembling with restrained fury. His dark eyes bore into William. “Find her. Right now. And figure out what she was doing at Max Mall. That’ll tell us where she went.” He paused, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “I don’t want her disappearing again.”

***

The morning sun spilled through the grand windows of the Graves mansion, bathing the dining room in warm light. Yet to Mia, the brightness felt distant, muted. She sat at the long, polished table, staring blankly at the untouched breakfast before her. Her hand hovered over the spoon, fingers limp, mind wandering far from the room.

Anita approached, balancing another plate of fruit. She placed it gently in front of Mia, her movements careful.

Mia didn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on the table. Her body leaned slightly forward, shoulders tense, fingers tightening briefly around the edge of the table.

‘Should I tell Mr. Graves what happened last night?’ She thought, her chest tightening as a cold knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. ‘Should I tell him I got kidnapped because of James, or will that only make things worse?’ Her

She wanted to keep her distance from James, and the thought of escalating anything further made her chest tighten. With a slow exhale, she set the spoon down, pushed her chair back, and began to rise.

Anita’s eyes widened, and her hand hovered midair. “Mrs. Graves… you haven’t eaten anything. Maybe you should eat a little more?”

Mia offered a small, tired smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m full already. Thank you. I’m not hungry anymore.”