Chapter 7 Re-hired

• Mia Harper had never been fired from a job she had held for less than forty-eight hours.
• Then again, she had never been hired by Adrian Black before.
• Twenty-four hours after leaving Black Mansion, Mia sat at the tiny kitchen table in her Queens apartment, staring at the hospital bill beside her phone. The number at the bottom hadn't changed.
• Fifty thousand dollars.
• Her mother's surgery still needed to be paid for.
• And now the one job that could have given Mia a chance was gone.
• She pressed her fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes.
• “Mom,” she whispered, “I'm going to figure this out.”
• She had no idea how.
• Her phone rang and she grabbed it immediately.
• “Hello?”
• It was the hospital.
• She listened quietly, answering questions and promising that she was working on the payment. When the call ended, she remained still for several seconds.
• Then someone knocked, Mia frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone.
• Another knock came and she opened the door.
• And nearly dropped her phone.
• Adrian Black stood outside.
• For a moment, neither of them spoke. He looked completely out of place in the narrow Queens hallway. His dark suit was immaculate, his shoes polished, and his expression was as severe as ever.
• Mia stared at him.
• “What are you doing here?”
• “I need to talk to you.”
• “You already did.”
• “I know.”
• “You fired me.”
• “I know.”
• “So why are you standing outside my apartment?”
• Adrian glanced down the hallway.
• “Can I come in?”
• “No.”
• His eyebrow lifted. Mia folded her arms.
• “You drove all the way to Queens to get rejected at my front door?”
• “I drove here because I need you to come back.”
• Mia almost laughed.
• “You have got to be kidding.”
• “I'm not.”
• “Did the twenty-thousand-dollar wall finally dry?”
• Adrian's expression tightened.
• “The wall is being repaired.”
• “Good.”
• He looked at her.
• “Lily hasn't eaten properly since you left.”
• Mia's amusement disappeared.
• “What?”
• “She refused breakfast.”
• Mia said nothing.
• “She refused lunch. She refused dinner.”
• Mia's heart sank and Adrian continued.
• “She wouldn't sleep.”
• “Why?”
• “You know why.”
• Mia looked away.
• “She'll get over it.”
• “She won't.”
• His voice was quieter.
• “She hasn't gone to school.”
• Mia looked back at him.
• “She what?”
• “She refuses to leave her room.”
• For the first time, Adrian looked tired.
• Mia stepped aside.
• “Come in.”
• Adrian entered the apartment.
• He looked around at the small living room, the secondhand sofa, and the little kitchen table where Mia had been sitting, but he said nothing.
• Mia closed the door.
• “So what exactly happened?”
• “Everything happened.”
• He took a breath.
• “She asked for you.”
• Mia's chest tightened.
• “What did you tell her?”
• “The truth.”
• “Which is?”
• “That I fired you.”
• Mia sighed.
• “Adrian.”
• “I know.”
• He looked at her.
• “I made a mistake.”
• Mia blinked.
• She had never expected those words from him.
• “You admit it?”
• “I didn't say that.”
• “You literally just did.”
• “I said I made a mistake.”
• “That's admitting it.”
• He ignored her.
• “Lily won't eat, sleep, or go to school. She's been asking when you're coming back.”
• Mia looked down.
• “And what do you want me to do?”
• “Come back.”
• Mia laughed once.
• “Absolutely not.”
• Adrian's eyes narrowed.
• “Why?”
• “Because you fired me.”
• “I can rehire you.”
• “You can also fire me again tomorrow.”
• “I won't.”
• “You said that about giving me a chance.”
• His jaw tightened.
• “I was wrong.”
• Mia shook her head.
• “You don't get to treat people like disposable objects because you're having a bad day.”
• “I know.”
• She stared at him.
• Again, that quiet admission.
• It made him seem strangely human. Mia looked toward the hospital bill and Adrian noticed.
• “Is that for your mother?”
• Mia immediately covered it with her hand.
• “That's none of your business.”
• “I didn't ask how much.”
• “You don't need to know.”
• He nodded.
• “Fine.”
• He reached into his coat and pulled out a document.
• Mia didn't take it.
• “What is that?”
• “Your new contract.”
• “New contract?”
• “Rehire agreement.”
• She finally accepted the paper.
• Her eyes widened.
• “Twice the salary?”
• “Yes.”
• “You were paying me minimum wage.”
• “That was the trial rate.”
• “You fired me.”
• “I know.”
• “And now you're doubling my salary?”
• “Yes.”
• Mia stared at him.
• “Why?”
• “Because Lily needs you.”
• The answer came so quickly that Mia believed him.
• Then Adrian added, “But there is a condition.”
• Of course there was.
• “What?”
• “Three days.”
• Mia frowned.
• “Three days?”
• “You wanted seven.”
• “Yes.”
• “You have three.”
• She stared at him.
• “That makes no sense.”
• “It makes perfect sense. You have three days to prove you can do this job.”
• “And if I fail?”
• “You leave.”
• “And if I succeed?”
• “We discuss a permanent position.”
• Mia looked at the contract again.
• Twice the salary for three days.
• Her mother's surgery, Lily.
• She hated how easily he had found the exact combination that could break her resistance.
• “You're manipulative.”
• “I'm aware.”
• Mia looked up.
• “You really came all the way to Queens just to ask me this?”
• “Yes.”
• “You could have sent someone.”
• “I could have.”
• “But you didn't.”
• “No.”
• “Why?”
• Adrian's expression shifted.
• For a second, Mia thought he might actually answer.
• Instead, he said, “Because Lily asked me to bring you home.”
• Mia's heart softened. She looked at the contract, then at him.
• “I'll come back.”
• His shoulders seemed to relax.
• “But I'm doing this for Lily.”
• “I know.”
• “And if you fire me again because I make another mistake... ”
• “I won't.”
• “You don't know that.”
• Adrian met her eyes.
• “I won't.”
• Mia studied him, then she signed.
• Adrian took the paper.
• “Pack your things.”
• Mia stared at him.
• “Now?”
• “Lily is waiting.”
• “You said she doesn't know.”
• “She doesn't.”
• “Then how do you know she's waiting?”
• Adrian paused.
• “Because she hasn't stopped asking about you.”
• Mia smiled despite herself.
• She grabbed her bag.
• As they walked downstairs, Adrian carried the contract while Mia carried her small suitcase.
• Outside, a black car waited at the curb.
• Mia stopped.
• “You're seriously going to drive me back?”
• “Yes.”
• “You have a driver.”
• “I know.”
• She opened the passenger door.
• “You're weird.”
• Adrian looked at her.
• “You flooded my office.”
• “Fair.”
• For the first time, something almost resembling amusement crossed his face, but it vanished quickly.
• They drove through the city in silence. Mia watched Queens disappear behind them. After several minutes, she glanced at Adrian.
• “Three days.”
• “Three days.”
• “And you're doubling my salary.”
• “Yes.”
• “And if I survive?”
• “We'll see.”
• Mia smiled.
• “I think you're scared I'll actually succeed.”
• Adrian kept his eyes on the road.
• “I'm scared of what happens if you don't.”
• Mia's smile faded. She looked out the window. Neither of them spoke again.
• When Black Mansion finally appeared ahead, Mia saw a small figure standing behind the front window.
• Lily.
• The little girl pressed both hands against the glass.
• The moment she saw Mia step out of the car, her face lit up, and she ran toward the door.
• Mia barely had time to put down her bag before Lily threw her arms around her.
• Mia hugged her back.
• “I missed you too.”
• Lily squeezed tighter.
• Behind them, Adrian watched silently.
• For twenty-four hours, his house had felt colder than usual.
• Now, for the first time since Mia left, Lily was smiling again.
• Adrian looked at the signed contract in his hand.
• Three days.
• He had brought Mia Harper back into his house for three days.
• He told himself it was only because of Lily. But as Mia laughed softly while Lily pulled her inside, Adrian knew one thing with uncomfortable certainty.
• Three days might be nowhere near enough.
• Because somewhere between firing her and driving across the city to retrieve her, Adrian had begun to realize that losing Mia felt far worse than keeping her.
• And that terrified him.