Debt

Chapter 41 - Debt

Mike slept deeply beside her, his breathing slow and steady, his face relaxed in the darkness.

Mia couldn't sleep.

She stared at the ceiling, listening to the quiet rhythm of his breathing. Every few seconds, her eyes drifted back to him. Something restless sat heavy in her chest.

She turned onto her side and moved closer until her body touched his.

Mike stirred.

Still asleep, he reached for her on instinct, sliding an arm around her waist and drawing her against him.

Mia's lips curved into the faintest smile.

She rested her hand on his chest and felt the steady beat beneath her palm. For a while, she listened to it.

Then she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the center of his chest.

Her eyes closed.

She tucked her face against him, breathing in his familiar scent, and tightened her arms around him.

She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

So for tonight, she held him a little tighter, unwilling to let the moment slip away.

Morning light slipped through the curtains, casting pale strips across the bedroom floor. The smell of sizzling meat drifted in from the kitchen and slowly pulled Mike from sleep.

He blinked at the ceiling, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and sat up. After wrapping the bedsheet around his waist, he looked toward the kitchen.

Mia stood at the stove, an apron tied over her clothes. She moved between the pans with easy familiarity, checking one, stirring another, then reaching for something on the counter.

For a moment, Mike simply watched her.

There was something strangely domestic about the scene. The quiet kitchen. The smell of breakfast. Mia standing at the stove as if she'd been doing this every morning for years.

A smile crept across his face.

He got out of bed and walked over. Without saying a word, he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin near her shoulder.

“Good morning.”

Mia smiled, her cheeks lifting with quiet satisfaction.

She tilted her head slightly toward him, then pointed toward the bathroom with the spatula.

“Go take a shower before breakfast.”

Mike did as she said.

He showered quickly, dried off, and came back out to find the dining table already covered with plates of food. Mia set the last dish down and began serving him while he took his seat. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

The food tasted warm and well-seasoned. Mia kept an eye on his plate and added more whenever it got low.

A soft ding sounded inside Mike’s head.

[Mia is in deep love with you, even accepting the fact that she can not have you all for herself, but you can have her whole for yourself.]

Five kilometers away, a soft ding sounded in the silence of a luxury apartment.

The apartment occupied the top floor of one of the city's most expensive buildings. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the living room, offering a sweeping view of the city below.

A woman in her early twenties sat in a chair facing the glass.

Claire.

A faint black window hovered before her eyes. She read the notification once, then again. It was the same message that had just appeared in Mike's system—the one revealing the depth of Mia's feelings for him.

The corners of Claire's lips slowly curled upward.

“So, that's how it is.”

She leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger against the armrest while she studied the message. A cold satisfaction settled across her face.

Across the room, Sam sat on one side of the sofa while Danny occupied the other. Both men had been watching her, waiting to see what she would do.

After a moment, Claire turned her chair to face them. Her gaze settled on Danny first, and the faint smile remained on her lips.

“Danny, do you still remember what I told you about Mike?”

Danny shifted uneasily under Claire's gaze. He already knew she wasn't pleased, and the longer she looked at him, the more his stomach tightened.

“You,” Claire said at last. “I thought you were a boxer with some real ability, but you couldn't even withstand a single punch from Mike.”

Danny's face burned with embarrassment.

Sam immediately leaned forward on the sofa, anger written across his face. “I let you beat me up because I knew Mike would come looking for me. I took that beating because you said you could handle him, but when he finally showed up, you turned out to be useless.”

“He caught me by surprise,” Danny said quickly. “I didn't see him coming.”

Sam scoffed. “Don't give me that shit. Mike was standing there staring at you long before he threw that punch. You had plenty of time to react.”

Danny's jaw tightened. He wanted to argue, but he knew Sam was right.

Claire raised a hand before the argument could grow any further. “Enough. I don't care whose fault it was. What matters is that you failed, Danny, and I'm giving you one more chance.”

Danny's shoulders relaxed slightly, but Claire's next words made that relief disappear.

“If you fail again, I'll tell Sam to collect your debt.”

Danny went pale.

He knew exactly what that meant. Sam's family owned several mines, and Danny's debt to them was already far beyond anything he could hope to repay normally. If they decided to collect through labor, he could spend the rest of his life underground, working until the debt was cleared.

“No, please,” Danny said, leaning forward with both hands raised. “Just give me one more chance. I swear I'll get it right this time. You won't hear another excuse from me.”

Claire watched him for a moment before turning back to the black system window floating before her. She signed the order without another word.

An irritated thought crossed her mind.

Why the hell does the system insist on making Danny a variable?

She looked at him again and spoke in a cold, measured voice.

“Then make sure you don't waste this chance.”

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