Page 90 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Mia went completely still in his arms. Her body stiffened, her hands hanging at her sides, unsure of what to do. She didn’t hug him back. She couldn’t. She felt trapped, overwhelmed.

The longer he held her, the more uncomfortable she became. Just as she began lifting a hand to push him away, her relief came in the form of his phone ringing.

James finally pulled back slightly, breaking the hug but his hand stayed on the back of her head, keeping her close as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

Mia blinked. It was a brand new phone. Not the one she had seen him use for years. James guarded his business phone like it was a part of him, always careful with it since it contained a lot of important contacts… so seeing a different one in his hand made her stare in surprise.

But James didn’t seem to care at all. His jaw was tight, eyes dark as he lifted the phone to his ear.

“What?!” he snapped.

“Mr. Graves,” William’s voice came through. “The meeting we’ve been waiting for the past three months has finally been finalized.You need to come to the office immediately—we don’t have much time. I managed to secure one hour of their time.”

James didn’t react. His fingers slipped into Mia’s hair, playing with the strands while he listened. “You can take care of it. I’m not attending any more meetings for a while.” His fingers continued moving through her hair. “I’m going to be busy.”

There was a brief pause before William spoke cautiously. “For how long, Mr. Sinclair?”

James didn’t lift his gaze, fingers still tangled in Mia’s hair, tracing absent patterns. “A month,” he said simply. “Avoid anything that needs my personal attention—projects, meetings… everything. I’m going to get remarried.”

Mia froze, her head snapping up as she stared at him in shock.

William’s voice tensed on the line. “Right… Mr. Sinclair, but for this one meeting, you need to be present. I’ve already discussed everything with them. I’ve been chasing this for three months. We really cannot afford to miss it. Can you please come?”

James’s face hardened, his expression settling into a deep, displeased line. He exhaled sharply, muttered a quiet, clipped “Fine,” and hung up the phone.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and leaned forward again, placing a soft kiss on Mia’s forehead. Mia stayed frozen under his touch, her breath stuck in her throat. He pulled back and spoke in a quiet voice she had never heard from him before.

“There’s something wrong at the company. I need to leave for now and take care of it.”

His tone startled her. James never talked to her like this. He had always spoken to her the way he spoke to his employees, always distant and cold. But now his voice was gentle andsoft, almost affectionate. It sounded like he was asking her for understanding, not giving her orders.

He continued speaking, still in that quiet tone. “I need to leave now, but I’ll pick you up for dinner tomorrow. And I don’t want to hear a no or find out you’re avoiding me again.” His eyes searched her face, and the last part came out firmer than the rest.

Mia gave a small, quiet smile and nodded. “Sure,” she whispered.

Hearing her, James allowed the faintest smile to cross his face. He glanced down at her broken phone on the ground. “I’ll buy a new one for you. I’ll bring it tomorrow. Don’t ignore my messages again.”

Mia only nodded again, wordless, her eyes soft but thoughtful.

James took a deep breath, relief flashing across his face, then stepped back. Without another word, he walked away.

Mia stood frozen, rigid, her eyes following his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight. Only then did she exhale, her chest tightening with frustration and disbelief. “You don’t even know where I live or what I do… how are you going to find me to take me out for dinner, genius?” she mumbled.

Her gaze fell to the broken phone at her feet. Clenching her teeth, she slammed her foot down in anger and disappointment. Then, her eyes flicked to the flowers Alexander had given her. A wave of sadness swept across her face.

Kneeling, she picked them up, brushing off the dust with her hand, holding them close to her chest with a defeated expression.

“I don’t know what he wants from me this time,” she muttered in a low voice, anger creeping back in. “We’re already divorced. Now he’s going crazy, acting like we were the most loving couple in the world for the past five years. What is wrong with him now?” She let out a frustrated, angry cry.

Just as she was talking to herself, a figure came to a stop right in front of her.

At first, she stiffened, startled by the sudden shadow falling over her, thinking James had come back. But when her eyes snapped up, surprise flickered across her face.

It was Alexander.

Her expression softened immediately. Her lips trembled, her brows dipped, and her shoulders sagged helplessly as her gaze drifted to the shattered pieces around her.

Alexander’s eyes followed hers—landing on the broken phone scattered on the ground and the flowers in her hand, now crushed and dust-covered.