Chapter 31 : FACE OFF

The room fell silent as all eyes fixed on Mia, their jaws dropping in awe. Even Jonathan's expression softened, his eyes lingering on her with a hint of approval. For once, he was speechless, unable to find fault in this breathtaking dress.

"When will the dress be ready?" he said finally, able to find his voice, though his face turned cold.

"As I said, sir Blacksmith, it requires time to fix in the bead-like diamonds. It would take a month—" loura began.

"I need it tomorrow night," Jonathan interrupted, his tone firm.

"But, sir—" loura protested.

"I don't care how you'll do it. Make it ready by then," he said, leaving both Loura and the staff in intense pressure. As he walked away, Mia was too shocked to move.

"I am so sorry, Loura. I am so sorry," Mia apologized.

I'll figure it out, don't worry about it," Loura said with a determined look on her face. "I mean, it's not every day a billionaire demi-god walks in here, We'll work through the night if we have to. We'll make it happen, Miss Emilia."

Mia nodded, still feeling guilty for putting Loura and the staff under so much pressure. She knew they would have to work tirelessly to meet Jonathan's demands.

"Your designs are so pretty," Mia complimented, trying to lighten the mood as loura only smiled.

Mia walked towards the car, her grumpiness palpable. She ignored Jonathan's presence as he began to drive, the ride home was oppressively silent.

As they arrived at the penthouse, Jonathan and Mia stepped out of the car. "Welcome, Sir, Miss," Sir Gary said, but Mia was too annoyed to Notice the middle-aged man. She stormed into the house.

Joann attempted to greet her, "Welcome, Miss Emilia, dinner is ready—" but Mia cut her off curtly, "Nah, I'll pass." She headed towards the stairs, but Jonathan's cold tone stopped her.

"You'll be joining me for dinner, Mia." Mia tried to protest, but Jonathan's firmness brooked no argument. "Don't make me repeat myself." With a huff, Mia grudgingly walked towards the dining room, her reluctance evident in every step.

As soon as Mia entered the dining room, she slumped into a chair, her expression a picture of annoyance and frustration. She hates Jonathan's constant control over her life.

Just then, Jonathan walked in, his confident stride and regal demeanor commanding attention. He sat down opposite her, his gaze fixed on her face. As Joann served them both, but before she could get the Hawaiian pizza to Mia, Jonathan spoke up, his voice cold and authoritative.

"Don't give her that, she's allergic to pineapple." Jonathan's eyes remained fixed on Mia's shocked face. "How the hell did he know?" her expression seemed to ask.

But she quickly regained her composure, her grumpy demeanor returning. "I never said I was eating. What you did today was pathetic. You don't always have to be controlling, you know. You just put Aloura herself under pressure. Tomorrow night, seriously, what's happening tomorrow night?" she asked, her tone laced with annoyance.

She expected a response, but Jonathan remained silent, continuing to chew his meal. "Wait, you get to ignore me, but I don't? Wow," Mia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jonathan's silence was deafening, and Mia's frustration grew with each passing moment. She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Typical. You only speak when it's convenient for you, right?" She pushed her chair back, the legs scraping against the floor. "If you're not going to talk to me then I'm done, with this conversation, this dinner, And your controlling behavior." She stood up, her eyes flashing with anger as she prepared to walk away.

  Prepare yourself, tomorrow's going to be a busy day," Jonathan said coldly, his eyes never leaving his plate. Mia's footsteps halted, her back still to him. She hesitated for a moment before continuing on her way, her grumpy demeanor evident in her stiff posture and the slam of the door behind her.

****

The sound of the alarm blared, but Mia kept sleeping, oblivious to the noise. Then, the entire room's lights suddenly turned on, shining directly in her face, jolting her awake. She groggily opened her eyes, rubbing them with her fists, trying to shake off the sleep.

  "Good morning, Miss Emilia," Joann greeted, her voice holding respect. "I have orders from Sir Blacksmith to prepare you before 7 a.m."

Mia glanced at the ringing alarm clock, which showed 5:35, and her face twisted in annoyance. "It's 5:35! I need sleep. Wait, who the hell set the alarm to this? I need my sleep. I'll wake up when it's 7 o'clock. Good morning, Joann," she said, laying back on the bed.

Joann started to protest, "But, miss-"

"Turn off the light for me, would you?" Mia interrupted, her voice muffled by the blankets.

"You don't understand, miss," Joann said, as Mia groaned.

"What don't you understand? The 'I need my sleep' part, or the 'turn off the light' part?" Mia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It's an order from Sir Jonathan; I can't defy it," Joann replied, hoping she'd comply. "Oh, please, Miss Emilia, if I don't get you ready in time, I'll get punished," she added, her voice laced with desperation.

Mia finally accepted, though not without a groan. "Fine..." she said, sluggishly getting up from the bed.

"Your schedule for the day-" Joann started.

"Hold up, my schedule? Since when do I have a schedule?" Mia said, surprised.

"It's basically what you're doing for the whole of today, Miss," Joann replied. "Breakfast with Sir Blacksmith at 7 am," she continued as Mia got into the bathroom to shower, "pedicure and manicure at 8 am, beauty spa at 10 am, hair appointment at 2 pm-"

Mia called out from the bathroom, "Wait, what's the whole thing for, why the fancy preparation"

"I don't know miss" Joann Said hastily avoiding further conversation aside her job, "I'll go set your outfit", she said heading to the closet door.

After a few minutes, Mia emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. She glanced at the clothes laid out on the bed, chuckling at the feminine outfit, then She headed to the closet to select an outfit that suited her taste.

  Mia as usual came out in a baggy shorts and crop top combo, paired with a black face cap, With her sneakers laced up, Mia felt ready to take on the day. She headed downstairs, her strides confident and carefree. But as she entered the dining room, her eyes met the empty table.

Mia's face twisted in annoyance, her eyes rolling heavenward. "He made me wake up early, dress up, and now I'm left waiting for him? How great."

She flopped down in a chair, her baggy shorts pooling around her legs, and let out a frustrated sigh. Her eyes narrowed, her mind crafting witty comebacks for when Jonathan finally decides to show up. Just as her thoughts were racing, a voice cleared behind her.

  "Miss Emilia, is it not?" Sir Gary said, as Mia turned to face him.

  "Hi, Mia, just Mia, no formalities," Mia said with a smile.

"I see you're waiting for Sir Blacksmith," he said, making Mia scoff.

"He's a jerk, that's all I know. I woke up earlier than normal because of him, and now I get to wait for him. Seriously."

"Well, now you know how it feels when you make me wait for you" Jonathan's cold voice interjected, making Mia glance at him. For a moment, she couldn't look away. He looked incredibly hot without his usual 'hair gelled to the back' style', his wet hair gave off a sexy, rough, bad boy vibe which made mia wondered 'Was he always this handsome?'

"When you're done staring, tell me when to sit," Jonathan said, his voice laced with sarcasm he said shocking Mia, who felt the sudden urge to throw stuffs at him till he bleeds or feel remorseful.