A Price for Everything

Mia's Point of View

 I stride into my apartment, banging the door shut behind me. The moment I was inside, I snarled in frustration, dropping my clutch on the soda tearing out pins that held my hair together. That arrogant, self-absorbed, manipulative man. Alexander knight I took a deep breath and rubbed my head.

 I should have known better I should have known that working for Alexander Knight would have strings attached, with him trying to treat me like some pawn in his game. But tonight had gone too far.

Selling my work without even thinking to tell me about it? Kissing me off just to shut me up?

I gritted my teeth, fists clenched at the recollection of his lips on mine in my mind. For one moment, it hadn't been a lie. For one moment, I'd craved it. I shook my head back and forth, loosening the thought. No. I wasn't going to be foolish. I had no business being attracted to a man like Alexander Knight—cold, calculating, controlling. I fumed. And yet. My phone chimed quietly. I pulled it out and examined the screen. 

A bank alert. My heart sank. I opened it. Knight Enterprises has deposited $10,000,000 into your account.

I sat and gazed at the numbers for some time, my own breath caught in my throat. Ten million dollars. I read them again. And again. A line of unreal smile spread across my lips. Holy shit.

That was more money than I'd ever seen in my entire life. More than I'd ever dreamt of seeing. I fell onto the couch, phone still in my hand. This money… it changed everything. Sophia's education? Paid. Mom's medical bills? Gone, poof. I could finally breathe for the first time in years. My anger didn't go away or anything, but it cooled down some. Money was power.

And I hadn't eaten in a long time, and for the first time in ages, I did. I punched in my best friend's number, my hand still trembling slightly. It rang twice before Clara picked up the phone, awake but not quite awake. Mia? Why so late? Something wrong?"

I didn't even give time to respond."Clara, I have so much to tell you." She sat up immediately. "Oh god. What has the Devil CEO done now?" I groaned. "Too much. Too damn much."

She complained. "Okay, start from the beginning." I sighed. "First of all, he sold my painting. The one I worked on this morning."

"Wait, what?" "For billions." There was silence. Then... "What?!

I rubbed my forehead. "Yeah. And you won't believe what—he didn't even tell me. I discovered this when he pulled it out at the party and sold it like any other artifact."

"Are you kidding me?! That's your art! He can't just—"

"Oh, but he can," I spat. "Apparently, with the contract I signed, he now owns my art.".

"Oh God, I knew you should have let me read that contract first," Clara was furious. "I swear, if there's a loophole—"

"There's more."

"Oh, of course there's more." I paused. "He kissed me." Dead silence. "He what?"

"I was explaining. It wasn't real," I quickly went on. "We were arguing in some hallway, and some people were passing by, so he did it to..."

"To shut you up?" Clara growled half-out. More likely to make it seem like we weren't fighting," I confessed. "That bastard," she said. "Mia, that's not okay. That's disgusting and manipulative, and..."

"I know, Clara. I swear, I know."

"Did you hit him?" I smiled. "Hard." She made a satisfied sound. "Good. But Mia, I swear, if he does that again..."

 "He won't," I said quickly. "Because I won't let him."

She snorted. "He better not.". 

 "I don't know what's worse, the fact that he keeps trying to treat me like some kind of tool, the face that for a minute... I didn't hate it." There was another silence. "Mia."

"I know, okay?" I flopped on the couch sighing. "I know it's a bad idea. I know he's an arrogant, control freak billionaire who thinks he owns the world. I know."

"Good," she said tartly. "Because you deserve better." I closed my eyes. "I just... I don't even want to think about him right now."

"Then let's talk about something else," Clara said."Something good. Because you sound tense as hell.

"I took slow breaths. "Actually… there is something good." 

"Oh?" I smiled. "Clara, I just got ten million dollars." Silence. ".Mia."

"Knight Enterprises just wired it. Ten million."

"Are you serious?!"

"Dead serious."

"Holy shit." I laughed. "I know."

"Wait, what does that mean?!" she cried. It means Sophia's tuition is taken care of. It means Mom's hospital bill is wiped away." Clara literally shrieked. "MIA!" I grinned. "I know."

"Okay, okay, okay...so this is good. This is huge. We can be angry at Devil CEO later, but for now...this is a win."

"It really is." My phone beeped again. I read the screen. Saint Vincent's Hospital. My heart missed a beat. "Mia?" Clara said. "What's wrong?"

"It's the hospital." Someone over the response. "Hello?

"Ms. Parker?" was a well-inflected voice. "Yes, speaking."

"This is Saint Vincent's billing office. We're calling to inform you about your mother's hospital bills." I sat up. "Yes?"

"We just wanted to remind you that the account is overdue. Could you pay, perhaps?" I smiled. "As it so happens… I'll come down first thing tomorrow and settle the bill."

Silence. Then..."That's… good to hear, Ms. Parker. Thank you." I hung up, breathing for the first time in years. I looked at Clara. "Tomorrow, Mom's hospital bill is history." She brust out laughing. "Mia, I'm so happy for you." I grinned. "Me too."

Perhaps tonight had been a disaster. Perhaps working for Alexander Knight would be an eternity of misery. But for tonight… I'd won something. And that was enough.