MIA’S POV
I shouldn’t have hesitated.
That was my first thought as I stepped out of the restaurant.
The cool night air brushed against my skin, but it didn’t ease the heat rising inside me. My fingers curled at my sides as I replayed everything—Jason’s voice, his touch, the way I almost leaned in.
And then Ethan. His voice.
Cold, sharp, cutting through the moment.
“Are you going to let all this work go to waste?”
I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled.
Why did that stop me?
Why did he stop me?
My chest tightened at the thought.
It shouldn’t matter.
This was strategy.
Jason was a means to an end.
So why did it feel like something different?
Why did I feel… guilty?
My brows furrowed.
No.
I shook my head slightly.
I couldn’t afford confusion.
Not now.
Not when I was finally
