“The Price of Freedom

Part 2

She stopped by the rose bush and lightly touched a flower, though her eyes stayed fixed on the phone.

“I’m not in the mood to argue right now. Send it, I’ll review it.”

She ended the call. For a moment she held the phone in her hand, then exhaled deeply and looked at the flowers.

Mia stood at the doorway, watching her.

Claire finally noticed her.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes.”

Claire walked closer. Her eyes briefly landed on Mia’s black leather jacket. She paused for a second.

“It will be cold,” she said shortly.

“I know.”

Claire looked at her hair, then at her face.

“Don’t be late coming back.”

It wasn’t an order, but it sounded like one.

Mia nodded.

At that moment, a car could be heard at the gate. A black vehicle slowly stopped.

Mia stepped forward.

From behind her, Claire said:

“Don’t stay too long with Anna.”

Mia stopped.

“Why?”

Claire was silent for a moment.

“I just… want you to be careful.”

Mia looked at her.

“I’m just going to watch a movie.”

Claire didn’t respond. She only watched her.

Mia walked toward the car.

Inside, there was a strange lightness, as if with every step she was moving slightly away from herself.

The car door opened.

She got in.

Through the window, Claire stood in the middle of the garden. Her phone was now off, and her eyes were fixed on a single point.

The car started moving slowly.

Mia looked back.

The house grew smaller and smaller.

And for the first time, she felt as if she was not going inward anymore—but outward.

When Mia entered the university building, the usual noise had already filled the halls. Students were gathered in groups, talking; some were walking quickly, others laughing at their phones. The atmosphere was completely different from the silence of her home.

She adjusted her black leather jacket on her shoulder and walked slowly. Her bob-cut hair moved lightly, falling across her face. She felt a bit lighter today, though a vague heaviness still remained inside her.

At the corner of the corridor, Anna was waiting.

“Finally!” Anna said as Mia approached. “You’ve become hard to see lately.”

Mia gave a soft smile.

“I’m here now.”

Anna looked her up and down.

“You look different today.”

“How?”

“Better… freer.”

Mia didn’t answer, only shrugged.

They walked together toward the lecture hall. People passed by, some greeting them. Everything was ordinary.

Anna suddenly continued:

“I already picked the movie for today. You’re not allowed to say anything—you’re just coming.”

Mia smiled faintly.

“That sounds like a very confident plan.”

“Of course. No excuses today.”

They went up the stairs together.

Mia slung her bag over her shoulder and walked up the long white marble stairs of the university with Anna. The noise of students from the lower corridor gradually faded away. Warm spring light coming through the windows hit the stair railings, making everything look bright and almost white.

Anna glanced at her phone and sighed.

— Today’s economics class is going to kill me, — she said with a small smile. — Professor Grant is going to talk about “market strategy” for two hours again.

Mia gave a light smile, but her mood wasn’t good.

— Maybe today it’ll be more interesting.

— Something’s off with you today, — Anna said, raising her eyebrow at her. — You’ve been too quiet.

Mia didn’t answer. As she walked up the stairs, she looked down toward the main foyer of the university. For some reason, her heart felt uneasy, like she was sensing something was about to happen.

When they reached the second floor, a distant classroom door opened. A few students came out laughing. Then Anna suddenly stopped.

— Is that David over there?

Mia instinctively looked up.

At the end of the corridor, David stood near the window in a black jacket. He wasn’t looking at his phone even though he had a notebook in his hand. He seemed like he was waiting for someone, scanning the area.

A strange pressure tightened in Mia’s chest.

David noticed them.

For a second, his eyes landed exactly on Mia.

Then he gave a slight smile.

Anna leaned toward Mia and whispered:

— I think he looked at you.

— No, just a coincidence.

— Mia, I’m not blind.

They kept walking toward the classroom. The door of the economics hall was half open. Inside, the projector was already on, and on the board was written in large letters:

“Global Markets and Human Behavior”

The room was wide with high ceilings. White walls and large windows filled the space with natural light. Students were already seated—every place taken, with open books, laptops, and coffee cups scattered across the desks.

The room was filled with constant noise: quiet conversations, pages turning, chairs shifting slightly. Some were writing, some staring at their screens, and others lost in their own thoughts.

The smell of fresh coffee, paper, and markers mixed in the air. The slides were ready, and the room seemed to slowly settle into a brief moment of silence, as if waiting for the professor’s voice.

As students were settling in, Professor Grant placed his folders on the desk.

— Today I will not teach you simple numbers, — he said firmly. — I will explain how fear and greed move millions of dollars.

Mia took a seat in the back rows. Anna sat next to her.

But Mia wasn’t focused on the lecture.

Because the classroom door opened again.

David walked in, looked around the room, and despite many empty seats, he walked straight to the desk next to Mia and Anna.

He pulled out his chair and sat down calmly. The sound of the projector and students whispering filled the room. Mia opened her notebook, feeling a slight tension in her hands.

Anna suddenly laughed.

— What a “coincidence.”

David glanced at her briefly.

— This seat was free.

— Of course it was, — Anna said in a teasing tone.

Professor Grant switched slides. On the screen appeared stock charts, company logos, and large red numbers.

— Do you know the most common mistake people make? — the professor asked the class. — They cannot separate emotions from business.

Mia instinctively looked at David after hearing that.

David was spinning his pen, sitting quietly like most students, but there was a calm, cold confidence in him.

The professor continued:

— Sometimes a single wrong decision can change a person’s entire life.

Anna leaned slightly toward Mia.

— I’m about to die of boredom.

Mia smiled slightly.

Suddenly, the professor looked at the class.

— Let’s take an example. Imagine you are the head of a big company. The market is falling. Do you save people or the company?

The room went silent.

The professor’s gaze landed on David.

— Mr. Carter?

David stayed silent for a few seconds.

— The company.

A soft murmur spread through the class.

The professor raised his eyebrows.

— Interesting answer. Why?

— Because if the company collapses, everyone loses anyway.

The professor nodded slowly.

— Cold, but realistic answer.

Anna whispered:

— He looks like a movie character.

Mia said nothing.

The professor’s gaze shifted toward Mia.

— What would you do, miss…?

— Mia.

— Yes, Miss Mia?

Mia paused for a moment. The entire classroom was looking at her.

— I would choose people.

David slowly looked at her.

The professor folded his arms.

— And if the company collapses?

— Maybe money can be earned again, — Mia said in a calm voice. — But if some people are gone, you can’t bring them back.

The classroom fell silent.

The professor stared at Mia for a few seconds.

— A very emotional answer.

— Maybe, — Mia replied. — But sometimes emotions are part of decision-making too.

A faint smile appeared on David’s lips.

As if he had just learned something new about Mia.

The discussion continued in a lively and argumentative way. David didn’t take his eyes off Mia, and this made Mia uncomfortable.