The moment the door closed behind Mr. Sykes, Deneen's face transformed. The tears vanished, replaced by a relieved smile that felt painfully out of place.
"Oh, Mia, honey, you were wonderful!" she gushed, reaching for Mia's hand.
Sean shuffled over, his expression a mixture of shame and pathetic gratitude. "Mia, I knew you'd come through. Mr. Sykes is a little old, but he's rich. You won't have to work a day in your life."
Mia snatched her hand away as if she'd been burned. The hypocrisy was suffocating. She stared at their smiling faces, and a wave of disgust churned in her stomach.
Without a word, she turned and walked into her small bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her. The click of the lock was a small, satisfying sound.
The room was her sanctuary, a tiny space filled with old college posters and worn-out books. Now, it felt like a prison cell.
She slid down the back of the door until she was sitting on the floor, finally letting the tears she'd held back fall. But she only gave herself sixty seconds of weakness.
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she pulled the black card from her pocket. Her fingers traced the elegant silver letters of the name: Julian Carlisle.
It was a ridiculous long shot. A desperate, insane hope. Why would this man, a complete stranger from a one-night-stand she couldn't even remember, help her?
She didn't have an answer. But the alternative was marrying Sykes. Doing nothing meant surrendering.
Her hand was shaking as she dialed the number.
It rang three times before a calm, professional male voice answered. "Hello."
Mia's heart leaped into her throat. "Hello, I'm trying to reach Mr. Julian Carlisle."
There was a brief pause. "May I ask who is calling?"
She swallowed hard. "My name is Mia Hayes. Last night, at the hotel downtown..." Her voice trailed off, thick with shame.
A few seconds of silence stretched on, feeling like an eternity. Then the voice returned, as cool and unruffled as before. "I understand, Ms. Hayes. This is Corbin Brandt, Mr. Carlisle's executive assistant. Mr. Carlisle is in a meeting at the moment. How can I help you?"
Just an assistant. A sliver of disappointment pricked at her, but she forged ahead. "I... I'm in some trouble. It's an emergency. I need a lot of money."
Her face burned. She felt like she was begging a stranger to clean up a disaster that wasn't even his.
Corbin's tone didn't change. "What is the amount?"
"Five hundred thousand dollars," she whispered, the number tasting like ash in her mouth.
Another silence. This was it. He was going to hang up, or laugh at her.
Instead, he said, "Please hold." Soft instrumental music began to play.
Every second of the hold music was an agony of suspense. Her palm was sweating against the phone.
After what felt like a lifetime, Corbin was back on the line. "Ms. Hayes, Mr. Carlisle has agreed to meet with you. He mentioned that he was expecting your call. Three o'clock this afternoon at The Aviary downtown. Please be on time."
Mia couldn't believe it. It couldn't be this easy. "Okay... yes, of course. I'll be there."
She hung up, her mind reeling. It felt unreal.
She checked the time. 10 a.m. She had five hours.
Taking a deep breath, she unlocked her door. Deneen and Sean were waiting in the hallway, their expressions anxious.
Mia looked at them, her own face a mask of cool composure. "I have to go out. If Mr. Sykes calls, you tell him I expect a proper proposal tomorrow. Flowers, a ring, the whole thing."
Deneen and Sean exchanged a confused look, but they nodded eagerly, too relieved to question her sudden confidence.
Mia put on the nicest coat she owned and walked out of the apartment, leaving their questions hanging in the air.
She was on her way to an appointment that would decide her fate.
