Mia quietly let him leave his mark of affection on her, surrendering to his will.
The surging desire in her heart finally eased, and at this moment, Mia no longer dared to struggle or resist. She obediently nestled into Arthur's embrace. The atmosphere was warm and serene. Arthur gently placed one hand on the small of Mia's back, while the other slowly caressed her bare back, immersing himself in this enchanting ambiance.
"Arthur?" Mia's soft voice called out to him.
"What is it, Mia?" Arthur responded, lowering his head to gaze at the top of Mia's head as she nestled against his chest.
"Aren't you going out today?"
"No," Arthur said, gently kissing the top of her head. "I've taken care of almost everything. The rest can be handled by Solar and Henry. Today, I can stay with you all day."
"What about the situation with the Ivan family…?"
Arthur lifted her face, kissing her lips to silence her words, not letting her finish. When he pulled away, he lingered, softly kissing her again.
"I told you, Mia, the Ivan family has no power to harm the Moore family. I've already found a way to deal with them. Don't worry, alright? Seeing you frown like this really breaks my heart!"
Mia smiled and agreed, "Okay!"
Her charming smile made Arthur's gaze darken, but Mia, still with words left unsaid, didn't notice.
"Oh, right, Arthur."
"What?" His voice was much deeper than before.
"You said you'd let me see Dick. When can I meet him?"
"That? Easy! Whenever you want to see him, I'll have someone summon him."
"Hmm… the sooner, the better… Can you send for him today? That way, I could see him by tomorrow at the latest!" Mia's smile grew sweeter at Arthur's straightforwardness.
"Today?!" Arthur's voice rose slightly. "Today might not work."
"Why? Are you going back on your word?"
"It's not that I'm going back on it, it's just that today might be too busy…"
"Busy? Why?" Mia was puzzled by Arthur's increasingly husky voice. Arthur rolled over, pinning Mia beneath him.
"Didn't I say I'd spend the whole day with you?" Arthur lowered his head to look at Mia. A few loose strands of his snowy hair fell, blocking her view of anything but him.
Mia stared blankly at Arthur, puzzled by the sudden depth in his eyes. It wasn't until he nearly consumed her entirely that her confusion finally unraveled. Three days later, she finally got to see Dick as she had wished. For the previous two days, Arthur had pushed aside all his work, doing everything he could to stay glued to Mia's side every moment. Even Tina and Jenny, who usually attended to Mia, weren't allowed to stay near her for more than fifteen minutes. In those two days, Mia truly felt Arthur's domineering nature and intense possessiveness.
Whenever anyone approached her—be it Tina, Jenny, or even little Bit—Arthur's expression would darken with displeasure. After shooing away anyone who tried to get close to Mia, he would pull her tightly into his arms, refusing to let go.
When Mia learned that Dick was coming today, she had to use every trick in the book to convince Arthur to reluctantly agree to let them meet alone.
"Only half an hour!" Arthur grumbled, turning back to add as he left.
"Alright, alright! Go to your study! Dick will be here any minute!" Mia shooed him away.
"Mia!" The man being pushed out called her name with a resentful tone.
"Hurry up, go read in your study!" She couldn't afford to soften with him, or she'd be the one giving in.
Over the past two days, Mia had learned this lesson through personal experience.
Arthur's little scheme had been foiled. He stared at Mia for a long time, clearly noticing her excitement and eagerness for her friend's arrival, as if she had been waiting for this moment forever.
"Hmm!" Mia gasped, startled as Arthur suddenly pounced on her. Before she could figure out why he had abruptly pulled her into his arms, his lips sealed hers shut.
At first, terrified that someone might barge into the open living room, Mia struggled and resisted. But soon, Arthur's passionate kiss overwhelmed her senses, leaving her dazed and forgetting everything else. She closed her eyes, her arms wrapping around his neck, clinging to him weakly as she surrendered to the dizzying thrill and tingling pleasure.
When Arthur finally released her, Mia, still unaccustomed to such intense kisses, collapsed into his arms, greedily gasping for fresh air.
Arthur's hand gently traced her swollen lips, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Heh, now I feel much more balanced—much better!"
Still lost in the afterglow of the kiss, Mia's thoughts were in disarray, and she couldn't quite catch the meaning behind his words, her face full of confusion.
Arthur, content, didn't bother to explain. He set Mia's limp body down on the armchair, kissed her forehead, and walked away.
Mia lay there, watching Arthur's figure gradually recede. The pain buried deep in her heart finally surfaced in her eyes when no one was around to see…
Not long after the silence settled, a cheerful voice grew louder as it approached from the distance—
"Mia! Mia! Mia! I'm here, come see me—!"
Hearing that familiar tone she'd known for nearly twenty years, Mia's eyes lit up, and she stood up excitedly.
It was Dick!
Mia rushed to the living room door, coming face-to-face with the person she'd been longing to see. "Dick!"
He spotted her at the same moment and leapt toward her in excitement.
"Mia, Mia, Mia, Mia!" Dick laughed and shouted, throwing his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Dick!" Receiving his enthusiastic greeting, Mia's already joyful mood soared even higher, and she couldn't help but hug him back.
The two of them had been through thick and thin since childhood, sharing countless moments of joy, anger, and sorrow. The word "friend" couldn't begin to describe the deep, warm bond that tied them together. They weren't lovers, yet they were intimately close, their hearts in sync. They weren't siblings, yet their connection was thicker than blood, their hearts and hands intertwined.
The last time they met, they had parted on bad terms. In the days that followed, they had constantly worried about each other. Now, seeing each other looking better than expected, their joy and happiness were unspoken but undeniable.
Having not seen each other for over a month, they had plenty to talk about. At first, they stood outside chatting, but eventually, they settled at the dining table. Knowing Dick was coming, Mia had specifically asked Tina and Jenny to prepare a lavish spread of food.
"Wow, what's this? So delicious!" Dick said, still chewing as his chopsticks reached for another dish.
Mia helped pile more food into his bowl, explaining, "These are shrimp braised in rum—really tasty!"
"Mmm! Mmm! This is good too!" Dick mumbled, his mouth stuffed with various dishes.
Watching Dick's mouth crammed full, Mia found it amusing but worried he might choke. She quickly poured him a cup of tea, coaxing, "Dick, don't eat so fast—no one's stealing your food!"
"Mmm! Mmm! Too—delicious—I can't help it!" Dick, busy devouring his meal, took a sip of tea to finally speak clearly, a rare moment when something could shut him up.
"But gobbling it down like that isn't good for you."
"Mmm, mmm!" Dick swallowed hard, took another sip of tea, and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you and eat slowly. That way, we can have a proper chat. Last time, I barely got a few words in before I was kicked out."
"Oh, Arthur, he was just…" Mia started to defend Arthur, but Dick cut her off.
Dick waved his hand casually. "Alright, alright, I know what you're going to say! You're definitely trying to put in a good word for him so I won't dislike him…" Dick glanced at her sideways, confirming his guess.
Mia, her thoughts exposed, nodded.
"Actually…" Dick picked up a piece of fish, popped it into his mouth, and chewed. "At first, I was totally against you being with that leader. One, I thought he'd be some vile old man like Mr. Ivan. Two, I figured he wasn't keeping you around because he genuinely cared—he was treating you like a caged canary. But after meeting him that day, my opinion completely changed…"
Dick suddenly paused, his expression shifting. His eyes widened with excitement, sparkling as he stared at Mia. "That leader isn't just young—he's gorgeous! So handsome! More striking than any man I've ever seen! Like a god come to life!"
Mia looked at Dick's eyes, brighter than the sun, and couldn't help but smile. Besides thinking that Dick's personality was as lively as ever, swinging between emotions in a heartbeat, she also agreed with his praise for Arthur.
"By the way, Mia, how did you meet him?"