Chapter 8

Mia

I had no interest in wasting my breath on her. Without feeling or warmth, I responded, "Miss Harris, did you come here for small talk?"

Chloe tilted her head slightly. "Well, there were too many people in that room just now, and you didn't seem to enjoy that kind of lively atmosphere. You looked uninterested. And we didn't get a chance to catch up properly at the charity gala, did we? I thought we could reminisce now."

I didn't respond, simply continued smoking, letting the silence stretch between us.

She pressed on. "Aren't you curious about... these past few years?" She paused. "And about him?"

I exhaled slowly, the smoke curling between us. "About him?" My heart skipped a beat, but I couldn't let Chloe see my unease. "Not interested. And I don't see any reason for us to reminisce, Miss Harris."

Chloe waved a hand through the smoke, her nose wrinkling. "The past? If you weren't interested in the past, you wouldn't have come to the reunion. The fact that you're here means you're not ready to sever ties with it. And besides Luke, who else at this gathering could possibly interest you enough to show up? Though I suppose you must be disappointed—he didn't come tonight."

I'd never heard Chloe string together so many words at once. She really had changed—the old Chloe used to speak in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's whisper.

A cold laugh escaped me. "Who's Luke? Luke Holter? Chloe, you still haven't outgrown that habit of yours—always imagining things that aren't there. Who told you I came back for him? Rather than concerning yourself with my motivations, you might want to spend more time examining your own situation. All that effort you've put into staying by Luke's side—tell me, has it made you happy?"

The color drained from her face.

But she recovered quickly, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "Luke is coming to pick me up shortly. Would you like to say hello to him properly?"

I froze, just for a heartbeat, but it was enough. She caught it, and I saw the triumph cross her features before she turned toward the private room. She'd taken barely a step when she pivoted back. "Mia, you know what? I really can't stand women who smoke."

The implication was clear—she was reminding me that no matter how far I'd traveled, I was still the same Mia in her eyes.

I watched her retreat down the hallway, her back radiating self-satisfaction. Chloe clearly believed she'd won that verbal sparring match, her every step toward the private room announcing her triumph.

I turned back to the window, crushing the cigarette before flicking it away. Chloe's words replayed in my mind, and a wave of irritation mixed with something more complicated surged through me. I had to get out of here first—running into Luke again at this kind of gathering would inevitably make us the subject of everyone's gossip.

The muffled sounds of laughter and conversation drifted from the private room down the hall, but I had no intention of going back in there.

I'd nearly reached the hotel entrance when a gust of cold wind cut through my dress, making me shiver. That's when I realized—I'd left my coat in the private room. With a resigned sigh, I turned back.

The elevator ride up felt interminable, each floor ticking by as I debated whether the coat was even worth retrieving.

I was just reaching for the door handle when it swung open from the inside. Our class president nearly walked into me.

"Mia! There you are—I was starting to think you'd ghosted us." He laughed, genuine relief crossing his face. "Seriously though, you disappeared for like twenty minutes. Everything okay?"

I managed an awkward smile. "Yeah, just needed some air. But I really do need to head out—early day tomorrow. Just grabbing my coat."

I was about to step past the class president into the private room when I heard someone mention my name. My steps halted.

"—honestly never thought Mia would end up an auctioneer. Remember how wild she was?"

"People change," someone said, though the skepticism was clear.

"Sure, but that kind of change? Makes you wonder what really happened in London."

I stepped into the room, cutting through their chatter. The conversation died instantly. I moved past them without acknowledgment, retrieving my coat with deliberate calm.

I caught a glimpse of Chloe watching from her seat, her expression serene.

"Leaving already?" someone asked. "The night's still young—"

"I have an early morning," I said. "It was good seeing everyone."

The class president stepped beside me. "Hey, so—we're thinking of hitting up that new karaoke place on Fifth? The one that just opened? Anyone down?"

A chorus of approval rose from inside the room.

"Perfect! Let me grab the check real quick, then we can all head out together."

"Oh, I already took care of it," Chloe's voice chimed in, bright and cheerful. "Consider tonight my treat."

More cheers erupted, and everyone's attention turned to Chloe.

"Chloe, come on—" the class president protested. "You can't just pay for everyone like that. At least let us Venmo you or something—"

"It's fine, really. I didn't even pay—my boyfriend settled it before he told me." Her tone was carefully casual, but I could hear the underlying satisfaction.

The class president laughed. "Well damn, in that case—thanks to you and your mystery man."

"Wait, wait, wait—boyfriend?" someone exclaimed. "Since when? You've been holding out on us! What's his deal?"

Boyfriend. The word echoed in my mind. She must mean Luke. So they really are together.

Chloe accepted the compliments with practiced modesty, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "He's actually outside right now."

"Oh, we're definitely meeting him then!" The excitement was palpable as everyone began gathering their things.

The group spilled out of the private room in a chaotic wave, voices overlapping as we made our way toward the elevators.

We all made our way downstairs together. I walked ahead, ready to hail a taxi—I needed to get out of here before Luke arrived—when Chloe's voice called out behind me.

"Mia, which way are you headed? If you're going uptown, hop in with us."

The class president chimed in immediately. "Yeah, seriously—it's freezing out here, and good luck finding a cab at this hour. Just let Chloe drop you off."

Of course I knew what Chloe was really doing. Of course I knew who was coming to pick her up. I opened my mouth to decline when a sleek black Porsche Taycan pulled up in front of us, its presence commanding immediate attention.

I heard whispers ripple through the group behind me. "Holy shit, is that a Taycan? Chloe, what does your boyfriend do?"

I didn't need to turn around to imagine the expression on Chloe's face right now. She brushed past me and walked toward the car, reaching for the door handle. But before she could touch it, the rear passenger door opened from the inside.