Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 112: Empty feeling

Chapter 112: Empty feeling

As the seasons turned, everything around changed. Leaves fell in autumn, snow covered the ground in winter, flowers bloomed in spring, and the sun shone bright in summer. Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, five years had gone by, leaving behind memories of all the moments shared.

The city and houses were covered with snow, with snow plow trucks moving around and shoving the snow out of the road. However, inside a grand building, camera and lights were being set with two beautiful ladies sitting on the stage where two couches facing each other were set.

One of the women was none other than Mia Harrison, who looked a lot different from how she looked when she was still a student in the University. She had bloomed into a more mature woman with grace and beauty. The camera was focused on her, sitting poised and confident in front of a backdrop of falling snow, her brown eyes bright with anticipation as she prepared to interview one of the famous female celebrities in the country, who she had traveled all the way from Mirage Mesa to Novaria.

The soft glow of the studio lights illuminated her face, adding a warm contrast to the wintery scene outside the glass walls behind them.

Mia smiled warmly at the camera, and said,"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our special Thanksgiving Day interview. My name is Mia, and tonight I have the pleasure of sitting down with the incredibly talented and lovely Aurora Quinn!"

The celebrity sitting opposite Mia, had a radiating elegance and charm about her. She returned Mia’s smile with a nod of greeting. "Thank you for having me, Mia. It’s a pleasure to be here." She remarked sincerely, as any celebrity who had the privilege to be on Mia Harrison’s shows would be more than honored. Because Mia hadn’t just made her name known in the entertainment industry through out the years after she graduated from college, but she had won an award for being the best host in events and talk shows.

Mia leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as she asked, "So, Miss Quinn, as we celebrate Thanksgiving today, what are you most thankful for this year?"

As the interview progressed, Mia effortlessly guided the conversation, peppering the celebrity with questions that elicited laughter and genuine emotion. The warmth and camaraderie between them was palpable, their chemistry evident to viewers, who were watching from home.

The female celebrity laughed genuinely as she answered all of Mia’s questions. "You know, Mia, I have to say I’m incredibly thankful for the friendships I’ve made in this industry. Like ours, for example. Do you remember we used to be close in school until that event five years ago that took place on the stage of Ivy Grove?"

Of course. She did. Though not all her viewers know this, but the beautiful woman sitting opposite her was none other than Carlos Mackenzie, but had changed completely through out the years.

Mia’s smile faltered for a moment, her eyes flickering with a hint of unwillingness to dive into any topic that has to do with the past. but then she quickly regained her composure. Chuckling nervously, she said, "Oh, of course, how could I forget? It feels like a lifetime ago."

Aurora leaned in closer, her expression becoming more gentle as she took hold of Mia’s hand. While her actions were sincere, she also wanted to demonstrate her closeness to Mia on the show, so that her competitors in the entertainment industry would see that they had a past connection.

"I’ll never forget that university event. Especially that kiss. I have a question that I’m curious about, and I know others are too, but no one has the courage to ask you because they’re not as close to you as I am." She chuckled, covering her mouth with her hands before continuing, "Would you have kissed that man if you knew he was a murderer?"

Mia’s composed facade wavered slightly, her fingers gripping the fabric of her skirt tightly, but she maintained her composure and grace. Forcing a smile, she replied, "No, well, we all make mistakes, don’t we?"

As the interview ended and the camera was put down, Aurora stood up from her seat and embraced Mia warmly, catching her off guard. Although they had known each other in university, they hadn’t stayed in touch after graduating three years ago, until Aurora became famous. Mia had gone to the trouble of traveling from Mirage Mesa, where she now lived, to Novaria because she learned that Aurora was Carlos, and she wanted to personally invite Aurora onto her show to boost her own career.

Mia smiled and returned the hug. But before Aurora released her from the embrace, she whispered in Mia’s ear, "Congratulations on your engagement, Mia. Mr. Sullivan is a fortunate man."

Mia’s eyes widened in surprise, her mind racing as she tried to process Aurora’s unexpected words. Indeed she had been engaged months ago, but it hadn’t been publicly announced yet, she had wanted to keep it a secret but it seemed gossips were getting ahead of her plans of keeping her personal life private.

Aurora pulled away, her smile knowing and kind as she glanced at Mia’s surprised expression. "Why do you look surprise? I saw the announcement on the magazine and look, you are wearing a diamond ring around your finger."

Managing a shaky smile, Mia replied, "Thank you, Aurora. That means a lot." But deep down she was fuming at Owen for announcing their engagement without informing her.

With a final exchange of well-wishes, Aurora exited the stage, leaving Mia alone to gather her thoughts. She reached for her fur coat, her movements slow and deliberate as she gazed out at the snow-covered cityscape below while her team were packing up all the set. Mia walked towards the glass window a whirlwind of emotions churning beneath her composed exterior.

She heard her phone beep, she fished it out of her purse and saw it was a message from Owen.

[Are you coming back today, sweetheart? I have plans for our Christmas shopping and I also have something exciting to share with you.]

Mia stared at the message with a blank expression. However, she couldn’t help but cringe as she read the part "Sweetheart." Though she had said yes to Owen’s proposal months ago, she could never get used to how he addressed her. If someone were to tell her years ago that she would marry Owen Sullivan, she would laugh and hit the person in the face, but here she was... engaged to him and about to be his wife after winter season.

Mia’s thoughts took her back to a time years ago when she discovered her mother’s lifeless body. Along with burying her mother, Mia felt as if she’d lost a part of herself. She felt adrift in a vast sea, unable to find true happiness ever since then. The realization that the person responsible for her mother’s death had not only shattered her heart, but had killed her soul.

She’d lived a life like that of a living ghost, she had attended classes because she didn’t want to disappoint her late mother who had wanted nothing but to see her become successful one day. For the years she had to graduate from Ivy Grove, people had done nothing but point fingers at her and call her names. They blamed her for the death of the two students. Countless times, she had gotten death threats from random people in the University.

After her mother’s passing, Mia had chose to reside in the university dormitory, but each day felt like a living nightmare. She was consumed by misery and lost her zest for life, all due to one mistake - falling in love with a man she knew nothing about. That one mistake had almost caused her to lose her sanity if it weren’t for Owen...

Seeing that she was beginning to drown herself in her past memories, Mia shook her head and quickly replied to Owen’s message. [The weather is tremble. No plane is flying back to Mirage mesa, I plan to use my car and return tomorrow as soon as I can.] She sent the message to him with her expression still looking blank and emotionless.

Owen’s reply was quick to come. [Driving all the way here is not safe with this weather, I can make some arrangements for you before tommorow so you don’t have to go through the trouble of driving. How about I come there?]

Mia was quick to deny that suggestion. Though she had agreed to marry him because he had been the only person who came to stand by her side when she needed someone to lean on, she could never bring herself to love him the same way he did, and whenever he did things for her and tried to act clingy, she felt guilty and annoyed for some reasons.

Thankfully, he didn’t insist on coming as she knew he could be persistent at times. He replied with a, [Alright. Just be careful, I will call you once I get out of my meeting. Happy Thanksgiving. I love you.]

Mia read his message, and without replying, she put her phone back into her purse and closed her eyes to take a deep breath. "Happy Thanksgiving, indeed." She muttered to herself with a heavy, suffocating feeling rising in her chest. It was a feeling that made her feel like she was incomplete and nothing in this world could fill that huge void in her chest. But then she had to keep living and be the person her mother wanted her to be.

"Everything will be okay, Mia. By the end of this year, things will change, and you will rediscover true happiness. With Owen by your side, you will soon be married and starting your own family. That’s a positive prospect..." she murmured, attempting to hold back the tears that pricked her eyes and the constriction in her throat. "I wish..."

As she gazed out the window, a young man approached her from behind and greeted her. "Ma’am, your vehicle is prepared to move, and the snow has been cleared from the road. I have also arranged a room for you at the five-star hotel in Novaria for this evening. If you need any additional assistance, I will take care of it. Are you ready to depart now? I can drive you_"

"No, Ken," she interjected hastily. "I will drive myself to the hotel. And there is no need for you to accompany me to Mirage Mesa tomorrow; I can find my own way back home." Home, she mused with a pang of bitterness in her heart as she accepted the car keys from him. She had no clear sense of where home was anymore, just as she was uncertain about the direction of her life. Nevertheless, she forced a smile as she always did, concealing the hollowness gnawing at her soul, and exited the building, heading towards her red car parked outside.