Tugging her face mask securely and pulling her hat lower, she picked up her order and left the café. Hiding her face from the public had become a daily routine. After her highly publicized divorce from her so-called "great husband"—she scoffed bitterly at the thought—that bastard, she thought. The relentless bombardment of questions from fans, demanding to know what happened, was exhausting. She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes to the heavens, frustration bubbling to the surface once again.

As she walked toward the spot where her car was parked, she let out a weary sigh. Just as she was about to cross the street—

"Hey! Move out of the way!"

A frantic voice rang out, pulling her attention. She turned, her eyes widening in alarm as a man on a bike hurtled toward her. Instinctively, she tried to jump aside but stumbled, falling hard onto the pavement.

Her hat tumbled to the ground as she shut her eyes tightly. "Ouch, my butt!" she muttered under her breath, wincing as she examined her scraped palm. The raw abrasion stung. "Oh, come on!" she snapped, clicking her tongue in irritation.

"Check over there!" someone commanded urgently. Then, a closer voice asked, "Are you alright?"

Startled, she glanced up to see a woman standing over her, concern etched on her face.

Hastily, she snatched her hat from the ground and jammed it back on her head. Rising to her feet, she grabbed the paper bag containing her food and quickly checked it. Relief washed over her when she saw it hadn't spilled.

"Hey, miss," the voice called out again, more insistent this time. "I'm asking if you're alright."

She froze momentarily, tugging her mask tighter. "Yeah," she replied curtly, avoiding eye contact.

The woman tilted her head, studying her closely. "You look familiar. Aren't you Mia—"

Before she could finish, Mia panicked and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Stop!" Mia hissed, her eyes darting around nervously.

The woman raised an eyebrow and pulled Mia's hand away with ease. "Ah, figured it out. You're that actress and influencer," she muttered, her tone matter-of-fact.

Mia frowned, her defenses snapping into place. "And what if I am? What's it to you?" she shot back, her voice sharp.

The woman shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm Ashley. Detective Ashley," she said, extending her hand.

Mia eyed the offered hand warily before sighing and shaking it. "Mia. Just Mia," she replied flatly, withdrawing her hand quickly. But before she could step back, Ashley caught her hand again.

"Hey! What are you—"

"You're injured," Ashley interrupted, inspecting Mia's scraped palm. "Hold on, I think I've got some antiseptic swabs." She fished through her pocket with her free hand.

"Aha!" Ashley exclaimed triumphantly, pulling out a small packet. "Here, clean your wound. I've got bandaids too," she said, placing the items in Mia's hand with a small smile.

Mia blinked, taken aback by the unexpected kindness. "Uh... thanks," she murmured, unsure how to respond.

"Sorry for the scare," Ashley said, bowing slightly. "We're chasing down a pickpocket. Here's my calling card, call me if you need anything or any assistance for your wound. Gotta go—it was nice meeting you!"

With that, she sprinted off, leaving Mia standing there, clutching the antiseptic and bandaids, as well as the calling card Ashley had handed to her. She stared after Ashley's retreating figure, still processing the encounter.

"Wow," she muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. "What a weird detective."

Mia buried her face against the steering wheel, tossing her hat onto the passenger seat. She let out a long sigh, shutting her eyes briefly before her phone rang, breaking the moment. Sitting up straight, she glanced at the screen and chuckled softly at the name flashing on it: Sienna.

Shaking her head, she swiped to answer the video call. "Mia!" Sienna's excited voice greeted her, practically bouncing through the screen. "Are you coming over?"

Mia laughed. "Wow, still the same energetic Sienna Reed," she teased. "I was on my way, but I ran into a little... inconvenience." Her chuckle carried a hint of exasperation.

Sienna frowned. "So you're not coming?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Mia reassured her, smiling. "I want to see the Pierce kiddos, after all. I'll be there in an hour. Don't worry."

"Alright," Sienna said, her mood lifting again. "We're at Nyx's house. Just come straight here—we're all waiting for you." Her laughter trailed off as the call ended.

As Mia put her phone down, the smile faded from her face. She leaned back in her seat and let out a bitter laugh. "Just like the old days, huh? Still no partner," she muttered to herself. She tore open the antiseptic wipe and carefully dabbed at her scraped hand, wincing slightly. Once done, she smoothed a bandage over it with a sigh.

"Great. My manager is going to love this," she mumbled sarcastically as she started the engine.

The drive to the Pierce mansion stirred a flood of thoughts about her life. Back in college, she'd become a popular influencer, her fame skyrocketing when her two best friends started dating each other. That success had landed her a decent income while she had fun with her content. Then an agency discovered her, and she transitioned into acting, even taking classes to hone her craft.

Her career flourished, and everything seemed perfect—until her marriage ended recently.

"That idiot cheated," she said aloud, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. "If only I could tell everyone the truth." She shook her head, scoffing. "Had I known, I wouldn't have married him in the first place." Clicking her tongue in irritation, she tried to push the thought aside as she approached the mansion.

Pressing her car horn, she stopped at the elegant front gate. "Still the ever-luxurious Pierce estate," she muttered with a small smile. The automatic gates opened, and she drove along the neatly paved driveway, slowing as she reached the garage. After parking, she grabbed the paper bag from the passenger seat and stepped out. A housekeeper approached with a warm smile, leading her inside.

From the entrance, Mia could already hear faint, lively voices. "Mia!" Nyx's voice rang out as she appeared, waving with one hand while cradling a baby girl in the other.

"Nyx!" Mia greeted, laughing as she walked closer. "Oh, is this one of the twins?" She leaned in to get a better look at the baby.

Nyx nodded proudly. "Yup! Gorgeous, isn't she? Come on, everyone's waiting out back," she said, gesturing toward the patio connected to the living room.

Before they could move, a cheerful voice called out, "Dada!" A little boy came running toward Nyx, giggling.

Mia froze in place. "No way... Is this Shiloh? Already so grown up?" She looked at Nyx, then back at the boy in disbelief.

Nyx laughed softly. "Oh, it's him all right. And he's about to turn four."

Crouching down, Mia opened her arms playfully. "Shiloh! Didn't you miss Aunt Mia?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.

Shiloh giggled and toddled over, throwing himself into her embrace. "Hello, Auntie," he said sweetly.

Mia laughed, lifting him up. "Nyx, can I ask Vera if I can have Shiloh? You've got two others now—you guys won't even notice!"

"Go make your own," Nyx retorted, laughing.

Rolling her eyes, Mia followed Nyx toward the patio. "Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen. What am I supposed to do, touch myself?" she joked, bursting into laughter.

Nyx gasped, eyes wide in shock. "Goodness, Mia! Shiloh can hear you!" she scolded.

Still laughing, Mia looked at Shiloh with mock seriousness. "You didn't hear anything, right, buddy?" she asked, grinning.

Shiloh giggled again, and Nyx just shook her head. "You're hopeless, Mia," she muttered, though a smile tugged at her lips.