Living together

"Then, I'll be back for today. Mia, I've ordered Rose to deliver your clothes and other necessities here before Victor takes you back to his house. You should get plenty of rest. Don't forget to eat a lot to get better soon, okay? I'll visit you as much as I can."

"Mhn. I understand."

Mia closed her eyes as Enzo gently ruffled her hair. Seeing Mia's pale face, Enzo's face became complicated again as his lips fell tightly together. He didn't want to leave. But Lily's incessant phone calls, even though she tried to hide it, reminded him that there were many things he had to finish. Enzo also felt bad having to bother Victor. Asking for help from someone wasn't his style. But when he didn't have anyone else he could trust, Victor was the only person he could ask for help. Enzo also planned to use this opportunity to test Victor about whether the man was worthy of being close to Mia or not.

"Victor."

Aware of Enzo's gaze, Victor followed the man as Enzo and Lily walked toward the elevator they had previously taken. After Enzo felt that the three of them were far enough away from Mia, who was chatting with Leon, Enzo took a deep breath and looked at Victor with a warning look.

"I forgot to tell you something. Because of her past, in some situations, Mia will sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and no longer dare to sleep alone in her room. She usually sleeps with me if that happens. The sound of your heartbeat or the sound of your breathing can ensure that she is really in a safe place when her trauma recurs. Please help her if that happens, Victor. I do allow her to sleep with you, but don't you dare to do anything strange with her when she is completely dependent on you," Enzo told him. 

Hearing that, Victor instead raised his eyebrows. His eyes stared at Enzo with another look, which made Enzo stare back at him with slightly knitted eyebrows after that.

However, when they heard Lily hang up the incoming call to her phone in a panic, Enzo knew he couldn't stay there any longer. The man took a deep breath, gave his last words to Victor, and then got into the elevator.

"Please take care of Mia for me, Victor. She is very precious to me," Enzo said. Although it felt strange for two leaders of large organizations like them to talk heart to heart, Victor's face remained the same when he answered Enzo seriously.

"I know," he said briefly but convincingly.

***

"Mia, it's time for you to sleep."

Victor unconsciously felt a sense of nostalgia when the sentence he had never said for a long time was uttered again to a different person. Mia, who was watching a movie, frowned slightly but obeyed and got up from the sofa when the girl heard his words.

They have now arrived at Victor's private home. Enzo couldn't come along as he had to leave immediately. Therefore, only Mia, Victor, and Leon are in that place.

Actually, Leon was there earlier. But because Victor kept staring at him, the self-aware Leon finally returned to his home after that.

"Are you feeling better?" Victor asked with concern. His big hand rose to hold Mia's forehead. Just warm. It seems like the medicine the doctor gave her worked well on the girl's body.

"I don't feel sick anymore. My breathing is much lighter too," Mia reported happily. Her eyes sparkled slightly as her gaze couldn't be taken off from Victor's handsome figure. The girl's cheeks blushed slightly as her head lowered again to hide her embarrassment.

"Thank goodness. I'll take you to your room. Your room will be next to mine, so don't hesitate to come to my room if you need anything."

Mia suddenly stopped walking as Victor was taking her to the room he had arranged for Mia. The girl's face was gloomy as she played with her fingers and asked Victor something.

"Maybe it's too late for me to say this. But I'm sorry for giving you a hard time. I'm really sorry. It must be annoying to be bothered by a nobody like me, right?"

Victor let out a long sigh as he turned to stroke Mia's hair. He was silent for a long time until Mia finally looked up at him.

"That's not a problem at all. And you're not a nobody. I know you, and I'm glad I could help you."

Mia's face immediately brightened up when she finished hearing Victor's words.

 "You're also precious to me! I like you, and I also believe in you like I believe in Enzo!"

With enthusiasm, Mia spoke innocently until Victor unconsciously smiled when he heard the girl's words. "Thank you," said Victor as they continued their steps. Victor made sure Mia was comfortable with her new room before the man came out of the girl's room and met Leon, who had previously accidentally heard Mia's innocent confession.

"B, Boss... Enzo would go crazy if he knew his sweet cousin had just confessed her feelings to you."

Victor sneered as his lips smiled faintly. "She's still young and innocent. She probably doesn't know what she just told me," Victor calmly said. However, from his expression alone, Leon could tell that Victor was happy to hear Mia's confession. His ears were slightly red, although his face still tried to maintain his composure.

But Leon was not Enzo who could tease Victor. He could only remain silent, although his eyes remained focused on seeing his boss's red ears.

"Leon, what are the other responses regarding me coming home with Mia?"

Leon's face immediately returned to being serious when he heard Victor's question. The man followed Victor into the man's office before he delivered his report.

"Not many... who are happy with your actions, Boss. But, I'm sure they won't be stupid enough to bother Mia in any way. You are their boss. The doctor will also continue to monitor Mia while she stays here. Don't worry, Boss. I promise Mia will be fine as long as she stays in this house."

Victor nodded when he finished hearing Leon's words. The man was just about to open his laptop when he remembered that he had promised to accompany Mia for another walk around her house tomorrow morning.

"I'll go to bed early today. If there's nothing else, you can rest too, Leon."

Leon was surprised when Victor, who loved to work without regard to time, suddenly changed his mind for today. Leon secretly smiled mischievously when he realized the real reason Victor wanted to go to bed early that day.

"Then, have a good rest, Boss," he said strangely before Leon finally went out with a happy face.

After Leon had left, Victor also finally stood up to ensure the security of his house once again before the man returned to enter his room as usual. However, Victor suddenly froze in front of his room door when his eyes glanced at Mia's room, which was next to his room.

Against his rational side, Victor finally turned to go into Mia's room again. In his heart, Victor kept whispering that he had come in just to make sure that Mia could sleep comfortably. He wouldn't do anything and come out again if he could see Mia was okay.

"Victor?"

Victor's steps stopped when Mia's pale face was visible behind her thick blanket. Feeling that something was wrong, Victor immediately approached after turning on the light to check on the girl. Victor was just about to take Mia's temperature when the girl grabbed his hand with trembling hands.

"I, I'm just not used to sleeping in a strange place. I'm fine. I just need a little time to get used to it, and everything will be fine."

Even though Mia tried to look strong in front of him, Victor could tell that the girl was shaking because of unreal fear. Mia couldn't lie to Victor, who had witnessed various types of fear. The man rubbed Mia's forehead before he got up and spoke softly to the girl.

"I'll sleep with you then. Wait for me, okay?" Victor informed him. The man went out and went into his room to clean himself and change his clothes. For a moment, Victor stared at the pajamas neatly hanging in his room. Usually, Victor slept wearing only his pants. But if he wanted to sleep with Mia, he obviously couldn't sleep shirtless, right?

Victor resignedly put on a set of pajamas before he went back into Mia's room.

Seeing Victor's arrival, Mia immediately shifted her sleeping position to one end of the bed. The smile on her lips continued to bloom when she remembered this was the first time she could stay at someone else's house with official permission from Enzo.

"Still smiling? You're really happy, aren't you?"

When Victor returned and found Mia wearing a silly smile, the man approached the bed while asking the girl in a slightly amused tone. Mia answered him with a nod, her face looking excited as she answered Victor's question.

"I'm very happy, Victor. My heart is beating fast because I'm so happy," said the girl innocently. With a small smile, Victor climbed into bed to start resting. Mia had no idea that her words had made the man who was now not letting go of his small smile happy. Victor lay down calmly before he turned to look at Mia, who continued to stare at him with sparkling eyes.

"Let's go to sleep. We'll go around tomorrow morning, right?"

Victor's body stiffened slightly when Mia suddenly approached his body when the man had just finished his words. Victor immediately remembered Enzo's words again. His presence had made Mia feel comfortable. It didn't take long before Mia was finally asleep.

"She usually listens to your heartbeat or the sound of your breathing to make sure that she is really in a safe place."

Remembering Enzo's words, Victor finally let Mia stick tightly to his body. The man did not immediately sleep when his eyes were watching Mia's face. Her tiny facial features looked very peaceful when the girl was breathing regularly. Victor smiled when he realized Mia looked much cuter when she was sleeping.

Ah, but that doesn't mean Mia isn't attractive when she wakes up. Victor just likes Mia's sleeping face for some reason.

Victor unconsciously continued to stare at Mia's face until he finally closed his eyes to sleep with the girl.

Only when he woke up did Victor finally realize that he could also sleep without listening to Mia's singing voice as long as he could listen to Mia's breath like the girl listened to his breath before going to sleep.