An Unbreakable Addiction

After all, she still needed that medication from Hunter. If she offended him now, there was no way he would agree to help, and her grandmother would continue suffering. Just the thought of it made her heart ache. "Let's go," Hunter said, turning to leave. Jenna shot Mia a venomous glare before rushing after him.

Watching the two of them walk away; Mia felt a painful squeeze in her chest. Hunter truly catered to Jenna's every whim!

Summer quickly guided Mia to the table, sitting down with a mysterious smile. "Mia, I have a surprise for you."

Mia pulled herself from her thoughts and poured them both tea. She handed Summer a cup before asking, "A surprise? What is it?"

After three years of marriage to Hunter, Mia's life had become stagnant and uneventful, void of any surprises. She had long stopped expecting them.

Summer gave her a teasing look. "Guess!"

Mia took a sip of tea, shaking her head. "No idea."

Summer huffed playfully. "Can't you just humor me and try guessing?"

She noticed Mia seemed to go through life on autopilot, with little spark or excitement. Living like that wasn't healthy.

Mia couldn't help but laugh, pretending to think. "Hmm... did you get me a birthday present?"

Her birthday was a few days away, so it was possible Summer planned an early surprise.

"Nope!" Summer shook her head. "It's not a gift, it's a person!"

"A person? Don't tell me you're setting me up with a boyfriend?" Mia laughed at the thought, though she knew it was absurd. She was still married, and she would never even think about being unfaithful. Meanwhile, Hunter held his utensils, but his appetite had vanished. He realized that Mia's demeanor had changed in the past few days.

She was calm, composed, and didn't cling to him like she once had. Even her tone with him was courteous, as if they were nothing more than acquaintances rather than a married couple sharing the same bed every night. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he took a sip of tea. He couldn't even taste it.

Jenna noticed Hunter's shift in mood and clenched her teeth in frustration. The fact that Mia could affect his emotions like this was anything but a good sign!RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

Just then, a figure entered through the door. As he passed, Hunter got a clear look at his face and it was Zac Ford. Him showing up here for lunch was no coincidence.

So, Mia really had the nerve to pull this off!

Sensing the chill radiating from Hunter, Jenna felt a flicker of fear. Though he treated her well on the

surface, he always kept a certain distance.

She had been trying to bridge that gap, hoping that if she and Hunter finally became intimate, he would be captivated by her. If that happened, she would never have to worry about Mabel kicking her out of the Jasper family or about running out of money. Across the room, under Hunter's cold gaze, Zac took off his coat and sat down across from Mia.

Hunter's expression turned icy.

Following his gaze, Jenna squinted slightly. How well did Zac and Mia know each other?

Mia was startled when she saw him, thinking she was imagining things. "Am I seeing things?" Summer grinned and winked at her. "Nope, no hallucinations here. This is the surprise I mentioned!"

It suddenly dawned on Mia that Summer's "surprise guest" was none other than Zac. Far from a surprise, it felt more like a shock.

"Mia, here's an early birthday gift for you. Happy birthday in advance!" Zac reached into his coat pocket and placed a jewelry box in front of her. "I designed this myself. I hope you like it."