Morning drifted into the Steele Mansion with a gentle glow, touching polished floors and tall windows as if reminding the household that another day had begun. The world outside moved normally, but inside, things were already beginning to shift.
Ethan Cole arrived earlier than usual. His steps were brisk, eyes scanning the hallway before he found Alex in his private lounge, leaning back in an armchair with a troubled look on his face. It was the look Ethan recognized as the beginning of trouble.
"Morning," Ethan said, dropping into a seat without waiting for an invitation.
Alex grunted a greeting.
"You look like a man who is about to commit a felony," Ethan added casually.
Alex said nothing, just raised one brow.
Ethan settled deeper into the chair. "So. I checked into the thing you asked me yesterday."
Alex dropped his stiff posture immediately. "And?"
Ethan shook his head in amusement. "Relax. The information is not classified military intel. I simply asked the kitchen staff." He paused for effect. "Mia is going out tomorrow morning. She buys fruits and vegetables twice a week. She prefers the local market instead of the fancy organic store near downtown."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. He had expected that. Mia radiated that kind of quiet humility. Simple routines, steady habits, nothing loud or dramatic.
And yet, she intrigued him.
"Tomorrow morning," he repeated softly.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You want to follow her, don't you?"
Alex looked away. "Just observe."
"Right," Ethan murmured, dragging out the word. "Observe. Not stalk."
Alex's glare said don't push it.
Ethan stretched his legs. "Anyway, she leaves the mansion around eight. Spends about thirty minutes at the market. Comes back, cooks, goes about her day. That's her routine."
Alex exhaled, something like anticipation and nerves swirling together. "Thank you."
"Of course," Ethan replied with a smirk. "I live for moments like this. Watching the billionaire heir attempt normal human activities. It warms my heart."
Alex rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He had been thinking of this moment for days. Carefully. Nervously. He wanted to meet Mia without the titles, the expectations, or the suffocating shadow of the Steele name. He wanted to see how she saw the world, how she navigated it.
And maybe, selfishly, he wanted to navigate it with her. Just once.
Before reality dragged him back.
By afternoon, Alex decided to assemble his "undercover outfit."
It did not go well.
When Ethan arrived to check on him, he stopped in the doorway, stared, blinked twice, and then burst into laughter so loud that Alex flinched.
"Alex… what in the world are you wearing?"
Alex stood there, proud and clueless, dressed in faded jeans with random patches, an old shirt that looked like it had survived a tornado, and sneakers that should have been retired ten years ago.
He looked like a retired circus juggler.
"It's normal," Alex insisted.
"Normal?" Ethan wheezed. "Normal for whom? A scarecrow?"
Alex frowned. "People dress simply."
"Simple," Ethan corrected. "Not tragic."
Alex sighed heavily. "I thought this would help me blend in."
"You won't blend in. You'll be arrested for loitering." Ethan walked around him like an examiner inspecting a student project gone terribly wrong. "And remember something you told you days ago? That you cannot be normal? Well, congratulations. You just proved me right."
Alex glared. "Are you done?"
"No. Absolutely not." Ethan tapped the shirt. "Where did you even find this? The bottom of your father's charity bin?"
Alex ignored him.
Ethan waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. I'll fix your outfit. You just need casual clothes, not… medieval rags. A plain hoodie, decent jeans, normal sneakers. Comfortable. Not homeless."
Alex muttered quietly, "It was not that bad."
"It was," Ethan replied immediately. "But don't worry. I'll handle it."
Ethan left the room, still laughing.
Alex looked at himself in the mirror and grimaced. Fine. Maybe he looked a little ridiculous,Just a little.
The next morning arrived faster than any of them expected.
Mia left the mansion at exactly eight o'clock, dressed in simple jeans and a pastel blouse, her tote bag slung over one shoulder. She greeted the gate guards warmly as she passed.
A black SUV was parked a little distance away, windows tinted. Ethan lounged in the passenger seat while Alex sat in the driver's seat, hood pulled low, wearing the outfit Ethan had chosen.
"You look normal now," Ethan said cheerfully.
Alex gripped the steering wheel. "Good."
"You're still too stiff though. Try slouching. No rich person slouches. Slouching is the official national posture of broke people."
Alex ignored him and drove.
At the market, they parked discreetly. They didn't leave the car,they just watched.
And what they saw surprised both of them.
Mia wasn't just another shopper. The vendors knew her. They greeted her with warmth, joked with her, offered her fresh produce before she even asked. She laughed easily, haggled playfully, thanked them sincerely. Some slipped extra tomatoes or peppers into her bag.
She paid attention to everyone.
Her presence was quiet but golden.
"She is…" Ethan murmured. "Different."
Alex did not answer. He only watched her with a strange softness in his eyes.
When she reached the fruit section, a young vendor said something that made her laugh so loud she covered her face. Alex's lips twitched unconsciously.
He liked that laugh,but he stayed hidden.
....................
After the market, Mia didn't drive back to the mansion immediately. She detoured toward a small apartment block, parked, and carried a small bag up the stairs.
"Where is she going?" Alex asked.
"Kim's place," Ethan replied. "I checked. They're pretty close."
They stayed in the car as Mia entered Kim Carter's apartment.
Inside, Kim's voice exploded almost instantly.
"Oh my goodness, Mia! You will not believe the embarrassment I lived through yesterday! I swear my spirit left my body."
Mia laughed as she placed the vegetables on the tiny kitchen counter. "What happened?"
Kim pressed a hand dramatically to her chest. "You remember I was on the phone with you yesterday."
"Yeah, when you claimed to be bored" mia responded.
"I was really bored mia,I wasn't claiming". "Your boss's right hand man is too fine for this planet. That alone is already my problem. But Mia… it gets worse." She took a deep breath. "While I was on the phone with you,he caught me talking about his friend! Not just talking o, full daydreaming. Full analysis. Full romantic prediction."
Mia covered her mouth to hide her smile. "Kim…"
"I know! I know!" Kim flopped onto her couch. "Why am I like this? Why can't I just mind my business like normal people?"
Mia chuckled. "Because you're Kim."
Kim sighed deeply. "You see that Ethan guy? He is fine enough to disrupt a woman's destiny. But it's not my portion."
"You'll be fine," Mia teased, unpacking the vegetables. "At least he smiled."
"That smile was dangerous!" Kim yelped. "My ovaries almost submitted an application."
Mia burst into laughter so hard she had to lean on the fridge for support.
Kim went on, "Anyway, forget that. Tell me how work is going. Is Mrs ....Margaret ,that's her name right?"
"Yeah" mia chipped in.
"Hope she's treating you well? How is the mansion? How are the rich people behaving?"
Mia hesitated. Kim immediately sat up.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Mia said, though her tone suggested otherwise. "It's just… I like working there. But sometimes I feel like I don't belong. My life is so different from theirs."
Kim softened. "Mia, listen to me. You deserve every good thing happening to you. You work hard. You're kind. And one day, your life will settle exactly where it's meant to be. Including your love life."
Mia tried smiling. "I hope so."
But her eyes carried a quiet sadness she didn't voice.
Kim changed the subject quickly, pulling her into a lighter conversation about food, gossip, and life, until Mia relaxed completely.
....................
Watching from Afar
Outside in the SUV, Ethan watched the apartment window thoughtfully.
"You know… Mia seems happier here than she ever looks in the mansion," he said.
Alex didn't respond immediately.
Then: "She is comfortable with normal people."
Ethan glanced at him. "So you think getting close to her as an ordinary guy will work?"
Alex tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I need to at least try."
Ethan exhaled dramatically. "Fine. But if this blows up, I want it on record that I advised against it."
Alex said nothing, eyes fixed on the apartment door waiting for Mia to reappear.
The adventure he'd been craving… the breath of fresh air he desperately needed…
It was finally beginning.