After a long, tense day filled with awkward elevator rides and flirty CEOs, Mira was exhausted. But the moment they walked through the front door, the cozy aroma of home hit her like a warm blanket.
Jerry casually threw off her jacket, revealing a snug black tank top, and in one smooth motion, tied on an apron around her waist.
"You—c-cook?" Mira blinked, watching Jerry roll up her sleeves and head to the kitchen.
Jerry smirked. "What, surprised I can do more than break necks and run boardrooms?"
Mira sat at the counter, hugging a pillow, secretly admiring Jerry's broad shoulders as she stirred, chopped, and flipped with effortless charm. The scent of garlic butter and herbs made Mira's stomach growl.
Twenty minutes later, Jerry placed two steaming plates of creamy pasta and grilled veggies on the table. "Here, Miss Langford. Handcrafted, heart-filled, and 100% irresistible."
Mira bit her lip, cheeks pink. "You're ridiculous…"
"Deliciously ridiculous," Jerry replied with a wink.
Just as Mira picked up her fork, Jerry's phone buzzed. "My assistant," Jerry muttered, stepping out to take the call.
A moment later, the doorbell rang. A delivery man handed Mira a sleek black box with a gold ribbon. "Delivery for Jerry Kingston."
Mira gasped. "Oooh, a mysterious parcel?"
Jerry came back in, brows raised. "Let me—"
"Nope! Mine now." Mira giggled and sat cross-legged on the couch, untying the ribbon with way too much excitement. "Let's see what you've been ordering, Miss Kingston…"
But the moment she opened the box, Mira froze.
Her eyes widened. Her cheeks turned the deepest shade of red. "W-What is this?!"
Jerry blinked. "What?"
Mira slowly, hesitantly, lifted the contents—a black leather strap-on harness with silver buckles.
Jerry's eyes went wide. "Sh*t—gimme that!" she lunged forward, grabbing the box and nearly tripping over the coffee table in her panic.
Mira stood up, flustered beyond belief. "You—you bought this?! What the hell, Jerry?!"
"It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh, really? Because it looks like—like you're planning to ruin me!"
Jerry's face went red with frustration, voice low. "Mira, I didn't order it! My assistant must've mixed up something. I told her to pick up fitness gear, not—this!"
"You expect me to believe—?!"
"Miss Mira," Jerry growled, gripping the box in one hand. "If I was going to ruin you, trust me—I'd never need a parcel to do it."
Mira's eyes widened at that bold declaration.
An electric silence passed between them.
Jerry turned to leave, her jaw tight, chest rising and falling.
But before she could get far, Mira grabbed her wrist. "Don't walk away—!"
Jerry snapped, spinning around, eyes blazing. "Or what? You'll shout? You'll say something you don't mean? Or maybe you'll pull me in and confuse me all over again?"
Mira hesitated, her anger crumbling under the weight of confusion.
Jerry's voice softened, tired. "You said you didn't want me… but then you say you can't lose me. You hold me, kiss me, beg me to stay, then get mad over something like this?"
Mira clenched her jaw. "I'm scared, okay?! I'm not used to feeling like this."
Jerry stared at her for a second longer, then gently slipped her hand from Mira's grip.
"Too bad fear doesn't fix broken hearts," Jerry whispered.
She walked to her room, the door clicking shut behind her.
Mira stood there, chest heaving, still holding the empty box… her heart heavier than ever.
Mira sat curled up on the living room couch, arms hugging her knees, staring blankly at the floor. Her chest felt tight, her mind still replaying the scene over and over—the misunderstanding, Jerry's pained eyes, the way she walked away without another word.
Her phone rang.
She blinked, then reached for it.
Manager calling…
With a shaky hand, Mira answered. "Hello?"
"Mira," her manager said gently. "I know you're going through a lot, but… I thought you should know something. It's about Jerry."
Mira sat up straight. "What is it?"
"I got her background file," the manager said. "And… she's not just anyone. Her full name is Jeraldine Kingston. The only heir of Kingston Corporation. Her parents died when she was young, and her grandfather raised her to be everything—brilliant, bold, unstoppable. He raised her like a lioness."
Mira's lips parted, stunned.
"She runs entire companies, Mira. She's insanely respected. Not to mention… she's been proposed to by over 500 women. But she never accepted a single one of them."
Mira's heart squeezed in her chest.
"Except once," the manager added softly. "When her grandfather asked her to marry you. She didn't even ask who you were. She just nodded and said, 'If it's his choice, it must be worth everything.'"
Tears burned Mira's eyes. "She never… she never told me…"
"Because she never told anyone you rejected her," the manager said. "Not even her grandfather. He still thinks you two are just… taking it slow. Her assistant told me Jerry kept everything quiet. She didn't want to disappoint him. And when I asked her assistant why Jerry even accepted your proposal in the first place…"
The manager paused.
"She said Jerry looked at your photo once, smiled, and said, 'She's the first one I want to know without expectations.' And today, that assistant sent you a gift.
That box you opened? It wasn't what you thought. It was a joke gift. Something silly they send each other when they're stressed. Jerry didn't even expect you to open it. She wanted you to laugh…"
Mira covered her face, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.
"She gave you everything. And she never asked for anything in return."
Mira whispered brokenly, "She just wanted to be near me…"
Her phone slid from her hand onto the couch. Her vision blurred, but her heart was clearer than ever.
Jerry wasn't just someone passing through.
She was someone who had stayed—even when she was pushed away.
And this time, Mira wouldn't let her go.