Love and Devotion No Longer His to Claim (Angela and Dexter) novel Chapter 373

Angela gave a nod. "Grandpa, I won't meddle unnecessarily."

She had no habit of meddling in matters that didn't concern her, but she would step in when it came to the people she cared about.

She stayed at Bamford Manor for two days, taking turns with Dexter to look after Joseph. On the third day, she finally got in touch with Mia.

Mia sounded weak over the phone, as if she had also caught the flu. Her frail voice made Angela's heart ache.

After discussing it with Dexter, Angela made up her mind to visit Mia in person.

It had only been a short while since they had last met, but Mia's belly had grown considerably. Moving around had become a challenge for her.

"What happened to you? How did you end up like this?" Angela was startled the moment she walked in and saw Mia curled up on the couch, looking pale.

As far as Angela could remember, Mia had always been a fashionable and strikingly beautiful woman. It was clear how gorgeous she was just from how obsessed Zayn had always been with her.

Yet, she had now gained a lot of weight. Her face looked puffy, and there were specks of pigmentation on her cheeks. Though she still faintly resembled her former self, the change was far more drastic than Angela had expected.

The most concerning thing was the toll pregnancy hormones had taken on her—she was in terrible shape.

"The baby is too restless. I haven't been able to sleep at all recently, so of course I don't look as good as before," Mia said helplessly, forcing a faint smile as she instructed the maid to get Angela some water.

The maid, Susan Byrd, had been standing beside Mia ever since Angela had arrived, almost like a bodyguard. Yet, the way she kept her eyes locked on Mia made Angela uncomfortable.

"What's her deal?" Angela frowned as she asked.

She could tell Susan wasn't just an ordinary maid.

Mia's smile instantly faded. She gestured for Angela to come closer, then whispered in her ear, "Zayn sent her, supposedly to protect me. But I can't shake the feeling that she's actually here to keep an eye on me."

That also meant there was no guarantee that Zayn was truly the one who had sent her.

Susan flinched, her expression darkening. But still, she didn't leave. Instead, she silently stared at Mia as if trying to force her to speak.

"Tell me—who's the one in charge here?" With Angela's help, Mia sat up and let out a sneer. "If you continue to act out of line, I'll have Zayn fire you."

Susan's brows furrowed. She hesitated for a moment before finally retreating.

As soon as she was gone, Mia turned to Angela. "Angela, you have to help me…"

Mia was, in fact, under house arrest.

At first, she hadn't noticed anything off. Given her condition, Zayn was the only one she could rely on, so she had trusted the people he had sent to take care of her.

Susan handled everything for her, from daily necessities to personal care. Susan had indeed been meticulous in looking after her. Other than work-related matters that Susan couldn't assist with, there was hardly anything that required Mia's intervention.