Nova happily took the cat, her heart melting at its big, adorable eyes.
This cat seemed feisty, but if she raised it, it might just become as affectionate as she was.
Watching it lazily curl up on the sofa, eyes half-closed in the sunlight, she thought, "Even if it's small, it should be able to scare off some mice, right?"
That night, she decided to leave the door open and let it out to catch mice.
Nova lovingly petted its head, and the cat purred softly, eyes half-closed.
Suddenly, the cat's ears perked up, as if it heard something. Nova noticed and whispered, "Mittens, please help me catch those mice."
She then left the study, closing the door behind her, and instructed the maid, "Don't open the door yet. We don't want to lose the cat before it catches any mice."
With that, Nova went back to her room to read.
Meanwhile, a maid came downstairs to clean, and as she reached the study, she opened the door to wipe the windows, as was her routine.
At that moment, a panicked mouse darted out from a corner, followed closely by the cat, which bolted out the door.
An hour later, Nova, thinking the cat might have scared off the mouse by now, decided to check on it.
She quietly opened the study door, then quickly closed it, pressing her ear against it to listen for any sounds inside.
But she heard nothing.
She called out softly, but Mittens didn't appear. Her heart sank, and she began searching the study frantically—under the sofa, behind the curtains, between the bookshelves. The cat was nowhere to be found.
This cat was Aiden's beloved pet. Losing it would be a disaster.
She hurried downstairs and grabbed a maid who was cleaning the yard. "Have you been in the study?"
"Only the maid responsible for cleaning the study has the key," the maid replied. Nova remembered that Gia was the one responsible for the study. "Where's Gia?" she asked urgently.
"Gia's in the backyard," the maid replied. Nova rushed over and found Gia feeding the fish.
"Gia, did you see a white ragdoll cat while you were cleaning the study?"
"No, Ms. Ramirez," Gia shook her head.
Nova looked at the small gate leading outside from the backyard, frowning. "Gia, did you lock the door after cleaning the study?"
"Yes, I locked it," Gia replied, looking puzzled.
Nova's body tensed. If Gia was telling the truth, the cat must have escaped through the small gate.
She shouted urgently, "Notify everyone to stop what they're doing and help find the cat. It's a white ragdoll cat named Mittens!"
Nova led the search in the yard, which was large with high walls and iron fences.
She meticulously searched every bush, tree, and corner of the garden, calling out, "Mittens! Mittens! Where are you?"
The maids also searched different parts of the yard, while Nova ran to the flower beds outside.
The flower beds were mostly low shrubs. Ignoring the scratches from sharp branches, she pushed through, not caring about the bleeding wounds.
After a frantic search, Nova was disheveled, covered in leaves and dirt, looking quite a mess.
At that moment, a black luxury car drove into the yard. Aiden stepped out, dressed in a black suit, his hair perfectly styled, exuding a calm, authoritative presence.
A maid greeted him, "Mr. Martinez, you're here."
Aiden nodded slightly, noticing the maids searching the yard. "What's going on? What are you looking for?"
Upon learning they were searching for the cat that had escaped from the study, Aiden asked in a deep voice, "Where's Nova?"
Knowing she would be out searching, Aiden turned and walked towards the small gate, telling the bodyguards, "Stay here. I'll handle this myself."
He walked quickly towards the small gate, with two bodyguards following at a distance.
Aiden reached the outer flower beds and saw a white figure moving through the low shrubs—it was Nova.
Focused on finding the cat, Nova didn't notice anyone approaching. Hearing a cat's meow, she crawled into the shrubs, ignoring the scratches and dirt on her favorite white dress, desperately searching for the cat.
When she finally emerged from the shrubs, she realized it was just an illusion. She had only found a large stray cat, which quickly disappeared into the grass.
Nova crawled out, looking disheveled, her hair messy and covered in leaves, her face smudged with dirt, her clothes and hands dirty and bleeding.
Feeling guilty, she lowered her head and said to Aiden, "I'm sorry, Aiden. I lost Mittens."
Aiden saw her bleeding fingers and stepped forward to check, his voice filled with concern, "Does it hurt? How did this happen?"
Nova pulled her hand back, forcing a smile, "Just a scratch, it's nothing."
Aiden gently wiped the dirt from her face, speaking softly, "Go back and clean up. Bandage your fingers."
Nova stubbornly shook her head, worried, "No, I want to wait here for Mittens to come back."
"Go back," Aiden insisted. "If you don't go back, I won't either."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal.
Reluctantly, Nova agreed, "Alright. Aiden, please let me know if you find Mittens."
"Okay," Aiden said, patting her shoulder gently. "Don't worry." Nova turned and walked back towards the house.
The bodyguards suggested, "Ms. Ramirez, let us help Mr. Martinez find the cat."
"No," Aiden refused. "You go back."
They also advised Aiden, "Mr. Martinez, you should go back too. Staying out here too long might cause a commotion."
Aiden waved them off, surveying the area before heading to the backyard, which Nova hadn't searched yet.
Back in the yard, the maids reported that they had searched everywhere but found no sign of the cat, suggesting it had escaped the backyard.
Nova was deeply worried, fearing the worst for the little cat. She was so anxious that she didn't even bother to wash up. A maid noticed her injured finger and quickly bandaged it.
Not long after, Aiden returned, holding the slightly dirty ragdoll cat. The setting sun cast a warm glow on him, his tall, imposing figure contrasting sharply with the small, curled-up cat in his arms. The sight struck Nova deeply.
She felt a strange desire to be pampered like the cat, then felt ashamed of the thought.
Rushing over, she checked the cat's condition, "Aiden, is Mittens okay?"
"Found it by the garden wall. It's fine, just a bit dirty." A maid handed over a cat carrier, and Aiden placed the cat inside, zipping it up.
It seemed he was going to clean it up.
Nova stepped forward, still worried, "Are you sure Mittens isn't hurt?"
"No," Aiden reassured her. Relieved, Nova finally relaxed.
Then Aiden said, "I'll have dinner here tonight."
A maid replied, "Mrs. Indigo Lopez and Mr. Gregory Lopez have a dinner engagement."
After a moment's thought, Aiden changed his mind and said to Nova, "Come, I'll take you to dinner. Go wash up and change. I'll wait for you."
Nova was thrilled and nervous, having never dined alone with Aiden before. Even the one time in middle school was an unpleasant memory.
Feeling both honored and anxious, she replied, "Okay."