Mia returned to the loft, her shoulder throbbing from the injury she'd sustained during the fight the night before. The wound had started to scab over, but the dull ache persisted, a constant reminder of the world she was now part of. She'd barely set foot inside when she noticed Snow and David waiting for her, their expressions a mix of worry and frustration.

"Mia," Snow said, standing up from the kitchen table where she and David had clearly been waiting. "You can't just go out alone without telling anyone, especially not after what happened yesterday."

David's gaze flickered to her injured shoulder, and his jaw clenched. "We still think you should let Dr. Whale take a look at that," he added. "You're hurt, and if that wound doesn't heal right—"

"I'm fine," Mia interrupted, crossing her arms. "It's a scratch. I don't need a doctor to tell me I'm fine. I've been through worse."

Snow's face softened, a flicker of pain crossing her expression. "Mia, we know you're used to handling things alone. But you don't have to do that anymore. You have us now, and we just want to help you."

Mia's jaw clenched, frustration rising. "Help me? By keeping me locked up? By hovering over me? I don't need anyone's help. I've been fine on my own all this time. I don't need parents now."

Snow took a step closer, her eyes filled with sadness. "Mia, we're not trying to control you. We're just trying to be there for you in the way we couldn't be before."

David nodded, his voice firm but compassionate. "We understand you don't feel like you need us, but you're still adjusting. And you're still our daughter. We care about you, and that means we're going to make sure you're safe."

Mia let out a sharp laugh, the bitterness in her voice cutting through the tension. "Safe? You think keeping me in this tiny loft is going to make me safe? I've spent my whole life on my own. I don't need anyone to protect me now."

Snow's face fell, her voice trembling. "But you're not alone anymore, Mia. You have a family who loves you, who wants to be there for you."

Mia looked away, her voice hardening. "Maybe that's how you see it. But to me, it just feels like you're all trying to control me. Like you're trying to make up for lost time, but it's too late."

David stepped forward, his face a mix of guilt and determination. "We know we can't change the past. But we want to give you a chance to experience what it's like to have a family. To have people who are looking out for you."

Mia's fists clenched, her voice rising. "Well, I don't need it! I've been taking care of myself my whole life. I don't need parents swooping in now, acting like you can just make everything better by playing house."

Snow's face crumpled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Mia, please… just let us be here for you."

Mia shook her head, the anger and pain she'd been carrying bubbling to the surface. "You had your chance to be here for me. But you weren't. And now, you don't get to pretend you're my parents just because you suddenly remember who I am."

With that, she turned and stormed toward her room, her injured shoulder aching with each step. She slammed the door behind her, her heart pounding as she leaned against it, breathing heavily. The hurt and frustration swirled within her, but she pushed it down, burying it as she had so many times before.

As she sank onto the bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that the boundaries she'd spent years building were beginning to crack, and it terrified her. She wasn't ready to let anyone in—not even the people who claimed to be her family.