Mason
(Last night)
“Nothing?” I whispered, staring up at my assistant who sadly nodded his head. “Not a damn thing.”
I mmed my fist onto my desk, sending a stack of files flying. “Alissa Brooks.” I muttered her name like a curse. “Where the hell are you?”
For months, I had tried everything. Hired the best private investigators. Paid off tech experts. Used every connection I had. Yet there was nothing. No trace of her. No actual address. No social media. No paper trail.
It was like she was some sort of ghost or something. How is it possible for a person that rich and that influenced to be so… Anonymous?
I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the edge of my desk. Then, as if things weren’t bad enough, my assistant hade in to inform me that more and more of our other businesses were being taken over by Kavas Corporation.
“Sir, thetest reports-” I snatched the folder from his hands without looking at him. I already knew what it was going to
say.
Kavas Corporation had won another contract. Another deal that should have been mine. I flipped through the pages reading through every word with gritted teeth.
“How?” I growled. He hesitated. “Sir?”
I looked up at him, ring at him like he was Alissa Brooks. “How the hell are they getting every deal? How are they taking over everything? What the fuck are you people doing?”
He swallowed hard. “Sir, we-”
“Shut up.” I threw the file at him. He barely caught it.
“Get out.” He nodded quickly and turned to leave, not even wasting a single second more.
But before he could reach the door, I snapped again. “Wait.”
He froze. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers pressing against my temples. My head was pounding hard as my headache worsened. “Find something on her,” I muttered. “I don’t care how. Just do it.”
He didn’t respond for a second. Then, carefully, he said, “Sir, we’ve already looked everywhere and I have personally exhausted all measures. There’s nothing.” I exhaled sharply, my patience running dangerously thin.
“I don’t want excuses. I want results.” He pressed his lips together, nodded, and quickly left. The second the door closed behind him and I almost immediately grabbed the bottle of whiskey on my desk.
I poured myself a ss. Then another. And another. The burn of the alcohol against my throat did barely anything to numb my frustration.
I used to be untouchable. Everything had been in my control with mypany at the top for years. No one even had the opportunity of being a rival.
Now?
Now, Kavas Corporation was slowly chipping away at everything I built. Taking my clients. Cutting into my profits.
And worst of all? It was led by a woman. A cunning woman who was so good at being anonymous. I have to give her credit for that, too. I tipped the ss back again, my fingers gripping the crystal tightly.
I couldn’t help but feel targeted by this mysterious woman. But who could she be? A distant rtive? Maybe an old ssmate?
I checked my social circle, and the name Alissa Brooks was non-existent, even amongst distant rtives. I shut my eyes, exhaling through my nose.
Then, suddenly, my phone began buzzing nonstop. I ignored it and soon it stopped. After a while, it began buzzing again.
And again. I groaned, rubbing a hand down my face. “Who the hell-” I nced at the screen and couldn’t curse out
anymore.
Mother.
I clenched my jaw and I let it ring itself out again. But then it rang again. And again.
She never called this much unless it was important. With a sigh, I picked up. “Hello, Mother.”
The words came out cold and distant, but still, I hoped it wasn’t too disrespectful. There was silence for a second. Then- “Mason,e home. Now. We need to talk.”
As ordered, I left thepany and took my red Mercedes home to the Woods’s manor house.
I barely made it through dinner without snapping.
The moment I stepped into the dining room, my mother turned to me, arms crossed, eyes dangerously cold. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
I exhaled slowly, already regrettinging. “I don’t need this right now,” I said in a pleading tone. “You don’t need this?” She scoffed. “Then exin to me why you humiliated that girl again.”
I pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing my temples. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to humiliate her.”
“Really?” She ced her wine ss down with a loud clink. “Then why did she leave early? Why was she practically in tears when I called her earlier?”
I picked up the fork beside my te and turned it between my fingers. “She’ll be fine.”
“You need to stop acting like a child, Mason,” she snapped. “You walked out on herst time. And this time, you ignored her the entire lunch. Still, she tries to reach out to you while you are abroad, and you snub her texts. Do you even realize how embarrassing that is for her? For me?”
I stayed silent.
She sighed, shaking her head. “Julia is a good girl. And most importantly, she’s the right choice.”
There it was.
1 dropped my fork and leaned back. “You mean she’s good for business.” I corrected in a mocking tone. “She is good for business,” she said without shame. “Especially now that you have an actualpetitor. You need this alliance, Mason.”
I clenched my jaw at the mention of my main issue at work. “Listen,” she continued, “I know you don’t love her, but love isn’t always necessary in these kinds of arrangements. A marriage between you and Julia will strengthen ourpany. Her
father has influence. Resources. He could help you fight off this new-”
“Kavas Corporation.” She gave me a look. “Exactly.”
I ran a hand down my face. I didn’t want this conversation. I didn’t want any of it. “Just apologize to her,” she pushed. “Take her out. And then, propose.”
I let out a shortugh, shaking my head. “Absolutely not.” My mother frowned. “Mason you said after two years you would.”
“No.” I met her eyes. “I’ll apologize. I’ll take her out. But I’m not proposing.” She studied me for a moment, then finally sighed. “Fine.”
“Fine,” I echoed. “She’sing back tomorrow. Go pick her up. Wee her properly this time.” I closed my eyes briefly, then nodded. The sooner I got this over with, the better.
As agreed on, the next day, I stood in the airport, bouquet in hand. Julia’s flight was supposed to havended twenty minutes ago. I checked my watch, sighing as I wondered if the flight was dyed:
A few minutester, I spotted her walking through the arrivals gate. She looked around until she saw me. Then, her face lit up. “Mason!”
Before I could react, she ran up and threw her arms around me, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I forced a smile and handed her the bouquet. “Wee back, Julia.”
She took the flowers, beaming. “You came.” she sounded quite shocked. “Of course,” I replied.
Her smile widened. “I didn’t believe it when I got your text earlier abouting to pick me up. I was worried you were still mad at me,” she said in a low tone.
I chuckled lightly. “Shouldn’t I be the one making it up to you?” Her eyes sparkled. “Are you saying you’ll make it up to me?”
I nodded. “Can I take you out on a proper date, Miss Julia?” Her entire face brightened. “Yes, you can.” I gestured toward the parking lot. “Then let’s go.”
She took my arm, still smiling as we walked. I nced at the receiving hall area for a while, and for some reason, I felt the need to go there, like something was pulling me towards that area. “What’s wrong?’ Julia asked, looking in that direction.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said with a smile. I led her to the car and, for once, actually opened the door for her. She blinked in surprise. “Oh? A gentleman today?”
I smirked slightly. “Just making sure you don’t change your mind.” Sheughed softly and slid into the seat. Once I got into the driver’s seat, I nced at her. “Where do you want to go?”
She tilted her head, thinking. “Somewhere nice. Just the two of us.” I nodded. “Okay.”
As I pulled out of the parking lot, she kept ncing at me, smiling. “You seem different,” she mused.
I arched my brow. “How so?” I asked. “I don’t know. Less distant, maybe.”
I focused on the road. “Maybe I’m just tired.”
Sheughed. “Or maybe you missed me.”
I didn’t respond. Because in truth, I hadn’t thought about her at all.
All I had been thinking about was Alissa Brooks.