<b>Chapter </b>140


    Mason


    <b>909 </b>


    EX 55 vouchers


    She bit her lower lip, the air in the car shifted, and we stared into each other’s eyes. Trying to keep my eyes away from her lips was the hardest thing I had ever done in my entire life.


    I fought the urge to pull her closer and hold her face while I kissed her. “So…” Her words trailed. I swallowed, the intensity of our stare building up with each second that rolled by.


    “This is where we call it a night?” Was that all you could think of? My chest tightened at the thought of her leaving and me being all alone again. I wanted this night tost forever.


    “Yes.” She inhaled sharply, her lower lip disappeared into her mouth, and my breath heightened. “Thank you so much for tonight, Mason. I had a great time.” I had a great time too. That was what I wanted to say, but instead I found myself staring at her face.


    If only this feeling were mutual, then I’d have pulled her and kissed her till eternity. But at the same time, I didn’t want to ruin this new bond we’ve created. She has repeatedly told me she wasn’t sure what she wanted from me


    I’ll wait till she is sure. If I give in to my desires right now, I may probably lose her for good, and that was thest thing I wanted. She reached for the handle of the door, but I stopped her, stepping down, I walked around to open the door and held on to it as she got off.


    “We should do this again.” She said, and my eyes brightened, excitement bursting inside of me, “Yes. How about in three days? Will you be free? I have somewhere I want to take you to.” I informed her, searching her eyes for any trace of reluctance or refusal. Much to my delight, there was none.


    “I’ll have to check my schedule. If I’m free, why not?” I curled my hand. “Good night, Mason.” She said in a


    soft voice.


    “Good night, Lydia,” I said, and watched her walk through the gate, dreaming of days when we didn’t have to part from each other.


    The next day, after concluding a meeting with the major shareholder, I walked towards my office when my phone rang. A strange number appeared on my screen.


    “Hello” I said after the call connected, wondering who this person who had my personal number was.


    “Is this Mr. Woods?” A feminine voice asked. “Yes. Who is this?” I pushed open my door and stepped inside.


    “I’m Margret, from Stars kindergarten” She said in a professional voice. I paused. Star kindergarten was Liam’s and Mnie’s kindergarten. No one there has my number.


    “Is anything wrong with Liam or Mnie?” I questioned, my senses heightened. If they are calling, then there must be a problem. “Nothing serious, your presence is required, will it be possible for you toe right now?” I was already walking towards the door.


    “I decided if it’s important or not.” My tone was cold as I spoke. What did she mean it wasn’t important<b>? </b>Who was she to decide that? There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while.


    <b>9:11 </b>Mon, <b>Sep </b>8 B


    55 vouchers


    “I’m sorry.” She apologised and continued, “Mnie has requested to be taken home.” She said, “Your contact was among the emergency contact list for the kids, and since Miss. Brooks isn’t taking her call, I decided to call you.”


    “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I hung up and tookrge strides to the underground parking lot. Getting into my car, I pressed on the elerator and drove out of the parking lot and onto the highway, where I increased my speed.


    My heart rammed against my chest as I drove, not minding if I broke a few trafficws. My thoughts were filled with thoughts of Mnie. Why would she want to go home?


    1 pulled over in front of the gate, jumped out of my car, and dashed into the building. I took the steps at the entrance of the building in twos. When I got to the office where I guessed Liam and Mnie would be, I pushed it open without knocking.


    “Where is Mnie?” I asked once I stepped inside.


    Five pairs of eyes turned to me, the conversation, which may have been ongoing, paused at my arrival. Lydia was with the twins and two other women.


    “What are you doing here?” Lydia asked, raising her brows, surprise etched on her face.


    “Mason,” Liam screamed, freeing himself from Lydia’s hold, and he ran right into my embrace. I knelt on one leg to meet his height and wrapped my hand around him.


    Mnie did the same. I picked them both from the floor and rose to my full height. My eyes swept across thedies in the room, “It seems I have interrupted something.” I said.


    “No, you didn’t.” Lydia rose to her feet. She wore a blue dress, which had a re which began from the waist. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”


    “I got a call,” I informed her.


    “I called him.” Thedy, whom I think should be Margaret, said. Lydia made an ‘o‘ with her lips. I walked forward, “Why did Mnie want to go home?” I asked. She seemed fine.


    “It’s nothing serious.” Lydia assured me, “She is just worried about her brother.” I drew my brows together. “huh? What’s wrong with Liam?”


    “He doesn’t join sports.”


    “I feel bad when he doesn’t join the boys to y football. They wouldn’t let him” Mnie said in her tiny voice. I looked towards Margret, hoping she’d offer an exnation as to why my son was being treated this


    way.


    “I don’t know how to y Mnie, you can me them,” Liam said, as though he wasn’t the one being treated unfairly.


    “Is this true?”


    “We had no idea about it before today.”


    55 vouchers


    “Mnie, that’s not enough reason to want to go home,” Lydia said, but Mnie wasn’t ready to listen.


    “I’ll teach you.” I announced. “I’ll make sure before this time next week, you’ll be unstoppable,” I promised.


    “Yay!!!” Mnie squealed excitedly.


    “I told you Mason would be able to help,” She said.


    The day wasn’t over, so Mnie and Liam went back into their various sses, leaving Lydia and me alone


    behind.


    “You didn’t have toe.” Lydia said as we took slow steps towards her car.


    “I had to. I thought they were hurt.” I said, letting out a sigh. She has no idea how relieved I am to know they are both fine.


    “You must have been shocked when you received the call.”


    She had no idea. At first, it was because I had been called. I didn’t know they had my number in their emergency list, but that was soon reced by the thought that Mnie was hurt.


    “You ced my number as part of the emergency list?” I asked, and she nodded. “You are their father.” She said. We stopped in front of her car. “Thank you,” I said, feeling overwhelmed with a cocktail of emotions which rose to my throat.


    “You don’t have to thank me. The kids may not know, but it’s the truth, plus…” She paused and dragged in a breath slowly, “I’m thinking of telling the twins. Don’t you think it’s time they knew the truth?”


    My eyes widened, my chest heaving and falling, and I grabbed her hand without thinking, pressing mine against hers, “Really?” My eyes blurred as I stared at Lydia, allowing the weight of her words to settle in.


    “Yes.”


    I pulled her into a hug and wrapped my hand over her waist, holding her close to my chest, “This means so much to me, Lydia. I can’t thank you enough.” Her hands are dangling by my side.


    I held her close to me, holding her head against my chest with one hand.


    The realization that I was hugging her in public soon hit me. I don’t mind the fact that she wasn’t hugging back, all I could think was that I was making her ufortable by holding her so close.


    1 was about to pull away when I felt her hand wrapped around me. I stiffened, “It’s the right thing to do, Mason There’s no need to thank ine, but… You are wee.” I could tell that she was smiling


    She slowly lets go of me. “When the time is right, we’ll tell them, I don’t mind waiting,” I said, holding her palm and trailing my thumb over hers. When it came to the twins. I didn’t want to rush things.


    She nodded. “I think I should get going” She said, I let go of her palm, immediately missing the warmth. She stepped into her car, and I watched her.


    She didn’t drive away immediately; instead, she said, “About the date.” I held my breath, “I’ll be free.”


    9:11 Mon, Sep 8 G..


    90


    55 vouchers


    “Yes!” I fish my palm and punch the air in excitement. Her eyes brightened as she watched me. I felt like a teenager whose crush agreed to go on a date with me.


    “I’lle pick you up.” I watched her car move out of sight, knowing that I am madly in love with this