The car came to a stop in front of my house.
“I had fun today,” Mason said, a smile ying on his lips.
“Thank you for lunch. I had a good time,” I replied softly.
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He stepped out, crossed to the passenger side, and opened the door for me. Such a gentleman.
Leaning in just close enough to quicken my pulse, he murmured, “We could do this again. Maybe?”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea,” I managed, heart racing. He was too close to think straight.
He smiled softly. “Awesome.”
His
eyes
flickered to my lips, lingering longer than necessary. It felt like he wanted to kiss me. But then, suddenly, he stepped back, as if I’d burned him.
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“Goodnight, Emily. See you around.”
:
“Goodnight.” I gave him a bright smile before stepping inside.
Once the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned against it and exhaled deeply.
What a day.
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I headed straight to the living room and copsed onto the couch. My fingers moved almost instinctively to my phone. I hadn’t checked in on my mom for a while, so I decided to
FaceTime her.
She answered after the fourth ring.
“Hey, Emily.” Her warm smile filled the screen. She looked rested, propped up in bed with a cozy nket wrapped around her shoulders.
“Hi, Mama.” I smiled back. “How are you today?”
“Better<i>,</i>” she said. “The weather’s lovely. How’s everything over there?”
1
“Pretty good, but I miss you terribly.” I made a sad face. “The house feels so empty without you.”
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08:21
O
Come and im <b>today’s </b>surprise. now
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“That’s what you get for sending me away,” she muttered.
“I miss you, yes. But I don’t regret it, Mama. You needed a break.”
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She squinted at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “You’re all dressed up. Going somewhere?”
“Oh, I’m justing home. Went out with a friend.”
“Which friend?” she asked, eyebrows raised.
“You don’t know him, Mama.”
Suspicion flickered in her eyes.
“I’ll tell you about himter.”
“Well, you better tell me everythingter. Now go get some rest. You look like you’ve had quite the day.”
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08:21
We exchanged a few more words before I ended the call. Staring up at the ceiling, my mind buzzed.
Liam ck.
What could he possibly want to discuss? He better have a good reason for that stunt at the restaurant. I was anxious about tomorrow.
I stood outside the entrance of Liam’s mansion, clutching my bag tightly. I drew in a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever awaited inside.
The front door swung open before I could ring the bell.
There he was.
Liam, in all his imposing glory.
Dressed in a dark suit, his expression cold and unreadable.
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08:21
“You’rete,” he said, striding past me into the house.
“Good morning to you too.” I rolled my eyes and followed him inside.
The house was cold and silent, its stillness heavy and unweing.
“I have a private business meeting tomorrow,” he said without looking back. “Lunch is responsibility.”
your
I rolled my eyes again. “You could’ve just texted.”
“If only I had your number. That’s how it works.”
He was right. Still didn’t excuse the drama yesterday.
He turned, sliding a piece of paper across the table. “The menu.”
“Seriously?” I snapped. “Tomorrow’s my day off.”
“I’m aware,” he replied calmly. “I intend to pay generously for the extra hours.
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”
08:21
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“You don’t get it, do you?” I raised a brow. “You can’t just give orders because you have money to throw around. What if I already have ns?”
His expression hardened. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
“It depends,” I said, crossing my arms. “I could be free. If you ask nicely.”
He stepped closer. “Finding someone else won’t be hard.”
God, he was infuriating.
“Well then, I guess I’ll see you Friday. Bye.” I turned to leave.
Two stepster, his voice stopped me.
“Wait.”
I turned slowly to face him. Our eyes locked. His expression unreadable, mine burning with defiance.
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08:21
<b>Chapter </b><b>7 </b>
He broke the silence first. “Emily, I’m asking nicely. Be avable tomorrow.‘
<i>” </i>
I exhaled sharply, biting down the pride screaming at me to walk away. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
I extended my hand, taking the sheet of paper. It was a carefully detailed draft listing guests, allergies, menu, and timing, penned in elegant handwriting. Most likely his.
“I’ll need to pick up some ingredients,” I said.
Without a word, he pulled out a sleek ck card and handed it to me.
“Budget?” I asked, eyeing him.
“Buy whatever you need,” he replied smoothly.
“Okay, then.”
“Let’s go.” He turned and headed for the door.
“Wait. Are youing with me?” I called, folding my arms.
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08:21
He didn’t spare me a nce.
“Join me in the car. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Without another word, he opened the door and walked out.
I didn’t want to stay near him for even a moment longer, but still, I followed.
The ride was unbearably quiet, the silence tick and heavy between us.
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He kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel. I sat in the passenger seat of the ck Aston Martin, arms crossed.
The interior glowed with polished leather, immacte and luxuriously refined.
When we pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door.
“I’ll try to be fast,” I said, ncing his way.
One foot touched the ground.
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08:21
“Yesterday, you seemed thrilled to be seen with him.”
I paused, turning halfway toward him. “Excuse me?”
“You have a thing for famous singers,” he added tly.
What the heck?
Heat flushed my face in fury. I stared at him, stunned speechless.
“Fuck you!” I snapped.
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mming the car door hard enough to shake the hinges, I marched into the store without looking back.
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