Finally, Mason carried Le out of the restaurant, covered her face with his suit jacket.


    Outside the hotel, Daniel, who had been waiting in the parking lot, drove the car over.


    Mason carefully bent down to put Le in first, then got in himself.


    Once seated, Daniel got in the driver’s seat and drove off.


    After a while, Le sighed deeply under the suit jacket.


    Hearing her breathe, Mason reached to lift the suit jacket covering her head.


    Sensing Mason’s intention, Le turned her head and avoided it.


    Mason chuckled softly, and pulled out his phone from his suit pocket to make a call.


    The phone connected, Mason spoke in a low voice, “Wendell, something came up, I have to go. Let’s catch up another time.”


    Le couldn’t hear what the man on the other end said.


    After a few seconds, Mason sneered softly, “I’ll introduce you another time.”


    Ending the call, Mason looked at Le, “Feeling stifled?”


    Le remained silent.


    Their interaction left Danielpletely bewildered.


    Daniel was at a loss, having no idea what had just happened.


    Over ten minutester, as the car drove a stretch of road, Mason stretched his long legs and spoke in a deep voice, “How’s the investigation going on that matter?”


    Upon hearing Mason’s question, Daniel hurriedly replied, “Joshua, is Omar’s man.”


    Mason chuckled lightly, “Are you sure?”


    “Sure. Omar has been transferring money to his ount every month. We’ve traced the financial transactions.”


    “Fool,” Mason sneered.


    “This situation is suspicious. ording to Omar’s usual methods, he wouldn’t leave such obvious evidence,” Daniel added.


    “He did it on purpose. He never really saw this person as his pawn.”


    Daniel spoke up, “So, are we going to dismiss him? Or…”


    Mason was about to respond when Le, who had been sitting silently beside them, interjected softly, “Firing him outright would be too easy for him.”


    Le spoke in a calm tone, but Mason knew Joshua had caused her trouble previously. She would seek revenge.


    “Then how do you think we should handle it?”


    “Is Joshua’s current role monitoring me?” Le asked directly.


    “From what we can tell, yes,” Mason confirmed.


    “Then let him continue monitoring,” Le decided.


    “Tell me your thoughts,” Mason prompted.


    Le lifted the suit jacket covering her face, turned to Mason, and said, “The information he gets must be genuine to be useful. What if it’s not?”


    Mason raised an eyebrow, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his leg. “Hmm,” he murmured. then said, “So, it’s better to offend a base person than to offend a woman.”


    Le remainedposed, “He hasn’t offended me.”


    Mason teased, “Didn’t his two previous actions against you count as offenses?”


    “How did you know?”


    Mason nced at her knowingly and didn’t answer.


    Le pursed her lips, realizing he was well aware of the incidents at the project site.


    Before Le could say more, Mason spoke slowly, “It’s not that I want to know, it’s just that Daniel is too curious. He knows everything that goes on in thepany.”


    Daniel, who was driving, chuckled awkwardly, “Uh…”


    Mason paused briefly and then said, “And not only does he know, he keeps telling me about it. Right, Daniel?”N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Daniel forced a smile, “Yes, yes.”


    Mason scoffed lightly, reaching over to squeeze Le’s fingertips, “See, Daniel is just that nosy.”


    Le looked up at him but didn’t respond. After a few seconds, she withdrew her fingertips from his hand and took out her phone to make a call.


    When the call connected, Le spoke gently, “Joshua, I’m feeling a bit unwell suddenly, so I’m leaving early. Later, I’ll transfer some money to you to settle the bill.”


    Joshua asked concerned, “Miss Patel, are you okay?”


    “I’m fine, just been burning the midnight oiltely, got a bit of a headache,” Le replied.


    “Okay, then rest up,”


    Le continued, “Could you exin to everyone for me?”


    “Sure thing, I understand,” Joshua assured her.


    After hanging up with Joshua, Le held her phone absentmindedly for a moment, then turned to Mason. “Can I ask you something?”


    Mason had already guessed what she wanted to ask. She was a smart woman, now reluctantly involved in the mess of The Ramirez Family.


    Without responding immediately to Le’s question, Mason remained silent for a moment, then looked at her and said, “Let’s talk about it at home.”


    “Home.” The word stirred something in Le.


    Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Joshua went to settle the bill. Someone asked him, “Joshua, where’s Miss Patel?”


    “Probably had a bit too much to drink, not sure.”


    The person continued, “Heard Mr. Ramirez was seen here just now.”


    “Stop spreading rumors.”


    While Joshua walked away, a few people started whispering.


    “Are Miss Patel and Mr. Ramirez really involved?”


    “Who knows.”


    “I don’t think so. Miss Patel has a good reputation in this circle, and she’s been in charge of many major projects before.”


    “What good reputation? How do you know those projects were won by herself?”


    …


    Le and Mason sat facing each other as he spoke about the unsavory affairs of The Ramirez Family.


    Mason flicked ashes into the ashtray with his fingertips, his expression unreadable. “The feud started with that kidnapping incident. My uncle’s family sees me as a thorn in their side, and I see them as a thorn in mine.”


    “What happened during that kidnapping case?” Le asked directly.


    Mason squinted through the smoke, “I don’t want to talk about it.”


    Le rephrased, “Were they trying to wrest control from you, or were they trying to kill you?”


    “Both,” Mason replied.


    Le’s heart skipped a beat, “Doesn’t your grandfather intervene?”


    Mason smirked, extinguishing the cigarette in the ashtray. “He wants to, but at his age, he was willing but not able.”


    “But people in thepany seem to fear him, and you…”


    “I’m not afraid of him. I’m repaying him for raising me during those six years after my father’s death,” Mason interrupted, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.


    He paused for a moment, then continued, “This year marks the sixth year.”


    That night, Mason didn’t go to the master bedroom.


    Ley in bed, unable to sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, she recalled the scence of Mason speaking in the living room. Whether it was her imagination or not, she saw deep sorrow in Mason’s expression.


    As she thought about it, Le reached out and pulled the nket over her head. What did she have to do with his sorrow? She was only here because she got dragged into it. Once everything was resolved, she would move out.


    As for her rtionship with Mason, once shepleted a few more projects and saved enough money, she would leave. With these thoughts, Le drifted off to sleep.


    Early the next morning, as Le descended the stairs, Mason was already in the dining room, watching a tablet.


    Le walked into the dining room without speaking to Mason, heading straight for the kitchen to help Esther. Her phone suddenly rang.


    “Hey, Tessa.”


    Tessa’s voice on the other end was urgent, “Miss Patel, you need toe back right away. Your aunt just went to your mother’s room and said something, and now your mom is angry and has fainted. They’ve taken her to the emergency room…”