The shock was written on both Lenora and Margaret's faces as they stood, frozen in place. Their eyes widened as they registered the fact that their private argument was no longer private. Everyone had heard everything they just said, and there was no escape now. "This can’t be true," Julie stammered, shaking her head as if to erase the words she had just heard. "I must have heard wrong... I'm imagining things, right, Mason?" Mason remained silent, not knowing what to say to his sister. Raven moved closer to Julie, gently placing her hands on her friend's shoulders, trying to offer some kind of comfort. But even she couldn’t comprehend the intensity of the bombshell that had just been dropped. "Margaret," Charles’s voice broke through the silence. His face masked with growing fury, and his body trembled with anger. "What is she talking about? What 'fake pregnancy'?" He stepped toward Margaret, his voice rising. "Speak now, woman!" Margaret flinched at the booming sound of Charles’s
Raven's POV The hospital waiting room was quiet, but the tension hanging in the air was suffocating. Mason paced back and forth, stopping every few minutes to stare at the door that led to where his father lay. He hadn’t sat down at all since we arrived, and he looked more disheveled than I had ever seen. His hands moved restlessly, running through his hair which was messy in a way that made him look sexier somehow. Shaking my head to regain my composure, I watched him from the bench where I sat, holding Julie tightly as I tried to soothe her. Although I looked fine on the outside, I was just trying to keep myself together and take care of everyone else, but I trembling with fear on the inside. I had never witnessed something like this, this was the first time I saw someone close to me fighting for their lives. Even if Charles and I barely knew each other, I saw my father in him. The whole thing terrified me. Julie had cried herself hoarse, her tear-streaked face resting against my
"You're the one who's being delusional, fantasizing about someone else's husband," I replied nervelessly. "If you've come here to make trouble, I'd advise you to leave, this isn't the time or place for your drama. Leave before I get mad." Candice stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "You've got some nerve, speaking to me in that manner." She hissed. "I've been with Mason for years. Do you think he'd choose you over me? You have no idea just how crazy he is over me." “Crazy… he’d have to have been crazy to be with you,” I scoffed, unable to keep the smirk off my face as I looked at her face contorting more and more. “This is some sort of joke-” "This isn’t a joke, Candice. I'll warn you for the last time, leave this place now. Accept the fact that you're not needed here." I tried to keep my voice steady, even though my hands itched to slap that smug look off her face. Candice shoved past me, storming toward the waiting room like a maniac. "I'll show you who's unwanted here. Just wai
Mason sat quietly beside his father’s hospital bed, his fingers drumming absently on the cold steel of the armrest. The steady beeping of machines was the only sound in the room. Charles’s chest rose and fell slightly, with the aid of the oxygen mask. Although Mason sat close to his father, he felt as if his father were miles away. "Why didn't you tell me about your heart sooner? We'd have found a solution for it earlier," Mason's voice was barely above a whisper, more for himself than his unconscious father. "Instead, you kept such a huge thing from me." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You never tried to explain what happened between you and Margaret," Mason continued. "You just let me believe that you’d forgotten about Mom. Maybe if you’d talked to me, our relationship wouldn’t have been so bad." His voice wavered slightly, breaking through his calm facade. Mason sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "You just do things without caring how bad it mak
"Get rid of her? What do you mean by that?" "Relax, I'm not talking about killing her. I'm not a murderer." Blair explained. "Neither am I, so how do you intend to get rid of her, without killing her?" Candice asked. "We'll make her leave on her own, trust me." Blair sounded so confident. Candice raised an eyebrow. "And how are you going to do that? You seem so confident." "Let's just say I know the one thing my sister can't stand, and that is being cheated on. Mason's betrayal would hurt her so much that she'll never want to see him again." Blair said. Candice crossed her arms. "Sister, huh? Let me guess, your sister has something to do with the state you're in, doesn't she?" Blair looked a little embarrassed. "All that matters is we have a common enemy. If we work together, we can get rid of her. What do you say?" Candice paused for a moment, considering Blair’s offer. Then, a slow smile spread across her face. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine," she sai
Raven, dressed in a simple white apron over her purple sundress, moved gracefully around the kitchen. The scent of sizzling bacon filled the air, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee brewing as she whisked eggs in a bowl. She was making breakfast for everyone, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, crispy bacon, golden hash browns, and fluffy pancakes topped with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Mason stood by the entrance, watching as she worked her magic, flipping pancakes and stirring the eggs. She wanted to help in any way she could. After all, Charles had just returned home from the hospital, and her bestie needed all the love and support she could get now. As she bent over to check the oven where the croissants were baking, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist from behind, startling her momentarily. Mason’s familiar scent filled her senses, and she relaxed into his embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder, pulling her closer. "You don't need to do this, Raven," h
Back at the mansion, Julie was scrolling through her phone when she stumbled upon the news. Her heart dropped. The headlines are bold and clear: RAVEN BARRETT’S SECRET AFFAIR WITH HER HUSBAND'S COUSIN. She rushed to Raven, finding her in the sitting room, drawing in her sketchbook. "Raven," she said breathlessly, holding up her phone, "you need to see this." Raven's eyes widened as she took the phone from Julie. The blood drained from her face as she saw the photos, Justin leaning in and kissing her neck, but it looked as if they were both kissing. "No," Raven whispered, her hands trembling. "This isn’t true. I didn’t---" "I know, and I'm sure Mason won't believe this either," Julie said softly, sitting beside her. "I hate how the media twists things just to get a good story. This is Justin’s doing, I'm sure of it." "Not just Justin, I know Blair’s involved in this." Raven’s heart pounded in her chest as she picked up her phone to call Mason. The phone rang, but he didn’t answer.
The next morning, Mason woke up groggily. His head was pounding as he blinked, the harsh sunlight streaming through the window. He tried to sit up, but something didn't feel right. Slowly, he turned to his side, his heart sinking as he saw Candice lying next to him, naked beneath the sheets. "What the hell?" He yelled, scrambling out of the bed and waking up Candice in the process. He began to panic when he couldn’t remember anything that happened last night. How did he end up here, in the arms of the very woman he despised? What had he done? Candice stirred on the bed, stretching before turning to face him with a sleepy smile. "Good morning, baby." She purred, reaching out to touch his arm. Last night was... incredible. I've missed how you touched me. Mason refused to believe anything that she said. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t have--- "What happened? How did you end up here?" His voice came out hoarse, his mind still trying to piece the pieces of last night together.