“ I shouldn't have." Mason said slowly with his face down avoiding her eyes. He was waiting for her to respond but there was total silence. “ You don't have to apologize. I kissed you back so it's my fault as much as it's yours. " Beauty sighed. " Good night. “ She said and left him standing outside. “ Fuck!" Mason cursed. He shouldn't have done that. What if she decides to terminate the contract? What if she leaves? He can't bear the thought of that alone. Meanwhile Beauty paced about in the room. She wanted to deny having feelings for him. She had tried to suppress them times without number but they keep floating up to the surface. She could bet that a part of her wanted to end things quickly but another part wanted to feel his lips again and that part was speaking louder than ever before. “ Am I going crazy? I don't have feelings for him, do I?" She thought. “ No, it's just a fantasy. He can't possibly fall for me. But he kissed me. God, Beauty. What to do? What to do?" ....
“ Who's there?" Donald asked walking to the direction of the voice. He was shocked to see Shawn curled up in the corner nearly drunk to stupor. “ I hid the moment you both came in. I didn't want to interrupt you." Shawn hiccuped.“ You're the new famous kid right?" Donald asked and he nodded slowly. " If that's what you call it here. She's friends with Elsa right? “" Yes, she is. Why do you ask? “ Donald asked, sitting beside him. “ I messed up pretty bad. Worse than you even. " “ Is that why you're here drunk at school hours?"“ I can't stand seeing her. She hates me. " “ Who?" “ Elsa. " “ You know her?" “ Yeah. " “ Is that why you're here?"“ Don't you check the school's blog?"“ Please I have other better things to do. The school's blog is not my problem. " “ You're close with Elsa right?"“ Been friends the minute she arrived. " Donald said with a smug smile. “ You can help me talk to her...."“ About?" “ Never mind. It was nice talking to you." Shawn said and dusted
After they had lunch at the restaurant, Mason drove them to the outskirts of the town. He parked the car properly at the edge of road before coming down with Beauty. “ Why are we here?" Beauty asked as she looked around. There was nothing here apart from a small forest and the road to the next town. “ I want to show you something." Mason said and her eyes widened when she saw him heading towards the forest. " Are you going in there? " She asked. “ Yes. Come on, it's perfectly safe. " He said and she smiled weirdly. “ No way. I'm not going in there. What if there's something there? What if there's a scorpion?" She said and he grinned from ear to ear. “ Wait is there a scorpion in there?!" She said and Mason laughed at her cuteness.“ Trust me, Beauty. It's perfectly safe. " He said and she held his right hand firmly. “ Scaredy cat." Mason teased and she rolled her eyes. “ I'm not afraid of anything. " She scoffed. She heard rustling in the woods and she quickly clinged to Mason
The next morning, Mason didn't bother eating breakfast before leaving for Celeste's house. He knew she was the only one capable of posting his identity. “ Celeste!" He yelled immediately he came down from his car. “ Took you long enough to come to your rightful owner. " Celeste said with a huge smirk as she came out of the house. “ Come in. "“ How dare you!"“ How dare I? You causes all this for yourself. If you had only agreed to our marriage without a fight, that girl would have been safe from the public's eye. " Celeste chuckled. “ You little....."“ Oh come on, you knew your identity was going to be exposed one day. Why not sooner?" “ I swear to God, if anything happens to her, I'll kill you." He said and entered his car. He reversed roughly almost knocking her down and he sped madly out of the compound. “ You'll come begging for me soon. " Celeste smirked. ...Beauty was still in the room, she had been up since last after she saw the disturbing post. ' Hidden heir of M. A
“ I missed you Mason. Say something." She said again. “ Oh Beauty! I missed you more. " He said and pecked her forehead. “ Kiss me. " She whispered. “ What did you say?" He asked to be sure of what he heard. “ Kiss me!" She said loudly this time. Mason didn't hesitate any further before slamming his lips on hers. It was a slow kiss at first then it became rougher, more passionate. “ Ahem!" Ryan coughed behind them making them break the kiss. “ Sorry to interrupt, we have guests to welcome. " Ryan said and Mason glared at him. “ We'll be right there Ryan. " Beauty said and he nodded before leaving. “ What was that?" Mason asked Beauty who avoided his gaze as her cheeks reddened. “ I'm ready to make this real if you're willing. Let's date for real. " Beauty found herself saying. Mason couldn't believe what he was hearing so he held her face up to look at him directly. “ Say it again. "“ I want to be your girlfriend for real. I know we still have two months......" “ Why did it
CALIFORNIA.Elsa was coming back from class and as usual she took another route in order to avoid Shawn. He had been stalking her since he arrived so she changed her routes everyday. “ If it isn't the prostitute..." Clara said blocking her way. “ Excuse me?" Elsa said. “ Your sister's that girl all over the internet. I could tell easily from the resemblance and shock on your face the day you saw the news. The one who's fucking a big shot. Who knows if that's how you attend this school. Everyone knows Berkeley is not for poor folks like you. You can't even afford a decent dress. " Clara mocked. “ Are you high on cheap drugs? This is a state school, I don't see the need of your bullying. If you feel like I'm too poor for this school and you're too rich to mingle with me, we'll find a private university. I heard they accept cheap whores on benefits. " Elsa said and she gasped. " You dare talk back at me. I see you're feeling too big because Shawn is after you. I wonder he sees in yo
ITALY, 6PM. Mason came down from the limousine looking smart with a hardened face. He was here for business and business alone. “ Mason Alaric, my man. " A tall handsome blonde man with messy curls of same as Mason said with a wide smile as he walked to him. “ Alessio Lorenzo. “ Mason smirked. “ How have you been?" Alessio asked with a deep Italian accent. “ Not great. "“ I've heard. " Alessio laughed. “ Let's go in. " He said. They planned to meet at a restaurant in Italy. They were taken to one of the VIP rooms and a waitress came to take their orders. She kept stealing glances and winking seductively at Mason but he spare her a glance. “ You still got the ladies eh?" “ I wish."“ I saw the news. "“ Rumors. " “ I know. It was surprising to see you on the internet for the first time. Whosever took your picture must have been in very close contact with you. A family maybe?"“ Was a family friend. "“ Oh she's the finance. " Alessio laughed.“ She's not the fiancee. " “ You
“ She pushed me!" Celeste cried louder. “ No I didn't. You were the one who tried to push me. You're only on the ground coz I avoided you." Beauty said slowly. “ I was only trying to be reasonable with you. You took my fiancee away from me, now you want to kill me." Celeste feigned teras and everyone present gasped. “ She really is a prostitute. "“ Shameless whore. "“ Who knows what she did to the brother?" Celeste smiled wickedly when she heard the silent murmurs from the crowd. “ Who says you're my brother's fiancee? And who says she stole him from you?" Angela said in anger. She watching the whole scene secretly from where she stood. She knew Celeste would try something as childish as this. A guy helped Celeste up and she immediately rushed to Beauty. She tried to slap her again but Beauty held her hand.“ I wouldn't try that if I were you. I may not be as rich as you but I'm worthy of being his woman. No one would want to be with a raging woman. “ " You stole him from me
Beauty had always been known for her quiet confidence and luminous smile—a presence that could light up even the darkest winter day. Mason, with his strong, steady hands and a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, adored her. Their marriage, built on trust, laughter, and a shared passion for life, was an ever-unfolding adventure. On this particular vacation, the air around them buzzed with anticipation. The resort was charmingly secluded, offering luxurious rooms, soft ambient music that floated through open windows, and hidden corners meant for whispered secrets and stolen kisses. That evening, as the sun dipped low over the ocean, turning the sky into a canvas of molten gold and soft lavender, Beauty and Mason retreated to their private suite. Their plan had been to savor a quiet moment away from the bustle before joining a lively birthday dinner at the resort’s elegant restaurant. But as soon as the door closed behind them, the promise of the evening unfurled into something far more in
Emma stopped Beauty and snuggled closer. It was obvious that she wanted to ask a question. " Ask your question baby." " Why did Daddy offer that deal to you? He barely knew you. What if you were a bad person?" " I guess it was fate and that was how we were destined to meet. Besides Dad already met me earlier at the supermarket but I didn't remember at the time." " Continue." ... “ I missed you Mason. Say something." She said again. “ Oh Beauty! I missed you more. " He said and pecked her forehead. “ Kiss me. " She whispered. “ What did you say?" He asked to be sure of what he heard. “ Kiss me!" She said loudly this time. Mason didn't hesitate any further before slamming his lips on hers. It was a slow kiss at first then it became rougher, more passionate. Mason came back in time for lunch and the arrival of the other members of the family. Beauty was at the garden waiting for him. She had been there since she came out of the room. Immediately he saw her, he ru
Rose had trouble trying to get the twins to sleep. They kept on fussing about and crying all over the room. Emma wasn't an exception either. She kept throwing tantrums and spilling the whole place with paint. Rose had no choice than to call Beauty over for a little assistance. Beauty was just coming out of the shower when she received the text so she quickly threw on her bathrobe before heading to the kid's room. " You haven't read their bedtime story." Mason reminded her and she sighed. " I completely forgot. It's been three days. No wonder the tantrums." She laughed running out. The bedtime story was the only thing that kept them calm at night. If she misses a night, they'd throw tantrums and eventually become enemies with her the next day. She had completely forgotten about the stories since they came on the trip. Turns out today was her reckoning day. " Why are you guys stressing about your grandma?" She spoke softly walking towards them as they sat on the large bed. " We
SIX YEARS LATER " Good morning, Mum." A cheery tiny voice screamed all over the room. Beauty woke up to the sound of her five-year-old daughter, Emma, singing "Happy Birthday" in a loud, off-key voice. Beauty smiled, feeling a sense of excitement and joy. It was her birthday, and she knew that Mason and the kids had planned a special surprise for her. As she got out of bed, Beauty saw that the room was filled with balloons and streamers. Emma, and the three-year-old twin boys, Jackson and Jordan, were all dressed in matching "Happy Birthday" t-shirts, and they were all holding hands, waiting for Beauty to open her eyes. Mason walked into the room, carrying a large, covered tray. "Happy birthday, beautiful," he said, setting the tray down in front of Beauty. Beauty's eyes widened as she saw the tray. It was filled with all of her favorite foods: pancakes, waffles, eggs, and bacon. The kids all cheered and clapped, and Beauty felt a sense of gratitude and love. "Thank you, guys,
The next morning, John called Shawn bright and early and asked to meet at a warehouse. He was getting impatient and that was what Elsa wanted. She wanted to see the look on his face when he discovered that he was being played. Shawn arrived at the hours two late. John was already getting hasty and he jumped at him the minute he arrived. " What is it? What plan were you talking about?" He asked in a hurry. " Chill man. You don't have any other place to be, so relax." Shawn said getting irritated. He wondered what would make a grown ass man behave this way. Was he being threatened by his family or was it just utmost foolishness?Elsa was waiting in the car and she was on a video call with Beauty, filling her in. " I told him you were going to do this." Beauty chuckled. " Well, yes. He tried to steal from us. What if he had succeeded? We both know how Celine loves. She gives her all." " I guess that's in the family." Beauty grinned widely. " Oh please. I just want to see him suffe
" I want money!" John slammed the table frustratingly. " You came back coz you're broke." Celine laughed maniacally. " You know I've always known you're bold and foolish but this..... this is too much." " Celine, you know I wouldn't have done this if I had another option. I lost my job and nobody wants to hire someone who doesn't have ten years experience." He blurted shamelessly and she couldn't point what attracted her to him in the first place. Was it his charms coz he definitely had none. Or was it just blinded lust? " So you think trying to make up with me would give you a job?"" Your family is rich. You guys own a company." " Oh I see. You wanted to use me to get a job in the company. Then what? Convince me to give a part of my shares?" She said and he shifted uncomfortably." I....."" You! I don't even know what to say to you. I mean I suspected it. You're not comfortable with me being ahead of you so you would rather cajole me into giving up my money for you so you coul
" What are you two talking about?" Elsa asked. Her hair was still wet, indicating that she had just got out of the shower. " Work. I'm thinking about taking a new role." Celine lied. " That's great. You've been away for a long time. This should be something good." Elsa smiled. " Yes, I think." She said nervously. " I checked on Liam and he should be out for another couple hours. I'll whip up something for us to eat before you go home." Elsa said and she shook her head. " That won't be necessary. I have stuff to do at home. I'll just order in. Goodnight." She pecked her cheeks before leaving. " I wonder where she's always running off to. Do you think she has a new guy?" Elsa pouted. " Barely. I'm sure she's just busy." Shawn said. " I'm starving." He reminded her and she quickly headed to the kitchen. .... Celine rushed home immediately she received a text from her landlord concerning a disturbance coming from her apartment. She wondered what was happening. She
Ryan had called ahead about his arrival and he asked Mason to arrange everything like a mini family lunch. He wanted to introduce Florence to the closest people first. " Ryan." Beauty said happily and hugged him tightly. " Oh I missed you." She said. " Hey, I'm right here." Mason scoffed jealously. " I know." She winked. " Welcome back, Ryan." Mia smiled. " Thank you, Mia. What's up, my man?" Ryan hugged George like they were old friends. They grew closer after the wedding. One would say they were like brothers. " Where's Alessio?" Ryan asked. " He couldn't make it. Left for Italy yesterday." Mason said. " That bastard. I was anticipating the look on his face." Beauty coughed bringing them out of the almost lengthy conversation. " Would you introduce the beautiful lady?" She asked. " Oh sorry, my bad. Baby." Ryan said smiling sheepishly as he held Florence's hand leading her to the crew. " Hey guys, meet my girlfriend, Florence." Ryan said and Beauty s
As the days turned into weeks, Florence started to notice that Ryan was being secretive about his past. He would change the subject whenever she asked him about his childhood, and he seemed reluctant to talk about his friends and past relationships. At first, Florence tried to brush off her concerns. She told herself that Ryan was just a private person, and that he would open up to her in time. But as the days turned into weeks, Florence's doubts began to grow. Whenever she brought up the topic of his past relationships, he'd always brush it off saying it wasn't important. One night, as they were walking along the Seine, Florence confronted Ryan about her concerns. "Ryan, can I ask you something?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Of course," Ryan replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What is it?" "I feel like you're not telling me something," Florence said, her heart pounding in her chest. "You're always changing the subject when I ask you about your past. What are