The Wright family and Eira were invited to Mason’s manor that night.All of them felt uneasy. They weren’t sure what his intention was. Carly, on the other hand, felt pretty good about it. She said, “Mason must’ve remembered how happy Lilith made him and wanted to repay us for it. Perhaps he’s going to give us a check! Whatever it is, we’ll take it.”The joy in her voice made it hard to believe that she had just lost her daughter not six months ago. Eric barked at her, “Greed has clouded your judgment!”She was about to retort when Ava came downstairs. She put on a smile immediately and said, “I appreciate that Mr. Mason thought of us during this festive season, Ms. Ava!”Different from before, Ava sounded very cold and aloof when she said, “Mr. Mason is waiting for you in his study.”Their hearts dropped to their stomach collectively at the tone of her voice. Even Carly wasn’t so sure of herself anymore. She gave Eira a push when they were climbing the stairs, and said softly,
Underneath the chandelier, Mason was wearing a blank expression when he said, “You can do whatever you want to them. Just keep them alive!”Ava flinched in response. Then, she said obediently, “Understood.”She watched as he went downstairs. Moments later, she heard the sound of an engine being ignited from the yard. She knew he was going to take Zoe home now.At the next moment, tears filled her eyes. Zoe was coming home at last.…The road was covered with snow that night.He drove the black Land Rover slowly and came to the private villa after a long time. The medieval villa was still standing there as if time didn’t touch it, looking as creepy as ever.Pulling into the villa, he realized there were almost no signs of footprints in the yard. Snow had piled up high here. Suddenly, he had a hunch and his heart sank.He stepped out of the car and suddenly tripped. The next thing he knew, he fell on one knee on the snowy ground. The snow melted almost immediately and dampened
Mason took off his coat and put it on Zoe when they were on their way home. He could touch every single bone in her ribs when he was putting it on for her. She was so weak that she didn’t fight back. All she did was lean back on the passenger seat. The black coat had covered half her face, but he could see enough to tell that her cheeks were sunken in a sickly manner. The sight was enough to send a chill down his spine.Throughout the entire journey, she kept quiet and stared out the car window. She watched as the crescent moon set and the sun rose above the horizon. She said ever so softly, “Happy New Year, Mason!”He wasn’t delighted by her wishes. He knew this was farewell. This was the last New Year they’d spend together. He was reluctant to let her go and set her free. He wanted her by his side again. The car stopped at the intersection. Silence hung in the car. All he could hear was Zoe’s frail breathing. He said in a husky voice, “I’m sorry, Zoe.” He tried to hold her
At the same time, Gabriela fell to the ground. Lowering her head, she looked at the toy she had so carefully chosen for Yanni and smiled miserably.The fact was that Mason merely took advantage of the latest opportunity he stumbled onto. He never intended to give up on Zoe. Now, he had an excuse to convince Zoe to return to his side so he could make things right, because he still loved her!If he loved Zoe, then what was the point of waiting for him all these years?After all this time, she was still no match for Zoe, even if the latter was tortured to the point of losing her sanity. It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so cruel. In what way was Zoe better than her?…Mason carried Zoe into the manor. Layla rose early today and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw her. Then, she burst into tears and said, “Why are you so thin, Ms. Zoe? Don’t they feed you anything over there?!”Zoe felt so weak, she couldn’t muster up the strength to respond to her. All she could do was offe
At that moment, Layla came in with Zoe’s meal. She set down the plate gingerly, tears in her eyes. “Eat it while it’s hot, Ms. Zoe. Just let me know if you want something else.”Zoe smiled weakly and thanked her. It wasn’t a servant’s place to voice out her opinion on her master’s private life. So, Layla left the bedroom quietly and hastily. Zoe noticed and appreciated her thoughtfulness. Leaning back on the couch, she finished the omelet and the herbal soup with trembling hands. She felt much better after having some nourishment, but she was still weak from her horrible experiences at the rehabilitation center.She proceeded to lean on the crib and checked on Yanni before shuffling to the fitting room to get some clothes for herself. Mason held her arm tenderly when she came out. “You’re still weak. Let me help you shower.”However, she turned him down. Squinting, he said, “I was just looking out for you. Can’t you accept that?”Smiling weakly, she said, “You’re no longer
Tears started filling up Mason’s eyes. Hugging Zoe from behind, he buried his face in her neck and said with a trembling voice, “Give me one more chance, Zoe! I won’t let you down again, I swear!”Zoe stopped in her tracks. She didn’t utter a single word.Turning her around, he looked at her with bloodshot eyes. He went in for a kiss hurriedly, eager to show himself that she still belonged to him and that there was still hope for them. However, she reached out and stopped him.The track marks all over her slender arms painted a picture of her heart which was also punctured with holes from all the hurt that he put her through. There was no forgiving that.His eyes grew darker. Holding her slender arms, he put them in his hands. He stopped trying to convince her and began to beg instead.“Can you please iron the shirts you bought me last time, Zoe? I loved them so much.”At that moment, she heard a honk from the yard. Her car was probably ready. She said softly, “I have to go!”
Zoe moved into a new apartment. It was more than two thousand square feet, spacious enough for her, Mia, Yanni, and the two nannies. On top of that, it was located in the heart of the city. She still had yet to recover from the postpartum depression. So, Deborah and the other nanny, Edith, would take care of the baby in the night. If she was feeling well, she’d play with Yanni in the day. Yanni was five months old now. She was innocent and adorable. Mia was worried about Zoe's health. In response, she said lightly, “I’ll go for therapy! Don’t worry, Mia. If I can survive in that wretched rehabilitation center, then I can survive anywhere!”Mia was furious when she brought it up. “I think Mason’s mother deserved a much harsher punishment! Although, I must say it’s quite fitting to send her there and let her have a taste of her own medicine. Better yet, give her several shots of sedatives every single day. See how she likes it!”Rubbing Mia’s hands tenderly, she said, “It’s all
Zoe had no interest in hearing her excuses. Taking two thousand dollars out of her wallet, she flung them at Eira’s feet. She knew the young lady needed money and that, ironically, honor was the most important thing for her. Sneering, she said, “How’s that for compassion? Pick it up if you want them.”Eira’s face turned paler.She had no other choice. So, she crouched and picked up the notes one by one. She needed it to make it through winter. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even have enough to pay the rent.She stood up when she was done picking up the money. That was when she saw Mason.Dressed in a classic black and white suit, he wore a checkered coat over it, giving him a mature, stunning look. Leaning on the car, his eyes grew darker. Eira was both mortified and delighted. Zoe had finally shown her true colors and she was such a heartless lady. Surely, Mason would find the real Zoe unworthy of his love and turn to soothe her instead, the embarrassed underdog. What she didn’t co