Both of them texted each other for a good while…She dozed off in the middle of composing a reply text. Hours passed before she she woke up. There were about a dozen unread texts, all of them from Mason.She read each and every text in the dead of night, but she didn’t reply to him.At the next moment, she rose and went to look at both of her kids.She may not have been staying with Mason in the same manor and their relationship was on a precarious balance, at best. However, it was a big step forward for them to be able to live in the same city. They were well on their way to fixing all of the painful history they shared in the past.At some point, they started keeping in touch on a frequent basis. Carrying themselves like the best ex-couple there ever was, they worked together to raise their kids and discussed every challenge they faced while their kids grew up…Yanni was six years old and was studying in kindergarten. Zoe said, “You have all sorts of connections in Brookesv
Scarlett was disheartened when she saw how much Mason wanted it to happen. She had stayed at the manor for a long time, spending every single day with him. However, he had never shown any intention of remarrying Zoe. In fact, he hadn’t even visited his kids in Silvercrest.Now, it seemed, Zoe’s return had changed everything!He would stare off into space or dwell in fear of losing her all the time. Zoe had singlehandedly turned him into the mess he was now. Scarlett had sharp instincts too. She could tell that Zoe still had feelings for Mason. All she had to do was stare into her eyes. Why?! Why did it have to be like this?!They had been divorced for years. Why did Zoe have to return and shake his conviction?For that, she seriously disliked Zoe. With that said, she had to give in to her for the time being. “That’s right. Ms. Zoe’s going to the hospital as well.”She had no interest in seeing the joy in his face, so she closed the door swiftly. He was still staring out
Cecil checked outside the room and closed the door. Instead of walking over, he merely stood at the door and asked gently, “Are you guys still fighting? It’s been such a long time!”Then, he chuckled. He used to love Zoe a lot, but he had given up on her. He stopped after he found out he was Mason’s uncle. He knew he didn’t stand any chance the moment Mason put himself on the operating table. These two were meant for each other for the rest of their lives. With that said, that didn’t stop him from treating Zoe nicely.He could tell that she was suffering on the inside. So, he sat on a chair across from her and asked solemnly, “Do you need a listening ear?”Shaking her head, she smiled faintly, “I’m not a young brat anymore. I can handle my emotions. Don’t worry about me, Cecil. I’m fine. I mean it. It’s wonderful that we can live in the same city now.”Cecil smiled along with her. They proceeded to talk more about the laboratory before she left. She had just gotten into the
Her words were filled with irony. Liam was usually a calm man, but even he was stung by what she said. He wasn’t supposed to say it, but the words came out before he could stop them. “You know I love you, Zoe!”Time itself seemingly froze and an awkward silence hung over the air. For a few seconds there, he regretted blurting it out. However, he was both a lawyer and a practical man. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he figured he should stand by it.Staring at Zoe, he asked, “Are you still waiting for Mason? Why won’t you give me a chance?”Her voice was icy cold when she replied, “I’ll never fall in love with you! I’ll always remember how you plotted our family’s downfall! Here you are, asking me to be with you. Have you got a screw loose, Liam?”…Reaching out, Liam clutched her hand.She was startled and tried to shake him off, but he forcibly pulled her close. She got so close that their bodies were almost pressed against each other. The way he stared at her made her
Zoe didn’t want him to see her when she was down. Averting her gaze, she said in a broken voice, “I’m fine!”After a brief pause, she added, “Have Deborah bring the kids down. I’m not going in there tonight.”However, Mason didn’t move at all. Underneath the gentle glow of the moonlight, he stared at her intensely, not willing to miss out on any expressions on her face. He even asked her point blank, “Have you been crying?”“No!” She couldn’t stand it when he stared at her like this. It would be easier if she got out of her car instead. “Fine. I’ll go get them myself.”Her feet had just touched the ground when he grabbed her lean arm. The glow of the moonlight revealed her delicate and suggestive outfit as well as the light, reddish mark on her arm.The next thing she knew, he willfully pulled her into his arms. She began to tremble lightly when their bodies were pressed together. Brushing her cheeks gently, he wiped off her tears affectionately and asked her in his deep voice
Truth be told, it bothered him a lot.It was only normal for every man to not want to share the lady he loved, much less someone like Mason.…Zoe watched as he left and lowered her head. There was something else bothering her. Otherwise, she could’ve gotten laid with him. His lust was strong, to begin with. Top that off with the fact that he had been abstaining from sex for years, it would’ve been like taking candy from a baby. It was just that she wasn’t at the top of her game tonight. Liam’s words haunted her. She was still wondering if Noah really did marry Gwynn. There were so many things that had suddenly piled up on her and made her feel encumbered. Still, she continued to wait for Mason to come back. In the end, Deborah ran downstairs and said, looking worried, “Yanni’s having a case of rubella, Ms. Zoe. She’s mumbling in her sleep! Mr. Mason asked for you to go up there right now.”“When did this happen?” Zoe asked as she took brisk steps towards the manor.Th
Mason didn’t have an answer for that. In fact, Zoe wasn’t exactly waiting for one, either. So, both of them ended up holding their breaths until Mia arrived. In the middle of the night, the sound of a car pulling in reverberated in the yard. Not long after, Mia was on the second floor. Zoe let out a sigh of relief when she saw her stepmother. She couldn’t stop herself from calling out to her softly, “Hey, Mia.”“Let me check on Yanni.” Mia was calm. Taking Yanni in her arms, she patted her gently and pressed her forehead against the little girl’s, murmuring to her…Yanni was still trapped in her nightmare.After a brief moment, she called out to Mia. She mumbled, “Scarlett scared me. She said that Mommy and Daddy hate each other. She also said Daddy used to lock Mommy up in a mental hospital because he didn’t want her anymore. Daddy wanted to marry some other lady…”An onslaught of emotions flooded Mia when she heard what her granddaughter said.She was heartbroken for Yanni
Zoe might have been ready to forgive him, but he could never let himself off the hook.…It was still the middle of the night when Mason went to the ground floor. Scarlett was still sitting there. She knew she was in deep trouble because of the horrible blunder she made. So, she grumbled the moment she saw him, “Ms. Zoe has overstepped her bounds, Mr. Mason. It’s wrong to let her handle the manor’s affairs, to begin with.”His voice was cold as he cast a glance at her. “Who has the right to do it, then?” Even though he had used Scarlett to chase Zoe away, he had honestly never done anything out of line with his private doctor, nor did he lead her on.Scarlett was stunned by his response.He then said bluntly, “I’ll see to it that your medical license will be revoked. You’ll never be a doctor again.“Also, I want you out of Brookesville! You have two days to do it. I’m very serious. My men will pack up your stuff and send you to one of the northwestern cities. They’ll keep a