True to his word, Mason showed up a few minutes later with red roses. Snatching the red roses from him, I pulled him into the house and pushed him against the wall, before kissing him hard. He took over, leading me to the couch and kissed me. When his hand went under my bra, I pushed it away, laughing. “Not here.”I had made the rule that none of us should get intimate on the couch. If I didn’t follow it, I couldn’t enforce it on the others. The thought of having different people have sex on the place I knew we’d spend a lot of time on didn’t sit well with me.“Bedroom?” he asked.“Let’s go to your house.”“I need you now,” he whined. He looked adorable when he did that. I giggled when he tickled me, before quickly getting away from the couch. Mason sat up and tried to touch me but I ran to my bedroom to get my stuff. He followed me there.“I like what you have done to the place,” he commented.“Thank you,” I said.I was hunched over the bed, stuffing some clothes into a backpack. He
April.“This looks exquisite,” Mason said, staring at a bronze vase.“Exquisite?” I chuckled. “It looks plain. This is nothing special.”“Actually, it is.” a new voice said. Raising a brow, I turned to look at the owner. The woman was wearing a black pencil dress with red flowers all over it, her feet adorned with gold flats. “This is one of the artefacts recovered from the Antonine wall built in AD 142. It’s not just a vase.”“Was that the wall that ran across Scotland, from coast to coast?” Mason asked the woman.“Yes, that’s the one. Everything in this museum is original with accurate history. As you can see, this side is dedicated to all the artefacts from the Antonine wall.”“I heard there are some artefacts from Cook’s pacific voyages. Do you know which part of the museum that is?”“Yes, of course. Come with me.”“Let’s go baby,” Mason told me. I was feeling small because I was ignorant of everything they were talking about, thanks to my meagre education.“I forgot to introduce
April.The dinner was a disaster. Well, for me. Mason seemed to be enjoying the company of the crazy artefact collectors. Being obsessed with old objects seemed like a crazy hobby for crazy people to me. The intense conversations they were having made me rethink my choice of partner. Could I really be with a man that crazy for the rest of my life? I laughed as I watched him speak so passionately with the other collectors. He was having the time of his life.Unlike me. I was forgotten, just sitting there, picking through my food. The room was animated but I’d not said a word since the introductions. Occasionally, I’d catch Alaine staring at me. She seemed to be glad that I was nothing but a shadow in the room. “Wanna get out of here?”I turned to my right. The redhead who had introduced herself as Kareen said.“Yeah,” I nodded. “It seems people like me are not needed here.”She chuckled and stood up. Rising, I glanced at Mason. He was too preoccupied to see me. He was showing the guys
April. The Eiffel tower was more massive than I imagined. The photos and videos I’d seen before did not do justice to the real thing. It was magnificent. “It’s amazing,” I told Mason as we went towards the elevator that would take us to the top of the massive tower. On the second floor, we found restaurants and a lounge. We proceeded to a smaller over crowded elevator which took us to the top. Getting to the top rewarded us with unforgettable views of the city of love. I held on to Mason as the tower swayed with the wind. It was the most beautiful moment and I wanted it to last forever.But we know humans always crave the impossible. After leaving the top of the Eiffel tower, we walked by the beautiful seine river, holding hands. “I love being away from home,” Mason said. “It feels good to walk so freely without being recognized by anyone.”I couldn’t relate on the part of recognition since I never got recognised in Miami anyway. But the part about being away home, I could relate.
April.The basement’s dank smell became more apparent as time went on. Apart from the smell of mould, there was a hint of something else. The ideas floating around my head were scary so I tried not to think at all, which was easier said than done. I must have stayed there for hours. By the time someone opened the door, I was ravenous. The light from the stairway seeped into the large room, enabling me to see clearly.It was the same man earlier. Leaning down, he placed a bag of fries on the floor. I ran towards the door but he had closed it before I got there. “Let me out,” I screamed, banging against the hardwood. I heard a laugh, followed by footsteps going up the short flight of stairs. Grabbing the fries, I returned to my chair and downed them as fast as I could. At the end of my binge, I was feeling extremely thirsty. It was frustrating, even worse than feeling hungry. My mouth was dry, just like my throat. I started pacing about the basement to ease my discomfort but it didn’t
April.Mason held my hand as we headed to Carolina’s apartment. She had directed Mason to the same apartment I’d gone to see my mother, where she gave me the diamond bracelet. When the driver parked the car, Mason turned to give me a kiss. I held on to him longer, afraid of what we would find there. I was half worried we would find my mother’s dead body in there. Carolina was capable of doing something like that.“Everything will be fine,” Mason told me. Even though I knew that was just something said to comfort someone, it made me feel better and gave me strength to step out of the car. Straightening my dress, I followed Mason to the elevator. He kissed me all the way to the top. By the time we got out of the elevator, I was feeling flushed and very much aroused I could almost smell it. I wished the elevator would continue so that I would enjoy what I really needed.But we proceeded to the door and I rang the doorbell. A young woman wearing a black and white maid’s uniform. “Let th
April.“Are you alone?” Carolina asked.“Yes. What do you want from me?”The call ended. I was about to redial the number when I received a video call. I received it.“Show the entire room to me,” she said. “And you better not be recording this unless you want your dear mother to end up six feet under.”Panicking, I moved around, showing her the entire room. “Look its empty. There’s no one here other than me. What do you want?”Carolina smiled and started moving towards her apartment’s hallway. “I want to show you something.”My hands were shaking as I watched her stop at a door. She turned the camera to her face and flashed me a creepy grin. She even stuck out her tongue before opening the door. I held my breath as I waited for the camera to pan to the room. She had it turned to her smiling face, probably to maintain the suspense. My heart was thumping so hard I feared it was going to pop out of my chest.Carolina’s smile widened. “Do you want to see what’s before me?”“What have you
April. “I don’t want to see you again,” I said, before running out of the restaurant. All eyes turned on me, giving questioning looks. Mason didn’t come after me so I ran into the first taxi I saw. The driver gave me a quizzical look but started the vehicle anyway. After some minutes of calming down, I gave him the address.The girls arrived some minutes after I did. I could see the disappointment in their faces.“At least we have a roof over our heads,” I said.“Are you okay?” Bea asked, coming to sit next to me.I shook my head. “No.”My phone started ringing. She picked up my purse and fished it out. “It’s Mason.”I took the phone, ended the call and blocked him. Then, I started wailing. The girls shared glances. Bea pulled me into her arms and let me cry on her shoulder. I let out everything. The pain, the anguish and disbelief. Everything seemed pointless at the moment. By the time I was done crying, my eyes were swollen and read. Maria went and made some tea which calmed me do
Mason’s POVA continuous beeping sound woke me up. Opening my eyes, I squinted at the brilliant white ceiling before closing them again. Whoever thought it was a good idea to use such a bright color for a hospital room must have been mad.I could tell I was in the hospital by the smell and beeping machine with a cord attached to my hand. After blinking several times to help my eyes get acquainted with the light, I opened them fully. I was alone, thankfully. I looked at the blue bed sheet covering my body and pushed part of it off.Memories of my last minutes of consciousness flooded my mind, reminding me of the problem at hand. Hannah was still missing. I pressed the sound button by the bed to get someone in the room. I needed to get out of there.Almost immediately, the door opened and Carolina walked in. I frowned. Was she the one taking care of me? I was definitely not happy to see her.“Finally,” she said, coming to the bed and kissing me on the forehead. “You’re awake. Was almost
April's POVImages, video footage and text swirled over the screen intermittently as a female reporter's voice spoke in the background. I backed off to the nearest chair, letting my body collapse on it. With wide eyes, I continued to stare at the screen, which had now switched to the station’s studio and listened to the news reader as he spoke about the shooting that had left Mason Steele in hospital fighting for his life.Despite knowing it was futile, I dialled his number and held the phone to my ear. No one answered just as I expected. I had been trying his number in vain for hours. Quickly getting up, I grabbed my purse from the table and walked out of the apartment.Chilly midnight air greeted me when I left the building and drove the car I'd parked outside. I drove like a mad woman, in the bid to reach my destination as fast as possible.My heart relaxed as the hospital came into view. After parking the car, I stalked to the building. A team of paparazzi hounded me but I refuse
Mason’s POV“You have to do everything possible to find her,” my aunt Eleanor said, clutching my hands over the table. Her grip was tight and her knuckles were extremely pale. I wondered what was wrong with her. She seemed so scared, even more scared than I was, and yet I was sure she didn't love Hannah that much. For the most part, they didn't get along very well.“I’m trying, aunt Eleanor. You know I will do everything possible to find her.”“You need to find her before anything happens.”“What are you scared of aunt Eleanor?” I asked. She quickly withdrew her hand and jumped in her seat. Her unexpected reaction was starting to make me feel suspicious. “What kind of question is that? Hannah is my dear niece. We might not get along all the time but I don't want to see her die.” “She will not die,” I said. “Please leave now. I have some work to do. I’ll call you in case of anything.”I felt more relieved after she left. Settling down, I started to do some paperwork. The cops had p
April's POV“It’s her,” I said thirty minutes later. We were in a private jet on our way to Miami. “It has to be.”Mason turned and gave me a confused look, his brows furrowing. “What are you talking about?” He asked.“Carolina Mendoza,” I replied. “I think she’s the one who has kidnapped your sister.”Mason’s eyes narrowed. He didn't seem convinced. He had probably never considered it, given that Carolina was a good friend of his. “Why would she do something like that?”“Because she wants to separate us.”“I know Carolina likes me but I don't think she would do something like that just to get rid of you. She’s quite stubborn but not immature enough to play high school games.”“You clearly don't know her well enough. You have no idea about all the things she has done to me in order to keep us apart.”“You never tell me anything. What did she do?”I studied his face, looking for signs that he would believe me. “She-”The door to the cockpit suddenly opened and the young copilot steppe
Two hours later, Mason and I were riding down a smooth footpath. Having never been on a horse before, the experience was quite daunting at first. Mason seemed like a reckless schoolboy ready for adventure when he climbed on a black stallion without fear. Meanwhile, I'd settled for a little brown mare that seemed almost as timid as I was when the stable boy helped me settle on it.Although I was very scared at first, Mason’s confidence soon gave me the energetic boldness I needed. Within a few minutes, I was racing him down the hilly path.Trading words every now and then, we found ourselves in a small artificial forest that we had been briefed about. It was a beautiful forest with many beautiful trees, well kept bushes, painted stones and manicured picnic lawns.“I wish we hadn't eaten,” I said, staring wistfully at one of the picnic areas. “Would have loved to have my lunch over here.”Mason smiled as he studied the area. “Certainly looks very nice,” he commented. “We need to get of
April.The single’s event was held in the resort’s conference hall. When I went in, a middle aged woman was giving a speech about how to interact with new people. Soon, she wrapped up.“We’re going to start with a game called lock and key,” she said. “For this game, men will be given a lock and women will receive a key. We’ll have enough time to mingle with each other. After speaking to a person, you’ll try the lock to see if it opens. If not, proceed to another person and try again. It will be a fun game. You all need to stand and let our employees move the chairs to the back of the room so that we can use the space for the game.”People stood up and started moving around, leaving the chairs. Suddenly, there was considerable silence. I turned to follow everyone’s gaze, then I realized why they had frozen.Mason Steele was walking into the room. He wore a dark blue suit and had his dark hair combed to the side. The tall and handsome man exuded sophistication and confidence which had a
April.If I had to do one more interview with Nicky Jones pretending to be deeply in love with him, I’d go mad. After a long day of interviews, fake smiles and kisses, I impulsively packed up a few things in a suitcase and left Miami. I switched off my phone to avoid calls from Nicky and Kylie who couldn’t get enough of the fake romance. I was done. I didn’t care about the consequences anymore. Faking it was not in me.When I arrived in the peaceful small town called Flowood, I booked a room in a midrange resort. I had the most peaceful night I’d had in a while. No one seemed to know me, or they didn’t care. I choose a quiet place in the bar and enjoyed a few drinks before going to sleep.As I had breakfast in the morning, I was given a flyer by one of the staff. It was for a single’s event, a matchmaking affair. I didn’t plan on attending anything that put me in close vicinity with other people. The town might have been in the middle of nowhere, but there was possibility of one of th
Mason.I woke up in an unfamiliar place. I could tell even before I opened my eyes. When I opened them, the confusion turned into horror as I saw Carolina lying next to me peacefully. Seeing that we were both stark naked, I figured we must have had sex. Although Carolina was a very beautiful woman, I didn’t want any of that to happen.I turned to lie and my back and stared at the ceiling, trying to recall the events of the previous night. How on earth did I end up in Carolina Mendoza’s bed? I remembered her invite and having fun at her game party. When everyone was gone, she poured me a drink and a few minutes later, I lost conscious.“Fvck!” I cursed loudly. And then I turned to look at the woman beside me. She looked so peaceful, and yet she was a conniving b*tch. I was sober when my cousin left, so how did half a glass of whisky make me drunk. Realisation dawned on me. Carolina had put something in my drink.I sat up. “Carolina.”She stirred in her sleep and her right hand moved to
Mason.“I can explain.”I was on a date with a beautiful nurse when I received the message from April after ignoring the calls. After reading it, I switched off my phone, feeling angry. How dare she? Did she think I was a love-struck fool who had lost his mind? She was living her best life, kissing her new boyfriend in front of cameras. I was angered by the fact that she thought I could listen to her. My days of being a simp were over. April Hartfield was not the only amazing woman in the world.I was a billionaire for fvcks sake, able to get any woman I set my eyes on. April slipping through my fingers did not mean I could not do better. There were many great women from all walks of life, and I could choose from a wide variety because of my status in society.“Are you okay?” Melanie asked, her blue eyes showing a great deal of concern.I smiled, looking into her mesmerizing eyes. She had a sweet smile to accompany them, making her easy on the eyes. Her only flow was the inability to