Julian Lawson hadn’t expected his uncle to show up here. The bravado he’d just displayed while mocking Eve Vaughn instantly deflated.

He looked at Mason Lawson apprehensively, but, seemingly reluctant to back down, he asked, "Uncle, it’s this late. Are you here for Eve Vaughn too?"

A single, sharp glance from Mason Lawson was all it took to make Julian Lawson’s blood run cold.

As Julian watched in panicked confusion, Mason Lawson suddenly grabbed Eve Vaughn’s wrist and dragged her straight to the car parked across the street.

He was silent the entire way, but the force of his grip made Eve Vaughn cry out in pain.

’She didn’t understand. What did he have to be so angry about?’

’He just got back from a blind date himself, and all she did was run into Julian Lawson by unfortunate coincidence. What right did he have to treat her like this?’

When they reached the car, Eve Vaughn angrily tried to shake him off, but Mason Lawson opened the door and shoved her right inside.

Then, he got in from the other side.

Before Eve Vaughn could even speak, the man’s lips came crashing down on hers in a domineering and forceful kiss.

"Mmph... let me go..."

’Eve Vaughn was overcome with shame and indignation. He had just met with another woman; how could he treat her like this?’

Meanwhile, Mason Lawson pinned her arms, nipping and sucking at her lips without a hint of tenderness, making her brow furrow in pain.

Outside the car window, Julian Lawson saw this and went ballistic, pounding furiously on the door.

From the corner of her eye, Eve Vaughn could even see Julian Lawson’s furious face. He was shouting something, but the car’s soundproof windows blocked out every word.

Tears streamed silently from the corners of her eyes. In that moment, Eve Vaughn was filled with a profound sense of loathing.

’She knew he was doing this on purpose, yet she was completely powerless to resist.’

’But Eve Vaughn hated this. What woman would enjoy being humiliated by one man in a car, right in front of another?’

Finally, steeling herself, Eve Vaughn bit down hard on Mason Lawson’s lip.

The sharp pain made Mason Lawson instinctively release her.

Staring at her reddened eyes, the man’s gaze instantly turned icy and dark.

’So, Eve Vaughn was crying over another man?’

’She actually bit him because of another man! That had never happened before.’

The young woman, flushed with a mixture of shame and anger, simply glared at him with her reddened eyes.

Outside, Julian Lawson was still pounding relentlessly on the car window.

A ruthless glint flashed in Mason Lawson’s eyes. Completely ignoring Julian Lawson’s furious curses outside, he started the car and sped away.

In the rearview mirror, Julian was still chasing frantically, until Mason Lawson’s car left him so far behind his figure was no longer visible.

Eve Vaughn finally snapped. "Stop the car! I want to get out!"

Mason Lawson pulled over on a relatively remote stretch of road, but he didn’t unlock the doors, leaving Eve Vaughn trapped inside.

She shook the car door violently, tears flying from her eyes as she screamed at him, her voice thick with sobs, "Mason Lawson, I want to get out! Let me out of here!"

But Mason Lawson simply watched her with a calm, cold expression. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "Didn’t I tell you not to see Julian Lawson again? I don’t like seeing you cry over another man. Eve Vaughn, it’s only been a few days, and you’ve already thrown my words to the wind."

Eve Vaughn stared at him in disbelief as a wave of indignation washed over her. She accused him furiously, "And what were you doing tonight? You were the one who was unfaithful to our relationship first, and now you have the nerve to pin the blame on me. I know you’ve started going on blind dates. You want to dump me. That’s fine. Just say so. I won’t cling to you. But you don’t have to frame me for it!"

Mason Lawson froze, taken aback. He never imagined word of this would reach Eve Vaughn’s ears.

His brow furrowed, and his tone grew serious. "Who told you?"

Eve Vaughn sniffled, then said, enunciating every word, "Your blind date. Regina Shaw. She’s my new roommate. That’s right, she’s the one I told you about the other day—the new roommate in my dorm who acts like a spoiled princess. That’s her!"

Realization dawned on Mason Lawson. He just hadn’t expected such a coincidence.

’Regina Shaw was actually Eve Vaughn’s roommate.’

His gaze softened, losing its earlier icy edge. He said to her, "It’s not what you think. Regina Shaw and I just met for the first time today. It was the old man’s idea. And I have no intention of pursuing anything with her."

But Eve Vaughn felt no better. She had come to a profound realization: Regina Shaw wasn’t the real problem between them.

Her sorrow felt boundless. She suddenly spoke. "Mr. Lawson... let’s break up."

A tremor went through Mason Lawson’s dark eyes. He narrowed them, a dangerous glint within. "What did you say?"

Eve Vaughn kept her head down, her voice full of sorrow. "I believe you like me, Mr. Lawson. But your partner—whether it’s Regina Shaw or someone else—can never be me. Even without her, your parents will keep arranging matches for you with all sorts of high-society debutantes. You can refuse once or twice, but eventually, there will come a day when you have to accept."

A sudden sense of powerlessness washed over Mason Lawson. He knew, in truth, that dealing with Regina Shaw the way he had today was not a long-term solution.

There would be more women in the future, and it wasn’t a given that they would all be as easy to deal with as Regina Shaw.

’The only solution was to tell the old man that he already had Eve Vaughn and didn’t need any other women.’

’But Mason Lawson had to admit to himself that, apart from Eve Vaughn, there were too many things he couldn’t let go of.’

’For a man, the pursuit of fame and fortune surpassed all other desires, including love.’

His gaze fell upon Eve Vaughn beside him. The young woman kept her head lowered, as if she had already accepted this fate, no longer struggling or resisting.

Her voice was low, trembling as she said, "I... I don’t want to wait for that day. I’d rather be the one to let go than the one who gets abandoned."