Eve Vaughn sat on the bathroom counter, a look of shock on her face as she met the man’s suggestive gaze.

’He couldn’t be thinking of doing... *that*... on the counter, could he?’

’This... This is so embarrassing!’

"Ma— Mmph..."

Before she could refuse, the first kiss of the morning silenced her protest.

He braced his hands on either side of her, trapping her in his embrace as he kissed her, exploring every corner of her mouth.

The more she shrank back, the closer he pressed. Certain morning desires were particularly sharp, ready to be awakened by the slightest provocation.

Especially with this level of intimacy.

To keep from falling into the sink, Eve Vaughn could only wrap her arms around his neck, which only gave the man more opportunity to take from her greedily.

’She didn’t know what she’d said wrong just now to make him suddenly punish her like this.’

The man’s hand slid down her waistline and toward her inner thigh. Eve Vaughn finally couldn’t help but struggle, her face red as she whispered, "Not here, okay?"

Behind her was a vintage vanity mirror. From Mason Lawson’s perspective, the view must be as ’spectacular’ as a live broadcast.

Eve Vaughn grew even more mortified and refused to let him pull open her pajamas.

Only then did Mason Lawson slowly release her, his breathing heavy and unsteady.

He gazed at her flushed cheeks, his long fingers caressing her plump, moist lips as he said, word by word, "From now on, don’t say things I don’t want to hear. Otherwise, you know the consequences."

His tone grew heavier as he spoke the last few words.

It made Eve Vaughn flinch, and she could only nod.

’What was it she’d said just now? What had made him so unhappy?’

’Oh, right. She’d said that he only noticed her and treated her so specially because she looked like Joanna Sullivan.’

’Although now, she believed Mason Lawson could tell the difference between her and Joanna Sullivan. In his heart, she was just Eve Vaughn.’

’Still, she was curious. Had Mason Lawson ever ’communicated’ this ’deeply’ with Joanna Sullivan in the past?’

Eve Vaughn opened her mouth but didn’t dare to ask.

’She was afraid that if she provoked him, he’d put her through another round this early in the morning, and she’d be completely wrecked.’

’To be honest, she still wasn’t used to this sort of thing and felt very shy and awkward about it.’

Mindful that he’d been too rough with her last night, Mason Lawson couldn’t bring himself to continue.

He reined in his breathing and said to Eve Vaughn, "You go out first. I’m going to take a shower."

As if granted a pardon, Eve Vaughn fled in disarray.

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Eve Vaughn had been planning to contact her advisor to take a few days off school. She was even afraid the school administration would punish her for tarnishing the university’s reputation.

But none of her fears materialized. Instead, her advisor proactively sent her a message, telling her to rest well at home and that the truth would speak for itself, and not to be affected by the negative news.

Eve Vaughn silently gazed at the closed bathroom door. She knew Mason Lawson must have put in a word for her.

’Otherwise, why would she receive such special treatment?’

Eve Vaughn sighed. ’He’s so good to me. Will I ever be able to leave this comfort zone in the future?’

Ten or so minutes later, Mason Lawson came out of the bathroom and started getting dressed, seeming to be in a hurry to leave.

Eve Vaughn asked timidly, "Are you going to the hospital?"

Mason Lawson glanced at her. "I’m going to clean up someone’s mess!"

Eve Vaughn was mortified. She knew he was talking about the video.

It wasn’t just embarrassment, but also guilt. She was always causing Mason Lawson all sorts of trouble.

Just then, Eve Vaughn suddenly remembered something. "I have a way to prove my innocence!"

Mason Lawson was already dressed and about to head out.

Hearing this, he asked with some interest, "What do you mean?"

Eve Vaughn quickly took out her phone and played a recording of a past conversation with Julian Lawson:

Eve Vaughn: "I recall answering this question for you last time. Julian Lawson, you keep asking me to come back to you, time and again. Don’t you feel you’re wronging your fiancée?"

Julian Lawson: "I don’t love her, but she saved my life, and my mother is very fond of her. I can only give her the title of Mrs. Lawson. As for you, no matter what you did to wrong me in the past, as long as you’re willing to come back to me, I can forgive and forget."

Eve Vaughn: "Sorry, Mr. Julian, but I have no interest in getting involved in someone else’s marriage. If you’re looking for a mistress, you’ve come to the wrong person."

Julian Lawson: "You’re willing to be someone else’s mistress, why not mine? Eve Vaughn, as long as you come back to me, I can’t give you an official title, but I’ll find a way to plead with my mother. Otherwise, with your mother’s current condition—a vegetative state, heart failure, kidney failure—there’s only one way out for her: death!"

Eve Vaughn: "Listen here. Even if I have to leave Rivaster and beg for food with my mother, I would never go back to you. Julian Lawson, you’re not worthy of me!"

After the recording finished, the bedroom was silent.

After a long moment, Mason Lawson walked over, gently pulling her into his arms. "When was this? Why have you never mentioned it?"

His voice was tinged with heartache, as if he were blaming himself for not protecting her.

Eve Vaughn’s voice was muffled as she said, "It was that time you were on a business trip abroad, when Autumn Woods had my mother kicked out of the hospital."

After she spoke, Mason Lawson’s gaze turned even darker.

"Send me this recording."

Mason Lawson said with a hint of admiration, "I see your time with me hasn’t been for nothing. You knew to leave yourself an escape route."

With this evidence, things would be much easier to handle.

Mason Lawson instructed her not to go out and to stay at home, then left.

On the way, Hamilton Hale called. "Mason, your mother is making a scene and demanding to be discharged. Joanna Sullivan can’t stop her. She’s very agitated right now, you should get over here quickly."

Mason Lawson turned the car around and headed to the hospital.

The Third Madam had already pulled the IV needle from the back of her hand and wouldn’t let the nurse reinsert it, refusing to let anyone touch her.

Soon after, Mason Lawson hurried into the hospital room, his brow tightly furrowed. "Mom, what’s all this fuss about now?"

The Third Madam said emotionally, "Me, making a fuss? Look at the fine mess you’ve made! Tell me, you could be with anyone, but you insist on being with that shameless girl! Now that she sees you’ve lost favor in the Lawson Family, isn’t she trying to suck up to the main branch? I’m going to die of anger because of you! For her sake, you’ve been giving your father the cold shoulder. Was it worth it?!"

Mason Lawson listened quietly as his mother vented. Then, his gaze fell on Joanna Sullivan. "Did you tell my mother?"

After all, he had specifically had the hospital staff block the news yesterday and even had the signal inside the hospital jammed.

Without being told, The Third Madam wouldn’t have known.

Joanna Sullivan met Mason Lawson’s questioning gaze and said guiltily, "Even if I didn’t say anything, Auntie would have found out sooner or later. This is spreading like wildfire. Do you think you can shut everyone up just by having the post taken down?"

Mason Lawson said coldly, "Come out with me for a moment."

And so, Joanna Sullivan followed Mason Lawson out into the hallway.

The man’s back looked proud and cold. Joanna Sullivan didn’t know when it started, but it seemed Mason Lawson had truly changed into someone she no longer recognized.

Otherwise, with Mason Lawson’s previous tastes, how could he have ever fallen for Eve Vaughn?

Mason Lawson turned around and asked coldly, "Why did you go to my house that night?"

Joanna Sullivan froze for a second, then answered calmly, "Is there a problem with me going to get you a few changes of clothes? I got the clothes and was going to bring them to you, but then you said you’d already had Neil Kane prepare some, so I didn’t mention it. Those clothes are still in my car."

Her expression didn’t change in the slightest, and she acted as if there was nothing wrong with what she had done.

Mason Lawson’s face was devoid of warmth. "Don’t play these little games with me. I know you too well. Eve Vaughn is no match for you. So from now on, you’d better not go looking for her, and especially don’t say nonsense in front of her."

"Are you afraid of what I might say?" Joanna Sullivan gave a cold laugh. "We had plenty of sweet moments in the past. I still treasure the diamond ring you proposed to me with. Can you really say you’re keeping Eve Vaughn by your side for reasons that have nothing to do with me? Mason, of all the excellent women out there, why did you choose Eve Vaughn? You know why, and so do I."

Mason Lawson’s expression turned grim. He had no desire to reminisce with her about their meaningless past.

He asked sternly, "Yesterday... the video and the post. Was that your doing?"

Joanna Sullivan looked at him in disbelief, then said angrily, "You think I did this? Mason, is this Eve Vaughn’s idea, or yours? Tell me, is she the one who suspects me, or is it you?"

Mason Lawson probably hadn’t expected Joanna Sullivan to react so strongly.

He said, word by word, "Her thoughts are my thoughts. Just tell me, are you involved in this or not?"

Joanna Sullivan’s eyes instantly reddened. "Mason, this time, you’ve really hurt me! I came back to the country, giving up an offer to be a professor at a top-tier dance academy abroad, and opened a studio in Rivaster just to be closer to you. I tried to apologize, but you wouldn’t accept it. When you were sick, I spent hours making pork bone soup for you, and you poured it all out. And now, you’re even slinging this kind of mud at me. You’re going too far!"

She was very emotional, her voice trembling with a sob.

For a moment, Mason Lawson couldn’t tell if she was being genuine, and he couldn’t bring himself to continue berating her.

However, he had always been meticulous in his actions.

Even though Joanna Sullivan denied it, Mason Lawson still said, "I’ll investigate it myself. If this really does have something to do with you, then you’re in big trouble this time."

After all, Old Mr. Lawson was furious and was insisting on finding the person who made the post.

This time, however, Joanna Sullivan showed no fear. She told him, "Go ahead and investigate. And when you’re done, you will clear my name! If it has nothing to do with me, Mason, then you’ll owe me an apology!"

With that, she turned and went back into the hospital room.

The Third Madam hadn’t even had a chance to ask what they had talked about when she saw Joanna Sullivan walk in with a grim expression, packing her bag and belongings.

"Joanna, you... where are you going?" The Third Madam asked quickly. "Did Mason bully you again?"

Joanna Sullivan had always had a temper. She could humble herself, but she would not grovel.

Especially now, after being wrongly accused by Mason Lawson, she suddenly felt like giving up.

It would be better to go back abroad and continue to be cherished by her parents.

And so, despite The Third Madam’s best efforts to make her stay, she couldn’t keep her there.

She told Mason Lawson to go chase after Joanna Sullivan, but he didn’t go.

The Third Madam said in a fury, "I must have owed you in a past life to be your mother in this one! Joanna has been taking care of me without leaving my side these past few days, more attentive than you, my own son. Now that shameless girl from your house is in trouble, why are you taking your anger out on her?"

"The person who stands to gain the most from Eve Vaughn’s trouble would be her," Mason Lawson said, his face cold. "Only she has the strongest motive and the highest likelihood of being at the hospital to witness such a scene, film it, and spread it."

The Third Madam retorted, "Nonsense! Joanna was with me all day yesterday; she never went out. It’s impossible for her to have done this. I know! That little hussy must have been whispering poison in your ear. What’s next? In a little while, will she convince you to abandon me, your own mother?!"

Mason Lawson was getting a headache from his mother’s yelling. He placated her, "If it wasn’t Joanna Sullivan, I will go and apologize to her. But if she did do it, I will absolutely not let it slide."

For some reason, this time The Third Madam was firm in her belief that Joanna Sullivan hadn’t done it.

She said, "Fine! Then it’s settled! Don’t you dare go back on your word!"

Mason Lawson nodded. "I won’t. But for now, you should stop making a scene. Let the nurse reinsert your IV."

The Third Madam was still unwilling. She insisted, "You need to make a clean break with Eve Vaughn, right now! Julian Lawson is done for this time, and Old Mr. Lawson is displeased with the main branch. This is a good thing for us. As long as you make your stance clear to Old Mr. Lawson, the Lawson Group will still be yours!"

"Mom, Eve Vaughn was purely an innocent party dragged into this by Julian Lawson. Besides, my future isn’t so fragile as to depend on a woman."

Figuring the time was right, Mason Lawson laid his cards on the table with his mother. "Regardless of whether I’m with Eve Vaughn or not, the main branch won’t be able to hold on at the Lawson Group for much longer. I have my own plans. You don’t need to worry."

At this, The Third Madam’s eyes lit up. "Really? You haven’t been to the Lawson Group for so long, yet you can still calculate every step so clearly?"

Mason Lawson didn’t speak, but the slight curve of his lips revealed that everything at the Lawson Group was still within his grasp.

It just wasn’t time to draw in the net yet, so he was letting the main branch run wild for now.

But unexpectedly, before he even had to make a move, Julian Lawson had dragged the entire main branch down with him.

Hearing Mason Lawson’s assurance, The Third Madam was finally at ease and obediently allowed the nurse to hook up her IV again.

Just then, Neil Kane knocked on the door.

Mason Lawson knew it must be a lead on the person who had posted the video.

He stepped outside, his gaze sharp and cold, and asked in a low voice, "The video. Who filmed it? And who posted it?"