Mason understood in an instant.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he reined in the desire in his eyes.

He remembered she was inexperienced, and he had been particularly demanding the past few days, every encounter ending with her either in tears or asleep from exhaustion.

Mason had no choice but to stand down. His voice was laced with a suggestive tone as he said, "What can I do? My Evie is just too delectable."

His teasing made Eve Vaughn’s cheeks burn. She quickly ran inside, afraid that if he kept talking, she’d want to find a hole to crawl into and hide.

...

The next morning, Mason changed out of his comfortable loungewear, once again confining himself within the cold authority of an expensive suit and tie.

He moved quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping young woman.

But Eve Vaughn woke up anyway.

She watched, mesmerized, as the debonair man before her fastened his cufflinks, looking distinguished and elegant even in such a simple act.

’What a pity. He still has to go back to the Lawson Group. In the end, he isn’t mine alone.’

Thinking of the time they had spent together every day, just the two of them, Eve Vaughn’s eyes filled with a sad reluctance to let him go.

Mason, now fully dressed, walked to the side of the bed and asked with a smile, "Lost in thought so early in the morning? What’s on your mind?"

Eve Vaughn quickly shook her head and smiled back at him. "I was just thinking, why is Mr. Lawson so handsome? I’m so lucky to have such a handsome man."

Her words made Mason’s heart race, and he suddenly leaned in and kissed her inviting lips.

If it weren’t for a mandatory meeting at the office, he wouldn’t have been able to resist spending the rest of the morning tangled up with her.

In the end, he only gave her a light kiss, unlike the day before when he had left her breathless.

Before he left, Mason said, "Since you’re awake, go get some breakfast. And remember, don’t read any of those ridiculous posts and rumors. I promise that when you go back to school next week, no one will question your good name."

After saying his piece, Mason hurried out the door.

Eve Vaughn lay back down, resting her head on the pillow he had used. It was filled with his scent, making her feel safe and secure.

She suddenly realized, ’So, this is what love feels like.’

’Then what I had with Julian before...’

’Was that just playing house?’

...

「Lawson Group.」

Even though Ethan Lawson had already received word that Mason would be back today, he was still resentful.

Previously, Ethan Lawson had deliberately spread rumors that Mason had been kicked out of the family by the old man and would never be able to return.

That he, Ethan, would be the sole heir to the Lawson Group.

After all the trouble of kicking Mason out of the company, only a short time had passed before he was back!

The morning’s board meeting was especially galling. The man in the head seat had switched from himself back to Mason, which felt like a silent slap in the face.

While the group’s senior executives were curious about Mason’s two-week absence, they knew that under Ethan’s management, many problems had surfaced at the Lawson Group.

Now that Mason was finally back, the senior executives could breathe a sigh of relief.

Once the meeting was over, Mason moved with swift and decisive action to resolve the recent troubles and crises the Lawson Group had been facing.

What was even more humiliating was that in a meeting lasting only two hours, Mason vetoed several policies and resolutions that Ethan had pushed through. Though Mason hadn’t uttered a single word of reprimand or profanity, Ethan felt utterly disgraced.

More importantly, Ethan, feeling his position at the Lawson Group was secure, had orchestrated the acquisition of a small company. He planned to hand it over to Eve Vaughn’s uncle to manage.

’After all,’ he thought, ’Jason Vaughn and his family are going to be my in-laws. They need to have some kind of respectable business. I can’t have people gossiping that the eldest branch’s in-laws are a bunch of bankrupt paupers!’

But now, just as the acquisition was about to be finalized tomorrow, Mason had single-handedly vetoed it, claiming the risk assessment needed to be redone.

After the meeting, a furious Ethan followed Mason to his office.

He immediately demanded, "What’s the meaning of this? Dad didn’t even butt in on the acquisition of such a small company, he let me handle it completely. Why do you suddenly have a problem with it?"

Mason flipped through the documents on his desk without even glancing at him. A smirk played on his lips. "Brother, were you planning to acquire this company as a gift for the Vaughn Family?"

Ethan’s expression flickered. Though he felt a pang of guilt, he put on a brave front. "So what if I was? The Vaughns will be our in-laws soon. What’s so wrong with acquiring a company and letting Jason Vaughn manage it?"

Mason’s expression darkened. "Brother, you know perfectly well that I was the one who bankrupted the Vaughn Family. I won’t allow them to get back on their feet. And yet, you insist on using the Lawson Group’s funds to prop them up. Are you... trying to undermine me?"

As he spoke the last few words, his gaze finally, chillingly, settled on Ethan’s face, making him shudder involuntarily.

But Ethan couldn’t stomach the humiliation.

He couldn’t help but sneer, "I know what this is about! The girl you risked your life to protect is still hung up on my son. She was all over him at the hospital, clinging to him and not letting go. Is your pride hurt? Is that why you’re trying to get revenge on us in any way you can?"

Mason didn’t get angry. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. "Brother, Julian’s wedding is the day after tomorrow. You should use this time to make sure the preparations are flawless. Don’t let anything go wrong. If there are any issues on the wedding day, it’ll be hard to answer to Dad."

Ethan, completely missing the hidden threat, just snorted. "You think I need you to tell me that? You’re probably just hoping something goes wrong with the wedding! Well, I’m telling you, it won’t happen! Your sister-in-law has triple-checked every detail. This wedding is going to be a spectacular success."

At this, a smug look crossed Ethan’s face. "Oh, and by the way, Dad said that after the wedding, he’s giving Julian five percent of his personal shares. After all, Julian will be a married man with his own family; it’s time he had some assets of his own!"

Mason found his blatant gloating amusing.

He enunciated each word clearly. "Then I’ll wish Julian a happy wedding in advance. And to you and your family, brother, a double celebration."

Seeing that Mason wasn’t angered, Ethan left the office, feeling somewhat disappointed. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Just as he was leaving, Neil Kane walked in.

After Ethan left, Neil Kane approached Mason’s desk and said in a low voice, "Mr. Lawson, everything you asked for has been arranged. The show will begin at the wedding the day after tomorrow. By then, the entire country will know exactly what the eldest branch of the family is really like."