’Was this really the same warm, considerate uncle figure from before?’

He had been so good to her. He’d stood up for her, taken family punishment on her behalf, and pulled her out of the mire whenever she was in trouble.

So why was his gaze now filled with such coldness and doubt?

This plunged Eve Vaughn’s heart into a cold, bleak state.

’It’s a tragic thing to be wrongly accused and misunderstood by the person you love.’

She had been hurt like this once before, by Julian Lawson. She had thought that after meeting Mason Lawson, all her suffering was finally over.

But she never imagined that every word from Mason now would feel like an awl, piercing one hole after another into her heart.

Despite her aching heart, Eve Vaughn didn’t want to be misunderstood, so she explained, "Mrs. Shaw doesn’t know your relationship with Regina is fake. That’s why she was so angry and insisted on seeing Miss Sullivan."

But her words did nothing to soften Mason Lawson’s expression.

She only heard Mason Lawson say coldly, "I was having my PR team bury this scandal, hoping to make a big deal into a small one, and a small one into nothing. But you just had to drag the Shaw Family into it. Now they’ll inevitably go crying to Old Mr. Lawson, and the whole Lawson Family will be in an uproar again!"

"But what does that have to do with me?" Eve Vaughn said. "You’re the one who went to Miss Sullivan’s house last night. The gossip is about you two. You can be angry, but why are you blaming me for it?"

Hearing the complaint in Eve Vaughn’s voice, Mason Lawson rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "You saw the situation last night. Who knew when the police would arrive? If I hadn’t gone down to save her, she would have been in real trouble."

Eve Vaughn followed his line of thought and asked, "And if it had been a stranger, would you still have rushed to save them so selflessly?"

"Don’t be unreasonable."

Mason Lawson cut her off impatiently. "Joanna Sullivan and I are in the past. However, she’s not a stranger to me. At the very least, I can’t just stand by and do nothing when she’s in danger."

Hearing his words, Eve Vaughn’s heart clenched.

’That’s right. So many years of history, his first love... they almost got married. How could they possibly be strangers?’

’She had only known him for a few months, and they had already done... those very, very intimate things.’

’Perhaps he and Joanna Sullivan had done even more intimate things.’

At this thought, Eve Vaughn’s chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to even breathe.

’She just wanted to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the car. She didn’t want to break down and cry in front of him, to show such weakness.’

Eve Vaughn took a deep breath and said, "Right. You’re not strangers. And the only reason I received such special treatment from you in the first place was because I look like Miss Sullivan. I was just benefiting from her light. I get it now."

Mason Lawson’s expression turned ugly. He gripped the steering wheel tightly but offered no explanation.

Even as Eve Vaughn scrambled out of the car and stumbled away, he didn’t go after her.

However, his ink-black eyes held a flickering flame, and his long knuckles were turning a faint white.

Before long, the call from Old Mr. Lawson came through.

Although Mason Lawson had already forced the website to delete the post, this was something Autumn Woods had deliberately orchestrated. They certainly wouldn’t give up such a golden opportunity, so they made sure Old Mr. Lawson found out.

Even if Autumn Woods hadn’t said anything, the Shaw Family wouldn’t have let it go. They would have gone to Old Mr. Lawson for an explanation all the same.

As soon as he answered, Old Mr. Lawson’s furious voice boomed from the other end. "I’ve only been gone a few days, and something this huge has already happened! Tell me, how did you get mixed up with Joanna Sullivan again? And you even let the media photograph you. Are you tired of me being alive? Are you trying to anger me to death?!"

"I’ve already suppressed the matter. The media was just chasing shadows."

Mason Lawson’s brief explanation did nothing to dispel Old Mr. Lawson’s doubts or his fury.

The old man said angrily, "I’m heading back in the next couple of days. Don’t you try to gloss this over. And another thing—I’ll be inviting the Shaws over. You’d better think carefully about how you’re going to explain this to them!"

And with that, Old Mr. Lawson angrily hung up.

Mason Lawson felt utterly exhausted. It was just one thing after another.

Judging by the way Mrs. Shaw had come to the hospital today to demand answers, he knew this matter wouldn’t be resolved peacefully.

What angered him most was that Eve Vaughn was now daring to ignore his calls, refusing to listen to his explanation, and instead going through the Shaw Family to handle this, pressuring him and making a statement.

’So, has the sweet, obedient little girl he kept by his side learned to play these kinds of games now?’

The more Mason Lawson thought about it, the more irritated he became. He truly didn’t want Eve Vaughn to turn into a calculating, scheming girl.

Just then, Neil Kane’s call came in.

Mason Lawson answered with a frown. "What is it now?"

Neil Kane said cautiously, "About that endorsement deal you mentioned for Miss Sullivan... Old Mr. Lawson just called personally to give an order. From now on, the Lawson Group is to have no collaborations with Miss Sullivan whatsoever."

Mason Lawson sighed. "Understood."

’Old Mr. Lawson’s reaction was perfectly normal. After all, this was the only way to appease the Shaw Family’s dissatisfaction and, at the same time, show the Lawson Family’s sincerity.’

...

「Rivaster University.」

When Eve Vaughn got back, Regina Shaw was already in their dorm room.

Seeing Eve Vaughn’s red eyes, she rushed over. "I told Mason Lawson to go find you. You saw him, right? Did you two fight? Don’t tell me he didn’t apologize and bullied you instead?"

Regina figured that if Mason had apologized, there was no way Eve would have refused to forgive him, given how much she cared for him.

Now, with Eve having obviously been crying, it must have been because Mason hadn’t apologized and had even made her cry out of anger.

"What on earth happened?"

Regina asked worriedly, "Come on, say something! Don’t tell me... he actually got back together with Joanna Sullivan?"

Tears streamed down Eve Vaughn’s face, and she threw her arms around Regina Shaw.

Sobbing, she told her what had happened that afternoon.

Regina was furious as she listened. She shot back, "So what he’s saying is, he’s not responsible, Joanna Sullivan’s not responsible, but you’re the one in the wrong? What kind of logic is that? Besides, didn’t you tell him that my mom was the one who insisted on finding Joanna, and you couldn’t stop her!"

"I did, but... it was like he didn’t believe me."

Eve Vaughn’s voice trailed off.

Trying to cheer her up, Regina said consolingly, "She’s just some homewrecking fox. What’s so great about her? She must have said something bad about you to Mason for him to act like this. And let me tell you, my mom went over today and really gave her a piece of her mind for you! She didn’t just curse that fox out until she was utterly humiliated, she’s also planning to go to Old Mr. Lawson and get the Lawson family to blacklist her!"

Although that course of action was certainly satisfying, for some reason, Eve Vaughn just couldn’t feel happy about it.

What she cared about wasn’t what happened to Joanna Sullivan.

It was Mason Lawson.

Even if Joanna Sullivan were suppressed and blacklisted, it wouldn’t change how Mason saw her.

The thought that Mason didn’t believe her was excruciatingly painful for Eve Vaughn.

After all, her last failed relationship fell apart precisely because Julian Lawson had no trust in her.

That relationship had become a shadow looming over Eve Vaughn’s life.

Mason’s actions today were like ripping open a scar that had just barely healed, a pain that was raw and bloody.

"Senior Shaw, I... I want to be alone for a little while."

With that, Eve Vaughn climbed onto her bed and sat silently in the corner, like a small, wounded animal, licking her wounds in solitude.

Seeing this, Regina Shaw couldn’t bear it.

’It was her fault for not holding back today. She had wanted to take the opportunity, with her parents there, to teach Joanna Sullivan a lesson.’

’But she never expected it would infuriate Mason and cause him to misunderstand Eve like this.’

Regina hesitated for a moment, then decided to call Mason and explain what had happened today.

Of course, she also needed Mason to give Eve an explanation.

After all, she still hadn’t told Eve that she had personally seen Joanna Sullivan and Mason embracing at the hospital today.

’Regina wanted to get a clear answer. If Mason was really a heartless bastard who was only with Eve because she was young and he was just playing with her, then Regina wouldn’t cover for him anymore.’