Billionaire’s Unlikely Bride - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Charles shook his head as he waited for Mason to tell him what had happened. Not that Charles was clueless, by any means, but he wanted to allow Mason to tell him the truth. He leaned against the doorframe of his study as he watched Mason step inside. Mason sank into one of the leather armchairs, wondering why his father suddenly asked to talk to him.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on, Mason? Or should you keep being reckless with your decisions?" Charles asked, his disappointment evident.
Mason frowned, realizing Charles seemed to know something but unsure how. Then again, Charles always seemed to know what was going on and Mason had never figured out how. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wondering just how much his father already knew.
"What do you want me to say, Dad?" Mason muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Where exactly were you last night?" Charles asked, folding his arms across his chest. "And don't try to lie to me because I know you met with your ex. I just want to know where you went after."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Dad."
"You and Raven may not have had a proper wedding, but as long as you're both married, you should learn to trust your wife."
Mason's face darkened. "You don't understand, Raven betrayed me. I saw the photos, Dad. After seeing her with Justin, what was I supposed to think?"
Charles remained silent for a moment, his gaze never leaving Mason. "I'm not saying what you saw doesn’t hurt, but before you rush to judgment, ask yourself, do you know the whole truth?"
"It's not that simple, Dad." he paused; the memory of waking up beside Candice flashed through his mind. "And now I've made things worse."
"You've made things worse because you refuse to confront the truth," Charles said firmly. "You think pushing Raven away will solve everything? It won’t, son. Whatever you know you did to make things worse, talk to your wife about it. It's better than letting guilt and anger destroy what's left."
Mason opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t find the right words.
In the living room, Raven’s sobs were muffled against Julie’s shoulder. Her tears soaked through her friend's shirt, but Julie held her tightly, whispering comforting words to her.
"I don't understand why Mason can't seem to trust me, I thought we had something special." Raven cried softly. "How can he believe I'd ever betray him like that? When I'm fully aware of everything he's been through with Candice. I swear... I didn't do what they're accusing me of."
Julie’s heart ached for her friend. "Mason is confused, Raven. Honestly, I wish I could knock some senses into his head. Just give him time, I'm sure he'll come around."
Raven pulled back, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "What if he doesn’t? What if... he decides to leave me? I don't think I can handle that, Julie. I've fallen too deep for him to just push me away."
"He wouldn't do that," Julie said firmly. "I've seen the way he looks at you. He loves you, Raven. Even if he's too dumb to realize it, everyone sees it."
The sound of the study door opening made them both turn their heads. Mason emerged from the room, his expression cold. Raven's heart skipped a beat, hoping he would say something, anything at all. But he just walked past her without a word.
"Mason," she called out, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t even look at her.
Later that evening, Raven prepared dinner in silence. Even after everything, she still felt the need to take care of everyone. She tried to focus on chopping the vegetables, but it didn't help with her racing thoughts. Just yesterday, everyone was happy and she looked forward to Mason coming home from work, but within a few minutes, her whole world came crashing down. She had to find a way to prove to Mason that she was innocent. Even if the whole world doesn't believe her, all she cares about is what her husband thinks of her.
And as soon as she does that, she isn't going to spare Justin or Blair. Raven knew it had to be Blair who took those pictures.
When everything was ready, she wiped her hands on a towel and made her way upstairs to call Mason down for dinner. She stood outside the room, hesitating for a moment before knocking softly.
"Mason?" She called gently. "Dinner's ready."
"I'm not hungry." She heard him say from inside.
Raven bit her lip, her heart ached from his rejection. She pushed the door open slightly, peeking in. "I... I made it myself."
"I just told you I'm not hungry."
"Can we talk? Please." She requested.
"There's nothing to talk about," he muttered, typing on his laptop.
Raven stepped inside her heart racing. "Mason, I'm sorry. I should have told you about Justin earlier. But I didn't want to add to your stress. You had so much going on already, and I thought I could handle it on my own. Please just believe me."
Mason's phone buzzed and when he glanced down at the screen, his eyes narrowed as he saw a photo of him and Candice together in bed. He stood abruptly, knocking his chair over in the process.
"What's wrong?" Raven asked, alarmed by his sudden mood change. She took a step toward him, standing right in front of him but he moved away from her.
"I can't do this right now, Raven," Mason said through gritted teeth. "I can't even look at you."
Raven's eyes widened in shock. "What? But I said I was sorry. You still don't believe me?"
Charles, who was passing by, overheard Mason’s words and shot him a glare. But Mason ignored it.
"I think we need a break."
"No, we don't," Raven said quickly.
"I need some space, Raven." Mason's voice sounded cold and distant. "I need time to think."
"You don't mean that." Raven’s heart shattered when he didn’t say anything. She nodded slowly, backing away from him. "Fine, if that's what you want." She whispered, her voice barely audible.
Meanwhile, in Justin’s penthouse, Blair stood in Justin’s bedroom, her eyes scanning the room as she sat on his bed. She had come to update him on their plan, but something had caught her attention. It was a black file hidden under a stack of papers.
Curiosity got the best of her and she pulled the file out, her eyes widening as she read the contents. It was a contract, a transfer of ownership. It states that Mason was going to hand over the company to Justin.
Blair’s blood ran cold as realization dawned on her. This was Justin’s plan all along. He wasn’t just trying to ruin Mason's reputation, he wanted the company. He wanted everything. Blair wondered how he planned to get Mason to sign this document.
Just then, the sound of the shower turning off snapped her out of her thoughts. Justin emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped dangerously low around his waist, his body glistening with water.
"What are you doing?" Justin asked, his voice smooth and predatory as he caught her snooping.
Blair quickly shoved the file away, pretending as if she hadn’t seen anything. "I was just... I was looking for you," she said casually, hoping her voice didn’t betray her.
Justin smirked, stepping closer to her. "Now that you know what my plans are," he said, his voice dripping with seduction. "Are you going to help me accomplish them?"
He moved closer to her, his wet skin sparkling under the light, and Blair couldn’t deny how enticing he looked. But in the back of her mind, she knew it was going to be beneficial to her if she could have Justin wrapped around her fingers. Then, she could finally get all she wanted, the wealth of the Barrett family.
Blair nodded absentmindedly, her mind already racing with thoughts of how she could make everything be in her favor.