Billionaire’s Unlikely Bride - Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Raven sat on the couch in her living room, her legs tucked beneath her, as she sipped her coffee. She had been working nonstop on her new collection and decided to take a break. It's been two weeks since Mason asked for space, and since then, she moved into the house he had gotten her when their marriage was still an arrangement. She decided not to fight him on his decision. She couldn’t bear to see the distrust in his eyes. When he said he couldn’t look at her, those words shattered her heart into a million pieces. And right now, all she wanted was to focus on herself. The Raven Prescott before Mason Barrett had always been self-reliant, and she was determined to find that part of herself again. The one who didn't need to beg to be loved.
"At least I have my fashion studio now, that should keep my mind off him." She murmured to herself, glancing toward the dining room table, which was littered with sketches and fabric pieces. The office for her studio was finally ready, and her first collection was set to launch soon. It was a big deal for her, and it hurt her so much that Mason wasn't here to support her.
Julie walked in from the kitchen, holding her phone with a look of irritation on her face. She sat down next to Raven, but Raven noticed the way she immediately turned her phone screen downward, hiding whatever message she had just received.
"Is that Mason?" Raven asked softly.
Julie sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah, it's him again. He's been calling and texting for days, but I've been ignoring him. He deserves it after what he did to you."
Raven shook her head, setting her coffee down on the coffee table. "Julie, don't do that. You don't have to be mad at your brother because of me. You two are close, and I don't want to ruin that relationship. Please."
Julie scowled. "He's acting stupidly, Raven. And I'm not doing this just because we're friends, it's because he's making terrible decisions. And someone needs to knock some sense into him. So, since I can't do that, I'll ignore him until he comes back to his senses."
"Still..." Raven began. "You two have a bond, and it shouldn't be affected by what's happening between me and him. I know how much you care about each other, and I don't want to come between that."
Julie looked at her friend, her frustration evident. "Raven, you're too forgiving. He hurt your feelings, and yet, you're still thinking about his feelings. He should be the one thinking about everything he's put you through. You need to start thinking about yourself for a change."
"I am thinking about myself," Raven said, quietly picking her nails. "That's why I didn't bother showing Mason the CCTV footage. I went back to the hospital and got the proof I needed to prove that I was wrongly accused, but I didn't see the point in giving it to him. He couldn’t trust me before; why would he now?"
Julie reached out, placing a hand on Raven’s arm. "You don't need to prove anything to him, or anyone else. He should know better."
Raven smiled faintly. "I just want to focus on my work now. If Mason comes around, he comes around. If not..." She trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought aloud.
Julie’s phone buzzed again, and Raven gave her a knowing look. "Answer him, Julie."
Julie shook her head. "Not yet. I'll let him sweat it out a little longer."
Back at the Barrett mansion, Mason sat on the patio with Damon. He had just sent Julie another text, asking her to talk to him, but once again, there was no response. He let out a frustrated groan, tossing his phone onto the table.
"Still nothing from Julie?" Damon asked, watching Mason's reaction carefully.
"Nothing," Mason muttered. "She won't answer my calls or reply to my texts, and Raven... she blocked my number."
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Raven blocked you? Well, what did you expect, man? You told her to give you space after accusing her of something she didn't even do. Come on, man; everyone sees that she's innocent except you."
Mason rubbed his temples. "I don't even know why I did that. I was angry and confused. When I saw the photos, I panicked."
"Stop acting as if it's the first time you saw those photos, you should've tried to find out what happened." Damon had no idea Mason wasn't talking about the photos of Justin and Raven but of him and Candice.
Charles saw them together and decided to join them. He heard their conversation as he got closer. "What were you expecting?" He said as he sat down. "You asked for space, now you have plenty of it. You better pray that space is the only thing she asks for when she eventually learns about your little reunion with that ex of yours."
Damon's eyes widened in shock. "Wait... you met Candice?" He turned to Mason in disbelief.
Mason's jaw clenched. "It wasn't like that. I didn't go to see her. It was a coincidence. She showed up at the same place I was."
Charles shook his head disappointedly. "It better be a coincidence, and nothing else happened between you two."
Mason shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet their eyes. He had woken up in bed with Candice the next morning, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit that.
"You need to tread carefully, son," Charles said, his voice stern. "You can't just push Raven away and run back to your past whenever things get hard. It doesn't work that way. You'll only end up losing that which you love the most."
"Dad's right Mason," Damon nodded in agreement. "What you have with Raven is special, don't mess it up."
"Damon, don't you think it's time for you to settle down as well?" Charles asked playfully. "You're almost twenty-six, just a year younger than Mason."
"I'm not ready for that now; commitment isn't my strong suit. So I'll just stick to being single, thank you very much."
Mason sat there, thinking about everything his father and friend had said. The words hit him hard, and he knew they were right. He had been so caught up in his anger that he failed to realize what he was doing to the one person who had stood by him through everything. He had been blind to realize just how much he loved her.
The next day, Mason stood outside Raven's house, his hands shoved deep in his pocket as he stared at the front door. His heart raced in his chest, wondering if she would listen to him. He had no idea but he had to try. He couldn’t go another day without her.
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He knocked again, louder this time. Inside, Julie looked through the peephole and saw her brother standing there.
"It's Mason," she said quietly to Raven.
Raven's heart skipped a beat, but before she could open the door, Julie held her back. "Are you crazy? What are you doing? Don't open the door. Have some pride."
Raven nodded, walking away from the door without a word. Mason knocked again, and there was still no answer.
"Raven, I know you're in there. I'm not leaving until we talk!" He yelled through the door.
Raven bit her lip, her heart racing as she listened to his voice. She wanted to open the door, but Julie didn't let her. "I don't know what my brother's done to my best friend. I've never seen you so crazy in love before. After everything, you should make him suffer a bit."
"I'm sorry, Raven," Mason shouted. "I've been a fool, and I've taken way too long to realize just how much I love you. But I'm here now, and I'm not letting you go again."
Still, Raven didn’t move. Julie was right, she couldn't just give in so easily.