Falling For My Billionaire Savior - Chapter 121: Chapter 121

"Not at all. I'd lay down my life for the Knight family, no questions asked," I mumbled into the cushions.
"Nice. You're getting good at saying one thing and meaning the opposite."
I burst into tears, rolled over, and clung to Mason, sobbing my heart out. Finally, I could let it all out. His shirt was soaked with my tears.
I sobbed, "Delilah's being a total bully. This isn't fair. Why the hell do I gotta clean up Richard's damn mess with his whore?
"He used Elena to set me up, and now I have to fix it? Where's the fairness in that? What did I ever do to deserve this?"
I cried and ranted, and he didn't say a word. He just held me quietly, listening to all my rambling.
Once I'd said my piece and cried myself out, I pulled away from Mason's arms. That was when I noticed his crisp shirt—all crumpled up from me, practically a rag now.
"All cried out?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Got everything off your chest?"
I nodded.
"Good. Now that you've had your say, listen to me." His big hand gently touched my face, wiping away the remaining dampness from my cheeks.
Then he spoke up. "I told you before, weak people don't get to ask for fairness. The world's tough, and our family's even tougher. You thought Grandma would just take your side no matter what just because she likes you? Wrong. Family's always first with her, no question.
"When you're strong enough, you won't go looking for someone to reason with because by then, you'll be the one making the rules.
"So for now, dry your tears, and swallow all the gripes. Do a good job with what Grandma wants, and she'll see you're worth something. She'll pay more attention to you and treat you better."
I swear, I wanted to bite him.
But Mason was already standing up. He pulled off the crumpled shirt and headed for the bathroom, tossing one last line over his shoulder. "Watch your language. Don't be rude."
Early the next morning, I left before anyone else. I announced loudly and clearly to everyone, "I'm going to find Elena. Tell her to stop bugging Richard."
With that, I walked right out in front of everyone.
Last night, I had a sudden realization. Being low-key, profound, or sophisticated didn't work with these people.
I'd been misled by that training from the start. I thought rich families were like a deep, murky pool, where everyone spoke in hints and never said what they really meant.
But last night it finally clicked. Joey's way—carefree, rushing in without a second thought—was actually the best way to get by in the Knight family.
Elena showed up because Joey told her about Moira's visit. But Joey got off scot-free. No one even asked her about it.
Me? I'd been cleared of all suspicion, and I still got thrown into the fire. I vented a little about being wronged, and Mason lectured me for it.
In the end, I decided to take his advice and make my own place in the Knight family in my own way.
As I left, I saw everyone's shocked stares in the glass reflection. For some reason, it felt great.
I'd called Elena in the middle of the night to set a time and place to meet.
On the phone, her voice was thick with sobs. She sounded pretty drunk too. She rambled, wanting to pour her heart out, but I cut her off and said we needed to meet today.
She agreed, anyway. I didn't care if she'd had too much to drink and would forget it. I'd recorded the call. If Elena didn't show, it was her fault. Nothing to do with me.