The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

This guy called me Kate, which meant he must be familiar with Katherine—yet I had absolutely no idea who he was.
But it wasn't a problem for me. I could pretend we knew each other.
I put on a frustrated face and sighed, "Don't even mention it. The old lady in that family got knocked over by one of our employees and ended up in the hospital. She's been relentless about suing us.
"We finally reached a compensation agreement, and I came to deliver the money, but they suddenly moved away."
Since I was young, I'd often accompanied my father to various business parties. Years of exposure had taught me more than a little about how to talk my way out of a tight spot.
Sure, I'd lost some of that sharpness during my three years of marriage to Oliver, but at least I hadn't forgotten how to think on my feet.
I knew better than to talk too much—more words meant more chances to slip up. I needed to get out of here.
I still had no idea who this young man was, but despite the friendly tone in his voice, I could feel that he didn't mean well. There was something behind that soft smile that set off all my alarms.
I glanced at my watch and feigned urgency. "Oh shoot, there's something important at the company. Gotta run. Bye."
"Goodbye, Kate," he said.
I jumped in my car and drove off. After I'd gotten pretty far, I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him still standing there.
My heart was thumping wildly. It wasn't until I got to the company that I finally started to calm down. Even though I left home early, I still arrived late.
Elena was already there. She had already cleaned the office. But she looked exhausted, with big dark circles under her eyes, just like mine. She clearly hadn't slept well either.
I didn't expect that a single encounter with Mason could have that kind of effect on her.
Worry flickered in my chest, though I didn't say anything. If I said nothing, I could at least pretend I didn't notice and spare her some dignity. If I brought it up, our friendship might not survive the conversation.
I did treasure our friendship. I could only hope she'd work through it on her own.
Being the acting general manager was nothing like being a deputy. Even though I'd just take this position temporarily, every affair came straight to me.
Soon, the morning's odd encounter was completely forgotten as I threw myself into the mountain of work waiting on my desk.
I barely had time to drink water this morning. The desk was buried in paperwork—a backlog that had built up recently.
It was like I'd dug my own grave.
Since I joined the company, I'd been so focused on making trouble for Xander—digging into his shady dealings and looking for proof of embezzlement. Xander spent most of his energy trying to keep me off his tail, leaving his work unfinished.
Now, all the backlog fell into my lap. I had no one to blame but myself. I'd made this mess, and I had to clean it up now.
Thankfully, I had Elena. She sorted the documents into neat stacks, separating the easy ones so I could sign them right away.
As for the complicated or confusing ones, she pushed them to the side for me to figure out later—either by myself or by asking Mason after work.
Mason said he'd be staying at home for the next few days, and that I could call or bring anything I didn't understand to him for help.
When lunchtime came, I stretched my aching neck and stood up to ease the stiffness in my back.
I had Elena order two takeout meals. I grabbed a few bites and then got right back to work. The entire afternoon flew by in paperwork and signatures.
When the workday ended, Elena asked, "Ms. Gordon, would you work overtime tonight?"
I replied, "No, let's get off work. We'll handle it tomorrow."
She nodded. "Okay."
When I got home, Nadia came up to me and whispered, "Mr. Knight is waiting for you in the study. He doesn't seem very happy."
I replied, "Got it. Thanks."
I opened the door and stepped inside. Mason was seated behind the desk, his face stormy. I had no idea what I'd done this time.
Without a word, I placed the folder of documents I was carrying onto the desk and sat down across from him.
"Where did you go this morning?" His voice was icy cold.
In that instant, I understood exactly why he was angry. I lowered my head and mumbled, my tone guilty, "I... I went to Lane Villa."
"Do you think after you get your revenge, you can start doing whatever the hell you want?" Mason narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in his deep eyes. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine.
"No, that's not what I'm thinking." I rushed to defend myself.
But even as I denied it, deep down, I knew there was a part of me that thought exactly what he said.
He shot back, "Really? Then tell me, what's on your mind? I told you clearly not to call your family. So instead of calling, you decided to show up in person?"
"By the way, where is my family? Did you move them somewhere else?" I asked, my heart racing. I was sure their abrupt move must have something to do with him.
Mason replied evenly, "They moved to a place you'll never find. If you don't cooperate, you'll never see them again."
"You can't do that. That's too far." I slammed my fists on the desk and shot to my feet. I stared at him, my eyes blazing.
How dare he use my parents's safety to threaten me? That was beyond cruel.
While I was fuming, he stayed perfectly calm. He replied, "Do you even hear yourself? When you signed the contract, what did you promise? And what did you actually do? You were the one who broke your word first, and you're now accusing me, huh?"
His barrage of questions left me speechless. I collapsed back into my chair.
"You acted for your own satisfaction without considering the interests of your allies. Is that how you define cooperation?" Mason's lecture went on for half an hour.
By the time he finally stopped, I had no fury left in me. I was totally convinced by him.
He was right. I was the selfish one. At first, all I wanted was revenge—but once I'd gotten it, I wanted more.
I never stopped to consider what those wants meant for my role, my obligations, and my allies. It was my fault, and I had no excuse.
I said sincerely, "I'm sorry. I was too reckless."
It wasn't just because he had leverage over me. I genuinely meant it. I was in the wrong.
Mason's tone softened as he spoke up, "The man you saw this morning is Richard Knight. He's my younger brother."
"What? But he doesn't look like you at all." The words flew out before I could think. Realizing how improper that sounded, I quickly added, "I didn't say anything that gave me away. I swear."
He studied me for a long moment. "You think if you arouse his suspicion, I'd still be speaking to you so nicely?"
Before I could respond, he changed the subject. "Start getting ready. I'll take you to meet my family in a few days."
I hadn't expected things to move this quickly. Suddenly, I felt nervous.
"Is there anything I should be careful about?" I asked. The earlier confrontation had left me feeling ashamed, and I took the meeting seriously.
Mason had helped me get my revenge. He even saved me twice. The least I could do was not embarrass him when it was my turn to show up.
He said, "Just relax. When I'm done with the current mess at work, I'll teach you what you need to know."
"Okay. I promise I'll behave from now on. No more reckless actions," I spoke with a solemn expression, trying to show I meant every word.
He looked at me. "I don't want any promises. Just show me with your actions."
I nodded firmly. "Sure."
Mason walked out from behind the desk. I thought our conversation was over, and that he was leaving.
But before I could react, he pulled me into his arms—his chest solid and warm—and his lips crashed down on mine. My eyes flew open in shock as his face suddenly filled my vision.
My mind went completely blank. I forgot to struggle. My hands flailed in the air, reaching for something but finding nothing at all.