When Mason Sinclair heard that Scarlett Sullivan would be joining them for dinner, he initially refused.
He claimed he wanted to spend some romantic alone time with Bella.
Bella Jefferson’s stomach churned violently, but she held it in.
“Scarlett is my friend, so it’s perfectly fine for her to eat with us,” she said generously, though the look she gave him was meaningful.
“Besides, you two spend a lot of time together anyway, don’t you?”
The fingertips holding his coffee cup trembled slightly.
A flash of panic crossed Mason’s face before he forced a composed tone.
“Don’t misunderstand.
Whenever I’m with her, we’re just discussing work.”
“Of course I know that.
What are you so nervous about?” Bella handed him a tissue with an amused smile.
“Look how scared you are.
You’re breaking out in a cold sweat.”
Mason breathed a sigh of relief and coaxed her gently, “I was just afraid you’d overthink things, misunderstand my relationship with her, and get mad at me again.”
“Am I that petty?”
She was generous enough to give her own man away.
Why would she care about whatever was going on between them?
As they spoke, she leaned casually against the office desk.
Resting her palms on the edge, she was suddenly pricked by something.
She turned her head and saw an invitation card sent by the Xavier Family.
Mason explained smoothly, “Madam Xavier’s eightieth birthday banquet is in a few days.
Many top figures in the scientific research field will be there, so I’m afraid…”
Before he could finish, Bella interrupted with a smile, “I don’t know anything about research.
You should take Scarlett instead.”
She was being so incredibly considerate that a sudden pang of guilt washed over Mason’s heart.
He stood up, walked around the desk to her side, and grasped her hands emotionally.
“My wife is so gentle and thoughtful.
You never put me in a difficult spot.
Marrying you was truly my greatest blessing.”
A wave of disgust washed over Bella.
She was just about to pull her hands away when Scarlett came over to hurry them along.
Mason tactfully let go and patted her head with a gentle smile.
“I’ll go get the car.
You two wait for me at the main entrance.”
With that, he turned and left the office.
Bella and Scarlett followed him downstairs.
Just as they walked out of the lobby, a dark gray Maybach pulled up exactly in front of them.
Scarlett preemptively opened the passenger door, pretending to ask for permission.
“Bella, it’s easier to discuss work from here.
Do you mind if I take this seat?”
Bella hadn’t planned on sitting in the front anyway, so she nodded.
Scarlett got into the car triumphantly.
She proudly showed off her research capabilities, spending the entire ride talking about the new technology.
Bella took in every word but feigned ignorance, letting out a yawn that only made Scarlett look down on her even more.
Ahead was a red light, and the car slowly came to a halt.
Scarlett reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against Mason’s. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Mason hadn’t expected her to be so bold.
His expression shifted slightly as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
Seeing that Bella had her eyes closed, he let out a sigh of relief and shot Scarlett a warning look, silently telling her to stop messing around.
Bella was only pretending to be asleep.
She had peered through half-open eyelids and taken in the entire scene.
But she didn’t care.
She simply shut her eyes again to spare herself the disgusting sight.
Scarlett ignored his warning and grew even bolder.
Her hand crept up Mason’s thigh, giving it a light squeeze.
Unable to hold back, Mason let out a muffled groan.
Bella felt truly grateful that she hadn’t taken the passenger seat.
Even with her right there, the two of them were being blatantly shameless.
She could only imagine how wild they got in the car when they actually had the place to themselves.
But what could she do about them?
They acted like a bona fide married couple anyway.
Cheating wasn’t a crime.
It might as well just be marital foreplay.
Bella pretended to sleep the entire way, only opening her eyes when they arrived at the restaurant.
She automatically filtered out all the conspicuous noises the two had made during the ride.
Fortunately, she didn’t come out empty-handed; she had gleaned several confidential clues about the new technology from Scarlett’s earlier boasting.
The documents Anson had compiled for her were incomplete.
Bella knew right then that aside from Scarlett, Mason was guarding his secrets against everyone else.
Therefore, if she wanted to uncover those secrets, she had to swallow her disgust and spend time with the two of them.
Perhaps to enjoy the exclusive services of a “husband,” Scarlett ordered a massive spread of seafood.
She even dropped a crab onto Bella’s plate, chatting away blithely, “You should try this, Bella.
The crabs are incredibly fresh this season.”
Bella paused for a moment before feigning helplessness.
“I don’t eat seafood.”
Scarlett hurriedly apologized.
“I’m so sorry, I completely forgot.”
In reality, she knew perfectly well and had done it on purpose.
She let out a sigh.
“I love eating it, but unfortunately, I don’t know how to crack the shells.
Bella, do you mind if I ask President Sinclair to help me?”
Bella waved her hand dismissively, gesturing for her to do as she pleased.
Having received Bella’s permission, Mason picked up the crab-cracking tools.
Grabbing a crab with his other hand, he skillfully began extracting the meat.
Bella had enjoyed that patient and gentle demeanor of his for five whole years.
But had any of it ever been genuine?
She didn’t have much of an appetite anyway.
Just as she was about to find an excuse to leave, someone upstairs called out, “Mr.
Xavier!” Immediately after, several middle-aged men in suits walked down the stairs, surrounding a central figure. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
Her pupils contracted, and her movement to push back her chair froze mid-air.
The man was dressed in a black dress shirt, his suit jacket draped casually over his arm.
He looked relaxed yet radiated the undeniable authority of a powerful leader, making him exceptionally striking among the group.
He chatted idly with the people beside him as he descended.
Even from a distance, the aura of a man who had spent years ruthlessly battling for power and wealth felt so oppressive that Bella could hardly catch her breath.
It was unclear whether he had spotted them, but his gaze suddenly swept in their direction.
Bella subconsciously turned her head away.
Mason instantly dropped his tools and stood up in a hurry.
“Mr.
Xavier is dining here too.
I’m going to go say hello.
You two go ahead and eat.”
He rose quickly and strode over to catch up with them.
Curious about what Adrian Xavier looked like, Scarlett immediately followed suit.
Watching them scurry off, Bella couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry.
She was just debating whether to give Adrian a heads-up when she saw Nancy Monroe march over.
Nancy firmly blocked Mason and Scarlett’s path, while Adrian and his entourage walked briskly toward the restaurant’s entrance.
Just before stepping through the doors, Adrian turned his head and shot her one last glance.
Bella happened to look up at that exact moment, and their eyes met.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She clearly caught the upward curl of his lips and the undisguised, mocking smile on his face.
It lasted only a second before the man withdrew his gaze and left swiftly.
Meanwhile, Mason frowned.
He wondered why Mr.
Xavier’s silhouette looked somewhat similar to Miles Sinclair.
But Miles had disappeared five years ago.
Mason decided his eyes must be playing tricks on him.
Miles was an orphan.
The Sinclair family had kindly adopted him, which was the only reason he had experienced a few years of a wealthy lifestyle.
There was absolutely no way someone like him could be connected to the illustrious Mr.
Xavier.
“President Sinclair,” Nancy said, her voice laced with a stern warning.
“Mr.
Xavier doesn’t like strangers approaching him.
If there is a next time, Meridian Group can forget about our partnership!”