Victoria_Xoxo

He chuckled. “What’s with the face?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re blushing.” His voice held a teasing lit, and I could practically hear the smirk behind it.

“Oh.” I raised a hand to my cheek, rubbing absently, only to feel the warmth spreading across my skin. My lips twisted into a small, guilty smile.

Leo’s eyes gleamed with amusement. There was something about the way he looked at me—steady, knowing—that made me uneasy. Not because I felt uncomfortable, but because I had spent so long misunderstanding him.

Why hadn’t I seen his loyalty from the start? Why had I assumed he wanted me for business, for something transactional? A pang of guilt settled in my chest.

“This place is…” I started, glancing around, searching for words.

He leaned back slightly, one arm draped over the chair. “Deserving of a heiress,” he finished smoothly. “I had a work break.”

A warm rush of gratitude filled me, but it was quickly dampened by a lingering thought. Cassie had mentioned something earlier—something about Ophelia storming into Leo’s office. My fingers curled slightly against the tablecloth.

Kill Lila!

If I didn't tell Ophelia about President Leo, there was no knowing what she would do to my mother…perhaps she would never let me see her again.

"Tell me all you know, Mason. And don't you dare leave out anything." She threatened. I could sense the snarl in her voice, like a wolf cornering its prey, ready to pounce and devour it.

I swallowed a gulp of vain air, trouble filled my lungs as I struggled to keep that in my mind, but well…

"I think he saw me leaving the ball after Lila, but I swear, I didn't follow her, before I came out, she was gone," the pancake was turning burnt now, I quickly turned off the burner, took a long inhale. "He cornered me a few weeks ago to tell him what I know about Lila's whereabouts, I was scared when he threatened me…"

Her whisper-yell caught me mid-sentence. "Fuck, you could've lied!"

34. The Secret is Out of the Bag. Mason's Pov