Chapter 6

Mason knew his grandma said that on purpose, but he stole a glance at Zoe nonetheless. She had no intention of acting all lovey-dovey with him. She chatted with Barbara for a while before standing up and said, “I’ll make the pretzels now.”

The smile on Barbara’s face was gone as soon as Zoe left. Then, she leaned back.

“What’s up with Lilith, Mason? You can look after her a little, but fireworks are a tad too much. Zoe might be jealous of her and pick a bone with you.

“You should make more effort for Zoe. Don’t neglect her.

“She might just run away if you continue to treat her like she’s nothing.”

…

Mason gave Barbara some answers to appease her, but he did not bother to justify the fireworks. Perhaps it was Ava’s doing!

They had been chatting for a while when Zoe came in with the snacks. He looked at her and saw that she kept her shirt clean. She was so elegant and beautiful. Every lady should follow her example.

He lost his appetite for food all of a sudden. Barbara, on the other hand, loved it. She took a bite out of it and said, “You’ll be thirty years old in two years, Mason. Your friends are already raising two children. When are you going to have your own babies?”

Zoe remained quiet. Mason glanced at her and fiddled with one of her pretzels, “Zoe is still young. I think I’ll take it easy for another two years!”

Barbara knew what he meant, but she did not care to say it out loud.

…

Both of them had dinner at Lockwood Manor. It was quite late by the time they left. Mason buckled up and glanced at Zoe. She was looking out the car window.

She looked so fair and beautiful under the gloomy light. Mason stared at her for a good while before stepping on the gas gently. It was obvious he was trying to talk to her about something. That was why he did not drive very fast.

About five minutes later, Mason said, “I’ll ask my men to transfer your father to Lockwood Hospital tomorrow. He’ll be treated by the best professional medical team. Also, you should just let me know if you need more money.”

He spoke rather gently. This is his way of backing down. He did not love Zoe. He still had not forgiven her for tricking him back then.

However, he had no intention of replacing her with another lady. It was going to have a detrimental effect on his life as well as the company shares.

He would just have to get used to her!

Moreover, she was one of the prettiest and sexiest ladies alive. It was quite satisfactory when it came to sex, he thought.

Mason stole a glance at her when he stopped at the traffic light. He kept his hand on the steering wheel and said, “Ava will no longer come to our house. You can keep the jewelry for yourself. I’ll tell her about it.”

Zoe listened to him quietly. The air conditioner was very strong in the car. She had to wrap her arms around herself to keep herself from shivering from the cold.

She had been married to Mason for three years. She knew his character quite well. Truth be told, he was making a lot of compromises. She should be overwhelmed with gratitude, but she was not!

He said a lot and made some concessions too, but he had never said anything about Lilith. That was enough to tell Zoe that Lilith would continue to pop up in their lives if she agreed to his arrangements. Nothing had changed…

Zoe was tired. She no longer wanted to be trapped in a loveless marriage. So, she rejected him. “It’s okay. My father’s doing well at his current hospital.”

Mason knew what she meant. She was rejecting all of his offers and insisting on getting divorced.

He could not help but to get mad. “We signed an agreement when we got married, Zoe. You won’t be getting a single cent from me if you go through with this.”

“I’m aware of that!” She answered swiftly.

His patience was exhausted. So, he remained quiet.

They arrived at their manor twenty minutes later. Mason slowed down and told the guards, “Keep a close watch over the gate. Don’t let anything out.”

The guards were about to clarify his orders, but he had already driven away and parked the car.

Zoe was about to unbuckle her seat belt and get out of the car when Mason locked the doors.