Chapter 6: Almost caught

TWO WEEKS LATER 

The glass doors of Carter Group slid open.

The conversations inside the lobby died almost instantly.

Anna Carter walked in first, black stiletto heels clicking confidently against the polished marble floor. 

She wore a cream designer suit that hugged her slightly rounded belly, diamond earrings glittered beneath the lobby lights, a tiny cream luxury handbag on her wrist. 

Vivian walked beside her in a fitted red dress and matching heels, her own designer bag hanging from her shoulder.

The employee they passed lowered their heads in greeting.

"Good morning, Miss Anna."

"Morning, Miss Vivian."

Anna barely acknowledged them. Vivian didn't bother at all.

A secretary accidentally stepped into their path while carrying a stack of files. "Oh! I'm sorry..."

Before she could finish, Anna frowned. "Watch where you're going."

The young woman immediately apologized again.

Vivian looked her up and down with obvious disgust. "If you can't even walk properly, maybe you shouldn't be working here."

The secretary’s face turned red with embarrassment.

Several employees exchanged uncomfortable glances but remained silent. No one wanted trouble.

Anna smiled proudly as they continued walking. "I still can't believe I convinced Human Resources to hire you. You'd be a cleaner here instead.”

Vivian forced a smile. "I'll forever be grateful."

Anna laughed. "You should be. Without me, you'd be scrubbing this very floor we're walking on."

Vivian's fingers tightened around her handbag. She hated hearing those words.

If Anna wasn't Ashley's stepsister, she would never have been able to pull strings inside Carter Group.

One day… Vivian promised herself. One day she'd get Anna back for every single time she'd put her down. 

But for now she smiled sweetly. "I know how lucky I am."

They stepped into the executive elevator and the doors closed behind them. 

Anna checked her reflection in the mirrored wall.

"In two weeks, this company will finally belong to Travis. And then we'll get married and I'll run this company."

Vivian didn't respond immediately. Her smile was slow. "Assuming Ashley stays dead."

Anna rolled her eyes. "She will. If you did the job right.”

The elevator doors opened onto the executive floor.

This floor held all the executive's offices. 

A few hurried through the corridors carrying files. Anna walked straight through the middle as though she were already the company's president.

An elderly department director stepped out of a conference room with his assistant behind him, carrying several documents.

Anna stopped him. "You. Wellington right?."

The man looked up. "Yes?"

"I reviewed your department's quarterly report."

He frowned. "And?"

"It's terrible."

"It exceeded every target” Wellington was immediately red in the face. 

"I don't care." Anna folded her arms. "You're fired. You're not needed here anymore, old bag."

Silence swept across the corridor as several nearby employees froze.

Wellington looked at Anna for a long moment before chuckling. "I'm fired?"

"Yes. Don't make me repeat myself.”

He slowly removed his glasses. "By whom?"

"By me. Anna Carter.”

The older man smiled. "I've worked for Carter Group for twenty-three years."

"So?"

"So you don't have the authority to dismiss me."

Anna's smile faded. "This company belongs to my family."

"No." The man corrected her calmly. He leaned slightly closer. "It belongs to the Carter Group. The late chairman left no active successor. Miss Ashley Carter has not been legally declared deceased, and no new chairperson has been appointed."

He straightened his tie. "Until then, the board runs this company. You have absolutely no authority over my employment."

He walked past her without another word.

The employees nearby quickly lowered their heads to hide their smiles.

Anna stood frozen. Her face burned with humiliation.

Vivian stepped closer to console her. "Forget that old bag."

Anna clenched her fists. "The nerve..."

Vivian lowered her voice. "Only two more weeks. When Ashley is officially declared dead, the lawyers will have to give the company to Travis.” 

Anna's anger slowly disappeared. "You're right."

She glanced toward the director's retreating back. "I'll remember him. And when this company is mine, he'll be the first to leave."

The two women exchanged knowing looks before heading in different directions.

Vivian disappeared into the marketing department where her private office overlooked the city skyline.

She dropped her handbag onto her desk and smirked.

Everything was falling into place. She hoped the anonymous source Anna got about Ashley being alive was wrong. There's no way she would have survived that fall. Anna would be next to take down. 

Meanwhile, Anna pushed open the door to her executive office.

She stopped cold. Someone was sitting comfortably in her chair.

His legs were crossed, a file rested on his lap. He slowly looked up and smiled. “How's our baby doing?”

Anna let herself in and locked the door shut hurriedly, “What are you doing here, Mason?.”

“Relax. I came to Carter groups for business. Right now my fellow directors think I'm having a look around.”

“We shouldn't be seen together Mason,” A sweat broke on Anna's head as she panicked, she walked over to her dark mahogany table and slammed her hands on it, “What if Travis comes looking for me?.”

“He's at Blackwood babe. I just missed you and our child,” he got up slowly, dropped the file on the table and began to move closer to Anna. 

“Stop saying that Mason, what if someone hears you?.” Anna's blonde hair whisked around as she checked around the office even though they were obviously alone. 

“Don't you miss me too?,” Mason closed the gap between them, his body towering over Annas’. 

Anna opened her mouth to speak but Mason leaned down in a second and had his lips to hers. His soft lips captured hers as his tongue came out to part her lips. 

His kiss was soft at first but it turned needy. His calloused hand reached into her blonde hair to pull her closer. 

“Mason,” Anna gasped out of breath as broke the kiss.

She barely took a breath as he spun her around and had her stomach to the desk, his wandering hands slammed one of her ass cheeks. 

“Hmm… Mason…” Anna's core tightened with wetness, her eyes closing shut in ecstacy. 

“I know you like that babe,” Mason smirked. He peeled her suit pants down, shifter her thong aside and dipped a finger into her already wet core. 

Anna cried out at his intrusion, “...hm…please…Mason” she was loving the risk of it all. Travis could come to check up on her, Vivian could walk in, her assistant could walk in with files, even her mother could come and visit. 

One moment of lust could ruin their secret. The baby didn't belong to Travis, it belonged to Mason but they had both agreed that Anna would lie to get Travis to marry her and when he gave her the company she would divorce him and share the company with Mason. 

And if Mason can get Western Global in his grip, they would be unstoppable. 

Mason increased the fingers to two, burying his fingers into her until they were completely covered in her wetness, “Do you love me Anna?,” he increased his pace. 

“Oh yes… Mason…hmm,” she clenched against his core. 

“What do you want?” He whispered into her ears. 

“I want your dick,” she chocked out, squeezing the papers on her desk. 

“It's all yours baby,” Mason quickly unzipped his pants and brought out his already hard member. 

Anna couldn't stop the scream that left her throat as she felt his member enter her from behind. 

She let out a breathy moan as Mason drove into her with reckless abandon. He started slowly at first, giving her time to adjust. Then his hips started swaying fast, hitting deep within her core. 

“Hmm” she placed a hand over her lips to muffle her screams, another hand held the mahogany table tightly to keep her steady. 

“You're so f%<king sweet,” Mason’s husky groan filled Anna's ears as slammed into her over and over, hitting her delicate spot. 

He tore away her thong completely and dipped and hand into her hair to hold her in place.

Anna's eyes rolled backwards, unable to control her moaning, she held on tightly to the edge of her desk as she pushed backwards to meet his thrust. 

Her legs shook rapidly as she came undone, her sweaty face stuck to one of the paper works she was working on before he arrived. 

A knock on Anna's office door had both Mason and Anna freezing on the spot, Mason still buried deep inside her, Anna still on the verge of an orgasm. 

“Anna?.” Travis's voice called. 

Shit! Shit! Shit!. They quickly separated in panic and frantically tried to dress up. Mason put his hard member in his pants just as Anna reached for the paperworks on the floor. 

“Anna?. Why is the door locked?” Travis called again, this time impatiently kicking at the door. 

“What the fuck?!” Travis exclaimed trying to open the door..