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Home / Romance / Mr. Hayes’ Secret Heir / Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

All Chapters of Mr. Hayes’ Secret Heir: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

116 Chapters

CHAPTER 71

After the school event, Mason took us to lunch.He and Lior were having the kind of back-and-forth that had me biting back a laugh. Lior had given Crystal a couple of the gifts his grandparents spoiled him with, and Mason wanted to know why."Because sharing is caring," Lior told him matter-of-factly."Is Crystal the only classmate you have? Why didn't you share with the others?""Because Crystal is the one I saw first. The others weren't lucky."Mason kept a straight face. "You had more than one gift. You could've spread them around."Lior thought about it, then shook his head. "I just want to give them to Crystal."I was smiling into my food at how earnest he was, too busy being charmed to notice his father was winding him up.Then, out of nowhere, Lior looked at Mason. "You're going to marry Mommy, right?"The bite I'd just taken went straight down the wrong way. I started coughing, my eyes watering. Mason reached over and rubbed slow circles on my back until it passed."Sorry, Mom

CHAPTER 72

The confidence in Mason's voice when he said I would come to him had me questioning my own resolve. But I knew better. Not with everything that was at stake.I didn't head to work at my usual hour. Nicholas had an early meeting, so we were starting late in the morning. I got Lior ready and Mason dropped him at school.It was just past eleven when I came downstairs to head out, and I stopped in my tracks. Mason was on the couch, dressed down in his house clothes, laptop open in front of him."I thought you left," I blurted.He looked up and gave me a good morning with a smile. "I did. Plans changed. I'm hosting someone here later.""Is it Erica?" The question was out of my mouth before I could catch it.A smile tugged at Mason's mouth. "No. But now that you've reminded me, I should follow up on the plans I made with her." He looked me over. "I see you're heading out.""Yeah. Nicholas is close."He opened his mouth, then thought better of whatever it was. Instead he asked, "How's everyt

CHAPTER 73

Whatever fun the night promised died after Daphne set her sights on Chase.Hannah had come to vent about her frustrations with Chase, but she couldn't do that now, not with Daphne openly crushing on him too. Having to swallow it all down left her cranky.Each time Daphne struck up a conversation, Hannah offered back the bare minimum, polite and clipped, until Daphne gave up trying.I was stuck right in the middle of it. Hannah wanted to talk to me. Daphne wanted to talk to me.Chase, look at the mess you've caused.With that kind of energy at the table, none of us were in the mood to linger. We called it an early night.When I got home and walked through the door, I heard voices and laughter before I even reached the living room.Mason and Chase had two other men with them, the four of them comfortable with their drinks, in the middle of some story. The laughter trailed off when I stepped in, all four heads turning my way.Chase smiled. "Welcome.""Hi." I gave a small wave and headed

CHAPTER 74

I started noticing Mason was hardly home.Not gone, exactly. He was around enough that I knew he hadn't traveled, around enough for Lior, for the school runs and the dinners. But he wasn't there the way he used to be. Not the way he'd been before, always finding a reason to be in the same room as me.And the few times I did catch him, he had his phone in his hand and a smile on his face, lost in whatever was on the screen. I caught myself wondering if he had a girlfriend now. The thought left a bitter taste on my tongue every time.Once I overheard him on a call with Erica, laughing like she was the funniest person alive. I wanted to walk over and wipe that laugh right off his mouth.I told myself the distance was good. That it was exactly what I had asked for, what was best for everyone. I played it like none of it touched me at all, but I knew better. I just refused to say it out loud.The day of Daphne's launch rolled around at last, and with my invite in hand, I was going.For the

CHAPTER 75

On the drive back, I asked Mason why he'd done that."Done what?""The kiss. Back there. Why would you peck me?""Felt like it."Whether it was the lightheaded feeling or the wine still loose in my blood, something had loosened my tongue. The question left me before I could think better of it."Why have you been so scarce lately?""Not sure what you mean," he replied, his eyes fixed on the road.I spelled it out for him. How he was barely around anymore. Every time I did see him his face was buried in his phone. He would show up for Lior and then disappear again.Mason laughed. "Does it bother you? You want me home more, is that it?""That's not what I meant." Heat crawled up my neck. "I just meant, in case something was wrong.”He gave a quiet laugh and let it slide, far too pleased with himself.When we got home, he stopped me before I could head up. "Actually, there's something I wanted to run by you. Please, come with me."He started toward his room without waiting, glancing back

CHAPTER 76

Before, staying away from Mason had been about his mother's threat. Now it was about saving him.My head was a mess. A man ready to lose everything for me, wasn't that what people spent their whole lives wishing for? But I couldn't get past the same fear. That one day he would count what it cost him, look at me, and wish he'd chosen differently.I went to work the next day and couldn't focus to save my life. It was the first time I carried my emotions to work.Nicholas gave me a break at one point, told me to rest. I waved him off and kept going, until he pointed out the mistakes I'd been making.Careless ones, the kind I would never make if my head were clear. I hadn't even noticed them. I apologized and lied that a headache had kept me up most of the night."You should have just stayed home," he chided."It's fine.""Go home, Mia. Rest."He insisted, so I left. Going home meant an empty house and nothing to do but sit alone with my thoughts. That was a recipe for disaster in the sta

CHAPTER 77

I looked up rent in the decent parts of the city. Safe areas, good schools nearby, not too far from where Lior already went. The numbers made me wince every time. I gave myself three months to save enough and move out.Mason had sent a generous sum into my account, payment for the room decor. As much as I didn't want to touch a cent of it, I would still do the redesign for him, a thank you for everything he'd done.But if worse came to worst, I might be forced to dip into it to move. I started looking into flexible job openings I could pick up after my hours with Nicholas, because rent in LA is no joke, and three months of saving wasn't happening on one income.If Mason's mother would rather have him marry Naomi than anyone else, even knowing she cheats, that was the wake-up call I needed. Getting him out of that agreement would mean a war with his family. A war I didn't want to be the reason he had to fight.It wasn't helping that my resolve had started to thin. My emotions were begi

CHAPTER 78

Mason never gave me a real answer for the way he'd come apart in the kitchen. His reason was that he had a bad day and needed a hug.I wasn't stupid. Of course I knew he was lying. But pushing got me nothing, so I let it go.Since I wasn't working, I woke up the next day planning to get Lior ready for school myself, something Mason usually handled on his own, his way of making up for the years he'd missed.Lior's bed was empty when I stepped into his room. I walked over to Mason's instead, guessing they'd had one of those nights where Lior ends up camped out there, the two of them talking until they fell asleep.I knocked, and Mason opened the door."Lior's not going to school today." He said it before I could ask. "They called. Some kind of renovation.""Renovation? On a school day?""That's what they said."It sounded thin, but with these rich-kid schools, you never can tell.Then he asked if I could take a few days off work."Why?""Since Lior's home, the three of us could just, I

CHAPTER 79

The movie kept running behind us as we left. Neither of us cared to finish it.Lior had already eaten, so lunch was just me and Mason.I pushed the food around my plate, not really eating. Not looking at him either. I could tell him. Right now. That I still loved him, that I wanted him.Gosh, so much for the three-month ultimatum I gave myself.It wasn't surprising that I was reconsidering things, given what had happened. My body was making me forget every promise I'd made.I glanced up at him. His focus was on his phone while he ate. The annoying part was that I still wanted more of what had happened earlier at the theater.Weak. Pathetic. Calling myself every name I could think of didn't do a thing to fix it.Mason looked up from his phone and flashed me a wide smile. "If you wanted a second round, you could've just said so."I dropped my head to my plate, hiding the grin that was threatening to escape. "Get your head out of the gutter.""Swear you weren't thinking the same thing."

CHAPTER 80

When I opened my eyes, Mason was already awake, watching me."Good morning," I said.He said nothing, that stare of his not budging an inch."What?""Did you say yes to us," he asked, "or did I imagine that?"I chickened out on the spot. "You imagined it."He mumbled something under his breath I didn't catch. I made a move to get up, but he was faster, pulling me back into him."Not so fast. You owe me a proper good morning."I wriggled free. "I need to get out of here before Lior wakes up and finds us like this.""He'd be thrilled. You don't want to know how many times he's asked me why we sleep in different rooms.""I need to make breakfast.""One kiss, and I'll let you go.""Fine." I gave him a quick peck and bolted before he could turn it into anything more."I'll catch you," he called after me, laughing.I was in the kitchen getting breakfast started when Nicholas video-called. I picked up smiling, then laughed outright at what filled the screen, a dozen ties laid out across his

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