Chapter 13: I Love You Both!

TPV

Mason just stepped out of the shower. His brown hair was wet and looked almost black in the dim light of his room. Water droplets dripped from their ends only to slide on his neck, then mixed with the ones that still hung to his skin.

He had a towel wrapped around his waist. With the other small one, he was drying his hair while humming some tune when his ringtone blared, disturbing the peace in his room.

"Pchhh" He made an irritated sound before getting his phone from the bed.

Jeremy's name flashed on the screen. Mason received the call and placed the phone against his ear.

"Have you got it?" He asked as soon as he heard Jeremy's voice.

"Sir... Martin is trying to find that file but Carson hasn't placed it in his locker."

Mason inhaled a sharp breath, and his mood instantly soured. "Then look at his home. Ask his wife. She must know it." He snapped.

"Martin is trying sir, but even when he was Carson's assistant and knows his family well, Carson's wife- Frida, seems to be alert around him.

She won't allow him to check her home or touch any of their personal belongings."

Mason was angry now. "Jeremy, I don't give a fuck what you and that rat Martin are gonna do, but I want that file at any cost!

You know how I had to snatch 'Bloomfield' from Devon. If he gets even a whiff of what is going on there, he would not even blink an eye before striking hard at me. And then we all will fall down. Do you get it?"

Jeremy dabbed his handkerchief on his sweaty forehead before loosening the tie around his neck.

"Y-yes sir. I am constantly in contact with Martin."

Mason cut the call before cursing under his breath. He clearly underestimated that bastard Carson. He should have known that these people bitten by the bug of honesty can go to any level of sacrifice for what they believe is justice.

Mason shouldn't have killed him before recovering that file from him. That file had every evidence of not only that accident but also about the illegal permissions and how Mason exploited his resources, manipulated the system and earned unfair profits.

That one little thing could destroy the world he had built for himself by wagging his tail around his uncle, Victor Sanders.

He checked the time to see that the dinner would be served in about ten minutes. He hated living in that house. He hated the stupid rules these people followed by heart.

And he always lived under the shadow of his uncle. But he had to endure it all, until the right time.

He slipped into the bottle-green track pant and a black t-shirt. He had no time for drying his hair, so he hurried out of his room. His phone beeped again.

He checked it to see a message notification. He opened it to see a familiar name. Tapping on the conversation, he didn't expect to see what was in there.

His feet froze on his spot, and his mouth watered at the picture that stared back at him.

Large boobs tried to meet his mouth through the screen. He didn't know how long he stared at that picture like a salivating dog before he read the message written at the bottom.

= 'I wish you were here. Missing you so much!' =

Mason gulped to wet his dry throat. He quickly typed a reply.

= 'I know babe. Wouldn't have missed this chance. Waiting for you to come back.' =

"Mason?"

He quickly slipped his phone into his pants pocket before turning his head to see a woman in her mid-fifties walking in his way.

She looked younger than her age and was always impeccably dressed in her shiny blonde hair around her shoulders and the fitted clothes that accentuated her model-like figure.

After all, she once was a heartbeat of the modelling industry in her career's heyday. And then she met a man, fell in love and ruined her dream career to look after him and his family.

Mason could never understand why some women chose that way though!

"Good evening, aunt Madison!" Mason opened his arms and hugged his aunt with a wide charming smile.

"Oh, you are such a darling, Mason! You never forget that your ageing aunt needs frequent hugs and compliments, unlike Devon. The boy didn't even spare his mother a minute of attention!" Madison hugged him back warmly before pulling away with a sad face.

"Oh, aunt Maddie! You deserve all the highs and compliments! You do so much for this family and also help uncle in the business. You are a strong woman.

And about Devon... he is just... different from me, but that doesn't mean he is not as good as me. He just likes to keep things to himself and doesn't express his feelings so easily." Mason still had his arm around her shoulder as they began heading to the dining room.

Madison sighed worriedly. "I seriously don't understand him at all, Mason. I have done everything that I could for him. You have seen how I brought up you two with equal care and love.

But look how different you two have become. You are kind and sweet, care for your family and never shy away from taking responsibility, always obedient and understanding.

And Devon... oh God! That boy is arrogant, rude, and always bitter in behaviour and words. He doesn't even remember that he has a family. I hate how he lives alone in that small penthouse when I and his dad want him to come and stay with us. I just don't understand what his problem is!"

Mason was about to open his mouth when another woman of around the same age as Madison with short hair caught their attention.

"Spare my boy a little, Madison." She was sitting in her place, the first chair to the right of the table.

"You shouldn't always complain about him. Especially when he is not here to listen and present his stance." She said with a displeased frown.

Mason chuckled, taking the second chair to the left of the table. Madison sat to his left. The two chairs at the two ends of the table, one was of Victor and the other used by Devon whenever he visited his family, remained vacant.

"Come on, mom! Out of all the people, you should know that Devon would have either stormed away or kept his focus only on the food instead of uttering a single word."

"Because he believes in working instead of blabbering like a fool, Mason." Julianne Burke taunted her son.

"Now who is acting hard, Julianne?" Madison pursed her lips, raising her perfectly arched brows.

Julianne, who didn't wear fashionable and expensive clothes like Madison only shook her head.

"You are spoiling my son, Madison!"

"Just like you are spoiling MY son, Julianne!" Madison retorted.

Julianne only smiled, shrugging her shoulders. The two women, one must have misunderstood as archnemesis by the rate of their frequent arguments about their sons, actually shared a healthy relationship.

Julianne was grateful to Madison for quitting her career and deciding to take care of the family when she couldn't do that by herself. Madison took care of both boys without any differential treatment, but it was clear that she was biased toward Mason instead of her own son.

Victor too, saw a perfect businessman in Mason, while Devon still needed to do a lot of work on himself to get where Mason was, in his view.

That made Julianne more inclined to Devon as she thought it was unfair to always compare him with Mason.

"I always knew you love Devon, more than me!" Mason grumbled while the butler served the food.

"Fredrick, serve Mason some more lasagna to show how much his mother loves him."

"Yes, mam!" The butler did as he was told.

Mason's eyes widened in excitement.

"Mom, you made this?" He sounded like an overjoyed kid who got his favourite candy.

"Who else? Your aunt Maddie cannot even cook the instant noodles!" Julianne teased before laughing.

Madison threw a harmless glare her way. "Oh, but I am the one who chose the best for my nephew.!" She said proudly.

Mason smiled with a mouth full of his favourite dish. "You both are best! I love you both!!" His voice came muffled with the food in his mouth that only made both women smile at him in adoration.

"I wish Victor and Devon were here to enjoy this dinner!" Julianne said, looking at the two empty chairs with a sad face.

But Madison's eyes were on the third empty chair beside Julianne.

"You forgot one more person, Julianne."

Julianne looked at the empty spot to her left and sighed dejectedly.

"Stop before you ruin the mood mom. Aunt Maddie, please! We are having such a great time after a long. Let's not bring up the topics that will only upset us."

Mason didn't want them to bring up the one topic that was the sore point in his life- his father. It was good that he was absent tonight and thus, they could have a peaceful dinner.