Clara’s office was a symbol of serious buisness. She was scrutinizing a supply chain report, with her eyes brow narrowed skeptically, when her assistant, Lena, tapped on the open door.“Madam CEO? Your friend, Miss Eva, is here is see you.” Lena said quietly and bowed.Without bothering to look up, Clara waved a manicured hand and replied dismissively, “send her in. It has been a while.”Minutes later, Eva strode in with a blank expression on her face. As soon as she saw her, Clara immediately dropped her pen and leaned back, and then she placed her hands dramatically on her chest.“Your Majesty! You Grace us with your presence! To what do we owe this honor? How long do you plan to stay with us peasants before disappearing into the royal mist once more?”Eva rolled her eyes and dropped into a chair opposite the desk and said passively, “oh, put a sock in it, Clara. I have been busy. That is all.”“Busy?” Clara scoffed with an edge in her smile. “And I have not? Yet I still find the ti

Clara’s office, which is usually the symbol of her control, felt suddenly different with Mason standing before her, delivering his news with a romantic smile on his face.“…..so you see, my love,” Mason finished, with his hands resting gently on her shoulders. “I just could not stand being so far from this huge part of your life. Buying in was the only way to be close to you, to truly share in your triumphs.” He had kept his gaze soft, but inwardly, he prayed a desperate silent prayer. ‘Stay foolish, Clara. Just this once, stay the romantic fool I built you to be.’Clara’s bright adoring smile did not just fade off her face….it vanished. Her face went utterly, chilling blank and she took a single, slow step backwards and removed his hands from her body. “I….I do not understand,” she said, in a very small voice Mason’s heart dropped to his stomach, but his mask did not slip. He stepped forward and closed the distance between them with wounded concern etched on his face. Then he said w

The black sedan pulled up to the courthouse steps, where Clara emerged from it like a queen stepping on a red carpet, with Mason closely behind her. Three lawyers in dark suits descended upon them.“Are we ready?” Clara asked sharply. The eldest lawyer, who was a man named Mr. Throne with silver temples, laughed jovially and said, “Ready, Mr Vance? This will be like taking candy from a baby. A very simple, straightforward case of maternal rights.”Mason slipped his hands into his pockets, and said darkly, “Good to hear. Just to be clear—once this is concluded and my fiancée has her daughter back, I will personally double whatever she is paying you as a bonus. So, make it a clean victory.”The three lawyers exchanged a quick, greedy glances among themselves before bowing in unison. “Of course, Mr Lockwood. You can count on us,” Thorne assured him.At that moment, glass doors of the courthouse slip open. Dr. Alice, Nurse Amy, and two other nurses from the hospital walked out, likely fo

The sound of the gavel was still echoing in the hall when Clara’s world shattered. A raw, piercing scream tore from her throat. “NO! You can not do this! SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!”Then she lunged forward as if to charge towards the judge’s bench, but Mason caught her around the waist, and held her back as she thrashed around, and shouted at her angrily. “Clara! Clara, stop! It is over!”“It is NOT OVER! LET ME GO!” she shrieked, her usual perfect composure covered with fury and disbelief.Across the aisle, a quiet, profound relief settled over Dante’s group. Caleb patted Dante’s shoulder approvingly. Dr. Alice let out a shaky breath in relief and dabbed her eyes again. Nurse Amy squeezed her hand.Clara seeing them, finally wrenched herself free from Mason’s grip. Then she stormed over, her heels clicking like gunshots on the polished floor, and Mason followed closely behind, with a huge scowl on his face.“This is not over!”Clara spat out angrily and jabbed her finger toward Dante’s face.

The next morning, Mason stood in front of the bedroom mirror, wearing a lounge pants and a spotted t-shirt. Behind him, Clara was buttoning up Jasper’s school blazer.“Mummy,” Jasper chirped happily, “I saw Daisy and her daddy at school yesterday, and I called them losers. Just like Daddy said.” Clara giggled and kissed the top of his head, and then she purred, “Such a good, clever boy. You know exactly what is right.”She looked up and spotted Mason, who was still standing at the front of the mirror with a dazed expression on his face, and asked lovingly, “Darling? Are you not getting ready? The shareholders’ meeting is in an hour. First impressions matter.” Mason turned and smiled lovingly and replied with a calm voice, “Do not worry about me. You go on ahead. Make your grand entrance. I promise I will not be late.” Then he kissed her on her cheek. “Save me the seat next to the throne.”Once Clara and Jasper had left, Mason’s relaxed demeanor vanished instantly. He drove straight