Chapter 57
Anger flashed in Declan’s eyes as he coldly demanded, “The car you were driving before was Mason’s?!”
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No wonder Patrick couldn’t find anything. After running into Mason last time, Declan had ordered an investigation on him. Yet aside from details about him following his entry into the entertainment industry, nothing else turned up.
The only thing the investigators disclosed was that Mason had connections with the Walton family in Israthar. Unlike Roseberg, Israthar’s power structures were deeply intertwined, making it nearly impossible to dig into someone’s background. Declan hadn’t pursued it further.
Phoebe was momentarily surprised to see Mason, but her expression quickly turned indifferent. “That doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you, Mr. Richardson.”
With that, she strode toward Mason, got into his car, and left without looking back.
Declan grew even angrier and ordered, “Drive.”
Inside the car, Phoebe asked in confusion, “I called Cora. Why are you here?”
Mason chuckled. “I was having dinner with Cora tonight. She had other plans, so I came instead.”
Phoebe’s eyes flashed with surprise. Back when she was managing Mason, Cora often visited her, and over time, she and Mason had become close.
“What made you guys decide to eat together? I thought you were busy these days,” Phoebe said.
Mason was delighted by her words and teased, “Oh? How do you know I’m busy? Have you been keeping tabs on me? Want me to sign an autograph for you?”
Phoebe couldn’t help but laugh. “W
that awful that awful handwriting, it wouldn’t be any good now.”
dwriting c
rs? If I hadn’t been there to help you with your
At her words, Mason was reminded of those days when they used to practice handwriting together and couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Then he said, “You didn’t just help me, y
know. You made all your artists do it together.”
Back then, apart from him, Phoebe had been managing a few other artists as well. Unsatisfied with their sloppy handwriting, she made them set aside an hour every evening, from 8 to 9, for practice.
To spend more time with her, Mason had deliberately written sloppily, just to have an excuse to see her every night. But of course, he wasn’t about to admit that to her.
Phoebe fell silent for a moment, the smile on her face fading slightly. “Are you in touch with any of them?”
“Not really,” Mason replied.
Each of the artists Phoebe had managed had their own personalities, and if not for her, they probably wouldn’t have interacted much at all. But they had all done well for themselves.
When they arrived at the villa in the Northern District, Phoebe hesitated before saying, “I don’t live here anymore. Let me drop you off first, and then I’ll drive home.”
Mason’s eyes darkened. “You moved back?”
Phoebe nodded. “Yeah. The divorce isn’t complete yet.”
Mason’s grip on the steering wheel tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly pale. “If you need any help, I can
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Before he could finish, Phoebe cut him off. “There’s no need. This is between him and me. I don’t want anyone else
involved.”
Mason felt hurt that she still saw him as an outsider. “Phoebe… I always thought we were friends.”
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Sensing his disappointment, Phoebe offered a faint smile. “It’s because we’re friends that I don’t want to trouble you with this. Anyway, let’s not talk about it anymore. I’ll take you back.”
After dropping Mason off at his hotel, Phoebe returned home. What she didn’t know was that after she left, Mason’s manager picked him up and drove him back to his villa in the Northern District.
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Standing outside his car, Mason gazed at the dark villa next door. The air around him grew heavy with unspoken emotions.
The manager, well aware of Mason’s long–hidden feelings for Phoebe, couldn’t help but ask, “Why haven’t you told her that you bought the villa next to hers?”
Mason shook his head. “It’s not the right time yet.”
He had to wait until she finished her divorce with Declan before confessing his feelings; otherwise, he’d just make things harder for her.
The manager scoffed. “I’ve never seen anyone as good at keeping a lid on their feelings as you. Keep this up, and you’ll turn into a stone statue.”
At first, the manager opposed Mason’s feelings for Phoebe because he was just an ordinary man. But with him unexpectedly becoming part of the powerful Walton family in Israthar and gaining their backing, she no longer objected.
“Alright, you can go home now. Pick me up in the morning,” Mason said.
Back in his villa, he switched on the lights. The layout and decor were identical to Phoebe’s villa–even down to the books she liked to read. Some of them were out of print, and he had gone to great lengths to track them down.
Yet, he still preferred staying in her villa, where traces of her life remained. He hoped that one day he could tell her about his hidden feelings himself.
Mason picked up a book and had just settled onto the couch when his phone rang. It was a call from the Walton family’s butler. “Mr. Walton, your father’s condition has worsened. Please come back to see him–he’s been asking for you.”
Mason’s breathing grew heavier. After a long pause, he said flatly, “He is surrounded by plenty of people who care about him. He doesn’t need me.”
The butler sighed and pleaded, “He knows he made mistakes in the past, but he truly regrets them now… And he wants to entrust the Walton family to you. Please-”
Mason’s brows furrowed as he cut him off coldly. “That has nothing to do with me. The Walton family’s power means nothing to me. Stop calling me!”
With that, he hung up. His grip on the book tightened involuntarily. He sat there in silence for a long time before slowly closing his eyes, hiding the hatred within them.
It was past ten when Phoebe got home. The moment she stepped into the living room, she was met with Declan’s icy gaze.
“Do you have any idea how late it is?!” Declan asked angrily.
Phoebe acted as if she hadn’t heard him and calmly made her way upstairs.
“Stop right there!” Declan barked.
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Phoebe paused at the foot of the stairs and turned to look at him. “Mr. Richardson, do you need something?”
“From now on, you’re not allowed to see Mason again!”
Phoebe sneered, “Sorry, but that’s not happening.”
Declan was enraged. “Phoebe, it seems you won’t learn your lesson unless I teach you one.”
Phoebe’s expression turned frigid, her gaze devoid of warmth. “And what exactly do you plan to do this time?”
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Declan radiated an intimidating aura, his eyes burning with rage. “Oh, nothing much. Just making sure a few of Mason’s upcoming projects get pulled and that the ones he’s already filmed never make it to air.”
Phoebe’s expression finally changed. She said through clenched teeth, “Declan, I never thought you’d be this despicable.”
“You’re calling me despicable over some random guy? Phoebe, I’m your husband!”
Phoebe looked at him with unmasked contempt and replied, “The husband who cheats? The husband who let his mistress plot against me without doing anything? The husband who shielded that woman?
“The husband who has never cared about me? Or the husband who always puts himself first and forces his will onto me?”
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