Betrayed Spotlight -
Chapter 17: Protective Instincts
Chapter 17: Protective Instincts
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Sarah spent her mornings at Stellar Entertainment working with Zachary and his team, and her afternoons doing photo shoots and interviews. Everything was moving so fast that she barely had time to think.
On Thursday morning, Sarah was getting ready for a magazine photo shoot when she heard voices coming from downstairs. One of them was definitely Mason’s, but she’d never heard him sound so tense before.
Curious, she crept to the top of the stairs and listened.
"I don’t care what the board thinks," Mason was saying in a cold, controlled voice. "The answer is no."
"But Mr. Liu," another man’s voice replied, "Ms. Zhang has been very successful in all her previous collaborations. Her company has grown by 200% in the last year alone."
"I said no," Mason repeated, his voice even colder.
Sarah heard the sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor, then a woman’s voice, sweet and flirtatious.
"Mason, darling," the woman said, "surely we can discuss this like adults. We’ve always worked so well together before."
Sarah felt a stab of jealousy at the familiar way the woman spoke to Mason. She found herself creeping further down the stairs to get a better look.
The woman was stunning. Tall, elegant, with long black hair and the kind of perfect features that belonged on magazine covers. She was wearing a designer business suit that probably cost more than most people’s cars, and her perfume was so strong Sarah could smell it from the stairs. Everything about her screamed wealth, success, and sophistication.
And she was standing way too close to Mason.
"Ms. Zhang," Mason said, his voice tight with warning, "please maintain appropriate distance."
The woman - Ms. Zhang - laughed like he had made a joke. "Oh, Mason, you’re so formal. We’ve known each other for years."
Sarah watched as Ms. Zhang moved even closer to Mason, who took a subtle step backward.
"That was business," Mason replied coldly. "This is also business. And my answer remains no."
"But think about what we could accomplish together," Ms. Zhang persisted, moving closer again. "Our companies, our connection. We could merge our resources, our talents..."
Sarah could see Mason’s jaw tighten with discomfort as the woman invaded his personal space. She had never seen anyone stand so close to him before, and it was clear he didn’t like it.
"The meeting is over," Mason said firmly. "Security will escort you out."
"Mason, wait," Ms. Zhang said desperately. "At least let me explain my proposal properly. Maybe over dinner tonight? Just the two of us, like old times?"
"There were no old times," Mason said. "And there will be no dinner. Goodbye, Ms. Zhang."
The other man who had been with Ms. Chen cleared his throat nervously. "Perhaps we should go, Elena. Mr. Liu seems to have made his decision."
But Elena Zhang wasn’t giving up. She moved toward Mason one more time, completely ignoring his obvious discomfort.
"Mason, please," she said, and Sarah watched in horror as the woman raised her hand toward Mason’s face. "Just think about it. Think about us."
That’s when Sarah’s protective instincts kicked in.
"Honey!" Sarah called out loudly from the top of the stairs, her voice sweet but urgent. "Are you almost done with your meeting?"
Everyone in the room froze. Ms. Zhang’s hand stopped mid-air, inches from Mason’s face. Her eyes went wide with shock as she looked up at Sarah.
Mason’s head snapped toward the stairs, relief flickering across his features for just a moment before his expression became unreadable again.
Sarah hurried down the stairs, her heart pounding. She had no idea why she had felt such a strong need to interrupt, but seeing that woman about to touch Mason had triggered something fierce and protective inside her.
"Sorry to interrupt," Sarah said sweetly as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I didn’t realize Mason was still in his meeting."
Elena stared at Sarah with undisguised shock. "You’re... you’re really his wife?"
"I am," Sarah said firmly, moving to stand beside Mason.
Without thinking, Sarah reached out and wrapped her arms around Mason’s waist, pulling him close to her. She held her breath, praying that he wouldn’t push her away in front of these strangers. Praying that he would play along with their arrangement.
For a moment, Mason went completely still. Sarah could feel the tension in his body, could sense his surprise at her bold move.
But then something shocking happened.
Instead of pulling away, Mason’s arms came up around her. His hands settled on her back, pulling her even closer against his chest. Before Sarah could process what was happening, Mason leaned down and pressed his lips firmly to hers.
The kiss was warm, possessive, and completely unexpected. Sarah’s eyes fluttered closed as she melted into him, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. For a moment, she forgot that they had an audience. She forgot that this was supposed to be fake. All she could think about was the feeling of Mason’s lips on hers and the way his arms tightened around her like he never wanted to let her go.
When they finally broke apart, Sarah was breathless. Mason’s dark eyes were intense as he looked down at her, his hands still resting on her back.
"Ms. Zhang," Mason said without looking away from Sarah, "I believe you have your answer about why I’m not interested in your proposal."
Sarah glanced over at Elena, who was staring at them with her mouth hanging open. The woman’s face had gone pale, and she looked like she had just witnessed something impossible.
"This... this is really real?" She stammered. "The marriage announcement at the charity gala wasn’t just publicity?"
"Very real," Mason said, his arm tightening around Sarah’s waist. "My wife and I prefer to keep our personal life private, but yes, we’re happily married."
The businessman who had come with Elena cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, this certainly explains your position, Mr. Liu. Elena, perhaps we should go."
Elena seemed to snap out of her shock. Her expression hardened with disappointment and what looked like jealousy.
"I see," she said coldly, straightening her jacket. "Well, congratulations on your... marriage. I’m sure it will be very beneficial for both of your careers."
There was something nasty in her tone that made Sarah’s protective instincts flare again.
"Actually," Sarah said with a sweet smile, "love doesn’t really care about career benefits. Sometimes you just find the right person and everything else becomes secondary."
Elena’s jaw tightened. "How romantic. Well, Mason, if you change your mind about the business proposition, you know how to reach me."
"I won’t," Mason said simply.
After Elena and her associate left, the house fell into silence. Sarah suddenly became very aware that Mason’s arms were still around her, that they were still standing close enough that she could feel his heartbeat.
"Mr. Liu," Sarah said softly, "you can let me go now. They’re gone."
But instead of releasing her, Mason’s hands moved to cup her face gently.
"What if I don’t want to?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sarah’s heart stopped. "What?"
"What if I don’t want to let you go?" Mason repeated, his thumbs brushing across her cheekbones.
Before Sarah could respond, Mason’s phone started ringing loudly, breaking the spell. He stepped back abruptly, his walls going back up as he pulled his phone out and answered the call.
"Yes," he said curtly into the phone, but Sarah could see that his hands were slightly shaking.
Sarah subconsciously touched her lips where he had kissed her. Her heart was still racing, and she could still feel the warmth of his hands on her face.
That hadn’t felt like acting. That had felt real.
And from the way Mason kept glancing at her while he talked on the phone, she had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.
When he hung up, Mason cleared his throat awkwardly.
"You should get to your photo shoot," he said, but his voice lacked its usual coldness.
"Mr. Liu," Sarah started, but he was already turning away.
"We’ll talk later," he said, but Sarah wasn’t sure if that was a promise or an excuse.
Because after that kiss, she knew her heart was in serious trouble.
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