Chapter 90 I’ll be your confidence
Leila didn’t deny it, “Yes.”
Mason’s hands rested gently on Leila’s waist, pulling her closer, “Leila, logically, I’ve promised you, and I won’t go back on my word. Personally, I want to be with you, I want to make you happy, these are all my ways of winning your affection.”
Mason was straightforward, and Leila stared at him unblinkingly.
“If someone tries to seduce you…” she started.
Mason laughed, “So, you kissed me just now?”
Leila’s cheeks suddenly turned red. She didn’t have such thoughts, her previous action was completely subconscious. But she can’t explain clearly at the moment.
Mason’s fingers slipped under her clothes and lightly squeezed her thigh, affirming, “Hmm, not a bad idea.”
Leila blushed even more at his words.
Rarely seeing Leila embarrassed like this, Mason leaned close to her ear, his voice low and warm, “Leila, I don’t know about others, but I really like you.”
Mason’s warm breath caused Leila to shiver slightly.
Sensing her reaction, Mason teased, “Don’t look at me like that, I might think you’re hinting at something.”
Leila tightened her grip on Mason’s collar, calming herself for about half a minute. Then she turned her head to look at him, “I always feel like I’m using you.”
Mason replied, “I’m willingly being used.”
Their eyes met, and in Mason’s smiling eyes, Leila saw sincerity.
For a moment, she clearly felt a crack in the wall she had built deep inside her for a long time.
Leila took a deep breath, “Mason.”
Mason chuckled, “Don’t rush to refuse or be moved. When it comes to feelings, we need to take it slow to see each other’s true intentions.”
The conversation had reached a point where they were being completely honest with each other. From that drunken night to their recent entanglement. She wasn’t stupid and could feel his every move.
“Give me some time.”
Upon hearing Leila’s words, Mason chuckled, spoke in a deep voice, “Maybe I’ve already given you plenty of time?”
Leila didn’t catch it, “What?”
Mason lifted his head, extended his hand, and cupped the back of Leila’s head, kissing her at the corner of her lips, “Leila, feel free to use me, lean on me. Don’t hold back, don’t worry about what comes next.”
Leila couldn’t help it, “What are you after?”
Mason was straightforward, “I’m after you.”
When Mason kissed her again, Leila didn’t struggle or refuse.
“I understand you. You’re capable, determined, and skillful. You always plan ahead, but what you lack is confidence. Because you lack sufficient social background, no matter how capable you are, progress is always difficult.”
After Mason finished speaking, he squeezed her nape and said seriously, “From now on, I’ll be your confidence.”
Leila rested her chin on his shoulder in silence.
“After all these years, don’t you want to play big?”
“I do.”
Mason said, “Come play with the Ramirez Family. I’ll show you how to play big.”
Leila asked cautiously, “Will it be dangerous?”
Mason reassured her, “No, if it ever comes to that, I’ll do everything to protect you.”
Some men make promises that you immediately doubt they can keep. But not Mason. Leila inexplicably believed that since he said it, he would do it.
Leila accepted Mason’s proposal.
Maybe because she knew she was already stuck in the Ramirez Family’s quagmire and couldn’t escape. Maybe, as Mason said, she had been stifled for years and needed an outlet. Or perhaps, she couldn’t bear to see him go alone…
The next day.
During breakfast downstairs, Leila looked up at Mason and asked, “Does Omar being hospitalized have anything to do with you?”
Mason didn’t hide it, “I did arrange for someone to scare him, but his leg, that was his own doing, a ploy for sympathy.”
“He’s a ruthless man.”
Mason lightly mocked, “To frame me, he’s now risking life and limb.”
“When you have time, I’ll accompany you to the hospital to see him.”
Mason looked at her suspiciously, “Hmm?”
Leila calmly said, “Haven’t you heard that saying? ‘Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.'”
Mason joked, “Makes sense.”
Leila said, “Kara’s little tricks, you might not bother to retaliate, but you still should. Don’t worry too much, just treat it as a pastime when you’re bored. Just go along with me.”
Mason didn’t expect Leila’s drastic change overnight, lightly laughing, “Getting into character so quickly?”
Leila took a tissue and wiped her mouth, “The commission from Premier Construction came too easily for me. I need to make sure you feel the money was well spent.”
Mason tapped his spoon handle on the table, “Leila, are you allergic to romance?”
“Hmm?”
“This atmosphere, this occasion, shouldn’t you say something like, the reason you’re doing this is because you care about me?”
As Mason’s words fell, the two locked eyes.
“I don’t have a habit of lying.”
Mason saw through her, “Do you not have a habit of lying, or have you lied so much that you’ve deceived yourself?”
Leila, “…”
Suddenly, Mason’s phone on the dining table rang.
On the other end of the line, Ryan said, “Boss, Dr. Hans did something.”
Upon mentioning Dr. Hans, Mason guessed it must be related to the kidney source. Connecting it to Leila’s unusual behavior from yesterday, he stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, “Go on.”
“He’s using his family connections to investigate the kidney source in your hands.”
Mason sneered, “Let him investigate.”
“Should we intervene?”
Mason replied gravely, “No need to intervene. People like him won’t give up.”
Ryan agreed, “Understood.”
With one hand in his pocket, Mason continued the conversation with Ryan near the window. Just before hanging up, he warned, “Take good care of Auntie. Don’t let anything unexpected happen, or else…”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
Mason didn’t finish his sentence, but Ryan still felt a chilling threat through the phone. He quickly reassured, “Rest assured, even if something happens to me, she won’t be affected.”
After hearing Ryan’s response, Mason smirked lightly and ended the call.
Returning to the dining table, Mason closed his phone and said, “I’ve been honest about everything I should be. Shouldn’t you be more forthcoming with me?”
“What do you want to know?”
“What happened yesterday afternoon?”
Leila looked into Mason’s eyes, paused for a few seconds, then pulled out her phone from her pocket and opened the messages from yesterday, passing the phone to him.
Mason took it, glanced at the screen, his eyes full of mockery, “Is this Stefania?”
Leila speculated, “Most likely.”
“She’s quite confident in herself.”
“The confidence of people like her often stems from previous successful experiences.”
Mason teased, “Do you think I’d fall for her cheap tricks?”
Leila looked directly at Mason, calmly stating, “Many times, many things are just spur-of-the-moment.”
Mason’s tone was firm, “There will never be spur-of-the-moment actions with me. Whatever I do, whenever I do it, it’s always the result of careful consideration.”
Leila thought for a moment, then countered, “What about our first time?”
Leila intended to challenge Mason’s statement.
Little did she know, after her words, Mason looked at her and replied, “How do you know I didn’t carefully consider that night?”
Leila was stunned, unable to respond.
Driving towards the company, Mason’s words echoed in Leila’s mind for a long time. It wasn’t until the car entered the underground parking lot that Leila snapped back to reality.
After composing herself, Leila pushed open the car door, took the elevator up, and arrived at the project department.
It had been a few days since she last came, and as soon as she entered the office, Joshua followed in with a stack of files in his arms.
Leila took the files without looking at them, then looked up at Joshua and asked, “There was a project with a contract value of seventy million, we settled fifty million, still missing twenty million, it’s been dragging for half a year now. When will it be settled? Have you followed up?”
This project was the biggest among all the “legacy issues,” and Joshua didn’t expect Leila to suddenly ask about it. He hesitated for a moment before replying, “We followed up last week, but the other party said…”
Leila didn’t bother to listen to what the other party said. If someone doesn’t want to pay, they can come up with eighty legitimate excuses.
Before Joshua could finish, Leila raised her hand to stop him, “Set up a lunch appointment for me today with that Mr. Mickle.”
Joshua looked hesitant, “That might be difficult. He’s been avoiding us recently…”
“Joshua, do your job. This little matter, I trust in your abilities.”
Leila’s words left Joshua speechless.
With an awkward smile on his face, Joshua managed, “Miss Patel, I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t try, make sure it happens.”
After saying that, she gestured for Joshua to leave.
Just as Joshua took a couple of steps away, Leila called out from behind, “Joshua.”
“Miss Patel, is there something else?”
Leila’s lips curved into a smile, “Tell Mr. Mickle, if he doesn’t see me today, our next meeting might be in court.”