Chapter 360

Chapter 360

The man’s hot breath brushed against her pale neck, his voice dropping into a low, slightly ragged murmur. “Let me have my fill first!”

Janet was so taken aback she fell silent for several heartbeats. When her brain finally caught up, she shoved against his chest with a look of pure exasperation. “How can you be like this?!”

This man is terrifying, she thought. And so clingy! I haven't found a boyfriend; I’ve found a giant, overgrown puppy.

Mason curled his lips into a coquettish, playful smile. “Look at me, babe. Do you really have the heart to leave me feeling this uncomfortable?” He shifted his stance slightly, the frustration he had been nursing since Henry’s afternoon interruption still very much present. To be this close and yet unable to touch was a special kind of torture.

“If you’re feeling that unwell, you should take some medication!” Janet retorted mischievously, lifting her brows. She executed a quick step back, leaving Mason grasping at empty air.

Mason wiggled his eyebrows, a spark of excitement dancing in his eyes. “Sweetheart, don’t run!” He reached out to reel her back in, expecting her to use her small hands to block his path. To his surprise, she didn't resist. Instead, she leaned in and pressed a light, fleeting kiss against his thin lips.

“Is that enough?” she asked, her expression a picture of exaggerated innocence.

Satisfied for the moment, Mason licked his lips. His smile grew increasingly wicked, causing Janet’s breath to hitch. she did a quick scan of the room; fortunately, the servants were making themselves scarce, saving her from total embarrassment.

Soon, a servant arrived with the reheated steaks. Noting Mason’s unreadable expression, the servant set the plates down and vanished immediately, sensing the need for privacy.

The corners of Janet’s mouth lifted. She paused in the middle of cutting her steak, lifted a perfectly seared piece with her fork, and held it out to him. “Will you eat?”

The dark cloud that had been hovering over Mason since the afternoon vanished instantly. He leaned in, but instead of taking the meat, he pressed a firm kiss to her cheek.

Janet’s heart rate spiked, a deep blush creeping up her face. “Just eat your food! Stop kissing me!” she muttered. He kisses me so much every day my face is going to be worn down from the friction.

Mason met her gaze, his eyes narrowing with affection. “It’s not my fault you look so adorable, sweetheart.”

Janet was left momentarily speechless, unable to find a comeback for such blatant sincerity.

As night fell, the moon hung high over the brightly lit Lowry Residence. On the second floor, Janet was occupied with her computer, her fingers flying across the keys. Downstairs, Mason was in a different world, flanked by senior managers as they awaited a meeting with Magnus Davis of the Davis Corporation.

“Where is the representative?” one of the managers asked, checking his watch with growing impatience. “This small company clearly doesn't value our time.”

Just as their patience was about to snap, a servant rushed in, panting. “Young Master Mason, there’s a man at the gates. He claims to be the representative of the Davis Corporation.”

“Let him in,” Mason said, rubbing his temples.

Magnus Davis walked into the living room with a toady, nervous smile, the excess weight on his face twitching. He extended a hand toward the man sitting in the center of the room. “Young Master Mason, I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Sit,” Mason commanded, his face a mask of cold indifference. He didn't take the hand.

Magnus didn't waste time, diving straight into his pitch. He was seeking an investment of two billion from the Lowry Conglomerate. In exchange, he promised a turnover of eight billion within a single year. “A year from now, we split the profits fifty-fifty!” he declared with a misplaced sense of confidence.

To Magnus, two billion was a king's ransom. To Mason, it was a drop in the ocean.

A flash of tyrannical amusement danced in Mason’s eyes. He leaned forward, smirking. “Two billion? You expect me to believe a tiny, humble outfit like the Davis Corporation can generate a turnover of eight billion?”

The words were a calculated insult.

Magnus flinched but held his ground. “We may seem small compared to the Lowry empire, but we won’t know our true potential unless we try, right?”

Magnus was ambitious; he wanted to break into the top ten companies in Markovia. He knew he needed the Lowry platform to bridge the gap between "small business" and "global player." If he failed to secure this deal, the Davis Corporation might never get another chance to rise from the shadows.