"Uncle?"

She saw Mason Lawson standing at the top of the stairs, slightly startled. "You’re back so early today?" she asked.

After all, he usually came back quite late, almost always after she was already home.

"It’s almost midnight. You call this early?"

Mason Lawson finished speaking with a cold expression, then slowly walked over to her. He looked down at her condescendingly. "Mrs. Linton tells me you’ve been coming home at this hour for the past few days?"

Eve Vaughn was taken aback. Of course, she couldn’t tell him she was out preparing a birthday surprise for him.

So, she used the same excuse she’d given Mrs. Linton. "Exams are coming up, so I’ve been staying late at school for evening study sessions. That’s why I’m a little late."

Looking at her nonchalant expression, completely unfazed, a shadow of gloom crossed Mason Lawson’s face.

He had originally thought she was a simple girl, utterly without guile.

But he never expected she’d be capable of such duplicity!

Living under his roof, yet out flirting with someone else until this hour, and then lying about it so calmly.

Eve Vaughn felt her skin crawl under his stare. Exhausted from a whole night of piano practice, she said, "Uncle, you should get some rest. I’m going back to my room."

Her foot had just touched the first step when Mason Lawson’s frigid voice cut through the air. "After being so thoroughly played by Julian Lawson, you still haven’t learned your lesson? You’re so young, living with only half a liver, and all you can think about day in and day out is romance?"

Mason Lawson’s words stopped Eve Vaughn dead in her tracks.

She turned around slowly, looking at him in disbelief.

The young woman’s eyes were faintly red, tears welling up.

’So he knew. He knew I was wronged by Julian Lawson.’

Even so, why would Mason Lawson attack her with words more cutting than a knife?

Profound disappointment flooded Eve Vaughn’s clear eyes as she said to him, "Uncle, you’ve gone too far! I just came home a little late, what gives you the right to say that to me? I donated my liver to Julian Lawson and saved his life. What did I do wrong? Am I really the one at fault here?!"

By the end, she was practically shouting, tears streaming down her face like an open faucet.

Mason Lawson, in contrast, calmed down. Watching the young woman sobbing before him, he felt a pang of pity.

He said in a deep voice, "I’m just reminding you, so you don’t get swept up in the heat of the moment again and throw your life away like you did for Julian Lawson!"

Eve Vaughn sniffled, choking back sobs. "Making a fool of myself once in this lifetime is enough! You don’t have to keep reminding me!"

With that, she ran out in a fit of anger.

Mason Lawson immediately shot up and chased after her.

It was already past midnight, and the villa complex was sparsely populated to begin with. It was too dangerous for her to be out like this.

The young woman seemed to know he was following her, so she walked faster and faster.

Mason Lawson closed the distance in a few long strides, caught up, and grabbed her by the wrist. "Come back with me."

"Leave me alone."

Eve Vaughn, throwing a tantrum, shook off his hand and kept walking.

Even though she had no idea where she was going.

Just then, Mason Lawson said ominously from behind her, "I heard there was a murder in this area the day before yesterday. The killer is still at large."

Sure enough, the young woman stopped abruptly.

Adhering to the principle of self-preservation, Eve Vaughn turned and walked back the way she came, but she was still fuming and ignored him.

Mason Lawson followed slowly behind her, a helpless smile touching the corners of his lips.

’She really is just a little girl.’

Once they were back, Eve Vaughn remained sullen. Without saying another word to him, she silently returned to her room.

Mason Lawson had never been one to offer a warm cheek to a cold backside, and besides, he didn’t feel he’d done anything wrong.

’What kind of respectable girl stays out until the middle of the night every day?’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

...

The next morning, Mason Lawson’s burner phone rang again.

"Uncle, an elder’s birthday is coming up, and I wanted to prepare a surprise for him. But I’ve been getting home late, and he misunderstood, thinking I was doing something bad. I’m so disappointed, and now I don’t know if I should even continue with the surprise. Could you please help me with my dilemma?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Mason Lawson’s stern face, and at the same time, a trace of regret welled up inside him.

He thought about how heartbroken she had been last night, and how harsh his own words had been.

’So the little brat was preparing a birthday surprise for me.’

’But what kind of surprise could possibly make her come home so late every day?’

In an instant, countless questions flooded Mason Lawson’s mind.

He didn’t press for details, afraid of exposing his identity.

After all, it seemed Eve Vaughn now saw him as an online friend and could actually speak her mind a little.

When she saw him as her uncle, she was always reserved and anxious, and eight out of every ten sentences were just flattery.

In the end, Mason Lawson simply replied: Perhaps this elder is just concerned about you, afraid you’ll run into danger coming home so late.

A few minutes later, a message from Eve Vaughn arrived: Thank you, Uncle. I know what to do now.

...

That evening, as Eve Vaughn was about to head to the music room for piano practice after class.

Even though Mason Lawson had said those things last night, Eve Vaughn still wanted to believe he did it out of concern for her.

But as she walked out of the school gates, she was surprised to see Mason Lawson’s car parked across the street.

Eve Vaughn was a little stunned. ’Could he be here to pick me up?’

Just then, her phone rang. It was Mason Lawson. "Get in the car."

The man’s deep, mellow voice came through the phone. "If you don’t want your teachers and classmates to gossip, hurry up and get in. Don’t waste time."

Eve Vaughn froze. ’I’ve already forgiven him, but is he still misunderstanding me? Otherwise, why would he come all the way to the school gate to corner me?’

She quickly looked around. Seeing no classmates or teachers she recognized, she jogged across the street and got into Mason Lawson’s car.

After all, the two of them had a huge fight last night.

Now, the atmosphere in the car was thick with awkwardness.

It was Mason Lawson who broke the silence. "No evening study session today?"

Slightly taken aback, Eve Vaughn shook her head. "No, not going."

"Mm, then take it easy tonight. Don’t study all the time."

With that, he leaned over and fastened her seatbelt for her.

As the man’s warm breath drew near, Eve Vaughn’s face grew slightly hot. She couldn’t quite process the shift.

After all, Mason Lawson had spoken so harshly last night, yet today he was being so gentle. She was truly a bit bewildered.

Mason Lawson wasn’t used to apologizing, but as they drove, the young woman beside him sat quietly, still not saying a word.

He thought for a long time before finally saying in a level voice, "Don’t take what I said last night to heart. If you have evening study sessions again in the future, just tell me beforehand, and I’ll come pick you up."

Eve Vaughn’s heart skipped a beat, and a wave of warmth washed over her.