Eve Vaughn’s heart trembled. "I know you’re very capable," she said, her voice a little weak. "But I’m afraid you’ll protect me too well, and I’ll lose the ability to protect myself."

Mason Lawson reached out to stroke her hair. "As long as I’m here," he said gently, "you won’t need to protect yourself."

At that moment, Eve Vaughn’s eyes welled with tears.

She looked up at the tall, imposing man before her. "But you’ve ignored me for two days."

Mason Lawson asked with fond exasperation, "So if I ignore you, you can’t come to me?"

"That’s because I didn’t do anything wrong," Eve Vaughn said, all seriousness. "Todd Hayes just confessed his feelings, and I rejected him outright. It wasn’t sexual harassment. Why are you trying to pin that on him?"

Mason Lawson’s gaze was dark and intense. "I don’t like you pleading for other men," he said in a low voice, "and I especially don’t like other men coveting you. But this is the last time. For your sake, I can have the incident expunged from his record."

Eve Vaughn’s tears turned into a smile. She wasn’t happy because Todd Hayes’s punishment had been lifted, but because a man as proud and powerful as Mason Lawson was willing to compromise for her.

"That makes you this happy?"

Mason Lawson scoffed, displeased. "You still feel sorry for that punk?" Eve Vaughn quickly shook her head, clinging to his arm. "I’m happy because you came to my rescue, like a knight in shining armor!" she said sweetly.

"You’re ridiculous."

Mason Lawson gave her a light flick on the forehead before turning to walk into the hospital room.

’Since he was here, he might as well see Eve Vaughn’s mother.’

’He also wanted to know what kind of woman could have produced such a resilient and beautiful flower.’

Eve Vaughn followed him, explaining in a disheartened voice, "My mom was in a car accident years ago, and she’s been like this ever since. But thankfully, at least she’s alive. Medicine is so advanced now... as long as she’s alive, maybe she’ll recover one day."

"I believe so, too," Mason Lawson said quietly.

He glanced around, and his eyes landed on the blanket folded on the recliner. He frowned. "If I hadn’t come today, were you planning to sleep in this chair all night?"

Eve Vaughn gave an embarrassed "mhm."

Mason Lawson sighed deeply. "Sometimes I really want to teach you a good lesson. You’re just asking for it!"

With that, he put an arm around her waist. "Say goodbye to your mother. You can come back and see her tomorrow."

And just like that, late at night, Mason Lawson took Eve Vaughn home.

On the way, he called Mrs. Linton and asked her to prepare a late-night snack.

Eve Vaughn asked in surprise, "How did you know I hadn’t eaten dinner?"

"A guess."

’If he told her he’d deduced it from her one-track mind,’ Mason thought, ’she would definitely blow a gasket.’

Throughout the drive, Eve Vaughn’s phone kept buzzing.

She opened it to find even more hateful comments about her on the school forum.

She knew she shouldn’t look, that it would only upset her, but she couldn’t resist.

Just then, Mason Lawson took her phone, tossed it into the back seat, and said, "Stop looking. Everything will be resolved tomorrow."

"How are you going to resolve it?" Eve Vaughn asked doubtfully. "Even if you force them to delete the posts, you can’t change what everyone thinks of me. All my classmates think I’m that kind of person now."

Mason Lawson snorted. "None of this would have happened if you’d just accepted my help sooner. Other people can sponsor you, so why can’t I?"

"It’s not the same!"

"If someone else sponsors me, I’ll be grateful, and I’ll pay back every cent one day," Eve Vaughn explained stubbornly. "But if you feed me, give me a place to live, pay my tuition, and cover my mother’s medical bills... it makes me feel like I’m a kept woman. I don’t want to be that!"

The words "kept woman" made Mason Lawson’s brow furrow. "What nonsense are you spouting?" he chided. "It’s precisely because of these ridiculous ideas that you’ve worked yourself into such a state."

Eve Vaughn could tell he was getting angry, so she didn’t dare say another word.

Mason Lawson was silent for the rest of the drive, and Eve Vaughn didn’t dare break the silence.

When they got back, Mrs. Linton had already prepared the late-night snack and set it on the dining table.

Eve Vaughn thanked her and quickly ate, finally filling her empty stomach.

Mason Lawson went to the master bedroom and took out his phone. He sent a message to Hamilton Hale, thanking him for the tip-off that afternoon.

’Otherwise, he never would have known how much Eve Vaughn had been suffering at school.’

After Eve finished her snack, Mrs. Linton suddenly rushed over. "Miss Vaughn, my daughter was beaten up at school! I heard it’s pretty serious, so I have to get to the hospital. Could you please let Mr. Lawson know for me?"

"Of course, I’ll tell him," Eve Vaughn said quickly. "Try not to worry. Why would she get beaten up all of a sudden? Was it bullying?"

Mrs. Linton was on the verge of tears. "I don’t know what happened," she sobbed, pulling on her coat. "Her father is a security guard, and I’m a live-in housekeeper, so we’re not around to look after her. It shouldn’t be bullying... my daughter goes to Rivaster University. The students there are all good kids."

Eve Vaughn suddenly froze. A thought struck her.

Following up on Mrs. Linton’s comment, she said, "Rivaster University is a great school. What’s her major? I go there, too."

Mrs. Linton hadn’t known Eve Vaughn also attended Rivaster University. Without giving it much thought, she replied, "Clinical Medicine. Oh, I really have to go. I heard she was attacked this afternoon but toughed it out until now to go to the hospital. I’m so afraid something awful has happened!"

As Eve Vaughn watched Mrs. Linton leave, an idea began to form in her mind, becoming clearer by the second.

She hurried back to her room. Mason had taken her to Nexus International Plaza and bought her a trove of luxury goods—everything from clothes to skincare.

It was more than she could ever use. Many items were still brand new and sealed. Since she didn’t stay here often, she rarely used them.

And then there was that purse the salesperson said was one-of-a-kind in all of Rivaster.

Eve Vaughn turned her room upside down looking for it, but it was gone.

’She could hardly believe it. Sharon Lowe was Mrs. Linton’s daughter... and the things Sharon had been using were hers?’

The thought was staggering.

After all, Mrs. Linton was always so kind and worked so efficiently. Yet she had apparently been pilfering so many things.

’Was this a case of "you can know a person’s face, but not their heart"?’

’Or was this all just some big misunderstanding?’

Just then, Mason Lawson knocked on her door. "Do you know what time it is? Come to bed."

Startled, Eve Vaughn jumped to her feet. "I’m coming!"

Mason Lawson glanced into her room, his eyes falling on the clothes strewn all over her bed.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Were you looking for something?"

"Er... I was just looking for that trench coat you bought me. It’s supposed to be cold tomorrow, and I thought I’d wear it."

Eve Vaughn came up with an excuse, deciding not to tell Mason Lawson the truth for the time being.

After all, Mrs. Linton had been very good to her, and she didn’t have all the facts yet.

Mason Lawson didn’t seem to suspect a thing. "Did you find it? Well, hurry up and come to bed."

"Oh, I found it."

Eve Vaughn quickly followed him to the master bedroom.

Then, she remembered Mrs. Linton’s request. "Oh, Mrs. Linton left a little while ago. She said there was an issue with her daughter at school and asked me to let you know."

"Will she be back to make breakfast tomorrow morning?" Mason Lawson asked coolly.

Eve Vaughn thought for a moment. "If she’s looking after her daughter, probably not."

"I see."

Mason Lawson seemed displeased.

Eve Vaughn noticed his displeasure and muttered under her breath, "Capitalist."

"What did you say?" The man narrowed his eyes at her, a silent warning in his gaze.

Eve Vaughn quickly put on a bright smile. "I didn’t say anything! You must have misheard!"

Then, the man grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her onto the bed.

"Mason, you—"

Eve Vaughn blushed, about to resist, when she heard Mason Lawson say, "It’s too late tonight, so let’s not get into anything. But if you don’t go to sleep right now, I can think of something else for us to do."

The moment he finished speaking, Eve Vaughn dove under the covers and squeezed her eyes shut, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

’Though Mason Lawson was captivated by and attached to her youthful body, he didn’t want to frighten her. He was determined to take things one step at a time.’

In the end, he reined himself in, gathered her into his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.

...

「The next morning」

Mrs. Linton had not returned, just as expected.

Eve Vaughn couldn’t help but worry. ’Was Sharon Lowe really that badly injured?’

’It shouldn’t be possible.’

’She had kicked her, yes, and knocked her to the ground, but she hadn’t aimed for anywhere vital. Aside from some scrapes and bruises, it shouldn’t have been serious enough to require a hospital stay.’

’So why hadn’t Mrs. Linton come back all night?’

Since no one was there to make breakfast, Eve Vaughn was planning to eat at the school cafeteria, but Mason Lawson was already in the kitchen.

"You... know how to cook?"

Eve Vaughn stared at him in astonishment, her mouth hanging slightly open, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Mason Lawson calmly cooked noodles and chopped tomatoes. "Isn’t knowing how to cook to feed yourself a basic life skill everyone should have?"

Soon, two steaming, fragrant bowls of tomato and egg noodles were ready, their delicious scent filling the air.

Eve Vaughn took a bite. The flavor was surprisingly good. "I thought you were the type who always had servants waiting on you hand and foot," she couldn’t help but say.

While eating his noodles with practiced elegance, Mason Lawson said, "There are skills you don’t need to use every day, but you must possess them. Never allow yourself to be put in a passive position, no matter the circumstances."

Eve Vaughn nodded deeply, feeling like she had learned a valuable lesson. But then, perhaps due to a brain fart, she suddenly blurted out, "Julian Lawson can’t cook at all. He’s completely useless in a kitchen."

The moment she said it, Mason Lawson stopped eating. His dark, cold gaze fixed on her.

Realizing her mistake, Eve Vaughn quickly buried her face in her bowl and focused on eating her noodles.

Even though Mrs. Linton wasn’t there and the breakfast wasn’t as lavish as usual, Mason Lawson had made the simple tomato and egg noodles incredibly appetizing.

In the end, Eve Vaughn drank every last drop of the broth.

Later, on the way to school, Mason Lawson noticed her sullen mood. "Just focus on your classes," he said. "Leave the rest to me."