Chapter 5
Wherever they were headed, it could hardly be worse than what had come
before.
Harper lowered her head. “Alright. I understand.”
The restaurant was styled in a traditional manner. Past the courtyard, with its rock garden and little bridge, the air was fresh and clean, a soft breeze drifting down from the treetops.
A hostess in a dress welcomed them inside. Their footsteps on the wooden stairs felt so light it seemed they might give way at any moment.
She followed Ethan into a private room at the far end.
Harper recognized this place–it was a popular spot for breakfast. She had once been a regular here, not for the food, but for the chance to catch a glimpse of one man.
Back then, Mason had just taken over his family’s business, and it was common for him to entertain clients here. Harper would give up sleeping in just to wait for him.
She always chose a seat upstairs, watching for the moment he ascended the stairs so she could wave and greet him with a “good morning.” Day after day, she never once got a reply.
Until that one time–when Mason approached her table of his own accord. He tapped twice on the tabletop with a knuckle. Harper looked up at him, her heart blooming with joy..
But instead of a greeting, she was met with his furrowed brows, the downturn of his lips, and the words, “Do you think this is fun?”
1157
Chapter
Harper had not felt embarrassed. She had bitten her lip and replied. “You are the one avoiding me, refusing to see me. I have no choice but to wait here for you.”
“I am avoiding you. Do you not know what that means?”
She had been so naive then–she actually shook her head.
Still polite, Mason had explained, “It means I do not want to see you.”
“You can pretend not to see me, but I still want to look at you–just a glance, even,” Harper had said. She almost had to admire her own stubborn pride. Even with Mason’s expression so dark, she could still tease him. “Mason, I really missed you. Do you mean to say you have not missed me at all?”
Now, back in the same place, the second–floor seats were gone after renovations. There was no chance of chasing Mason’s shadow anymore.
Ethan did not accompany Harper into the private room. Inside, it was empty–no food, no coffee.
“Wait here. Someone will come to meet you shortly.”
Harper pressed her lips together, catching a flicker of slyness in Ethan’s eyes. She nodded, agreeing without another question, and sat down.
But the person Ethan had mentioned never came.
From sunrise to sunset, she sat there. As the dinner crowd came and went, Ethan finally called, giving her another address and telling her to go there instead.
Harper glanced at the location–it was one of Mason’s private clubs.
The rain started again as the sun went down. In the best room, with the widest view, raindrops streaked the windowpane. Mason stood there, and a glance downward revealed a frail figure running through the rain.
Chapter 5
Harper had no umbrella. Her shoulders were soaked, and strands of wet hair clung to her temples. Hugging her arms to herself, she stopped at the club entrance, wanting to go in, but the security guard blocked her way. She tried calling Ethan, but her calls would not go through.
The cold rain and wind had seeped through her clothes, and she was shivering.
Upstairs, her misery was nothing more than entertainment for those watching. Ethan walked over to the window, casting her a brief glance before remarking coldly, “Let us see how long she can keep up the act.”
Two dispassionate faces reflected in the glass–Mason swirled the liquor in his glass. “She has really been here all day?”
“Absolutely,” Ethan said. He had made sure to have her watched. “The family set up a marriage meeting for her with the Bennett family’s younger son. You know Noah–spoiled, useless. The Bennetts agreed to it to settle an old debt, but Noah refused outright.”
Ava had truly gone to great lengths for this imposter.
