Chapter 24 You’re Almost There
“Your relationship with Mr. Mason must be pretty good, right? I’m really sorry about what happened tonight. Could you help me apologize to him?”
Elaine wasn’t naive. Mamie had clearly come here to see Jackson, and it seemed like her attempt to apologize had hit a wall.
At this point, Jackson was probably still upset. If Elaine spoke up now, she’d likely get caught in the crossfire.
She raised an eyebrow and replied, “I only met Mr. Mason today. We’re not really familiar, so it would seem more sincere if you apologized to him directly.”
Mamie’s eyes reddened, and she pouted in frustration. “Mr. Mason… doesn’t want to see me. If you could just…”
Her words were interrupted by the sound of a ringtone. Elaine glanced at her phone and saw it was Jackson calling.
Not wanting to take the call in front of Mamie, she let it ring. “Ms. Howard, sorry, I have to go. I’ve got something else to take care of.”
Inside the hotel room, Jackson pulled the clothes from the paper bag and went into the changing room. Moments later, he emerged, fully
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The spare clothes were a black shirt, which made his skin look even paler and highlighted his sharp features, giving him an even colder, more distant aura.
Elaine took the tie from him and walked up to help, but not knowing exactly how to tie it, she simply handed it back to him.
“Maybe it’s better if you do it yourself.”
Jackson skillfully tied the tie in front of the mirror. “Has the party finished?”
“It should be soon,” she replied. She hadn’t gone through the party hall on her way to the parking garage, but it was getting late, so it must have been wrapping up.
Jackson tried to fasten his cufflinks, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, he extended his arm toward her. Understanding the gesture, Elaine stepped forward and fastened them for him.
They stood close together, and the scent of his fresh shower lingered in the air.
She looked up slightly, meeting his perfectly curved lips and the sharp line of his jaw.
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She picked up the elegant watch from the bedside table and fastened it around his wrist. “Are you going to rest, or head downstairs?”
Jackson glanced at the watch. It was almost 10 PM. “I should head back.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Elaine instinctively started toward it, but then, realizing something, quickly ducked into the bathroom.
Jackson furrowed his brow, walked over, and opened the door. Standing outside was Cordell, holding a shopping bag from a mall, his face sporting a faint smile.
“Mr. Mason, sorry to keep you waiting.”
The smile on Cordell’s face faltered slightly when his gaze landed on Jackson, who was now dressed in fresh clothes. “Looks like you didn’t need the clothes after all.”
In the bathroom, Elaine froze when she heard Cordell’s voice. Her heart skipped a beat.
Thank goodness she had hidden in time. She wasn’t sure what Cordell would think if he saw her in Jackson’s room.
“Mr. Mason, I’ll leave you to rest.” Cordell glanced into the room, his eyes briefly stopping on something.
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Chapter 24. You’re Almost There
Jackson gave a soft “Okay” and shut the door behind him. He turned back and noticed the spot where Cordell had paused–on the coffee table, next to the room key, was a white phone.
The phone wasn’t familiar to him, but the only people who had been in the room were Elaine and Mamie.
Mamie had been in and out of the room in under three minutes, and she was holding an elegant pearl clutch, so the phone clearly wasn’t hers.
When the door finally clicked shut, Elaine sighed in relief and stepped out of the bathroom.
Jackson was standing in front of the mirror, putting on his suit jacket. He fastened the middle button, preparing to leave.
As he walked past her, he paused, glanced at her briefly, and said, “You’re almost there.”
