Mason

Today was finally the day of Kavas Corporation’s newunch.

The moment I had been waiting for.

For weeks, thispany had been slowly creeping into my territory, taking deals that should have been mine. And the worst part? No one even knew who was behind it.

After everything, Alissa Brooks would be attending. She was a ghost. No pictures. No interviews. No public appearances. Until now.

There was no way she would miss herunch. And I was going to be there. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Julia asked as we pulled up to the venue.

I didn’t look at her. “I’m not here for fun, Julia.” She sighed, crossing her arms. “I know that. But showing up without an official invite? That’s a little desperate, don’t you think?”

I clenched my jaw.

Desperate?

No.

I was here to see Alissa Brooks, to negotiate a deal, to settle things before they got worse. This wasn’t about desperation. This was about business.

The driver pulled up to the entrance, and I stepped out, adjusting my suit. Julia followed, slipping her arm through mine. I barely noticed.

All my focus was on the massive security setup at the entrance. Tworge guards stood at the doors, and next to them, a high-tech scanner. As we approached, one of the guards stepped forward.

‘Invitation?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”

‘Invitation,” he repeated as if I were a nobody. “This is an invite-only event.” I let out a slow breath. “Do you know who I

im?”

The guard didn’t even blink. “Yes, Mr. Woods. But without an invite from the CEO, we can’t let you in.” Julia tightened her grip on my arm.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered. I was about to argue when I noticed a couple walking past us. They pulled out their phones, scanned a QR code at the scanner, and were immediately granted ess.

No questions asked. No embarrassment. Just a simple scan, and in they went.

I clenched my fists, howe I didn’t get an invite? I had never been treated like this before. I am Mason Woods. I don’t need an official invite to an industry event, it’s absurd.

And yet, here I was. Stuck outside like some low-level businessman begging for scraps. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. Losing my temper wouldn’t help.

Julia turned to the guard. “Look, there must be some mistake. You’re telling me Mason Woods isn’t on the guest list?” The guard didn’t budge. “Not unless the CEO personally invited him.”

Julia scoffed. “That’s absurd.” I was about to walk away, already nning on calling mywyers, when Julia ced a hand on my chest.

“Wait,” she said. “Let’s call Miss Brooks.” I exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “You think she’ll answer?”

“She might,” Julia said. “And if she doesn’t, the staff will. No way they want to risk offending you.” I looked at the guards again.

They were professionals. They didn’t look the least bit concerned about upsetting me. That pissed me off even more.

Julia turned to the security staff. “Call her. Let’s see what she says.” One of them hesitated before pulling out a phone.

I watched, arms crossed, as he spoke into the receiver. A few seconds passed. Then a minute.

The guard nodded, listening intently before turning back to me. “You may enter, Mr. Woods.”

I didn’t move. I wasn’t stupid. Something wasn’t right. I nced at Julia, who gave me a smug little smile. “Told you.” Still, I hesitated.

I had never needed approval to enter an event before. And now, I had to wait for someone’s permission? The thought made my blood boil.

But I had to bury my pride, at least for now, as I had no actual say in the matter. Soon, when this is all resolved, I’ll be sure to have a payback. Karma is always a bitch.

The guard moved aside, gesturing toward the scanner. I rolled my shoulders, keeping my face nk as Julia and I walked in. The moment the doors opened, I was met with a crowd-a lot of influential people from all over the world.

There was soft music ying and a lot of chatter, too. Whoever Alissa Brooks was, she was filthy rich to have such connections. The venue was massive, filled with business elites, investors, and media personnel.

Even people who, not too long ago, would have been here for me. But tonight, they were here for someone else. Kavas Corporation had stolen the spotlight. And I was honestly growing more and more jealous of my business rival.

I squared my shoulders, adjusting my cufflinks. Julia leaned in. “Still thinking here was a bad idea?” I didn’t answer.

Because now that I was inside, I had only one thought in mind. Finding Alissa Brooks.

After looking around for a while I figured that she wasn’t in the crowd. But as expected, she would have to be the one to announce theunch, so I’d just have to wait till the moment she does.

The event was in full swing, and I was doing what I did bestworking. Or at least, I was trying to. Julia, on the other hand, was enjoying every second of it.

She clung to my arm, smiling sweetly as she chatted with the business elites,ughing at their jokes, and answering their questions as if she had been preparing for this moment her whole life.

I kept my face neutral, nodding where necessary, but I wasn’t listening. My focus was elsewhere. I needed to make sure that if Alissa Brooks was in this crowd, I was the first to get in touch with her.

I needed to put a face to the name.

But for now, I had to y along. “So, Mr. Woods,” a man in a tailored navy-blue suit said, swirling the wine in his ss. “Rumor has it there might be wedding bells soon. Should we be expecting an official announcement?” Julia’s grip on my arm

tightened.

She let out a small, delightedugh, tilting her head coyly. “Oh, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Mason that.” She was blushing, but I couldn’t help it; I clenched my jaw.

This was exactly the kind of thing I didn’t want to deal with tonight. “Is that true, Mr Woods?” another man chimed in. “Are you finally settling down again?”

There was an expectant silence as everyone waited for my answer. Julia was practically glowing, her fingers lightly tracing circles on my sleeve as she leaned into me.

I resisted the urge to sigh. “We’re taking things slow,” I said simply. Julia giggled. “Mason likes to keep things private.”

“Ah,” the first man smirked. “But surely, a wedding would be a public affair? I mean, your mother, Victoria, has been quite vocal about an alliance.”

I barely contained my irritation.

My mother.

She had been pushing this marriage from the very beginning, and now, thanks to her, it seemed the entire business world was waiting for me to put a ring on Julia’s finger.

Julia just smiled, clearly enjoying the attention. Before anyone could say more, the conversation shifted.

“Speaking of secrets,” a woman in a red dress interjected; I immediately stared at her, wondering if she was Alissa Brooks. After a while, I recognized her, Miss Flin. Heiress of Chin Enterprises. “What do you all think of this mysterious Alissa Brooks?”

Finally, a topic I cared about. “Oh, that woman,” someone scoffed. “Hiding behind anonymity. What’s she afraid of?”

“Maybe she’s ugly,” a man joked, chuckling into his ss. “So ugly she doesn’t want to be seen.” A few peopleughed, but others looked thoughtful.

“Or,” another voice chimed in, “maybe she’s so beautiful that one look at her would ruin us all.” The group but I remained silent. Alissa Brooks had been ying this anonymous game for too long.

chuckled again,

And now, she had the entire business world wrapped around her finger. I was about to speak when a hush fell over the room. The event was officially starting.

The chairman of the asion stepped up to the podium, clearing his throat. I watched, my fingers tapping against my ss as he gave his speech, talking about innovation,petition, and the bright future ahead.

But none of that mattered to me.

The real moment wasing.

The moment everyone had been waiting for.

“The CEO of Kavas Corporation will nowe forward to announce theunch,” the chairman announced.

It suddenly felt like everyone in the room was holding their breath. I could feel the curiosity and eagerness as everyone wanted to know who she was.

And then, they said her name, “Miss Alissa Brooks.” The crowd turned as she stepped onto the stage. My breath stopped as I stared at a face I hadn’t seen in over five years.

My grip on my ss tightened.

No.

No, it couldn’t be.

But it was.

Lydia.

My ex-wife.