Chapter 198 His Secret
It wasn’t long before screams echoed from the hotel room-Samantha’s high- pitched cries of pain, followed by
the sharp crack of what sounded like a whip and her gut-wrenching sobs.
By morning, faint rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, casting dim light on the chaotic room. Torn
clothes were strewn across the floor, a pair of high heels lay toppled near the couch, the sheets on the bed were
a crumpled mess, and several empty bottles had rolled off the nightstand. The air was thick with the stench of
alcohol and something far more sickening.
Samantha was curled up in the corner of the bed, barely covered by a tattered sheet. Her hair was a tangled
mess, hiding the bruises and tear tracks smeared across her face. One of her arms dangled from under the
sheet, covered in fresh welts-red, raw lash marks, sstill oozing blood.
Mason stood beside the bed, calmly buttoning his shirt with a blank expression, his eyes cold and devoid of
emotion. He bent down to grab his pants, slipping them on with swift, efficient movements.
He picked up the room phone and pressed a button. “Send someone up to clean the room. And,” he paused,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtglancing at the broken woman on the bed with a faint, twisted smile, “take the woman on the bed to my villa. No
one goes near her unless | say so.”
Samantha had discovered his secret. There was no way he'd let her walk out of here. Besides, after last night...
he’d found something new to enjoy.
Once he'd dealt with Samantha, Mason got dressed and headed to the Hawthorne Group. After today’s board
meeting, he would officially be recognized as the company’s new president.
He had prepared everything for this moment, and now, the throne was finally within reach.
When he strolled into the boardroom and confidently took the seat at the head of the table, the board members
stared daggers at him.
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But Mason just chuckled, unfazed by their glares. “Relax, gentlemen. Once this meeting's over, you'll all be
reunited with your families.”
Silence fell over the room. The board members’ faces turned a deep shade of gray, seething with fury yet
powerless to resist. None of them dared to speak out.
They had all witnessed Mason's ruthlessness firsthand. He used their loved ones as leverage, and now, the
tension in the room was suffocating.
“Well then, let's begin the vote,” Mason said, leaning back in his chair, fingers interlaced in front of him. A smug
smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he scanned the room like a king surveying a hall of trembling pawns.
The board members exchanged looks. One by one, they began to raise their hands, helplessly submitting to a
vote whose outchad already been decided.
But just as the vote was about to begin, the doors to the boardroom burst open with a heavy thud.
Everyone turned their heads in unison. A tall figure stood at the entrance,
silhouetted by the hallway light. His face was hidden in the shadow, but the aura he carried was unmistakable.
“...Lucas?” one of the board members gasped, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Mason's smug expression froze. His pupils shrank, and he shot up from his chair. “This can’t be happening.....”
he muttered under his breath, panic flickering across his face.
Lucas stepped into the room with steady, unshaken strides. There wasn’t the slightest hint of the weakness or
frailty the rumors had described. His sharp, cold gaze landed squarely on Mason like a blade slicing through
glass.
His arrival shattered everything Mason had built.
“Mason,” Lucas said, his voice low and steady, every word landing like a hammer. “Your little show ends now.”
Mason's face went pale. But he quickly pulled himself together and sneered,
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“Ends? | don’t think so.”
“You're here just in time. Let's have the board vote right now-let them decide who gets this seat, you or me.”
Mason still believed he held all the cards.
And to him, nothing would be more satisfying than defeating Lucas face to face.
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