Betrayed Spotlight-Chapter 46: Today’s Headline

Sarah slowly opened her eyes as the morning light filtered through Mason’s bedroom curtains. For a moment, she forgot where she was. Then she remembered - the allergic reaction, the kiss, falling asleep in Mason’s arms.

She turned her head and saw Mason still sleeping peacefully beside her. His dark hair was messy from sleep, and his face looked relaxed and younger somehow. She had seen him look so peaceful before, but this look left a certain warm spreading through her chest. Usually, even when he was calm, there was always a tension in his face, like he was thinking about business or problems. But now he just looked... soft.

Sarah smiled and carefully started to get out of bed, trying not to wake him. As she moved, her long hair spilled behind her like dark curtains, catching the morning light. She shivered slightly - her cheeks felt cold and flushed. Winter was definitely coming soon. She could feel it in the air, that sharp coldness that meant the seasons were changing.

She had just stood up when she heard shuffling behind her. When she turned around, Mason was awake and staring at her with those dark eyes.

"Good morning," Sarah said with a grin, moving back toward the bed.

Mason watched her approach, his expression still soft from sleep. Sarah reached out and gently placed her hand on his forehead, checking for fever like she would for a sick child.

Mason closed his eyes at her touch and muttered in his deep morning voice, "I’m not running a temperature. You should get your hand off."

But he didn’t sound angry about it. If anything, he sounded like he was trying to hide that he liked it.

Sarah giggled and pulled her hand away. She gathered her long hair and started tying it up in a messy bun. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something important," she said, her voice getting excited. "My song is going to be released in three days. At midnight."

Mason nodded, sitting up in bed. Even sitting down, he was so tall that he was almost at eye level with her standing up. His hair was still messy, and Sarah thought he looked really handsome in the morning light. There was something about seeing him like this - not perfectly put together, not in a business suit, just... normal.

"I’ll be returning late today," Mason said, running a hand through his hair.

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"Business at the office. And I have a meeting that will take a long time."

Sarah felt a little disappointed, but she tried not to show it. "Okay," she said simply.

After Mason got ready for work, Sarah went back to her own room to shower and get dressed. She was excited about her song release, but she also felt nervous. This was a big step for her music career.

She decided to call Silas. They had been talking more since they reconnected, and he was always good at cheering her up when she felt nervous about her music.

"Sarah!" Silas answered on the second ring. "How’s my favorite singer doing?"

"Nervous," Sarah admitted, sitting down on her bed. "Our song comes out in three days."

"Yes! Are you ready for all your fans to go crazy?"

Sarah laughed bitterly. "I hope they like it. The comments aren’t very encouraging."

"Calm down, Sarah, of course they’ll like it. You’re incredible, Sarah. We both always knew you’d be a star."

"Since we aren’t meeting up today at the office, how about we meet up for lunch?" Silas asked. "We could go to that little café we used to love when we were teenagers, I heard its not closed yet."

Sarah felt excited about the idea. "Yes. I’d love that."

They agreed to meet at 1 PM. Sarah spent the morning working on some music, writing in her journal, and trying to stay calm about her upcoming release.

At 12:30, Sarah got dressed in a simple blue dress and cardigan. She didn’t want to dress too fancy - this was just lunch with an old friend. Eli drove her there the moment she entered the car.

The café was small and cozy, with warm lighting and the smell of fresh coffee. Sarah found a table by the window and waited for Silas. When he arrived, he looked so handsome, she had to admit that - messy brown hair, kind eyes, and that easy smile that had always made her feel comfortable.

"Sarah!" he said, giving her a big hug. "You look great."

"Thank you. You too."

They ordered coffee and sandwiches and talked about everything. Silas told her about how things were back in the US and about his dating life. Sarah told him about Daniel and what he did with Hannah. Silas was pissed, but Sarah told him not to talk about it. She already moved on.

"So are you seeing anyone?" Silas asked suddenly, stirring sugar into his coffee.

Sarah felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t tell him about Mason - their marriage was fake. But she also didn’t want to lie to him.

"It’s complicated," she said finally.

"Complicated how?"

"I just... I’m focusing on my music right now. I’m not seeing someone entirely now."

Silas nodded. "I get it. But you deserve someone who makes you happy, Sarah. Someone who understands how special you are. Daniel’s an idiot for what he did to you."

Sarah smiled, but she felt a little sad. If only it were that simple.

They spent two hours at the café, laughing and talking like old times. Sarah was very happy, despite the awkwardness, she could just be herself - not Mrs. Liu, not someone trying to figure out complicated feelings about her fake husband.

After lunch, they walked around the neighborhood for a while, although their body guards each came with them. They were looking at shops and talking about their memories of the area. Sarah felt grateful to have Silas back in her life somehow.

"I should probably head home," Sarah said around 4 PM. "I have some work to do."

"Of course. But let’s do this again soon, okay? I missed having you in my life."

Sarah smiled.

They hugged goodbye, and Sarah got back to where she left Eli. She felt good about the day, but also a little confused about her feelings. Being with Silas reminded her of a simpler time, when she didn’t have to worry about contracts and fake marriages and complicated feelings for men who were supposed to be just business partners.

Back at the mansion, Sarah spent the evening working on music and reading. She kept checking her phone, wondering when Mason would come home. He had said he would be late, but she found herself missing him, which was strange and confusing.

Around 10 PM, Sarah decided to relax and browse the internet for a while. She was looking at music news and social media when she decided to check the entertainment news websites. Sometimes there were articles about rising artists that she found interesting.

She was scrolling through one of the gossip sites when she saw a headline that made her blood run cold.

"Business Mogul Mason Liu Spotted at Romantic Dinner with Mystery Woman"

Sarah’s heart stopped. With shaking hands, she clicked on the article. There were photos - blurry but clear enough to see Mason strolling into a restaurant a beautiful woman with long blonde hair.

Sarah read the article with growing horror. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Mason Liu, CEO of Liu enterprises, was spotted entering Chez Laurent, one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants. The mysterious woman appeared to be in her late twenties, blonde, and dressed in designer clothing. Sources at the restaurant say the two seemed very comfortable with each other."

Sarah suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Just this morning, Mason had been in bed with her. They had kissed the night before. He had held her and made her feel like maybe, just maybe, there was something real between them.

But apparently, he had a girlfriend. Or at least someone he was seeing. Someone beautiful and blonde and elegant who could take him to fancy restaurants without having to pretend it was part of a business contract. Their own marriage was a contract marriage. Which means Mason could always date and the same went for her.

Sarah felt tears forming in her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have thought that Mason actually cared about her? He was probably just playing with her feelings because he was bored, or because it was convenient.

She looked at the photos again. The woman was gorgeous - the kind of woman who belonged in Mason’s world. Not like Sarah, who was just a musician. A popstar.

and

Or was she just the convenient wife who lived in his house while he lived his real life with other women?

Sarah sat there in the dark, feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life. She had been so stupid to think that someone like Mason could actually care about someone like her.

The worst part was that she had started to care about him. Really care about him. And now she felt like the biggest fool in the world.

Mason Liu was spotted with a woman entering a restaurant.

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