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Chapter 35 - New Deal

Kelsey went back to work and served the customers with a smile on her face even though she felt like she was dying inside. She cleaned one of the tables and placed the empty plate and a half-full chocolate milkshake on a tray. She started strolling towards the kitchen when a customer called her. She looked over her shoulder and waited for the impatient woman to speak of her complaints.

"This is not my order." The demanding woman snapped as she glared at Kelsey. Kelsey couldn't even find herself to feel angry at the woman. She just felt really tired and all she wanted to do was go home and take a very long bath until she pass out.

Kelsey nodded and replied, "I'm very sorry, ma'am. I'll have a look at it. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Kelsey was about to walk and didn't notice a man standing right in front. But it was too late for her to stop the tray from tipping over as she heard the plate and the glass topple on the floor, causing the rest of the milkshake to spill all over the man's very expensive suit. She was frozen for a moment as she stared at the stain in horror and widened eyes.

"Oh my god!" Bailey, her manager, uttered from the counter, snapping Kelsey from her frozen state. Kelsey knew right at that moment that she was so going to get fired. She couldn't afford to get fired, especially since she wanted to end the contract and pay Mason the rest of the money he had given her.

"I'm sorry, sir." Kelsey apologized as she took a stack of napkin from a table and furiously wiped the stain on the man's suit. Tears started forming in her eyes when the chocolate stain couldn't be expunged from the very expensive-looking suit. "I'll take care of it, sir. I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going and-" She babbled but the man took her hand that was wiping the suit and held it gently.

Kelsey finally looked up and was surprised to find a very familiar, beautiful orbs. Mason's face softened as he saw the tears in her eyes. She looked very tired and on the verge of crying that it tore and pierced his heart. They were only staring at each other as if they were reading each others' soul.

"Mr. King, are you okay?" Bailey asked as she studied the stain on his suit and sent a glare at Kelsey. Mason couldn't help but feel annoyed by the woman who was glaring at Kelsey. He wanted to badly poked her eyes and make her regret that she even committed such an act towards his fiancée.

"I'm fine." He coldly answered. "Ms. Parker here and I actually have plans and we have to go. Take care of the mess, will you?" He ordered as he pulled and dragged Kelsey out of the restaurant. The people were looking and whispering to each other as they passed by.

When they where outside, Kelsey tried prying her hand away from his grasped but his hold only tightened. "Mason, let me go. I need to go back to work." She said as she remembered how her manager glared at her. She knew she was going to get a bad review and possibly get fired. "Mason, please. Let me go!" She demanded.

Mason unlocked his car and opened the passenger door. "Get in." He commanded, holding the door opened for her.

"Mason-"

"Get in, Kelsey. Before I make you." He said with a warning tone in his voice. Not wanting to enraged him and cause the monster to come out, she got in and he shut the door closed as he walked around to get on the driver's seat.

He ignited the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "You should've let me stay at work. Unlike you, I have a family to feed." She said without sparing him a glance.

"I'm doing you a favour by letting you go home early so you can get a good rest. You should thank me instead of complaining."

Kelsey turned her head to shoot daggers at him through her eyes. "I'm sorry, but not all of us are CEOs of our own company. We can't just not show up or even get out of work just because we don't feel like it."

Mason pulled on a curb and stopped the car hastily, sending Kelsey's body forward. It was a good thing she fastened her seatbelt before they left the restaurant. Mason turned his head towards her and his jaw tightened as he tried to restrain himself from losing control. "Why do you also defy me, Kelsey? Why can't you listen or even just agree to what I say? Why do you always have to question me and complain?"

Kelsey didn't bother responding as she didn't want to awaken the beast. She could tell that he was very close to snapping and possibly screaming and scolding at her again.

Mason sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself down. "What happened this morning? Is everything okay?" He asked and Kelsey's face softened and relaxed with the change of topic. However, that didn't mean she was going to tell him. She was sure that Mason would be more eager and determined to continue the contract and persuade her that she needed the money now more than ever.

"Everything's fine." She nonchalantly answered. Mason's jaw ticked in annoyance and watched her with scrutinizing eyes. She looked very passive and relaxed as if she didn't have any care to the world. "I hope you have reconsidered my decision." She spoke out after a moment of silent. Mason knew what exactly she was talking about and it irked him to know that she was very eager to get out of their fake relationship.

"I'm afraid the answer's still a no." He retorted, causing Kelsey to face him. She begged him with her big, rounded eyes and staring into them made him weak. Really weak that he had to cast his eyes away from her hypnotizing ones.

"Please, Mason!" She pleaded. "Give me a bit of time to gather all the money so I can return it to you. I promise I will pay you back."

Mason seemed to be having second thoughts. Not because Kelsey was begging him with those magical eyes, but because he could also benefit from the situation. She was for sure desperate enough that she would do anything he asked of her.

"Fine." Mason answered and Kelsey's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't expecting him to caved in. Half of her felt relieve that she could finally free herself from him, but half of her felt a bit disappointed that he didn't care if she was gone. After all, he could easily replaced her once they were done. "Make sure the money's deposited back to my account by the end of the month." He added.

Kelsey thought about it and she freaked out once she had realized that there were only eighteen days left before the month ended. "But that's in two weeks and a half!" She complained. "How can I possibly get all the money by that time?"

"Then I guess you're stuck with me." Mason shrugged as he pulled from the curb and started driving once again.

Kelsey thought about it and she wasn't sure if she should be happy that she was going to be stuck with him for a whole year or be frighten that if she didn't get away, she would completely fall for him and end up getting hurt. "No, two weeks and half. Expect your money by the end of the month." She announced, closing the deal. She, at least, needed to try and see if she could do it. Mason smirked and Kelsey eyed him suspiciously. She then quickly added, "It's a done deal! You've already given your words, which means it's settled."

Mason smiled this time and just nodded his head. "Okay."

Kelsey studied him and she felt like she was being played. She didn't know if he was actually being genuine or joking around. "Okay?... That's it? You're not gonna retaliate?" She questioned in suspicion.

"Do you want me to?" He asked as he glanced at her for a second before returning his attention back on the road.

"No!" She quickly replied. He was way too calm for her own liking and it was making her confuse and uncomfortable. "What's the catch?" She asked as she already knew that he wouldn't just agree that easily.

"You are one smart girl." He commented with a playful smirk on his face. "My grandmother once told me that, 'You should never make transactions without getting anything in return.'"

She knew it. She knew he wasn't just going to agree out of kindness. "What do you want?"

Mason's smirk got even bigger if it was even possible. "If the money is not in my account by the end of the month, you have to stay in my bedroom and sleep in the same bed with me starting then until the contract ends."

Kelsey stared at him in bewilderment. She didn't know what to feel, what to say, or how to argue. His bargain was too tempting that she felt that even though she loses, she still wins if she gets to sleep next to him for nine months. "What?" She finally said after gawking at him for the longest time. "Are you out of your mind? Is that what you really want?"

"Do we have a deal, Ms. Parker?" He asked, not bothering to spare her a glance. He knew she was confused and surprised. But if it was the only way he could keep her, then he would take all his chances.

"You're not gonna win, Mason." She stated as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Mason sneakered and smirk. Kelsey glared at him again and he had to control himself from grabbing the nape of her neck and kissing those luscious, pouty lips of hers. "I never lose, Kelsey. I always get what I want."