Chapter 43 - The End of Their Beginning

Kelsey took another deep breath before gently knocking on the door. She heard a response from the other side telling her come in and she warily opened the door and entered. She anxiously stared at the man, waiting as he packed the load of documents on his desk. His round-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and his hair was tousled back. Kelsey couldn't help but think that he and Mason had many similarities, it was quite creepy.

"You wanted to have a chat with me?" She asked him as he put the last file of documents on the side of his table. He took off his glasses and gestured his arm towards the lounge inside his office in the middle of the room.

"Have a seat." He ordered as she settled herself on the black leather sofa. He stood from his chair and sat on the couch opposite Kelsey's.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. King?" She anxiously asked him. She would be considered a liar if she had said she wasn't feeling intimidated by him. She was far from being intimidated, she was so nervous to the point that she might pee her pants. She didn't really leave such a good impression on him when they had dinner together. She knew that he was onto to them. Kelsey just wished that he didn't know anything.

"I know my son, Ms. Parker." His husky, big voice said dangerously. "And I know what type of a man he is." He told her.

Kelsey's brows furrowed confusion, not exactly catching up with the point he was trying to make. "I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what you want me to say..." She trailed off as a small smirk made its way on Edward's lips.

"I know for a fact that you're not my son's type for a girl." He added, shutting Kelsey up.

'Oh he is totally onto something...' Kelsey thought warily, biting the corner of her lip absentmindedly.

"I'll give you a chance, Ms. Parker. I'll give you a chance to tell me the whole truth, and maybe, just maybe, I'll reconsider your relationship with my son." He threatened as he shot her a warning look. Kelsey's breath got hitched by the lump that had formed in her throat and she couldn't seem to move. She was certain that he already knew everything, she knew that he wasn't bluffing.

Kelsey bowed her head in remorse and loudly gulped. "I-I..." She started but her voice sounded hoarse and gruff. "I was hired by Mason to pose as his bride." She had finally managed to say after trying it out multiple times.

Edward didn't say anything and Kelsey knew that he wanted her to say more, to explain every single detail to him. "We signed a contract stating that we are to wed this coming month and stay married for a whole year. He said that it's the only choice he had or he will lose the company." She honestly reported to him.

"For what price, Ms. Parker?" He asked as Kelsey looked up, surprised by his question.

"For a million dollars." She replied in embarrassment.

"And what's your excuse for accepting his disgusting offer?"

Kelsey felt ashamed more and more as he asked her all of these questions. It made her hate herself for steeping so low to the point that she was practically selling her body and soul to a man in exchange of money. She was disgusting, revolting, and a disgrace to her family.

"I'm doing this for my family, Sir. I'm doing everything for the sake of my family." She honestly told him, swallowing the rest of the pride she had left. She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes and she fought really hard trying to held them back.

"Aren't we all working hard for our family, Ms. Parker?" Edward questioned with a raise brow. "Everything that we're doing is all for the sake of our family. Because we want to make sure that they are protected and secure." He pointed out. "I love my son, Ms. Parker. And I would hate to see him fall down because of a stupid contract he signed with you. Do you know what's going to happen if the public finds out that you're not really his fiancée?"

"With all due respect, Sir." She interrupted. "Yes, it all started with a contract, with a lie. But Mason and I promised each other that we will give it a shot." She explained.

Edward eyed her suspiciously with scrutinizing eyes. "Are you saying that you fell in love with my son?" He asked her.

"Yes." She answered without any hesitant. Edward was astonished by her confession, she herself was surprised that she had finally admitted to herself out loud that she was, in fact, in loved with him. "Yes, I'm in love with your son." She courageously repeated.

"And what exactly made you fall in love with him? Is it his good-looks? His money?" He directly questioned her.

Kelsey could feel her blood boiling as it surged throughout her body. She had her hand balled into a fist. She was not only trying to fight the tears from escaping, but she was also holding herself back from saying something nasty at him. Kelsey thought he was a hypocrite for saying he loved his son when all he ever showed Mason was coldness and enmity.

"I fell in love with the gentle and caring man behind his cold and distant façade. I fell in love with the playful man hiding beneath his serious mask. I fell in love with the man who went through a lot but had still managed to stand back up on his own two feet." She proudly announced as a tear finally escaped her eye. "I fell in love with the man who loves his family regardless of how they see him as."

Edward was taken a back by her comment. Surely, his son must have told her about his true identity. "I see that he's told you about himself." He said as his eyes wandered off as if he was deeply sucked in his thoughts. "I'm impress." He told her, his lips turning into a lopsided smirk. "Mason is not really the type to open up."

Kelsey's eyebrows raised in surprise. 'Is is true? Has he never told anyone about his family situation?' She thought to herself. A question suddenly popped in her head and she couldn't stop herself before the words had escaped her mouth. "Not even to Claris?" She asked, face-palming her face internally. She was so stupid for asking such a silly question.

"Not even to Claris." He confirmed as he stood from the couch and strolled towards his desk. He opened a drawer and took a folder out before resettling back on the couch. He slid the folder on the table towards her and gestured her to open it.

With shaky hands, Kelsey opened the cover and her eyes quickly scanned the paper. It was the original copy of the contract. She looked up to him and shot him a confuse look. She wasn't really certain why he was showing her the copy again. When Edward didn't response at all, Kelsey glanced back down and flip to the next page. The next page was a paper of contract termination. Kelsey stared at the paper in awe and slowly looked up to Edward.

Edward simply rolled a pen across the table and it stopped and rested on top of the page. "You want me to sign this? You want me to terminate the contract?" She asked in ridicule as Edward amusedly smiled at her. But as soon as the smile appeared, it was gone the next second and his face was masked in firmness.

"You said you love my son, didn't you?" He rhetorically asked her. "If you really love my son and have a little sympathy towards him, you will sign the paper."

She glared at him, practically boring holes into his head. She was furious and started to get annoyed with him. He had no idea what he was asking of her. He didn't have the right to decide for Mason as well. Kelsey was growing enraged about his so-called proposal to terminate the contract she and Mason signed. She knew Mason was going to terminate the contract anyway since they both wanted to make their relationship legitimate, but she knew Edward had something up his sleeve.

"You know what's going to happen when the public finds out about the contract, which I know for a certain many reporters will find out soon?" He asked her again, snapping her out of her trance. "You know what will happen to Mason when they find out that he couldn't even man up and get married for real? That he had to lie to everyone and hire a supposed wife?" He questioned but Kelsey stayed silent.

"Mason will lose everything." Edward firmly told her, seriousness leaking through his tone of voice. "He will lose the people's trust, he will lose the company, he will lose his dreams." He informed her as tears spilled out of her eyes, not being able to contain them any longer. "You wouldn't want to be the cause of that, will you? You wouldn't want to be the reason why he loses everything he's got?"

Kelsey felt the pain surging through her chest. She felt the tightening of her chest as she took deep breaths to calm herself down. She couldn't help but think that Edward had a good point. Mason was risking of putting everything on the line if they stay together. And Kelsey wouldn't be able to live with herself if she found out in the near future that she was the cause of his suffering. Wasn't the reason why they agreed on the contract in the first place was because he didn't want to lose the company? Kelsey didn't want to be a hindrance to him. She didn't want to be a blocking stone in his path to success. She would only drag him down until they reach a point where both of them wouldn't be able to stand her.

"You said you love your family, am I right Ms. Parker?" Edward spoke up once again. "Even though our circumstances might be rough, I love Mason the same way you love your family. Maybe even greater because he is my son. He is my flesh, Ms. Parker. And just like what you've said, you will do everything for your family. I will also do everything in my willpower to protect my family. Everything." He emphasized with a pointed and serious look in his eyes.

After a couple of seconds that have passed, which felt like hours to Kelsey, she had finally found her voice. "What would happen if I sign this?" She asked with a hoarse voice as she stared back down at the paper that was peering right back at her.

"I will pay you the remaining money. But in return, you will leave my son alone. You will go as far away from him as possible. I heard that you want to finish school. I will send you to any culinary school you would like, as long as it's not here. I will pay for everything. Just don't ever show your face to my son ever again." He told her and Kelsey felt more enraged with every word he spoke. He was completely tearing every single thing she had, even her pride and she wasn't about to let that happen. If there was one thing her mother had taught her, it was to never let anyone strip you of your dignity, of your pride.

"I don't need your money, Mr. King." She firmly announced with gritted teeth. "I don't need you to do anything for me. I will leave Mason alone because that is what's best for him. I will go far away from him because I don't want to be a hindrance to his success. I'm not doing this for you, Mr. King. I'm doing this for your son because I love him and I don't want to see him suffer because of me." She told him.

After they stared each other down, Kelsey finally broke eye contact with him and took the pen with shaky hands, as she was still crying from the pain she was feeling. The thought of never seeing him again broke her. She felt her heart shattering into pieces as she signed the termination of her contract with Mason. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.

Kelsey stood from the couch and took the purse she brought with her. Edward stood up as well and stuck his hand out to shake hers. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Parker."

Kelsey only stared at his hand and spoke. "I hope you find the real meaning of love, Mr. King. I hope that one day, you will be able to define what family is all about." She wished him as she ignored his hand and walked out the door with her head held high. She might have seemed immature and disrespectful for leaving him hanging, but she had enough of pretending that they were okay with one other. She didn't want to be fake about it any longer. She was done with all the acting and pretending, she just wanted to be real for once. To be accepted for who she really was.

THE END...

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