Chapter 112
Cleo was mid–sentence when she caught the look on Maxine’s face and stopped short, frowning with concern. “What’s wrong? Did you and Seber into another fight?”
Maxine shook her head. “No, it’s nothing. Just ran into a bit of trouble in the lobby, but it’s all taken care of.”
Cleo thought for a second, then snapped her fing
Apparently, they messed with the wrong person, and
Maxine raised an eyebrow at her. “You really think I’d let th
That woman had been spoiled her whole life. She had
no
those Jacobs siblings? I heard people talking when I came down from the second floor got physical. Did you get hurt?”
lay a finger on me?”
Strength at all. There was no way she could hurt Maxine.
Cleo grinned at her. “True. So, are you heading out now? I’m
More importantly, Avery already left. She needed to hurry back and
In done for m
the night, too, so I’ll be leaving soon.”
work
“Yeah, let’s go.” Maxine nodded.
on getting in his good books. Maybe she could score some points with him.
Honestly, this was probably the last time she would ever come to one of these parties, so leaving early didn’t bother her.
When Sebastian found out she was leaving already, he was caught off guard for a second, then said, “The driver’s right outside. I can have him take you both home.”
Maxine glanced at Brian standing next to him. The moment their eyes met, Brian turned away, acting like he didn’t even want to see her.
“No need,” she replied, “Cleo already called a car. We’ll head back ourselves.”
Sebastian nodded. “Alright, take care.”
Maxine was being much more civil than before, so Sebastian didn’t push her for answers.
A slightly bolder guest nearby quietly asked, “Is Mrs. Mason not feeling well? Why did she
e could only watch as she and Cleo walked out of the hall.
leave
O
early?”
Sebastian watched Maxine’s figure as she left, a gentle smile on his face. “There was something at home she needed to take care of, so I let her go ahead.”
2011
The guest nodded thoughtfully, thinking to themselves that the Máson family didn’t seem as distant or on the verge of divorce as the rumors said. After all, they still showed up to events together.
Cleo finally let out a deep breath as she slid into the cab, yanking off all the hair accessories she’d piled on her head. She rubbed her scalp, which was still sore from being pulled tight all night, and realized there was still some hairspray stuck in there. With a sigh, she just grabbed a hair tie and pulled her hair back up again.
“Hey,” Cleo glanced at her. “did you notice that Sebastian’s been acting differently around you since tonight? His attitude’s totally changed.”
Maxine was busy scrolling through documents from an overseas company on her phone and didn’t quite catch that. “What?”
Cleo leaned in, a little exasperated. “Seriously, you haven’t noticed? He used to always take Kathleen’s side, always finding fault with you, like nothing you did was ever right. But ever since that thing at the ranch, the way he looks at you is just…”
She paused, searching for the right word. “It’s like he’s trying to get your attention on purpose or something.”
The moment Cleo said that, Maxine shuddered at the thought, shooting her a look of pure disgust. “Can you not…”
She hesitated, clearly at a loss for words, then finally managed, “Did Sebastian bribe you or something?”
Cleo muttered, “I’m just saying, he really has changed a lot since tonight. But…” She rubbed her arms, as if to shake off goosebumps. “Honestly, it’s kind
Chapter 112
of gross
