Jason's POV
Jogging every morning has become a daily routine for me and Chase.
He always shows up at my apartment at 6 a.m. sharp, serving as my morning alarm. Together, we jog down the streets, follow the familiar trail to the park, run a few more laps, and then circle back to my place. Chase is usually the chatty one, constantly talking about random thingsâincluding girlsâjust to slow me down.
But this morning was different. He had a serious look on his face, one I'd only seen a few times before, and he was actually focused on jogging. For once, he was running a few paces ahead of me.
I caught up to him and shot him a curious glance, trying to match his pace.
"You okay, dude?" I asked.
His jaw tightened as he glanced back at me.
"Yeah, why?" he replied, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.
"Just asking. So, how was that date with Falcon's daughter yesterday?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, he slowed down, came to a stop, and placed his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath.
"Please don't ask me anything about that," he muttered.
I stopped beside him, raising my brows in confusion.
"Why not?"
He gave me a frustrated look and let out a loud sigh.
"Because it was horrible, okay? And you were rightâit was a bad idea."
I chuckled, running my fingers through my hair, secretly glad he was finally admitting that I'd been right all along.
"What happened?" I asked.
He groaned and began walking ahead of me.
"First off, she's so not my type. Second, she's too predictable! I could tell she'd rehearsed everything she said to me the moment she walked into that restaurant. And third, I know for a fact that the P.I. I hired did a thorough background check on her. I read the fileâpractically memorized itâand yet she had the audacity to lie to my face. You know how much I hate liars, man. I'm not doing it. I'm not marrying her or anyone else. I don't know what the hell got into me to even consider marrying someone just for business."
I knew it.
I knew his plan to get married wouldn't work out. I know him too well to believe otherwise. Falcon's daughter was never a perfect match for him. Honestly, who is? By the time he decides to settle down, he'll probably be in his late forties, after he's done playing around with women.
"I'm glad you finally came to your senses," I said. "I told youâwe don't need the Falcon Group. I can get this project done without their help."
He scoffed, then turned to walk backward, facing me as we talked.
"Oh, the Falcon deal is still on. I might be backing out of marrying his daughter, but I'm not backing out of getting that contract signed."
I narrowed my eyes at him, looking away as my annoyance began to resurface.
"You're not giving up on that yet?"
He shrugged casually. "Nope. I've got other ways to make it work."
"Does that mean you'll try your luck with his other daughters? How many does he have again?"
"Three," he replied, glaring at me before walking normally again. "And no, I'm not doing that. She was my best shot, but it didn't work out. So I'll pass on trying with the other two. After what happened yesterday, who knows what other lies they might come up with."
I chuckled, shaking my head slowly. "Yeah, good luck with that."
He grinned and gave me a challenging look.
"You'll thank me later, Cartwright. Race you back!"
He sprinted ahead of me, leaving me standing there, amused.
"We'll see about that," I muttered, taking off after him.
Shay's POV
I was right in the middle of doing my makeup when Mom suddenly barged into my room with a scowl on her face. I immediately stood up from my vanity to face her, her glaring eyes boring into mine.
"What the hell happened yesterday?" she yelled in my face.
"Nothing. Why?"
"Then how the hell do you explain Chase Evans calling me this morning to say how nice it was to meet youâbut also that it will be his last?!"
That bastard actually went out of his way to tell my mother that? I swear I'll kill him if I ever see his stupid face again.
"Maybe he's just not interested."
Her eyes narrowed into slits as she fixed me with a cold glare.
"Don't give me that same bullshit, Shay-Lina. He was such a nice young man. I swear he was going to be the one, but you're always the problem!"
I glared back, my fists clenching automatically at my sides.
"You won't even let me explain what really happened yesterday?"
She rolled her eyes and held up a hand to silence me.
"Your excuses are getting old. I've had enough of them."
I chuckled in disbelief.
This is so unbelievable!
"You don't even know what he did to me yesterday, and you're already labeling him as the good guy? You know what I really think of him? He's an asshole! A rude, conniving, narcissistic bastard whoâ"
The slap came faster than I could finish my sentence. The sting vibrated through my ears, and the urge to storm out and never come back was almost unbearable.
"I've done so much for you, and yet all you can do is act like the ungrateful, good-for-nothing daughter you are. My life would've been so much easier if you hadn't been born."
Anger bubbled up inside me. I slowly turned to face her again, scoffing as I tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Was that my fault?"
She grabbed my arm fiercely, her sharp nails digging into my skin, causing pain to bloom.
"Don't give me that attitude. You're nothing in this house, you hear me? You're just a blood-sucking leech, feeding off the money your father, brother, and sister work hard for. All you do is go out, sleep, and eat. Be thankful you're still living under my roof, Shay-Lina. Now get changed and be downstairs for breakfast."
She released my arm and stormed out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, I exhaled shakily. It always feels like I can't breathe the same air as them. Every time I'm here in this house, it's like the oxygen is being sucked out of me.
It's why I started working in secretâjust to escape this hellhole for a little while.
This is my life. And it's a real nightmare I desperately need to escape from.