"Do you know his reaction when he found out about all this after he returned? His greatest pain wasn't that the Nightshade Family was in crisis, but that all of this was done by you."

"You betrayed him."

Grayson Quinn gritted his teeth.

Soldiers treat traitors with the death penalty.

But what angered him more was that Mason didn't intend to blame her at all, he ordered them not to trouble Aurelia Shaw and not to lay a hand on her.

"If it weren't for Mason's affection for you, do you think you'd still be alive?" Grayson Quinn spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes flushed red, genuinely filled with murderous intent.

Aurelia Shaw was stunned, pondering something before she asked, "So, are you planning to kill me now?"

"I..."

Before Grayson Quinn could finish his words, a roar of cars came from behind, a black car swiftly overtook him, suddenly swerving to halt in the middle of the road, blocking their path with its hood facing them.

Grayson's pupils contracted sharply, his heart skipped a beat, he immediately stepped on the brake, the tires screeched against the ground, pulling a long black line, barely stopping a millimeter in front of the car's body.

The black car door opened, a cold and stern figure emerged, pulling open the door of the driver's seat, dragging Grayson Quinn out.

Bam—

Mason pinned Grayson Quinn against the car door, his blood-red eyes surging with rage, almost breaking his neck, if not for deliberately holding back, a punch right now would have deformed half of Grayson's face.

"Who allowed you to touch her? Did you take my order as mere wind blowing by?"

"I took her out for a ride, to clear her mind," Grayson Quinn said indignantly.

Suddenly, Mason gripped Grayson Quinn's arm, and with an over-the-shoulder throw, slammed Grayson Quinn onto the ground.

Though not hard enough to clear, it wasn't too light either. Grayson's back felt a scorching pain as he lay facing up, coughing a few times, knowing Mason had not gone all out; if he did, Grayson wouldn't have been able to stand again now.

"Get back, and accept your punishment yourself."

Mason opened the car door, got in, and drove away.

Grayson coughed a few times and climbed up off the ground, watched his car swiftly disappear into the night, then stumbled into the car Mason came in, and called Gustavo Yates.

-

There weren't many cars left on the highway, Aurelia felt the atmosphere in the car was suffocating, Mason drove at a slow and steady pace, unlike Grayson's reckless driving, the steadiness made the car feel stifling.

Half an hour later.

The car stopped at the foot of a mountain, Mason didn't get out, instead, he rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and smoked slowly, his face hidden in the night, making his expression unreadable.

"Satisfied?" He asked, his voice unusually calm and cold.

Aurelia opened her window, letting the cold wind hit her face, clearing her mind a bit, her eyes slightly squinted, stardust twinkling inside.

Mason looked at her profile in the rearview mirror, his chest ached with a dull piercing pain, was this the outcome she wanted? Or was she still unwilling to forgive him, unable to let go of past life's events? The most heartbreaking thing for him was being the one who hurt her, yet unable to be the one to heal her wounds.

"You don't blame me?" Aurelia suddenly turned to look at him.

Mason smiled, "Aurelia, you underestimate your importance to me, and underestimate my tolerance for you."

He's alive for following her, in a past life he neglected her for the nation and family, now, he lives solely for her.

It's not just the Nightshade Family, even if it's a greater price, he's indifferent.