In the parking lot of the Lockwood Group, Mason turned off the engine. Sitting in the car, he pondered for a moment and decided to call Zoe.

Zoe refused to answer.

Mason did not persist in making more calls. He leaned back on the leather seat and quietly lit a cigarette, contemplating whether Zoe was upset because of his rough treatment last night or because he left abruptly in the middle of the night. Zoe must have heard Ava’s words on the phone.

With one hand gripping his phone, he wondered if he should comfort her or perhaps try to placate her.

However, this thought lingered briefly before he brushed it off.

Such lovey-dovey actions were not suitable for him and Zoe. He never loved Zoe in the past, not now, and not in the future.

As he put away his phone, Ava approached and opened the car door for him. Having not slept all night, Ava was still full of energy. She had always been a hard worker, a trait that Mason admired, so he kept her around even after she crossed some boun