Shay's POV
I woke up in the morning to the sound of rain falling heavily outside. With the weather like this, I felt uncertain about meeting Jason's mom today. However, when I checked my phone, she had messaged me, saying to still come over because she wanted to see me before leaving town this evening.
I went through my usual morning routine, got dressed, and then headed downstairs for breakfast. One of the housekeepers informed me that my parents had already eaten and had left for a business meeting together. I felt relieved knowing I could have breakfast in peace.
After eating, I got into my car and drove to town. The rain had lightened to a drizzle. I pulled up in front of a flower shop, hurried inside, and bought a bouquet of white roses for Jason's mom. Then, I quickly got back into my car and drove straight to Jason's penthouse.
Once I parked in the underground lot, I took the elevator up. As soon as I arrived on his floor, a delicious smell greeted me.
"Shay, is that you?" Her friendly voice called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, it's me!" I replied, walking straight to the kitchen. There, I found her cooking on the stove, wearing a red apron over a jade-colored jumpsuit.
"Hi!" she greeted me without looking up.
"Hi. Wow, what is that? It smells amazing."
She shot me a quick smile before flipping a steak on the pan.
"I'm making lunch. Take a seat. I wanted to have lunch with you and Jason before I leave for New York this evening."
After turning off the stove, she removed her apron and came around the counter towards me. She grinned at the bouquet lying on the counter. I grabbed it and handed it to her.
"For me?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes. I'm so glad you wanted to see me. It's been a while."
She nodded while admiring the white roses.
"True. Thank you, I love roses. Come, let's go talk in the living room."
We moved to the living room and sat down on the plush couch. She placed the bouquet on the glass coffee table before turning to face me.
"I saw the news. How are you feeling?" she asked, referring to the magazine articles.
"I'm good. Everything is okay now. Jason and I are fine."
She smiled sympathetically.
"I swear, these paparazzi are so annoying. If they're not chasing celebrities, they're bothering other well-known people. They're nothing but pests!"
I chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"How did your family react to this?" she asked.
I looked down, twisting my fingers together.
"They didn't take it well. But everything is fine now. They'll come around."
She hummed in response.
"One out of the ten reasons why I began to like Jason was because of you." I shyly confessed.
She burst out laughing.
"Well, that's not right. You should like my son for all ten reasons. I already have plenty of people who like me, including some jealous French designers who steal my designs."
She laughed again, and I joined her. I loved how easy she made it for people to relax around her. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed her company so much.
Suddenly, she grabbed my hands and studied my face. I looked at her in confusion.
"You still have that baby face from when you were little."
I frowned. "How do you know what I looked like when I was little?"
She gave a lopsided grin. "I saw it."
"What do you mean?"
"Jason had a photo."
"A photo of me as a child?" I asked, confused.
She nodded. "Yeah. Do you want to see it? He keeps it in his study room."
"Yes, I'd like to see it."
She stood up and started heading towards the hallway that led to Jason's study. Before I could follow, my phone rang. I grabbed it from my bag and saw Jason's name flashing on the screen.
"Hey, where are you?" he asked. I heard a door slam in the background.
"I'm in the parking lot," he said.
I followed Lisa inside the study room and saw her rummaging near the bookshelves.
"I'm at your place right now, with your mom," I told him.
"I know. I'm on my way up now."
I ended the call and turned my attention back to Lisa. She crouched near the drawers under Jason's desk, pulling the last one open. She grabbed a photograph and handed it to me. I took it, slipping my phone into my back pocket.
"Isn't this you?"
I stared at the picture. It was a photo of me at five years old, part of a family photoshoot. How did Jason have this?
"Yeah, it is," I finally replied.
I glanced down at the open drawer. A newspaper lay inside, featuring my family on the front cover. My throat tightened as I scanned the other items inside. One thing, in particular, caught my eyeâa familiar bracelet.
I crouched down, grabbed it, and immediately recognized my initials on the charms. My heart pounded harder. I tried to process the confusion swirling in my mind.
"Is that yours too?" Lisa asked.
I couldn't answer. My thoughts were racing.
Please don't tell me this is not what I think it is...
"Yes..." My voice barely came out.
Lisa chuckled. "You must have been here more often than I thought."
I slowly shook my head, glancing between the bracelet and the photo in my hand.
"No, that's not it."
"Are you okay, dear? You look pale," she asked with concern.
"Um... I... Actually, my thoughts are all over the place right now."
I crouched down again, pulled out the newspaper, and placed it on the table. My gaze fell on a file inside the drawer. I quickly pulled it out and flipped it open.
My whole body froze.
It was a background check on me. My entire history. Personal details. Pictures of me stapled to each page.
Tears pricked my eyes as I flipped through it. Jason... he knew who I was all along.
I hurriedly closed the file, sniffed back my tears, and gave Lisa an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, I can't stay for lunch, Mrs. Cartwright. I have to go."
She frowned. "What? Why so sudden? Jason is about to arrive."
I grabbed the bracelet, the photo, and the file.
"I can take these, right?"
She nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, they're yours aren't they? Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch?"
"I'm really sorry. Maybe another time. Have a nice trip to New York."
I didn't wait for her reply. I quickly walked out, grabbed my bag, and shoved everything inside. Tears streamed down my face as I stepped into the elevator.
I couldn't stop crying. This was exactly what I had feared. Turns out, Aria was right, and I had been too arrogant to believe her. Jason was just using me. He had done a background check on me and knew who I was before we even got together.
I felt betrayed. Heartbroken.
When the elevator doors opened in the lobby, he was standing right in front of me. His expression shifted from confusion to concern when he saw my tear-streaked face.
"Why did you come down?" He stepped forward, cupping my cheek, but I turned away.
"Are you crying? What happened?"
I pushed his hand away. "I'm leaving. We'll talk later."
He frowned. "Why?"
"I need to clear my thoughts, or else I'll explode. So don't talk to me."
I pushed past him and walked towards the exit leading to the parking lot.