The silence in the car was comfortable as Mason and Sarah finally left Cartier. Sarah kept looking at the beautiful ring on her finger, watching it sparkle. She felt grateful and a little confused about everything that had happened.
"Mason," she said finally, "thank you for standing up for me back there."
Mason kept his eyes outside the window. His voice was calm when he spoke. "I didn't stand up for you."
Sarah looked at him in surprise.
"You already stood up for yourself," Mason said without looking at her. "You threw the money at her feet. You defended yourself with dignity. You didn't need me to save you."
Sarah felt something warm spread through her chest. She had stood up for herself.
"I did, didn't I?" she said quietly.
Mason's lips curved into a smirk. "Yes. You did."
They drove through the busy streets of Wuhan. Sarah watched the city pass by through the window. She was starting to understand that Mason saw strength in her that she sometimes forgot she had.
