It was a Saturday morning, and Mrs. Robinson sat on the couch in the sitting room watching the news. Two years have passed in the blink of an eye since Mason's departure. No one has heard anything from or about him, it was as if he didn't exist. Nana had had a hard time adapting to life without him; she'd spent days, weeks, and months crying.
Days went by with no appetite to eat, her will to study for college had shattered, and Mrs. Robinson had spent weeks treating her for depression. Even Mr. Robinson had regretted his words the day he took Mason in, telling him to leave when he became an adult. Mason's disappearance had left a great wound on the family, one that refused to heal even after two years.
Just then, the news was switched, and Mrs. Robinson's eyes widened as she beheld a familiar image.
…Mason Robinson, the outstanding beauty among men, popularly known as the CEO of the Robinson's Cosmetics Company, who had refused every interview and public gathering for unknown reasons, has finally revealed himself as the infamous King of investment. The reason behind his revelation has remained a mystery, and Mr. Robinson has yet to appear in the coming meeting with investors from overseas…
As the news continued on, Mrs. Robinson's jaw dropped. Her eyes widened in what seemed like terror or anger.
"He broke our promise! That unfilial son!" she shouted. "He's going to put himself in trouble. Mason, dammit!" The sudden presence beside her made her flinch. Beside her stood Nana, her face glued to the TV screen ahead.
"It's Mason…" she whispered, but not too low for Mrs. Robinson to pick up. "He not only became the king of investment, but also founded a company. Overseas investors? Mason hit it big!"
She looked at herself and almost regretted not moving on quickly. She'd skipped two years' exams because of her sadness, but seeing who she was sad about being famous and wealthy made her feel embarrassed.
Tears crept down her face, but it was neither sadness nor happiness. She turned around and ran outside.
But the scene Nana beheld outside made her almost doubt her world. Was she dreaming? Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She tried to pinch herself, but her muscles had rendered her immobile. Her strength failed her, and only a word could escape her lips;
Mason…
***
Two years ago, before Mason left the town, he met with Shoko and gave him his necklace to help him sell it. Of course, he made sure Shoko didn't know it was the same necklace. He just told him the necklace belonged to his dead mother. One way or the other, Shoko sold the necklace twenty minutes after he gave it to him.
He saw it himself as a man arrived at Shoko's shop, holding a bag of money. He'd watched the transaction, which had only left him with more bewilderment. But he told Shoko he needed it wired, rather than carrying a bag of money around like a foolish fool.
The look on Shoko's face was one of disappointment, sadness, and betrayal when he learnt Mason was going for good. He knew there was nothing he could do but wish him luck. He helped him create a bank account and deposited the money there along with the rest of the money he was holding.
Mason tried to convince him to have some of the money as he'd tried for him, but Shoko's pride seemed too strong to let him. As a last favor, he wrote Mason addresses he'd visit to travel out of the state.
Mason finally bought a house and settled in Washington.
It took him a few months to finally find people who'd helped him with investing in stocks and companies. And that's despite his good looks. Otherwise, he'd have spent almost his entire life begging people to show him the way.
Within a few months, his stunning beauty and infallible instincts catapulted him to the pinnacle of the investment world, making his dream of becoming the king of investment a tantalizing reality.
Every company or stock he invested in skyrocketed. No matter how dead the stocks, they'd somehow rise as long as the King of investment was involved in it.
A lot of people even made him their idol, mirroring everything he does as they knew he'd never lost his money before. True enough, Mason always knew before companies or stocks plummeted, his perfect instincts had made him a figure envied by most.
With his charm and good looks, he effortlessly manipulates situations to his advantage, leaving a trail of enchanted ladies in his wake. In less than seven months, Mason had become a rich man behind the shadows. He'd never revealed his identity to the world, but only to people he dealt with. With his riches, he founded the company, which he named after his family.
On the day he needed a secretary, a lot of people had applied. And as he scanned through their names on the list, his eyes caught a familiar name.
"Who's this Vivian Tennyson?" he said to himself, and he interviewed her. But what he heard when he asked her why she applied to be his secretary stunned him.
"I'm here to repay the kindness you had shown me and my mother two years ago," she replied. "I owe you my life, Mr. Mason, and my mother told me before she died that I must find and thank you. But I don't think just thanking you is enough, I'll serve you to the best of my capabilities."
"Wait a minute, your mom is dead?" Mason said in shock.
"She died shortly after my surgery. She was exhausted, she wanted to rest," Vivian replied, then her face fell.
"Oh my goodness!" Mason exclaimed as he stood up from his swivel chair and walked toward Vivian, who was standing a few distance away from his desk.
Vivian was a slender girl with brown curly hair, a contrast to her mother's. It covered her neck and ears, giving her a dazzling look. She looked about the same age as Mason, if not younger. Her face was small and almost round, a unique beauty among her peers.
When Mason approached her, he patted her on the shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Vivian. May her soul rest in peace," he said.
Vivian raised up her head and slowly nodded.
"How did you find me?" Mason continued. "I believe I was meticulous in privatizing my movement."
"There's one person who seemed to know where you're going two years ago."
"That's Shoko. He actually spilled it out to you?"
"Not easily, though. I had to beg, beg, and beg, putting my life on the line before he… TRIED to tell me," Vivian replied.
"Then how did you get him to tell you? I'm sure he met only your mother two years ago."
"I had to show him the photo of my mother and I for him to believe. I had to lie to him that I have something important that might save your life."
"I'm sure he'd told you when you mentioned something that'd save my life."
Vivian shrugged. "He almost didn't tell me, I had to threaten him," she replied.
Mason smiled and patted her on the shoulder once more.
"But you shouldn't work for me with the belief of paying me back. You should work to earn, Vivian," he continued and turned around, walking toward his chair.
"I insist, sir, please allow me to work for you!"
Mason halted his advancement and glanced back. "You're not getting the point. I can't accept your service, a 'thank you' is enough for me. After all, I bought the house from your mother."
Vivian fell to her knees, seemingly not grasping the point Mason was making. And just as Mason was about to think she and he wouldn't get along…
"It'd be difficult for you to find people you can trust blindly. Money can only buy services, not trust," Vivian said. "But having someone who owes you so much at your side might give you a bit of relief. Please allow me to work for you, and let me earn your trust."
"Stand up, Vivian, there's no need for that. You already have my trust," Mason said and sat down. "Go and meet my manager, she'll put you through everything you must know."
Vivian swiftly rose up, surprised at his sudden change of mind. But it's all for the better. "Thank you, sir!" her voice echoed through the large office. She turned back and left.
Mason let out a deep sigh as he grabbed his necklace. The mysterious object always found its way back to him, no matter how many times he sold it. He let out a lopsided grin before a distant gaze took over his eyes, slowly blurring his senses.
***
A few months after Vivian's employment, she suddenly rushed into Mason's office, her hands slightly trembling as she stared at the screen on her iPad.
"I think we have a problem, sir," she announced.
"Speak."
"The M.K. FOOD rejected our offer to invest in their company," Vivian said. "You strongly recommended this company yesterday. It's not like our investment wouldn't benefit them in many ways. Why are they doing this?"
"What do you think?" Mason asked.
"Sir?"
"I mean, their reason for declining our offer. We offered so much more money than most of their investors."
"Ummm… personal grudge?"
"Perfect!"
"But why?"
"What's the name of the company's CEO's daughter?"
Vivian browsed through her phone, and her eyes widened.
"Miss Layla!" she responded. "You refused to meet her about one month ago. Could she be holding grudges because of that and depriving her mother's company of a great investor!?"
"Perhaps. So what do you think we should do in such a BIG situation?" Mason continued.
"Ummm… we should find another company that wouldn't throw such an opportunity into a river."
"And what would other companies do when they learned that I, who's supposed to be rushed and adored, was being rejected by a company as small and insignificant as M.K. FOODS?"
"I'm confused, sir. What would they do?"
"They'd ask M.K FOODS and their reply would be 'we can't do business with a man who hides behind the shadows and buys about half of our stocks'. And what would happen if such a response is spoken about on the news?"
Vivian tapped her teeth as she tried to connect the dots. And her jaw dropped as the realization hit. "It'd lead to a bad reputation, since they didn't know that the King of investment is the owner of Robinson's Cosmetics. OMG!" she replied. "What are you going to do now, sir?"
"What should be done, of course."
"Sir? You don't mean to reveal your identity, do you?"
"Arrange a meeting for us. I must seduce that bitch!"
"Huh? Mr. Mason?"