Chapter 6 Mason at the Door

Mason stared at the picture again, his jaw tightening. That kid looked way too much like him, but there was no way they were related.

The only time I ever slept with a woman was eight years ago. Anthony tricked me into it.

Seven and a half months later, Amanda had shown up at his doorstep with a baby, DNA test in hand, and he also did his, proving the boy was Murphy bloodline. But that was it. If she'd had twins, she wouldn't have left one behind. She was too greedy for that.

That settled it. The viral post on Instagram is nothing more than a bad joke.

Mason studied the picture more closely. After a moment, a smirk tugged at his lips.

At first glance, this photo seems fine, but nothing escapes me.

It was a fake. Someone had merged his picture with that kid's using high-level editing techniques.

Only the best hackers in the world could pull off something this clean.

This smells like Banny.

Mason had been chasing that hacker down for six months. Could this be their attempt at payback? If so, it was pathetic.

If the picture was edited, he could have it separated again. Once that happened, this ridiculous rumor would fall apart on its own.

"Banny, if this is your best shot at revenge, you're slipping."

He grabbed his phone and called his assistant.

"Contact every major news outlet. Murphy Group will be holding a press conference tomorrow. I'll be addressing these rumors myself."

"Mr. Murphy, don't you think-"

"Just do it."

If this is a game, let's play.

Within thirty minutes, news of Mason's press conference was trending, knocking every other story off the charts.

Meanwhile, over at Bradley Condominium, two kids sat at a table, deep in discussion.

"Hey, Dummy, ever tried live streaming before?" Asher asked, grinning.

Abner scowled.

Dummy? That sounds like something Harry would be called.

"Nope, Idiot. Why don't you teach me?"

Asher's eye twitched. Okay, maybe he's not as dumb as I thought.

For someone who was supposedly slow, Abner sure knew how to fire back. And he didn't seem autistic either. The kid could argue, crack jokes, and even curse when he felt like it.

Realizing Asher hadn't replied, Abner assumed he was mad.

"If you teach me, I'll do whatever you want," he offered.

Asher smirked. "Smart move. This is my house, so if you want to stay here with my mom, you better listen to me."

Abner hesitated before asking, "Then can your mom be with my dad too?"

"What?" Asher's jaw dropped. "Did you just ask me to give my mom to your dad? No way! If you're my aunt's kid, that makes your dad my uncle."

"She's not my mom."

Asher blinked.

"Wow. Okay. I might be a little mischievous, but at least I still claim my mother. You're heartless."

Abner's face turned red with frustration.

Nobody ever believes me. Not even Dad.

"Forget it."

Asher shrugged. "Honestly, I came back to Hillsbay to settle a score with your so-called mom. She gave my mom a hard time. She's the reason we lost..." He paused. "Never mind. Let's just say she's got it coming."

Abner nodded seriously. "I'll help. No one messes with my mom."

Asher stared at him.

Is he really dumb?

"Enough talk. Let's focus on tomorrow's livestream. Since your dad's holding a press conference, let's give him a surprise."

"I'm in. Let's mess with Amanda too," Abner said, eyes shining.

Asher gawked at him.

Yep. Definitely dumb.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Nora lounged on the couch in her pajamas, humming to herself. She had a face mask on and was enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Honestly, life's good. It'd be better if I had a man to warm my bed, though. But nope. Not happening. Two kids in the house? No guy wants to deal with that.

Ding-dong!

She frowned. Who the hell is ringing my doorbell at this hour?

"Asher, get the door!"

Silence.

Ding-dong!

Annoying.

Grumbling, Nora got up and shuffled to the door, still wearing her baggy pajamas and face mask.

She swung it open and froze.

Her knees buckled.

Mason.

Before she could collapse, a strong arm caught her.

A deep, smooth voice rumbled above her head.

"Scared, Ms. Nora? Feeling guilty about something?"

Nora swallowed hard.

Yeah. Super guilty. I hacked three billion dollars out of your account once. You chased me around the world for six months because of it. I should be terrified.

Mason's eyes flickered with mild disgust.

She actually answered the door like this? No wonder her life is a mess.

"You've been clinging to me for two minutes," he said coolly. "Should I charge you rent?"

"Oh! My bad," Nora said, stepping back quickly. She forced a grin. "Here for your son, dear brother-in-law?"

Mason's expression darkened.

Brother-in-law?

Amanda had brought Abner to him years ago, and Mason had accepted the boy. But he had never acknowledged Amanda as anything more than an ex-fling.

He didn't correct Nora, though.

"Is Abner here?" he asked instead. "It's time for him to come home."