Chapter 156: Meet the Calloways

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Meet the Calloways

"My parents know about us."

Audrey completely froze with her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. She stared at Mason. He was standing in the middle of her small apartment kitchen, looking visibly irritated.

"What?" Audrey asked.

"My father called me," Mason explained. His jaw was locked tight. "He ordered me to bring you home. Tonight."

Audrey slowly lowered her coffee cup onto the counter. Her stomach twisted into a painful knot.

"Mason, I have never even met your parents," Audrey breathed out.

"I know," Mason said.

Her anxiety immediately kicked into high gear. Her mind raced through a dozen terrible scenarios.

"What if they don’t like me?" Audrey asked.

Mason walked over and stopped right in front of her. "They will like you."

"You do not know that," Audrey argued. She looked down at the floor. Then she finally asked the real question hiding beneath her panic. "What if they think I am not good enough for you?"

Mason became incredibly serious. He reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers securely through hers.

"Audrey, you are not going there to prove you are good enough for me," Mason told her firmly. He waited until she looked up and met his eyes. "You are going there because you are the woman I love."

That settled the wild racing in her chest slightly. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand back.

Then she remembered something very important.

"How did they even find out?" Audrey asked.

Mason’s expression darkened instantly. The warmth vanished from his eyes.

"Miles," Mason answered flatly.

"You think he told them?"

"I don’t know," Mason admitted.

Audrey studied his tense posture. "But you think he did."

Mason did not deny it. He just stared silently at the wall.

Two hours later, Audrey was standing in front of her bedroom mirror. She had changed outfits four times. She settled on a dark navy dress that looked professional but not overly stiff.

She turned to Mason. He was leaning against the doorframe, watching her.

"What are your parents actually like?" Audrey asked.

Mason paused. He thought about it for a second. "My mother is warm."

"And your father?"

Mason gave her a very complicated look. "My father is... my father."

Audrey stared at him in the mirror. "That is not helpful."

Mason almost smiled.

"Are they wealthy?" Audrey asked cautiously. She knew he was a senior executive, but she had never really pressed him on his family’s exact financial status.

"They’re comfortable," Mason replied easily.

Audrey accepted that answer. They walked down to his car and drove toward the edge of the city.

Thirty minutes later, Mason turned the steering wheel. The car approached a massive set of wrought iron security gates. Two guards stepped out to verify the license plate before the heavy gates slowly swung open.

Audrey’s jaw actually dropped. The car rolled down an enormous, perfectly paved driveway lined with ancient trees. The landscaping was flawless. In the distance, a sprawling, massive estate sat illuminated against the night sky. Everything was entirely far beyond what she had expected.

She looked through the passenger window.

"Mason," Audrey said.

"Hmm?" Mason replied, keeping his eyes on the winding driveway.

"You never told me."

"Told you what?"

She gestured wildly toward the massive house approaching in the windshield. "This."

Mason looked genuinely confused. "What about it?"

"You grew up here?" Audrey demanded.

"Yes," Mason answered simply.

Audrey stared at the side of his face. "And you never thought this was relevant information during university?"

Mason laughed softly. "You never asked."

"I shouldn’t have to ask if your family lives in a mansion," Audrey pointed out loudly.

Mason parked the car near the grand entrance. He glanced toward the sprawling stone estate.

"It’s not a mansion," Mason defended.

Audrey just gave him a flat, unamused look.

Mason paused. He looked at the house again. "...Fine. It’s a mansion."

The humor faded quickly as Audrey looked down at her simple navy dress. She suddenly felt incredibly aware of the massive difference between their backgrounds. Her apartment could probably fit inside their entryway.

Mason noticed her shrinking posture immediately.

"Don’t," Mason said softly.

"Don’t what?"

"Compare yourself to them," Mason instructed. He gently lifted her chin with his index finger. "You’re Audrey. That is enough."

They walked up the wide stone steps and entered the grand living room.

Victoria Calloway immediately stood up from the sofa. She was elegant and dressed impeccably, but her smile was entirely genuine. Unlike Richard, she did not approach Audrey like she was conducting a corporate audit.

"Audrey," Victoria said warmly. She stepped forward. "It’s lovely to finally meet you."

Audrey relaxed slightly. The terrifying knot in her stomach began to loosen.

Then she looked past Victoria and saw Miles.

He was already sitting in a leather chair near the fireplace. And sitting right beside him was Vanessa, his glamorous fiancée.

Mason’s expression hardened instantly. He clearly was not expecting Miles to be invited tonight.

"Why is he here?" Mason asked quietly. His voice was like ice.

Richard stepped into the room. He looked at his son calmly.

"He’s family," Richard answered.

Mason’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Audrey noticed the heavy, unspoken tension completely flood the room. That single sentence felt incredibly heavy.

Vanessa assessed Audrey with a polite, practiced smile. She came from a highly influential corporate family and knew exactly how much social status mattered in rooms like this. Her sharp eyes traveled briefly over Audrey’s simple dress.

"I didn’t realize Mason’s girlfriend was a sports journalist," Vanessa noted smoothly.

Audrey calmly held her gaze. "I am a sports journalist."

Vanessa smiled faintly. "Of course."

Richard bypassed the small talk entirely. He gestured for everyone to sit down. He took the chair directly opposite Audrey and simply began assessing her.

He asked where she grew up. He asked about her parents. Her education. Her career trajectory. Her long term ambitions.

Audrey sat straight and answered every single question honestly. She did not flinch or try to sound more impressive than she was.

Then Richard leaned forward slightly.

"And what exactly do you intend to do with your relationship with Mason?" Richard asked.

Mason immediately stiffened beside her. "Dad."

Richard raised a hand to silence him. "I am asking her."

Mason shifted his weight, completely ready to intervene and shut the entire dinner down. Audrey reached over and gently squeezed his knee. She stopped him with a single, firm glance. She would answer.

Before Audrey could speak, Vanessa decided to chime in.

"It must be quite an adjustment," Vanessa commented lightly, taking a sip of her wine.

Audrey looked at her. "What must be?"

Vanessa gestured gracefully around the massive, expensive living room. "This kind of environment."

Victoria immediately caught the heavy implication. Her expression hardened instantly. She turned her head and looked directly at Miles.

"Control your fiancée," Victoria ordered coldly.

Miles scoffed. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "Vanessa can speak for herself."

Victoria looked right back at him. She was not his mother, but she had been the matriarch of this family for years.

"Then she should learn when speaking is unnecessary," Victoria stated sharply.

The entire room went completely quiet. Vanessa’s polite smile froze on her face.

Richard cleared his throat and brought the attention back to Audrey. His questions became noticeably more pointed.

"You understand that Mason’s position comes with considerable responsibilities," Richard said.

"Yes," Audrey nodded.

"His decisions affect more than simply his personal life," Richard continued.

"I understand."

Richard looked her directly in the eyes. "And yet you are investigating his family’s company."

Mason immediately stepped forward. "That is enough."

Audrey caught his arm again. "Mason."

She did not want him fighting her battles today. This was her career and her choice. She looked directly at Richard. She did not blink.

"I am investigating the company because I found evidence that something happened," Audrey stated clearly. She let a heavy beat of silence emphasize her words. "I would be doing the exact same thing if Mason’s name wasn’t involved."

Richard studied her face. He was looking for any sign of hesitation. He found absolutely none.

Audrey continued. "I didn’t start dating your son because of this investigation."

She held her head high.

"And I won’t stop doing my job simply because I am dating him."

That completely changed the atmosphere of the room. Victoria looked openly impressed. Mason looked quietly, fiercely proud. Miles watched Audrey much more carefully now, his eyes tracking her every movement. Richard remained entirely unreadable.

Vanessa gave a faint, mocking laugh.

"That’s certainly confident," Vanessa murmured.

Audrey turned toward her. "I think honesty is better than pretending."

Vanessa’s expression tightened immediately. Victoria gave her future daughter-in-law a sharp warning look. Miles remained silent, studying Audrey more carefully now. He was no longer looking at her simply as the journalist investigating the company. He was evaluating the woman standing beside Mason.

Richard sat back in his chair. He looked at Mason, and then back to Audrey.

"I see why you hid her," Richard said softly.

Absolute silence fell over the room.

Mason’s expression changed immediately. The quiet pride vanished. Pure, burning anger replaced it.

"What did you just say?" Mason demanded.

Richard did not retreat an inch. "You knew this family would ask questions."

Mason’s voice turned incredibly cold. It echoed sharply against the high ceilings.

"I didn’t hide her because I was ashamed of her," Mason stated aggressively.

"Then why didn’t you introduce her?" Richard challenged.

"Because I knew you would do exactly this," Mason shot back.

Richard’s expression hardened. Mason refused to back down.

"You didn’t even give her a chance before deciding she wasn’t suitable for this family," Mason accused bitterly.

"I never said she wasn’t suitable," Richard argued.

"You didn’t have to," Mason said.

Audrey reached out and grabbed Mason’s hand tightly. She did not want this to become a full, screaming confrontation. She wanted to de-escalate.

Richard watched their intertwined hands. Victoria watched her husband. Miles watched Audrey. Vanessa watched everyone with quiet calculation.

Then Richard spoke again. His voice was tired and heavy.

"This family is already under attack from the outside," Richard said slowly. His sharp gaze settled permanently on Audrey.

"I need to know whether you are going to stand beside my son..."

Richard paused. He let the silence hang in the air.

"...or become another person pulling him away from us."

Audrey did not answer him. She did not defend herself again. She simply looked up at Mason.

Mason looked down at her and gently squeezed her hand.