The aggressive journalist lowered his voice recorder slightly because my answer completely surprised him. He had expected me to stammer or confess the truth under the intense public pressure, but my response provided a highly romantic narrative for his article.
The other reporters immediately began shouting new questions, yet Mason did not allow them to continue the interrogation.
Mason tightened his grip on my waist, and he smoothly guided me backward toward the heavy front doors.
"We must return inside to greet our corporate guests now, but we appreciate your time today," Mason announced firmly to the crowd.
Leon stepped forward to block the camera lenses, and the security guards moved the velvet rope to ensure we had a clear path. We walked up the stone steps, and Leon quickly pulled the large wooden doors open so we could escape the blinding flashes of light.
The heavy doors closed with a loud thud behind us, and the sudden silence inside the grand foyer felt incredibly peaceful.
I stepped away from Mason immediately because the physical contact was making my skin feel overly warm. I took a deep breath of the cool indoor air to settle my racing heart, and I smoothed the fabric of my white blazer.
Mason stood a few feet away from me, and he adjusted his dark grey tie while he looked down at my face.
"Your answer regarding the wedding gift was extremely clever, and you handled that journalist perfectly," Mason stated in a quiet voice. "Aiden clearly paid that man to ask a highly specific question, and your quick thinking saved the entire press conference from becoming a massive corporate scandal."
"I simply used my customer service experience to tell them exactly what they wanted to hear," I replied honestly. "People always want to believe in a romantic story, so I gave them a very convincing illusion to satisfy their curiosity."
"The media will definitely print your quote in the evening newspapers, so the external threat is currently neutralized," Mason confirmed while he checked his silver wristwatch. "However, the internal threat is waiting for us right now, because the entire board of directors is gathered inside the grand ballroom to celebrate this union."
We walked down the long marble corridor together, and we eventually reached a set of tall white doors.
The ballroom was massive, and the space was filled with dozens of wealthy corporate executives wearing expensive formal clothing. A small group of musicians played classical instruments in the far corner of the room, and the soft music mixed with the low murmur of professional conversations.
Several waiters wearing crisp black uniforms walked through the crowd, and they balanced heavy silver trays covered with tall glasses of pale champagne. I watched the waiters navigate the room, and I felt a strong sense of familiarity because I understood the physical mechanics of serving food and beverages to a large crowd.
We stepped into the room, and the corporate guests immediately turned their heads to inspect us. They clapped their hands politely, and several older men walked forward to shake Mason's hand.
"Congratulations on your marriage, Mason," an older man with grey hair said while he offered me a tight smile. "You certainly surprised the entire executive committee with this sudden announcement, but we are very glad to finally meet your new bride."
"Thank you, Richard," Mason answered smoothly. "Freya prefers to avoid the public spotlight, so we decided to keep our relationship private until the legal paperwork was completely finalized."
I shook hands with several different board members over the next thirty minutes, and I answered their standard questions regarding my life. I kept my answers very brief and polite, and I made sure to smile naturally so they would not suspect any tension between Mason and me.
The classical musicians suddenly stopped playing their quiet background music, and they began to play a much slower, highly romantic song.
Richard patted Mason on the shoulder and chuckled quietly. "You need to take your beautiful wife out to the dance floor, Mason. The board expects to see the happy couple share a traditional first dance before we sit down for the formal lunch."
Mason tensed visibly at the suggestion because we had established very strict rules against any unnecessary physical contact inside the house. However, he knew the board of directors was watching our every single movement, so he could not refuse the public request.
He turned to face me, and he held his right hand out toward my waist.
"We must perform this dance to convince the executives," Mason whispered very quietly so nobody else could hear his words.
I nodded my head slowly, and I placed my left hand onto his shoulder. He placed his right hand firmly against my lower back, and he held my right hand with his left fingers.
We stepped onto the polished wooden floor in the center of the ballroom, and the crowd formed a loose circle around us.
Mason began to guide me across the floor, and his physical movements were surprisingly smooth and confident. We stepped in time with the slow music, but the physical proximity felt incredibly intense.
He was standing so close to me that I could feel the heat radiating from his chest, and I could smell the clean scent of his expensive cologne. My hand rested against the fine fabric of his suit jacket, and I could feel the hard muscles of his shoulder beneath the material.
Mason looked down at my face, and his dark eyes were completely focused on my features. He was breathing slightly faster than normal, and his jaw was clenched very tightly.
"You are holding your body very rigidly," Mason noted quietly while he stepped forward and I stepped backward.
"I am holding my body rigidly because we are breaking your specific rules regarding physical contact, and this situation feels very unnatural," I answered honestly while I focused my gaze on his silk tie to avoid looking directly into his eyes.
"We are breaking the rules because my corporate position requires a convincing public performance today," Mason argued, although his voice lacked its usual harsh authority.
He pulled me a fraction of an inch closer to his chest, and the small movement sent a sudden jolt of nervous energy down my spine.
"You do not need to pull me closer to convince them," I whispered while I tried to maintain a small physical distance between us.
"If we stand too far apart, the board will immediately know this marriage is a business arrangement," Mason countered softly.
He was highly uncomfortable because he was losing his mental control over his physical attraction toward me. I had seen the genuine surprise and interest in his eyes inside my bedroom earlier that morning, and the physical contact was clearly testing his strict boundaries.
We continued to dance in silence for two more minutes until the slow song finally ended. The crowd clapped their hands loudly, and we immediately stepped away from each other.
Mason dropped his hands to his sides, and he exhaled a long breath.
Richard walked over to us immediately, and he gestured toward a quiet corner of the room. "Mason, I need to discuss the upcoming quarterly stock projections with you before we sit down to eat. Can I steal you away from your wife for just a few minutes?"
"Of course, Richard," Mason agreed readily because he needed an excuse to walk away from the intense physical tension.
He looked at me and nodded his head slightly. "Please excuse me for a moment, Freya. You can find some refreshments near the back wall."
Mason walked away with the senior executive, and I was finally left completely alone in the massive room.
My throat felt incredibly dry from the stressful morning, so I walked toward the long table covered with beverages. I picked up a small glass of sparkling water, and I took a slow sip to calm my nerves.
I felt a strong sense of relief because I had successfully survived the press conference and the public dance without making any mistakes.
However, my brief moment of peace ended abruptly when a man wearing a dark grey suit walked over to the beverage table and stood directly beside me.
I recognized him immediately from the driveway. He was Aiden, Mason's ambitious cousin.
Aiden picked up a glass of champagne from the table, and he offered me a very smooth, completely fake smile.
"You performed your role perfectly on the dance floor just now, Freya," Aiden said in a polite voice that did not match the cold expression in his eyes. "You almost look like a genuine society bride in that expensive white suit."
"Thank you for the compliment, Aiden," I replied cautiously while I held my glass of water tightly. "Mason told me you are very involved in the corporate operations of the company."
Aiden laughed quietly, and he took a sip of his champagne.
"I am very involved in the company, and that is exactly why I know my cousin is lying to everyone in this room," Aiden stated, and he completely dropped his polite facade.
He stepped closer to me, and he lowered his voice so the other guests could not hear his threatening words.
"Mason has never cared about romance, and he certainly would never marry a poor waitress unless he needed a desperate solution to a massive corporate problem," Aiden continued smoothly. "My uncle Thomas clearly forced him to find a wife to secure the executive vote today, and you simply agreed to play the part for a large financial payout."
"Your theories are very creative, but they are completely incorrect," I defended myself while I maintained direct eye contact with him. "Mason and I are legally married, and the city courthouse possesses the official documents to prove our union."
Aiden narrowed his eyes, and his facial expression turned incredibly malicious. He was angry because my sudden appearance had ruined his campaign to take over the billionaire empire.
He leaned forward slightly, and he invaded my personal space to deliver his final threat.
"You might fool the media with your clever answers, but I will hire a team of investigators to dissect every single detail of your pathetic life until I find the financial contract my cousin forced you to sign," Aiden threatened quietly.
I refused to let his harsh words intimidate me, and I gripped my glass tightly while I stood my ground.
"You are welcome to investigate my life, Aiden, but you will only discover that I am much stronger than the wealthy women you are accustomed to intimidating," I replied.