Betrayed Spotlight
Chapter 53: Plus one

Chapter 53: Plus one

The next morning, Sarah was still glowing from the success of her music release. She had spent most of the night reading comments from fans and watching her streaming numbers climb higher and higher.

Mason found her in the living room, sitting on the couch with her laptop open, a huge smile on her face as she scrolled through social media.

"Good morning," Mason said, walking over to her. He was already dressed in his usual business suit, ready for another day at the office.

"Good morning," Sarah replied, looking up at him with bright eyes. "I can’t believe how well my songs are doing. People are sharing them everywhere."

Mason sat down next to her on the couch. "I’m proud of you. You’ve worked very hard for this."

Sarah felt her heart warm at his words. Mason wasn’t usually one to express his feelings openly, so his praise meant a lot to her.

"Actually," Mason said, his voice becoming slightly hesitant, "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Sarah asked, closing her laptop to give him her full attention.

"There’s a business dinner tonight. It’s for some of the most important people in the city. I usually go to these events alone, but..." Mason paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "I was wondering if you would like to come with me. As my plus one."

Sarah’s eyes widened in surprise.

"You want me to come with you?" she asked, wanting to make sure she had heard him correctly.

"Yes," Mason said, his voice becoming more confident. "I think it would be nice if you were there. And after your music success, people are starting to know who you are. It might be good for your career too."

Sarah felt excited at the thought of attending a high-society event with Mason.

"I’d love to come," she said with a smile. "What should I wear?"

"Something elegant," Mason replied. "It’s a formal dinner, so the other women will be dressed very nicely."

Sarah nodded, already thinking about what she had in her closet that would be appropriate for such an event. She wanted to look perfect standing next to Mason.

"The dinner starts at seven," Mason continued. "I’ll have James pick you up at six-thirty."

"Sounds perfect," Sarah agreed. "I’m really looking forward to it."

Mason stood up to leave for work, but he paused at the doorway and looked back at her.

"Sarah," he said quietly, "thank you for agreeing to come with me."

After Mason left, Sarah spent most of the day thinking about the dinner and what she would wear. She called her stylist and asked for help choosing the perfect dress for a high-society business event.

By late afternoon, Sarah had selected a beautiful navy blue evening gown that was elegant but not too flashy. It fit her perfectly and made her feel sophisticated and confident.

At six o’clock, Sarah was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she heard James honking the car horn outside. She grabbed her small purse and headed downstairs, feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

Mason was waiting for her in the back seat of the Mercedes, and when she got in, she noticed him staring at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.

"You look beautiful," he said simply.

Sarah felt her cheeks blush. "Thank you. You look very handsome too."

Mason was wearing a perfectly tailored black tuxedo that made him look even more powerful and attractive than usual. Sarah couldn’t help but feel proud that she would be walking into this event as his wife.

The ride to the hotel where the dinner was being held took about thirty minutes. During the drive, Mason explained who some of the important guests would be and gave Sarah tips on how to handle conversations with business leaders and their wives.

"Just be yourself," he said as they pulled up to the hotel. "You’re smart and charming. People will like you."

The hotel was one of the most expensive in the city, with a grand entrance and doormen in fancy uniforms. Sarah felt her nerves increase as they walked through the lobby toward the private dining room where the event was being held.

When they entered the room, Sarah was amazed by how elegant everything looked. The tables were set with crystal glasses and gold-trimmed plates, and beautiful flower arrangements decorated every surface. The guests were all dressed in expensive clothes and jewelry that probably cost more than most people made in a year.

"Mr. Liu," came a voice from behind them. "How wonderful to see you."

Mason turned around and smiled politely at a man in his sixties wearing an expensive suit.

"Mr. Park," Mason said, shaking the man’s hand. "Thank you for inviting me. This is my wife, Sarah."

Mr. Park’s eyes lit up with interest when he looked at Sarah. "Ah, the famous singer. I’ve been hearing so much about your music comeback. My daughter has been playing your songs nonstop."

Sarah smiled graciously. "That’s very kind of you to say. I’m so happy that people are enjoying my music."

"You’re very talented," Mr. Park continued. "And Mason, you’re a very lucky man to have such a beautiful and talented wife."

Mason looked at Sarah with something that almost looked like pride. "Yes, I am very lucky."

As they moved through the room, more and more people came up to congratulate Sarah on her music success. She was surprised by how many people already knew who she was and had listened to her songs.

At their dinner table, Sarah found herself seated next to two young women who were daughters of wealthy business owners. Both of them were around Sarah’s age and seemed genuinely excited to meet her.

"Oh my goodness, you’re Sarah Liu," one of them said, her eyes wide with excitement. "I’m Rebecca, and this is my friend Amanda. We are huge fans of your music."

"Really?" Sarah asked, feeling flattered.

"Really," Amanda confirmed. "I’ve been playing ’New Beginnings’ on repeat since it came out. It’s such a beautiful song."

"And the duet you did Silas?" Rebecca added. "That song made me cry. In a good way."

Sarah felt overwhelmed with happiness hearing how her music had affected these girls. It reminded her of why she had wanted to become a singer in the first place - to touch people’s hearts with her songs.

"Your comeback story is so inspiring," Rebecca continued. f.r(e)e\webn.ovel.co\m

As the evening went on, Sarah found herself enjoying the dinner much more than she had expected. The people were interesting to talk to, and many of them were genuinely impressed by her talent and success.

Mason stayed close to her throughout the night, introducing her to important business leaders and making sure she felt comfortable in conversations.

"Your wife is delightful," she overheard one man saying to Mason during cocktails. "Beautiful, talented, and charming. You really hit the jackpot."

"She’s amazing," Mason replied, and Sarah felt her heart skip a beat at the genuine warmth in his voice.

As the dinner was winding down around ten-thirty, Sarah was talking with a group of women about her upcoming live stream when Mason’s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and his expression immediately became serious.

"Excuse me," Mason said to the group, stepping away to answer the call.

Sarah watched him from across the room as he answered the phone. His voice started out calm, but she could see his posture change as the conversation continued. His jaw tightened, and his voice became more urgent, though she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

After a few minutes, Mason ended the call and quickly walked back to Sarah.

"We need to leave," he said quietly, his voice tense with urgency.

"Leave?" Sarah asked, confused. "But the party isn’t over yet."

"I know, but something important has come up. I need to go somewhere right away."

Mason was already signaling to James, who was waiting near the entrance of the dining room.

"James will take you home," Mason said, gently taking Sarah’s arm to guide her toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, feeling worried by his sudden change in mood. "What’s wrong?"

"I can’t explain right now," Mason said, helping her with her coat. "I just need to handle something urgent."

Sarah looked at him with concern. It was already past eleven o’clock at night, and she couldn’t imagine what kind of business emergency would require him to leave so suddenly.

"Mason, it’s almost midnight," she said. "Whatever it is, can’t it wait until tomorrow?" fr\(e)ew(e)b.(n)o (v)(e)l.com

Mason looked at her with an expression that was both apologetic and determined. "Unfortunately, no."

James appeared beside them with the car keys. "Should I take Mrs. Liu home first, boss?"

"Yes," Mason said firmly. "Take Sarah home and make sure she gets inside safely. I’ll call Derek to pick me up."

Before Sarah could ask any more questions, Mason actually leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek and walked away toward the hotel exit.