Rise of the stolen heir

3

Mason's ears caught the sounds of blows being thrown and groans of agony which soon turned into wails flying out of the lips of Charlie, Rufus, and their men, snapping him back to reality.

“You dare lay a finger on him?” Mason heard a feminine voice say with anger laced in her tone. “Beat them all up, show them not to mess with him again.”

Mason opened his eyes, weakly scanning the environment. He was shocked to see a girl standing before him, instructing her body guards to beat up Charlie, Rufus and their boys. 

Who could she be? Why was she helping him? He lifted his head to get a better view of Olivia's face, but her back was turned against him as she continued to instruct her guards to beat the men who had attacked Mason to pulp in a fit of rage. 

A plea for mercy tugged on the strings of Mason's attention. 

From the corners of Mason's eyes, he noticed a body guard taking Charlie down with a swift kick and pinning him to the ground, delivering blows that caused his head to bounce off the ground. 

Mason averted his gaze to the left, sighting Walter on the floor in pain and agony, while one of the bodyguards growling and pressing his foot down on Rufus’ chest. 

Rufus writhed in agony when his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle. “Please, have mercy,” he begged as one of the body guard's gave him an uppercut.

Mason's eyes drifted to the girl again, but this time, she spun to meet his gaze. His eyes widened in awe and shock at the sight of the unfamiliar face. 

“Who was she? I had never seen her around before?” Mason asked in his head. 

He managed to sit up amidst the pain that enveloped his body. 

“Why are you helping this pauper?” Charlie asked, and Mason turned to eye him. 

Charlie had a bruised face and swollen lips. Mason watched Charlie nursing his cheek as he laid on one of his boys who had also been beaten to nothing. 

“Because Mason here is my boyfriend,” Olivia stated, lush black hair pouring down her back like a writer's ink. 

Mason's heart skipped a beat, and he stifled a gulp. Confusion burrowed into his heart, and he couldn't help but blink rapidly. 

“What?” Charlie mirrored Mason's confusions as he and his boys rose to their feet.

“You heard me right, and if anyone messes with him again, he'll have my father to face!” She fumed, and Mason noticed her face turning red. “Apologize to him, now!”

“What?” Charlie and Walter chorused, wrinkling their nose in distaste. “There's no way we-”

The guards snarled at them, and instantly, they apologized. 

“Now, get out of here!” Olivia commanded.

“But Mason owes us a lot,” Rufus said, refusing to leave the place. 

“Guards!” Olivia snapped her fingers

Charlie, Rufus, and their boys dashed off in fear, leaving a confused me with Olivia. 

Mason's lips trembled as he watched Olivia with silent gratitude. She was an angel sent to save him from his tormentors, but why would someone like her help a wretch like him? 

His heart constricted when she turned to face him again, her radiant beauty leaving him breathless. Her emerald green eyes sparkled like diamonds under the morning sun, and her long, thick lashes framed them perfectly. 

She gazed at him with emotionless eyes, her full lips pursed in a gentle pout. Mason sat up, holding his head, while his heart skipped multiple beats. 

She walked towards him with grace, her curves accentuated by the fitted dress, her long legs on full display. Her small, button nose sat atop lips that any man would die to kiss, and Mason was no exception.

"Th-thank you," Mason stuttered, unsure of what to say, his mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events. "But, why did you say I was your boyfriend?" He asked, his brows furrowed in confusion, awaiting her response. But Olivia simply eyed him with a smirk before pivoting on her heels and snapping her fingers.

Confused, Mason asked, “Wait, who are you?!”

She walked towards a sleek, black Mercedes that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, its tinted windows reflecting the morning sun.

A man Mason assumed to be her chauffeur opened the door for Olivia, and she hopped in.  Before Mason could wrap his head around what was happening, Olivia's guards picked his battered body off the ground, causing him to wince in pain. 

“What's this?” Mason asked, scared of the unknown. 

His joints protested as they tossed him into the car, next to Olivia. 

"What's going on?" Mason asked, trying to make sense of the chaos, but his question was met with another shock. A bodyguard hurled some papers at his face, and they fell onto his thighs. 

Mason glanced down at the papers, sighting a word that made his stomach twist into knots. 

Terror-stricken, he jerked his head up, glancing at Olivia with incredulity as he asked, “Sold? I've been sold?” 

“Oh, pardon my boys. Wrong document,” Olivia said, snapping her fingers again. 

One of her guards picked the papers from Mason's thighs and shoved a different set into Mason's hands. 

Mason lowered his head back to the papers trembling in his hands. His eyes scanned them, reading the words over and over again. 

“This can not be happening,” Mason muttered as he read through. His eyes popped open once he saw two signature slots. “What exactly is this all about?” 

Mason lifted his eyes off the paper.

“You see, boss. He's too dumb to even understand the contract. I think you should hire someone else with better class,” one of Olivia's guards situated on the passenger’s seat butted in, craning his neck to view the duo behind. 

“Shut it, Bryan.” Olivia spared the guard a death glare, and he returned his gaze to his front. Rolling her eyes, she faced Mason again. 

“It will only be for the period of years stated in the contract, or months…” Olivia trailed off, and then shrugged. “I can't remember the period I put in the papers.”

“Two,” Bryan said, refreshing her memory.

Her eyes lit up. “Ah, yes, two years.” 

Mason's head furrowed with an even deeper frown. His throat tightened, threatening to cut off his flow of oxygen. He was certain Olivia was definitely toying with his emotions. 

“Is this a joke or something?” He asked, heart drumming in his chest. 

“Am I wearing a red nose?” Olivia asked with cold eyes and severity, making a shiver run down his spine. “Do I look like a clown?” 

He opened his mouth to speak, but then words were stuck in his throat. He gulped, unable to process everything.  

She scoffed, reclining in her seat and crossing her legs, exuding sophistication as she said, “Well, this contract is beneficial to you too. Those papers in your hands should be your prized possession.”

Mason blinked rapidly, still oblivious of what was happening. 

“How? Why?” Mason asked, his voice trembling with disbelief and confusion. “What prized possession?” 

“Well, you see, daddy is the CEO of Bonucci enterprise and as you know it, it is the second biggest company in the whole of this country and everybody wants to be a shareholder,” she stated, lazily observing her manicured fingers. 

Mason listened attentively, occasionally drifting his eyes to her lips. 

“And as you know it, I am daddy's only child, making me the heir, but–” Olivia paused, and different emotions flashed in her eyes. “–Daddy wants me to get married first before I can get sworn in as the new CEO. I’m not interested in this shit called love, but I need to pretend to be in a serious relationship to take over the company.”

“Okay, why don't you just get married to your boyfriend or some rich CEO?” Mason inquired. 

“Because I don't have a boyfriend, silly. I'm not interested in love or marriages. I don't see why I should get entangled in an endless web,” Olivia answered. 

“Then why don't you just opt out from becoming the CEO?” Mason questioned. 

Olivia clenched her jaw, glaring at Mason like he had said a horrible thing. Mason swallowed hard, feeling her intense gaze boring holes into his forehead. 

“Because I want it is my duty to run the place. It has been my dream. Daddy has been training me for it. Also, daddy is getting too old,” Olivia explained through clenched teeth, not hiding her annoyance. 

Mason pressed his lips into a thin line, hoping he didn’t get himself a free ticket to an early grave. 

“Now, back to why you're here. I went through a list of men, and saw more potential in you, and I have a task you'd perfectly carry out.” She met his eyes, letting a smirk tug the side of her lips. 

A lump camped in my throat. “What is that if I may ask?” 

“Ugh,” she grunted, rolling her eyes as she held a palm over her forehead. “You're stressing me with all these questions. Anyways, the task of being my pretend fiancé with eye candy benefits.”

“What benefits?” Mason's heart skipped a beat as he processed everything. It all felt like a dream to him. 

“I'll settle all your debts and fatten your bank account with millions,” Olivia revealed with a cunning smile playing at the corners of her lips.