GOLDEN GIRL

CHAPTER 30

Shay's POV

The car slowly stopped in front of the big iron gates outside, and Jason parked the car before turning around in his seat to face me.

"Thanks for bringing me home. I had a great time hanging out with your mom today."

"She likes you, I'm pretty sure she won't shut up about you from now on every time we see each other."

I chuckled and released my seatbelt.

"Will you be okay going in there and facing them alone?" He asked with a hint of concern in his tone.

"Of course, I've gone through worse so staying away from home for one night is nothing. Don't worry about me."

I squeezed his hand in reassurance and he slowly nods back at me with a smile.

"If you say so, but if anything happens call me straight away. Got it?" I couldn't help but laugh and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sir."

He smiles at me and then reached out a hand and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. His touch sends a fire sensation throughout my whole body making me shiver a little. He leaned in and kissed me on the lips, and I wrapped my arm around his neck pulling him closer and deepened the kiss. We finally pulled apart after a long minute and he placed a quick kiss on the top of my head before staring deeply into my eyes.

"Good night."

"Night." I responded with a smile before opening the door and stepping out of the vehicle.

I waved him 'goodbye' and watched his car drives off before turning around and going into the house. The minute I walked in, mom suddenly appears in front of me with a questioning look on her face.

"Where were you last night?" She immediately demanded to know.

"I slept over at a friend's house."

"Who's the guy in the black car that you came with?" I sighed and walked past her side and she starts to follow me up the staircase.

"That same 'friend' that I spent the night with."

"What?! You slept over at a guy's house?" I rolled my eyes and strolled down the hallway that leads to my bedroom.

"So what if I did mom? He's my boyfriend and I'm already an adult. Stop treating me like I'm still 16 or something."

She scoffed out loud from behind me and I opened the door to my room and she followed me inside.

"You're acting out now huh? First, you didn't come home last night and slept over at a guy's house. Then, this news came out about you working at Cartwright & Evans Holdings without us knowing!"

I frowned and slowly turned around to face her.

"How did you know that I was working?" She faked a smile at me before answering me.

"If you weren't so busy spending the night and the whole day with some guy, check the tabloids and the news for once and see what they've written about you. You were sneaking behind our back to go to work and now you're suddenly being bold about being in a relationship? You have done nothing but bring this family's name down, do you hear me?!"

She continues to yell at me but I blocked out her words and thought about what she just said before. Someone found out about me working at Cartwright & Evans Holdings and exposed it on the news?!

This can't be happening right now!

After she's done with her scolding, she left me a warning and then angrily stormed out of the room. I walked towards the door and closed it while taking my phone out from my back pocket and search for that news website that always love to write about my family and take unexpected pictures of us when we're out in public or at an event. As expected, the news about my job was the first to pop up but to my surprise they weren't the one that released the article. It was some other magazine name ECHOVIEW.

I sat down on my bed and read everything that was written there about me. They knew the exact date I started working there and everything else about my job, there were also details about me keeping my job as a secret from my family and also pictures of me in my office and at work completely oblivious to my photo being taken from a far. It worries me a little about how my father will react to this news but I also felt a little relieved that I had quit my job today so that shouldn't be a problem now.

Right?

I quickly took a shower and changed my clothes, then I went outside to pay Shawn's home office a little visit. It's been a while since I went there again and not only do I go there to think about him, the room often brings me comfort as well.

I was surprised to see the lights turned on inside. I quickly opened the door and walked in and my heart jumped in surprise when Shelby suddenly walked by in front of me with some books in her hand. She slightly frowned at me before facing the shelves and placed the book inside.

"Well look who finally decided to come home." I rolled my eyes behind her back and fold my arms.

"What are you doing here Shelby?"

She turned around to face me and shrugged her shoulders.

"Didn't you notice? This is going to be my new office now."

I frowned back at her and then glanced around the room and finally noticed the white plastics covering the furniture's and big portraits sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall and the wall book shelves on the other side of the room that used to be full with Shawn's books, are now empty.

"You're moving in here?" She nodded with a smirk on her face.

"But why? This is Shawn's office!"

She shrugged again and then sat down on Shawn's leather seat behind the big glass table.

"He's gone now Shay, get over it. We've all moved on now and soon we'll be reading his will documents that he also had left behind. So I'm moving everything out and making this my new home office from now on."

Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I glared angrily at her. I can't believe that she would do this and remove everything in here that belongs to Shawn! But then again, it's just how heartless she's always been and we all know how much she's jealous of Shawn. Now that he's gone, she'll start doing whatever she wants even claiming things that were once his.

"So I found out that you were working, you're really good at sneaking around aren't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"That's none of your concern."

"Well look at you, one night out and you're now boldly talking back already?" She chuckled and then her mouth set in a hard line while staring up at me.

"Dad will not be happy about this since he wants you to start working at the company now."

I looked away and leaned my back against the wall.

"I'm moving out soon, and dad already knows. So there's no reason for me to work at the company."

She raised a perfectly plucked brow at me in surprise.

"Wow, is that so?"

"Yes." I quickly snapped back.

"Hmm. Good luck with that." I pushed myself from the wall and glared at her one more time before leaving the room.

She knows how to push my buttons with how she can easily underestimate me. It's why we never get along in the first place. I swear I will never miss anything or anyone when I finally move out of here. Except the memories of my brother spending time in this house that I will also leave behind.

I can't wait to leave this miserable life already.