Owned By Her Triplet Bullies
(Bk 2) Chapter 42

Lexi's POV

I stared at Mason in surprise. What was he doing? He was supposed to be giving a speech, that was what we all had been waiting for but he was just standing and staring back at us. People were beginning to murmur and the reporter's cameras flashed brightly taking pictures of the moment. It was as if he froze. He didn't seem to notice what was going on around him because if he did, he would have done something. Anything.

"What is wrong with him?" Mady asked anxiously.

"I have no idea," I replied. But, I caught sight of something while I was sitting, his hands. They were trembling but he clenched them tightly. I could see the beads of sweat on his brow and how his eyes darted across the room. Could he be... He suddenly dropped the microphone and hurriedly walked out. The murmuring got louder and the reporters almost followed him outside with their cameras but the guards stopped them. The live band started again to try and calm the people down but it did nothing to help. "Oh, moon goddess! What is going on?" Mady asked hurriedly, getting up on her feet. Torres walked towards us.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Mady hurriedly asked him. He shook his head in response.

"You need to calm down, Mady. You look pale," Torres said worriedly.

"You don't understand. I can't calm down. This is a disaster. It's Mum's anniversary, the reporters will twist this story around," she replied anxiously. She turned towards me.

"Lexi, can you help me out?" she asked desperately.

"Anything you need. I will be glad to help," I assured her.

"Find Mason with Torres. I will try to calm everyone and take their mind off things. When you find him, make sure you drag him here no matter what. His appearance until the party ends matters a lot," she explained.

I nodded. "Got it."

"Come on," Torres said. We both walked outside together while Mady headed towards the stage.

"Let's split up so we can find him faster. Go that way while I go the other way. Once you find him, call me. Your phone," he said. I passed my phone to him and he inputted his number. We both went our separate ways. He went towards the direction of his room. If what I was suspecting was indeed true, he wouldn't be in his room.

If I was in his place which I had been numerous times, I would like to be alone, in a secluded place with air. I hurriedly walked outside towards the swimming pool. That was the most secluded place outside but he wasn't there either. I turned around to leave when I heard harsh breathing and leaves crushing beneath someone's feet. The sounds were coming from behind the flowers a bit close to the swimming pool. As I inched closer, the pants became much clearer.

I quickened my pace and what I saw before me confirmed my suspicions. Mason was sitting on the floor struggling to loosen his tie, his whole body was trembling and his breath was ragged. He was having a panic attack.

Out of instinct, I knelt beside him in a flash and helped him with his tie. He didn't resist. Without a word, I cautiously hugged his trembling body in my kneeling position, his head resting on my chest. He held me tightly and I gently patted his back. I wondered why he was having a panic attack. Did he get scared of everyone in there? But he wasn't the type to get this scared. He was Mason. The cold genius who always never ran out of anything to say. However, right now, he looks like a vulnerable kid. "Mason!" two people called out in a loud voice at the same time. I recognized them as Torres and Rachel. His trembling body had calmed down a bit. I tried to pull away from him but he held me tighter.

"Mason! Where are you?" they called out again.

"I need to call Torres. He told me..."

"Don't call anyone. I don't want them to see me like this," he whispered. Was he still concerned about his image in front of his friend and girlfriend after all this?

We stayed like that till his breath finally steadied and he calmed down. My knees were beginning to feel sore.

"Are you okay now?" I asked. He stilled before hurriedly pulling away from me like he was just realizing our position after all this while. I only let him be because he was in dire condition. I might hate him but definitely not to the point that I would want him to die out of suffocation. "I'm sorry but can you not tell anyone about this?" he asked.

"You don't have to worry about that. Telling anyone would be the last thing I would do," I replied. I didn't want to pry into his life and ask him what happened and why he was why he was. Although I was curious, I didn't push for an explanation. "Your girlfriend and Torres are still searching for you. Since you are okay, won't you go to them?" I inquired.

"Girlfriend?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes. Do you have more than two? Rachel of course," I responded.

"Oh," he muttered.

"I don't know what happened to you but it's chaotic in there and Mady asked me to get you. She's been trying to calm everyone down on her own. You need to go back in," I said to him. He sat quietly without responding.

"My work here is done. I should leave," I continued getting up on my feet. He still didn't say anything so I took it as my cue to leave.

"Thank you. I really mean it," he finally replied. I stopped but didn't look at his face. Why didn't I give him a rude response? If it was before, the reply would have just rolled down my tongue. Was I starting to see him in a different light?

I walked back inside and the situation looked a lot calmer. People were eating and discussing. They seemed to have forgotten all about what had happened. Whatever Mady did, worked like magic. Speaking of Mady, I caught sight of her standing with three men and her mum. Mason, Mady, and Vivian had similar features with them. I now understood why I never realized they were all siblings. I had heard they all had three fathers. How lucky.

I now saw where they got their looks from. I sat in my chair and called Torres, telling him that I found Mason. One of their fathers walked to the stage and gently tapped on his champagne glass with a spoon.

"Can I have your attention please," he said. The chatters died down.

"I would like to say a few words to my lovely wife here. Can you join me?" he asked. She stood up and gently walked towards the stage, her golden hair shimmering in the lights. He held her hand.

"On this special day, I want to express how grateful I am to have you as my partner in life. Twelve years ago, we embarked on this journey together, not knowing where it would lead us, but with a shared promise to face whatever came our way hand in hand," he said gazing at her lovingly. She smiled at him, adoration evident in her expression.

He continued. "These years have been a tapestry of moments, both big and small, that have woven the fabric of our life together. From the joy of seeing our children grow to the challenges we've overcome, every moment has been made better with you by our side. Thank you for choosing us again. We don't know what we would have done without you." His brothers joined him on stage.

"You've been our rock, my confidante, and our greatest source of strength. Your love and unwavering support have carried us through every storm. And through it all, you've shown us the true meaning of love and commitment," he said. Cameras flashed repeatedly as everyone took pictures of this lovely and emotional moment.

"As we stand here today, I want you to know that our love for you has only grown stronger with each passing day. We promise to continue cherishing and adoring you, to be there for you in good times and bad, and to make every day as special as our first. You are the love of our life, and we look forward to spending the rest of our days together, creating more beautiful memories." he finished handing her a fresh bouquet of lovely red roses with a smile. The room erupted in loud applause and cheers.

Mady's mum hadn't said anything yet but I could tell what she was thinking from the joy on her face. They all looked so happy. They embraced each other. This was a testament to the love that they nurtured for the past twelve years, which had only deepened. This scene brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. This type of love was hard to find and perhaps I would never be able to find it in this lifetime.