A Homecoming and a New Beginning
A Changed Man Returns
Mason stepped out of the airport and got into the waiting black Mercedes. It had been almost a year and a half since he left New York City and his old life behind. Everything looked familiar, but life was now completely different.
He had done some soul-searching during his time away. It wasn’t all in vain. He believed he had transformed into a better version of himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned.
“It’s been a long time, Son,” his father said from the back seat. “Where have you been? How have you been?”
“Everywhere. I didn’t stay in one place for too long,” Mason replied, gazing out of the window. He still found it challenging to have a conversation with his father, despite the passage of time.
Indeed, he had changed, but some emotions still lingered when he was around his father. Above all, he felt ashamed of the son he had been all those years. Despite everything, his father had stood by him.
His father had always been the kind of father he didn’t deserve. There was a conversation they needed to have, one that was long overdue. But today wasn’t the day. He would work his way up to it.
“Well, I’m happy to have you back home. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to find you a place before your arrival,” his father said.
Mason had given him only a couple of hours’ notice when he called from the airport in Venice. He didn’t want to cause a fuss.
“I can handle it myself. I’ll stay at a hotel for now,” Mason said, already searching for hotels on his phone.
“Nonsense. Why stay at a hotel when you can just come home for a couple of weeks?” his father suggested casually. It was as if the place Mason used to call home still belonged to him.
But it hadn’t been his home for a long time.
“We don’t want to complicate things,” Mason turned his head to look at his father. “You and I under the same roof, it’s not a good idea. I’ll stay at a hotel.”
His father smiled, revealing crow’s feet around his eyes. Mason noticed how much he had aged during his absence—his father looked tired.
“If that’s what you want, Son. We will drop you off wherever you want to go,” his father said.
“The Ritz. That’s where I’m staying,” Mason replied, looking out of the window again. Surprisingly, his father didn’t say anything else until they arrived at the hotel.
Outside the hotel, the driver handed Mason his bag from the back seat, and his father stood by the car door.
“I’ll freshen up and see you in the office in a couple of hours,” Mason said.
“The office?” his father asked, surprised. “But you’ve only just arrived home. I thought you might want some time to settle in before coming back.”
“I’ve had enough time. I’m ready to come back,” Mason said, hanging his bag over his shoulder—the bag that had accompanied him on his travels and carried very little.
“You want me back, right?” Mason asked his father.
His father smiled. “Of course, I do. Knight & Son is yours, and it always will be. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” He then turned around and got back into the car.
Inside the hotel’s reception, Mason checked in within minutes. The Park view suite was expensive, especially for the length of his stay. He estimated that he would be there for at least a week.
Glancing at the time, he realized it was already past 1 o’clock. “I’m going to need someone to pick up a suit for me at Armani. I’ve called ahead, so it just needs to be picked up,” Mason told the woman in her thirties behind the counter.
“Of course, Mr. Knight,” she said politely, her eyes fixed on him.
“I’ll also need some shoes, preferably black…” Mason paused, distracted by the sound of a woman’s heels clicking on the floor. He looked around and found himself momentarily speechless when he saw who it was.
Jamie Harris!
Dammit! Not now! Out of all people to walk through the lobby today, it had to be her. He wasn’t prepared to see her yet. He had spent a long time thinking about how their first conversation would go, but now, jet-lagged and with his mind not functioning properly, he felt caught off guard. He hadn’t shaved in months.
Jamie hadn’t noticed him yet. She was too engrossed in the papers she held and in conversation with the man walking beside her. Mason could make his escape without her seeing him, but instead, he found himself walking closer.
“Jamie…”
