Ascension of a Reborn Woman (Hiatus)

Chapter 10

With a look of amusement in her golden orbs, Isabel swept her sight over Ivan who was choking and coughing and Davina who was running from the room with a napkin over her face then settled them on Mason who was attentively rubbing Ivan's back with one hand while a glass of water was held in the other to offer to his lover and her gaze took on a blaming look as she pouted her little red mouth. She grumbled:

"Sonny, how come you didn't tell me? Am I that untrustworthy?"

Seeing Mason's burly frame go sitff as his eyes widened and his hand that was patting Ivan's back paused, Isabel smirked on the inside.

She knew that she was being unreasonable right now. Being gay, being in love with each other, having a relationship; all of these were Mason and Ivan's private matters, they didn't have to report anything to her.

Although she and Mason were as close as brother and sister, they weren't brother and sister and even though everyone in Sunshine doted on her to high heaven, Ivan was not one of them and the two barely interacted, they weren't even friends.

In fact, in the last life, after she found out about their sexual orientation, although she kept quiet, Isabel had had a not so positive response to it and Ivan had taken to directly shunning her and not keeping it a secret.

He was a very straightforward person; if he liked someone, then he liked them,if he hated someone, then he hated them and he held no pretenses. Isabel believed that it was precisely this quality in Ivan that would have caused this facial paralysis ice-cube who stayed a virgin for more than thirty years to fall in love and wave the rainbow flag and it was also why she now had a new appreciation for the younger man, having a chance to meet in this situation for a second time.

Looking at Mason's face that had quickly become filled with guilt, she continued to pout and feign sadness at betrayal until he finally spoke up.

"Isabel, you're like a sister to me, of course I trust you. However, the matter of being gay and being in a gay relationship is not something that just anybody can handle knowing. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid that it might be too much for you and I didn't want to lose you as a friend,so I kept quiet about me and Ivan."

On the inside, Isabel understood what Mason was saying, but on the outside her expression suddenly crumpled a little and she asked: "Lose me as a friend? What, were you planning to cut ties with me if I didn't accept your relationship with Ivan?"

On the side, Ivan who had stopped coughing looked at Isabel darkly and under the table he grasped Mason's hand that had gone stiff. Mason glanced down at his lover and seeing the silent encouraging look in his eyes, he returned a light squeeze and faced Isabel.

"I have the resolution to do so, yes."

Isabel's expression fell and anger flashed in her eyes. "You would forfeit our years of friendship for him? Do you really love him that much?"

"Yes."

"You--!"Isabel looked at Mason incredulously then glanced at Ivan by his side and her expression suddenly turned serious as her tone became stern.

"Mason, don't be blinded by love into doing anything stupid."

Her sudden outburst surprised Mason and Ivan and startled Davina was returning from the toilet. Standing at the kitchen entrance, she looked at Isabel's never before seen grim appearance and fell into a shocked trance.

"Your mother started this company for the sake of your future and put her heart and soul into it until she passed away from exhaustion; your uncle almost ruined it with his greed and lack of vision and you brought it back from nothing with your own two hands. This company is all that you have."