C6 Proper Upbringing

Michelle’s POV

I stayed under the shower longer than necessary. The warm water coursed down my skin, but it couldn’t wash off the heaviness clinging to my soul. No matter how clean I got, I still felt stained—by betrayal, by heartbreak, by the shame of my own blindness.

Jason Godson.

The name echoed in my mind.

He wasn’t just some stranger from a hotel room. He was the Jason Godson. The heir to one of the most powerful empires in the country. Every building, every brand, every executive tie-his family had a stake in it. Including my company.

And yet, he’d seen me—broken, drenched, half-conscious and he hadn’t walked away. He carried me. Sheltered me. Fed me. Talked to me like I mattered.

How do you even face someone like that?

Eventually, I forced myself to dry off and change. Miss Mane had left fresh clothes folded neatly on the bed. I slipped into them slowly and then made my way out of the room.

It took me nearly ten minutes to find the dining room. The mansion had more rooms than I could count, and more hallways than my brain could map. But I finally heard the gentle clinking of cutlery and followed the sound.

Jason sat at the edge of a long, sleek glass table, eyes glued to his phone, one hand absently spinning his fork. The low-hanging chandelier cast soft gold light on his sharp features.

I hesitated at the doorway. Then, softly, “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”

He looked up instantly, placing his phone down. His gaze found mine and lingered a little longer than I expected.

“It’s fine,” he replied casually and picked up his fork again, continuing his meal.

I took a seat across from him and couldn’t stop the way my eyes lingered on him. He wasn’t just attractive, he was devastatingly composed, polished, powerful. There was something about the way he carried himself, like he’d been trained since birth to own rooms, and yet… his presence didn’t suffocate me.

I wasn’t sure what unnerved me more, his beauty or the fact that he made me feel safe.

Seth used to be the center of my world… but Jason? Jason made my pulse race without even trying.

“You don’t like the food?” Jason asked, breaking into my thoughts.

“What?” I blinked, flustered.

He gestured to my untouched plate. “I can ask Miss Mane to prepare something else.”

“No!” I said too quickly. “I mean-it’s fine. I was just… distracted by how good it smells.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. He didn’t comment on my obvious lie.

After a few more bites of silence, Jason placed his fork down and pulled something from his shirt pocket. A sleek white card.

“My contact,” he said, sliding it across the table. “I might not be around when you wake up. If you change your mind about the contract, you can call me.”

I stared at the card for a second, then picked it up.

“Goodnight, Michelle,” he said simply and stood.

I watched him walk away without another word.

I sat there, staring at the card long after he was gone.

The next morning, I woke to find my clothes neatly dry-cleaned and folded on a nearby chair. I got dressed, brushed my hair, and stepped out of the room feeling… less like a victim and more like a woman with a choice.

I found Miss Mane dusting the living room.

“I guess Jason told you he wouldn’t be around this morning?” she asked kindly. “He left instructions for the driver to take you home.”

“Thank you, Miss Mane. I’ll be going now.”

“I hope to see you again, Michelle,” she said warmly.

“Me too,” I smiled, genuinely.

Outside, the driver was already waiting beside the black sedan. I got in without a word, and the car eased out of the estate.

I wasn’t ready for what was waiting at home.

As soon as I stepped through the front door, I saw them, my father and stepmother sitting like a royal couple in the living room.

“Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Mrs. Grace,” I greeted, trying to keep my voice neutral.

“Michelle,” my father snapped, “when did you start sleeping outside? Is this the way I raised you?”

“I had work. It was too late to come home,” I said, trying to walk past them.

“Work?” Grace scoffed. “I called your office. They said you weren’t even there all day. You left early. So where exactly did you go, Michelle?”

My jaw clenched.

She wasn’t done.

“Do you know how worried your sister and Seth have been? They’ve been asking about you nonstop”

“Sister?” I cut her off, laughing bitterly. “I don’t think I have a sister or a boyfriend.”

My father’s frown deepened. “What’s gotten into you, Michelle?”

“I should be asking you that, Dad,” I snapped, tears rising fast. “Why does it feel like I’m invisible in this house? Like I have no one?”

I shook with emotion, unable to stop now.

“You let your wife run this home like it’s hers alone. You let her daughter treat me like trash. And you—” I choked up. “You never see me, Dad. You don’t ask how I’m doing. You don’t care.”

My voice broke, and I felt my knees go weak.

“Michelle!” Kiara’s voice rang from the hallway. She rushed in, eyes wide. “You’re back! We were so worried!”

Her face wore the perfect mask of concern. I wanted to rip it off.

“Save your act,” I said, stepping back. “I don’t need your concern. I don’t want it.”

I turned and ran upstairs, locked my door, and let the tears fall freely.

Am I really that worthless?

Jason’s voice echoed in my mind.

“You are worth living, Michelle. Don’t let them break you.”

He was right.

If I wanted to take back what was mine, I had to stand up for myself.

I wiped my tears and stormed back downstairs, ignoring the shock on their faces.

“Father. Mrs. Grace. Kiara,” I began calmly. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. Something happened at work… something big. It felt like I lost everything. I was angry, I acted out. Forgive me.”

My father softened slightly. “Michelle”

“No need to worry,” I cut in smoothly. “It’s nothing I can’t fix. I’ll be better. I promise.”

I turned and walked back to my room, not waiting for their response.

Once inside, I dug through my purse and found Jason’s card. I dialed the number before I could change my mind.

It rang once. Twice.

Then his voice answered, rich, smooth, unmistakably Jason.

“Hello, Michelle.”

I wasn’t surprised he already knew it was me.

“Is the contract still available?” I asked.

There was a pause. “Are you sure?”

“That’s up to you, Mr. Godson. We have a deal. You help me get back my company. I help you with your family.”

There was a beat of silence. Then he said, “Okay, Michelle. How do you want to begin?”

I smiled faintly. “Let’s do something shocking.”

“I already have an idea. Come to my office tomorrow morning. We’ll begin there.”

“Thank you,” I said softly. “I know you don’t owe me anything. But I appreciate it.”

“I’m helping myself too,” he replied. “And correcting what I did wrong.”

There was a beat of warmth in his voice that caught me off guard.

“I have some business to handle,” he added. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Then the line went dead.

I lowered the phone, staring at it for a moment.

He was a stranger.

But somehow, in a world full of people I thought I knew, Jason was the only one who felt real.