Chapter 129 Lunch With My Bestfriend
Celina sat inside a quiet bistro in SoHo, her hands wrapped around a glass of water as she waited for Teresa.
It had been two weeks since Moises's death had broken their silence. Two weeks of tentative texts and careful steps toward rebuilding what had been fractured. And today was their very first face-to-face lunch.
The door opened, and Teresa walked in.
Celina immediately looked at her best friend, noticing a profound shift. Teresa looked tired, but she carried herself with an unshakeable, settled peace. She looked like a woman who had finally found her footing in the storm.
Teresa crossed the room and slid into the booth across from her. "Hi, Celina."
"Hi, Teresa," Celina replied, her voice warm and entirely open.
They sat in silence for a brief moment, the weight of their history filling the space between them, but the tension was completely gone.
"The board meeting went terribly," Teresa said directly, choosing to address the elephant in the room. "Carlos didn't get the vote. The board denied his seat."
"I heard the news yesterday morning," Celina said gently. "How is he handling it?"
Teresa paused, choosing her words carefully to protect Carlos while staying honest with her friends. "The first twenty-four hours were brutal. His pride was shattered. He came back to the penthouse and tried to hide the pain in a bottle of whiskey. He completely broke down in my arms."
Celina’s eyes widened in shock. "Carlos Mason allowed himself to break down in front of you?"
"I am his wife now, Celina," Teresa said softly, but with an iron certainty that made Celina sit up straight. "We tore up the contract two nights ago. We made love, Celina. Our marriage isn't a fake business deal anymore. It's completely real, and I am deeply in love with him."
Celina felt a tightness in her chest, realizing just how deep her friend was in this world. "And Carlos? Does he feel the same?"
"He told me he loved me first," Teresa whispered, a radiant warmth lighting up her face.
"And he proved it. But he also did it to protect us. Justin's lawyer called me, threatening a fraud lawsuit to stop Carlos's inheritance. Carlos realized we needed our marriage to be an absolute fortress. We made our marriage real so that when Justin's lawyers come looking for proof...
they will find nothing but a real couple who love each other."
Celina offered a slow, deeply respectful nod.
She realized her artistic, free-spirited best friend had officially found her inner steel.
"I am glad he is strong enough to protect you, Teresa. And I am happy you found love. But as your sister, I'm asking you to be careful. You are dead in the center of a major family war now."
"I know the risks, Celina," Teresa said softly, reaching across the table to lock her hand over her friend's. "But I'm ready for it. I love him, and I will stand by my husband, no matter how ugly the fight gets."
"I know your loyalty," Celina smiled warmly, a tear sliding down her cheek as she squeezed Teresa's hand. "And I'm not asking you to step away. I just want to make sure of one thing - no matter how bad the battle gets between our husbands... our friendship stays untouched."
"Our friendship is a masterpiece, Celina," Teresa whispered back, her eyes shining. "There isn't a single war in this city that can ever destroy our bond."
Carlos sat in his study that evening, trying to focus on work documents for his Melbourne firm, but his mind kept drifting back to the last forty-eight hours.
To the beautiful sound of Teresa confessing her love in the kitchen. To the raw comfort of weeping against her neck. To the passionate fire of the night they had finally shared, sealing their lives together on the sheets.
He had never let a single human being see past his walls like that before. He had never allowed himself to be vulnerable. But within Teresa’s orbit... the armor felt entirely unnecessary. It felt right.
Carlos set down his pen, looking out at the glittering lights of Manhattan. He loved her truly and deeply. That metric was unchangeable. And she had given him her entire heart.
But the war for Mason Industries was only going to get tougher. Justin's lawyers would be watching, hunting for any excuse to challenge the transfer of shares.
Carlos picked up his phone, a confident smile touching his lips.
Let them look. They could dig through their lives all they wanted - they would find nothing but a passionately real couple who shared a bed, a name, and an untouchable future.
His strategy had worked perfectly. He had secured his father's legacy, and he had won the woman he loved.
He quickly sent her a text:
Carlos: I'm just finishing up some work, my love. Thank you. For your loyalty. For staying in my bed last night. For not letting my failure push you away.
The response came almost instantly:
Teresa: You don't have to thank your partner, husband. That's what we do. We support each other through the good and the bad. Through the corporate wars and the studio light.
Carlos: I love you, Teresa Mason.
Teresa: I love you too, Carlos. And we're going to be okay. Whatever corporate storm Justin launches next... we face it together.
Carlos: Together.
Carlos lowered his phone, a deep sense of absolute victory settling into his bones. On paper, he had lost the boardroom vote. He had been denied his seat. He had been forced to look his rival in the eye and watch his father get passed over all over again.
But standing in his penthouse, Carlos Mason knew he was untouchable.
He had Teresa. He had a real, unyielding love that was both his salvation and his greatest strength.
Justin could deploy his entire multi-billion-dollar empire to fight the return...
but the black sheep held the ultimate wildcard.
And he was going to play the hand to win the game.