The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Right after Mason blurted everything out, he noticed everyone staring at him with the weirdest expressions. Meanwhile, Olivia looked like she wanted to slap a hand over his mouth. His explanation was worse than saying nothing at all.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Mason asked, instantly regretting his words.

Nonetheless, it was too late. His mouth had moved faster than his brain, and now the damage was done. Instead of responding directly, Natalie turned to Lincoln with a soft smile.

She asked, "Lincoln, does your company not allow your artists to date?"

Lincoln immediately shook his head. "Not exactly. It depends on the artist and how we plan their career. You saw Ms. Thatcher's original contract, and that clause wasn't in there."

He glanced at Olivia before continuing, "But the manager we later assigned her felt it would be best if she stayed single while building her brand. So, there may have been some contract revisions afterward. If you want to know for sure, you'll have to ask her herself."

Natalie's eyes twinkled as they landed on Olivia. "So, Ms. Thatcher, care to explain that for us?"

"Alright, now," Charlotte cut in with a chuckle. "Let's not tease Olivia too much. Her face is already bright red."

"Fine, since Mom said so, I'll stop teasing my future sister-in-law," Natalie said with a grin as she picked up some salad and placed it on Olivia's plate.

"You totally made that no-dating clause up to trick Mason, didn't you? I knew something was going on between you two. You've been sneaking around behind our backs,"

Olivia looked like she wanted to melt into the floor. Her head stayed bowed, and she dared not meet anyone's eyes at the table.

"Olivia, I'm happy you're dating Mason," Natalie said gently as she reached under the table and held Olivia's hand. "Don't be shy. After Mason's epic attempt at explaining things, there's no way any of us missed it."

Mason groaned. "Nat! Hold on. When did I ever say we were dating? Not a single word! And what part of what I said meant we were in a relationship?"

"Alright, Mason," Natalie said, still smiling slyly. "Just answer one question. Are you Olivia's boyfriend? Think it through before you speak. Don't blurt something out again and end up trapped."

Lincoln chimed in too. "Mason, man up. If you're going to date someone, at least act like it. This sneaking around like a high schooler isn't cool."

"And tell me this-was it your idea to keep things a secret or Olivia's? Because if it was yours, I swear, as your older brother, I will break your legs."

"It was me!" Olivia said quickly, her face flushed. "I just... I hadn't made up my mind yet. I'm older than Mason."

"Please," Natalie jumped in without missing a beat. "Three years older means nothing. Even if you're 30 years older, it just proves that you're a catch! You're doing Mason a favor, trust me."

"Nat, who's your real sibling here?" Mason asked helplessly, though he could not stop himself from smiling.

Deep down, he was thrilled. His girlfriend and his sister were best friends, so he would never have to worry about them fighting or getting jealous of each other. However, now that he thought about it, if he ever made either of them mad, he was pretty sure they would team up and destroy him.

But it was fine. Even if they beat him within an inch of his life, Hector was a doctor. He would patch him up. Mason would live, though definitely not without pain.

"Olivia, do you like Mason?" Charlotte asked gently. "Don't be nervous. William and I are pretty open-minded parents-and you know that. We don't pamper Mason, and he's definitely not a mama's boy."

She continued, "If you don't want to go public, that's totally fine. But just so you know, as his family, we're really happy you're together."

"Mason, that sneaky boy, went and stole away this beautiful prize without saying a word," Charlotte teased with a grin.

"Mom, seriously? That's how you talk about your own son?" Mason groaned, already feeling defeated.

Great-now both his parents were firmly on his girlfriend's side.

"Wait here a sec." Charlotte stood up and left the dining room, returning moments later with a delicate gift box.

"Olivia, this is for you. It's just a little something from me," she said, placing it gently in Olivia's hands.

"Mrs. Walker, I-I don't know what to say," Olivia stammered, clearly caught off guard.

"Just take it," Natalie insisted as she pushed the box toward her. "And don't worry. We're all really good at keeping secrets. Me, my parents, Lincoln, Hector, Timothy -we won't say a word.

"You're staying over tonight, okay? Sleep in my room like old times. It's been so long, and I've got so much to catch you up on. Honestly, it makes me so happy that you're going to be my future sister-in-law."

"Nat, really?" Olivia's nervous heart started to ease a little at Natalie's words.

She explained, "I didn't mean to keep this from you. You've just been so busy lately, and I didn't want to bother you. Mason was also worried you'd yell at him, so we just kept it quiet."

Natalie teased with a laugh, "But to be honest, your acting wasn't very convincing. They say people in love become fools, and you two are living proof. Come on, let's eat while we talk."

With that, Natalie had everyone dig in, and the table came alive with laughter and chatter.

The Walker residence had not felt this full of energy in a long time. Though Sky was still in prison, this was probably the first genuinely happy thing to happen at home in ages. By the end of dinner, the whole family pretty much considered

Mason and Olivia official

Olivia was still a little embarrassed, of course. It was not because she had

planned to lie, but because she really did not know how to bring it up to Natalie,

let alone the entire Walker family.

It was now out in the open, thanks to Natalie and her big mouth-some best friend she was! She did not even give Olivia a heads-up before outing her like that. Still, Olivia felt relieved. At least now, she knew where everyone stood.

Everyone seemed to truly like her, especially Charlotte. All the horrible

scenarios she had imagined did not come to t fife. She was not looked downon, nor did Charlotte throw a bank card containing five million dollars at her, just so she would leave Mason. noveldrama

On the contrary, Charlotte liked her even more now and had already asked Gorge

to prepare a guest room for her.

After dinner, Natalie dragged Olivia upstairs, while Mason was summoned into the study. There was a long-standing rule in the Walker family. Once a man committed to someone, there was no turning back-loyalty was non-negotiable. However, the Walkers had different rules for the women. They were allowed to date around and figure things out. As long as they did not get hurt, no one judged them.

After all, Charlotte and William had five boys before finally having one daughter, so naturally, she was spoiled to the utmost.

That was why when Olivia asked to keep the relationship private at first, Mason agreed. It was not because he did not believe in what they had, but because deep down, he worried he might not be the one she would choose in the end.

He was not afraid she would break his heart. He was worried that if she ever

stopped loving him, he would not be able to make her stay. And if she ever told him it was over, Mason knew that he would probably cry while agreeing to it. After all, he loved her that much-pathetically and completely.