**TITLE: My Heart Waited Too Long and Choosing Freedom**
**Chapter 113: The Door That Shut in His Face**
Ethan’s voice sliced through the air, its chill sharper than the disdain he had just shown moments earlier.
“What are you waiting for? Haven’t you humiliated yourself enough? Just leave. Now.”
Hannah felt her heart clench as she gazed at Ethan, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She had hoped, perhaps naively, that he would offer her some form of support, a glimmer of understanding. But instead, all she encountered was a wall of cold indifference. Nothing more than that.
The weight of the moment bore down on her, and she realized she could no longer endure it. The judgmental stares from those around her, coupled with the harsh rejection from the man she had loved so deeply, propelled her toward the elevator.
Ethan observed her retreat, her disheveled form shaking with sobs, and his frown deepened, tightening like a vise around his heart.
He forced himself to breathe, to find some semblance of calm. Now that Hannah had fled the scene, he thought, surely Mason would be ready to discuss business.
“Mason, do you think we can—”
But before he could finish his thought, Mason interrupted him with an air of nonchalance.
“The partnership can wait,” he replied, almost lazily, as if the matter were of no consequence. “In a few days, just call my assistant. We’ll arrange a time to discuss things in detail.”
With a slight nod, he added, “I have an appointment now. I’m busy.”
Ethan felt his smile freeze, a sudden chill creeping over him.
A wave of realization washed over him, leaving him feeling played. Had he really thrown Hannah under the bus, swallowed his pride, only to be left here, humiliated and waiting for a meeting that felt increasingly out of reach?
Anger surged through him, hot and fierce, from the pit of his stomach to the crown of his head. He struggled to keep his expression neutral as he ground out through clenched teeth, “I don’t suppose you’d enlighten me about who this important guest is?”
He needed to know what kind of person Mason deemed worthy enough to leave him standing here, looking like a fool.
Before Mason could respond, his secretary appeared, guiding someone down the hallway.
A man strutted toward them, clad in a loud, brightly colored suit that seemed to bounce with each step he took, his face alight with joy that was impossible to conceal.
The moment Ethan recognized him, his expression darkened further, eclipsing even the sorrow he had felt for Hannah.
It was Perry, his childhood friend—the same Perry who had just moments ago ridiculed Amelia behind her back in the lounge.
“Perry?!” Ethan’s voice dropped to a low growl. “What are you doing up here?”
The next morning dawned, and Amelia sat at her work table, scissors poised in her hand, yet she hadn’t made a single cut. The events of the previous night echoed in her mind, a relentless loop that tugged at her heart, leaving her feeling uneasy and restless.
The doorbell rang, and Lily burst into the room like a whirlwind, her face aglow with excitement.
“Amelia! You will NEVER guess what happened after you left last night!” She flopped onto the couch, cupping her cheeks, her eyes sparkling as if she had just stumbled upon buried treasure.
Amelia maintained her composure. “What happened?”
“Mason was incredible!” Lily exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. “He completely flipped the script on Ethan’s entire group just to stand up for you!”
With fervor, Lily launched into a dramatic retelling of the entire scene, her enthusiasm infectious.
“You have no idea! That girl Hannah was shut down so hard by Mason. She cried right there on the spot!”
“And Ethan! He threw Hannah under the bus just to curry favor with Mason, and guess what? Mason ignored him right after!”
“But the best part? Mason invited Ethan’s buddy, Perry, inside to discuss business right in front of him! I heard Perry came out of the room, and he and Ethan ended up in a full-blown shouting match in the parking lot. They completely lost their cool. No dignity left at all.”
Amelia listened, her heart racing as the details unfolded, each revelation stirring a mixture of emotions within her. The world felt both chaotic and exhilarating, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the next chapter would hold for all of them.

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