Chapter 103: Are you Happy?

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Are you Happy?

The young assistant led Audrey down a long, quiet hallway.

The heavy noise of the press conference completely disappeared behind the thick doors. The camera flashes, the shouting reporters, and the chaos of the lobby all faded away into total silence.

The only sound left was the sharp click of Audrey’s heels hitting the polished marble floor.

She felt entirely numb. Her heart was beating entirely too fast, but her face remained perfectly blank.

They finally stopped outside a pair of dark wooden doors. The assistant knocked softly and opened them without waiting for a reply.

"Mr. Calloway, Miss Ellis is here."

---

Audrey stepped inside.

The office was incredibly spacious but surprisingly understated. Floor to ceiling windows offered a massive, stunning view of the city skyline. There were no flashy glamour shots on the walls. There were no giant posters of his face.

Instead, there were framed photographs of youth academy players. There were a few modest championship trophies sitting quietly on a corner shelf. It was the office of a man who cared about the sport, not the fame.

Mason stood by the window. His back was facing the door. He was looking out over the busy city streets.

He did not turn around immediately.

The assistant stepped out and pulled the door shut. The click of the lock echoed loudly in the silent room.

A long, heavy beat passed.

Then, he finally turned.

Seven years.

Neither of them spoke.

Audrey forced herself to breathe. Her hands remained loose by her sides only because she was concentrating on keeping them there.

Finally, Mason broke the silence. His deep, rough voice filled the room.

"Miss Ellis."

Audrey swallowed the heavy lump in her throat. She forced herself to remain completely calm.

"Mr. Calloway."

It was entirely professional. It was completely cold. They sounded exactly like two strangers meeting for the very first time.

---

Mason gestured toward the two leather chairs sitting across from his heavy oak desk.

"Please, sit."

Audrey walked over and sat down. Mason took the seat opposite her.

She opened her notebook. Her hands shook just a tiny bit, but she quickly hid them by reaching into her bag for her digital recorder. She set it on the desk and pressed the red button.

"For the record," Audrey stated clearly, looking directly at the small device. "Today’s interview is with Mr. Mason Calloway, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Calloway Football Group."

Mason watched her closely. He nodded once.

"Go ahead."

---

Audrey looked down at her notes. The first questions were exactly what her editors and the readers expected.

"Why buy the club now?" Audrey asked smoothly.

"The timing was right," Mason answered instantly. "The previous ownership was struggling with heavy debt. We saw a clear opportunity to stabilize the franchise and rebuild the foundation."

"And why expand internationally?" Audrey continued.

"Football is a global market," Mason stated confidently. "If you only focus on local talent, you limit your overall ceiling. We are building a global network."

"Why invest so heavily in youth football?"

"Because academies are the lifeblood of the sport. You cannot buy loyalty. You have to grow it from the ground up."

"What makes Calloway Football Group different from the billionaire investors who came before you?" Audrey asked, finally looking up from her notepad.

Mason leaned back in his chair. "We are not just writing checks. We are building a specific culture. We put the players first, not the profit margins."

He answered every single question clearly and confidently. He had become an exceptional, brilliant leader. Audrey could not help noticing how completely different he was from the boy he used to be.

---

But as the interview went on, Audrey started to notice the tiny cracks.

It was not romance. It was just habits.

She watched his hands. She noticed that he still tapped his thumb against his index finger exactly one time before answering a difficult question. He still folded his large hands the exact same way when he was listening to her speak. He still paused for two full seconds before saying something incredibly important.

Seven years had changed absolutely everything about his life. But it had not changed those little things.

Meanwhile, Mason sat quietly across from her.

He was noticing things too.

He saw that Audrey still wrote her notes by hand before typing them. He saw that she still tilted her head slightly to the left when she was thinking about her next question. He noticed she still completely refused to interrupt him when he was speaking.

Neither of them commented on it. They just sat across from each other, perfectly pretending they did not know every single detail about the other person.

---

Audrey flipped to the next page of her notebook. She took a quiet breath.

"Many people were surprised when you suddenly retired from professional football three years ago," Audrey said carefully.

A heavy pause filled the room.

Mason tapped his thumb once. Then, he answered professionally.

"It was sudden," Mason agreed. His voice held absolutely no bitterness. There was no self pity at all. It was just cold facts. "I suffered a complete tear in my knee during the European finals three years ago. The medical staff told me I could endure three separate surgeries and maybe play one more season, or I could retire and walk normally for the rest of my life."

Audrey kept her face blank, but her chest ached. She had not known that. Nobody had known that. The media just assumed he got tired of playing.

"It was a simple choice," Mason continued smoothly. "I chose to step away from the pitch. But I did not want to leave the sport. So, I moved into ownership."

---

The interview was almost over.

Mason’s gaze briefly dropped to her phone when it lit up on the desk.

Alex with a heart emoji.

His eyes returned to her face.

His expression didn’t change.

Audrey glanced down at her notebook. She had one final prepared question remaining. It was a standard question about his financial goals for the next quarter.

She looked back up at Mason. He was watching her with those intense, dark eyes.

Instead of reading her notes, her mouth moved completely on its own.

Without thinking at all, she asked a question.

"Are you happy?"

Absolute silence crashed into the room.

Both of them completely froze.

That was not in her notebook. That was not a journalist’s question. That was not Miss Ellis talking to the CEO of a billion-dollar company.

It was just Audrey.

Mason looked at her for a long, agonizing moment. The professional mask on his face slipped just a fraction of an inch.

He leaned forward slightly.

"Is that for the interview..." Mason asked quietly.

Another heavy beat of silence passed between them.

"...or are you asking for yourself?"

Audrey opened her mouth, but absolutely no words came out. She could not answer him. Her throat was completely tight.

---

A sharp knock on the door suddenly interrupted them.

The young assistant opened the door and peeked inside.

"Mr. Calloway, your board meeting starts in exactly five minutes."

The fragile, heavy moment completely broke.

Mason looked away from Audrey. He stood up from his leather chair. He buttoned his suit jacket and offered his hand to her.

He was entirely professional again.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Ellis."

Audrey stood up on shaking legs. She reached out and shook his hand.

The touch lasted barely a single second. His skin was warm, but the handshake was perfectly formal.

"Thank you, Mr. Calloway," Audrey whispered.

She picked up her notebook, grabbed her digital recorder, and walked out the door.

The door clicked shut.

Mason remained standing.

His gaze stayed fixed on the closed door for a long moment.

Then, slowly...

He loosened the tie at his collar.

It was the first time all day his hands had trembled.