Mason's POV

Turning thirty should feel like a milestone–A moment to look back at how far you've come. But when I opened my eyes this morning, it just felt like every other damn day—another twenty-four hours I have to work my ass off and put everything under control.

There’s no time for birthdays when you’re Mason Sterling—the son of Lawrence Sterling, the magnate who built a multi-billion dollar empire from nothing and expects you to outdo him at every turn. I was raised with no illusions, I was given expectations and worth was earned in business deals and decisions.

I glanced at the time, 6:12 AM.

I wake up every day at 5:30 am, whether it's the weekend or not. It's something I've gotten used to, my father always says no successful man stays in bed till the sun fully comes up.

I quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Black with no sugar, exactly how I love it. I let the hot liquid warm me up for the day as I absorb the calmness of the morning. Living alone has its perks, peace and quiet is one of them. I finished taking the coffee, grabbed my suitcase and stepped out of my penthouse.

By 7:30 am, I was seated in my office, scanning over the latest Sterling Group performance reports.

The intercom buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Sir,” my assistant’s voice crackled through, “your sister is here to see you.”

Before I could respond, the door swung open and Ava walked in with a big grin on her face. Her golden-brown curls were wild as always, her oversized sunglasses pushed up on her head, and her hands held a small, poorly-wrapped gift.

“Happy Birthday, grumpy,” she beamed, walking straight to me and placing the box on my desk like it was sacred. “You weren’t going to ignore it again, were you?”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Ava, you didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” she interrupted, already unwrapping the gift herself.

She revealed a sleek, expensive wristwatch. My eyes widened a little. She remembered. I mentioned liking them months ago in passing.

“Thanks,” I murmured, softer than I meant to.

Her smile faltered a little, and she tilted her head. “Mace don’t you ever get tired of all this?” She gestured around my office.

I didn’t respond.

She sighed. “Okay, since you won’t let me break the walls down, let’s at least escape them for one night. Let’s go out and celebrate. A club, bar, anywhere with music and tequila.”

“Tequila?” I raised an eyebrow. “I have a board meeting at ten tomorrow.”

“You have a birthday today,” she shot back, arms crossed. “Just one night. Come on, live a little.”

I was about to decline when the door opened again and Nick walked in.

“Happy Birthday, bro,” he said casually, tossing a small box on the desk. “Let me guess, she’s begging you to go out?”

“Trying to,” I muttered.

“Well, she’s right,” Nick smirked, collapsing into the chair across from me. “You’ve got more money than time, Mason. One night off won’t kill you.”

Nick and I have been friends since diapers. We attended the same elite schools, prep, and have the same business pressures.

I looked at both of them—my sister and my best friend—and realized that they weren't going to take no for an answer. The sooner I agree to their idea, the faster I can get rid of them.

“Fine,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. “Just one night.”

Ava squealed like she’d just won the lottery and started listing clubs we could go to and celebrate while Nick just grinned in satisfaction .

And just like that, I knew I was going to regret agreeing to this.