CEO Made Her Nephew Lead Mechanic Over a Single Dad—Then the Whole Crew Walked Out
Chapter 13
Six months later, Bennett Automotive had changed.
The garage was busier than ever.
The crew was larger.
Customers were returning.
Employee turnover had dropped.
Every major repair now required documented inspection.
Every purchase was independently reviewed.
And Tyler was learning.
He started by changing oil.
Then brakes.
Then diagnostics.
He complained sometimes.
But he worked.
Mason made sure of that.
“You don’t get respect because of your last name,” Mason told him.
“You earn it.”
Tyler nodded.
“I know.”
Claire watched from the office.
She had become different too.
She no longer made decisions simply because someone was family.
She listened to employees.
Asked questions.
Checked numbers.
And when something didn’t make sense, she dug deeper.
One afternoon, she found Mason in the workshop.
He was teaching Tyler how to diagnose an electrical fault.
“You’re patient with him.”
“He’s learning.”
“After everything?”
Mason shrugged.
“People deserve a chance to become better.”
Claire smiled.
“You’re a better person than me.”
Mason looked up.
“I don’t think so.”
“Yes.”
She stepped closer.
“You gave me another chance.”
He smiled.
“You earned it.”
She studied him.
“You know what I realized?”
“What?”
“My father chose you for a reason.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Of course you did.”
He laughed.
Claire looked around the garage.
“Do you still think cars make more sense than people?”
“Most days.”
She smiled.
Then her expression softened.
“Mason.”
“Yes?”
“Would you have come back if I hadn’t apologized?”
“No.”
“Would you have stayed angry?”
“Yes.”
“Would you ever have forgiven me?”
He thought.
“Eventually.”
“Why?”
“Because you changed.”
She looked at him.
“You did too.”
Silence.
They stood closer.
Then Emma appeared in the doorway.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Claire is here.”
“I can see that.”
“She likes you.”
Mason groaned.
Claire laughed.
Emma pointed toward the garage.
“I think Tyler likes you too.”
Tyler looked horrified.
“Please stop helping.”
Emma giggled and ran away.
Claire wiped away tears from laughing.
“This child is dangerous.”
“She gets it from her mother.”
Claire’s smile softened.
They both went quiet.
Mason rarely talked about his wife.
Claire knew that.
“Do you ever feel guilty?” she asked.
“About what?”
“Moving on.”
He looked at her.
“All the time.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“I know.”
Mason looked toward Emma.
“Emily wanted me to keep living.”
Claire nodded.
“She would probably like this.”
“What?”
“This.”
He looked around the garage.
“The people.”
“The work.”
“Emma.”
He smiled.
“And you?”
Mason looked at her.
“I think she’d like you too.”
Claire’s eyes filled with emotion.
She reached for his hand.
He let her.
For months, their relationship had been built on trust.
Now something else was growing.
Something neither had planned.
Then Mason’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He listened.
“Where?”
He looked at Claire.
“Ronan’s old warehouse.”
Claire’s face hardened.
“What happened?”
Mason ended the call.
“They found another vehicle.”
“Another?”
“Yes.”
“Connected to the accident?”
“Maybe.”
They looked at each other.
The past wasn’t finished.
Not entirely.
But this time, they would face it together.
