Chapter 6
Xavier's POV
She vanished.
One moment she was right there. In the hospital bed. Pale. Shaken. Carrying something that belonged to me. The next, she was gone, slipping through my fingers like smoke.
It should not have been possible.
I stood in the private corridor outside the hospital wing, my phone pressed hard to my ear, my jaw locked so tight it hurt. "Run it again," I said coldly. "Security cameras. Elevators. Exits. I want every angle."
The voice on the other end stammered something about blind spots and delays. I ended the call without responding. Excuses bored me.
I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration burning under my skin. I had left her alone for less than ten minutes. Ten. And she had walked out of a private hospital wing like she was invisible.
No guards alerted me. No nurse stopped her. No one thought to question a pregnant woman in shock.
Deceiving me that easily was almost laughable.
Almost.
My chest felt tight. Not panic. I did not panic. Control had always been my constant. I built my empire on it. I calculated risks, closed exits, planned ten steps ahead. People did not surprise me.
Adrianna had.
She had looked terrified. Furious. Protective in a way that had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the child she carried. When she shoved me, there was no calculation in it. No manipulation. Just instinct.
That made her dangerous.
I turned toward the floor to ceiling window overlooking Manhattan, watching traffic crawl below like obedient ants. I would find her. That was not a question. It was a matter of when.
The door behind me creaked open.
Then I heard it.
Laughter.
Actual laughter.
I turned slowly, already irritated, and there he was. Leaning against the doorway like he owned the place, hands in his pockets, eyes bright with amusement.
My twin.
"Wow," he said, scanning my expression with open delight. "I leave you alone for one hour and you look like you just lost a billion dollars."
"Get out," I said flatly.
Xander Palmer grinned wider. He was identical to me in bone structure, height, and features. Same dark hair. Same sharp jaw. But where I wore control like armor, he wore ease like a second skin.
He walked in anyway. "No chance. The nurses downstairs are whispering like they just witnessed a scandal. I figured I would come see the main attraction."
I glared at him. "This is not a joke."
"That's funny," he replied. "Because you look like one."
I clenched my fists. "Say what you came to say."
"Oh, I came to see it with my own eyes," Xander said, circling me slowly. "The great Xavier Palmer, terror of boardrooms and governments alike, undone by a woman in a hospital gown."
He clicked his tongue. "Should I have brought popcorn? Maybe champagne? This feels historic."
"She ran," I said.
His eyebrows shot up. Then he laughed again, louder this time. "She ran?"
"She escaped," I corrected.
Xander pressed a hand to his chest, mock wounded. "Escaped? From you? That's a first. I did not think you let people do that."
"I did not let her," I snapped.
"Sure looks like you did."
I shot him a warning look. He ignored it.
"So let me get this straight," he continued. "You have a one night stand with a woman you do not trust. She is pregnant. You claim the child. You turn your back for five minutes. And poof. She disappears." He whistled softly. "That woman has guts."
"She has my child," I said.
Xander stopped pacing. His expression shifted slightly. Not serious. Curious. "You sure?"
"Yes."
"How?"
I did not answer immediately. Because I did not know how to explain certainty that lived in my bones. "I know," I said finally.
He studied me for a long second, then smirked. "Wow. You sound terrifying. No wonder she ran."
"She will be found."
"Oh, I am sure," he said cheerfully. "You always get what you want. Except apparently when the woman is pregnant and unimpressed."
My glare sharpened. "You are enjoying this far too much."
"Of course I am. Do you know how long I have waited to see you rattled?" He leaned closer. "You look like a man who just realized he cannot buy his way out of something."
"I do not buy people."
Xander laughed. "That is debatable." He dropped onto the couch, stretching out like he belonged there. "So what now? You hunt her down with a private security team? Corner her? Scare her into obedience?"
"I protect what is mine," I said.
"Oh, I believe you," he replied lightly. "But let me guess. She did not look very protected when she told you to stay the fuck away from her." My jaw tightened. Xander snapped his fingers. "Oh. That hit."
"Keep talking," I said. "See how far it gets you."
He chuckled. "Relax. I am just saying, brother, you finally met a woman who does not tremble when you enter the room. That alone should terrify you."
He stood, patting my shoulder. "Congratulations. You are officially human."
I shrugged him off. "Get out."
He moved toward the door, then paused. "For the record," he added, "if she ran that fast, she is not scared of you." I looked at him sharply. "She is scared of what you could become," he finished. "Big difference." He winked. "Also, if she keeps humiliating you like this, I am telling everyone. The board. The press. Mother."
He opened the door, laughing again. "Try not to start a war before breakfast. And Xavier?"
"Yes."
"Next time you order a woman to stay in bed, maybe make sure she cannot walk."
***
Xander stretched his arms above his head like he had just enjoyed a good show. "New York really hits different when you are watching your twin spiral."
"I am not spiraling," I said flatly.
"Of course not," he replied. "You are brooding with intention. Much scarier."
I ignored him and turned to my head of security, Ethan, who was walking two steps behind us. "How did he know?"
Ethan slowed, suddenly very interested in the pavement. "Sir?"
"You," I said, stopping abruptly. Xander stopped too, still smirking. "How did my brother know what happened inside a restricted hospital wing?"
Ethan cleared his throat. "Mr. Xander has... methods."
"That is a polite word for invasive," I said.
Xander laughed. "Come on. You know me. Information hates me. It always ends up confessing."
I looked back at Ethan. "Explain."
"He threatened to call your mother, and I know you wouldn't like that." Ethan admitted quietly.
Xander beamed. "Works every time."
I resumed walking. My jaw tightened, but I let it go. There were bigger problems than my twin's talent for chaos.
Xander fell into step beside me. "So," he said casually, "what is the plan now? Full predator mode? Track her phone. Lock down her accounts. Show up at her door like a nightmare in a tailored suit?"
"That would work," I said.
"And it would also confirm every fear she has about you," he replied.
I shot him a sideways look. "You are enjoying this far too much."
"I am enjoying your personal growth," he corrected. "Look at you. About to be a father. Learning restraint. Next thing you know, you will be apologizing."
"That will never happen."
He shrugged. "Never say never. Life clearly does not care about your rules."
We reached the curb where my car waited. The driver opened the door, but I did not get in yet. Xander leaned against the hood, suddenly more thoughtful.
"Listen," he said, tone shifting just enough to make me pay attention. "She ran because she felt cornered. Not because she is stupid. And not because she is playing you."
"You do not know that."
"I do," he said. "Women who scheme do not shove men like you in public and flee in a cab with shaking hands. That was fear. Real fear."
I hated that he was right. "So what do you suggest?" I asked coolly.
He smiled, slow and smug. "You try something radical."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Be polite." I stared at him. "Civil," he continued. "No threats. No commands. You ask her to meet you somewhere public. Neutral ground. A café. A restaurant. Somewhere with witnesses and exits. You offer answers. Truth and safety."
I scoffed. "That is not how negotiations work."
"That is exactly how negotiations work when the other party holds something you cannot afford to lose," he said lightly. "Right now, she has leverage. And you scared her."
"I do not scare people."
Xander laughed outright. "You terrify people. It is your brand."
I exhaled slowly, considering it despite myself. An open space meant less chance of flight. Public meant she would feel protected. I hated that it made sense.
"Find her number," I said, turning to Ethan.
Ethan blinked. "Sir."
"Adrianna," I clarified. "Her phone number. I want it."
"Yes, sir." He pulled his phone out immediately.
Xander clapped his hands once. "Look at that. You listened."
"Don't get used to it."
"Oh, I will treasure this moment forever," he said. "The day Xavier Palmer decided not to bulldoze a woman."
I got into the car. Xander slid in beside me uninvited.
"Why are you still here?" I asked.
"I want front row seats," he replied. "This is better than television."
The car pulled into traffic. My phone buzzed a few minutes later.
Ethan leaned forward. "We have her number, sir."
I took the phone from him, staring at the screen. For the first time in years, I hesitated.
Xander leaned over. "Do not threaten her. Do not order her. And for the love of everything expensive, do not say 'the child is mine' in the first sentence."
I shot him a look. "I know how to speak to people."
"Debatable," he said cheerfully.
I typed. Then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted it again.
Xander gasped dramatically. "Oh my God. He is nervous."
"Shut up."
I finally sent the message.
Simple and polite. I locked the phone and leaned back, waiting for a response.
And when she did respond, everything would change.
