The front door creaked open, and I stepped inside to find Xander pacing the living room like a caged animal. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and his usually sharp suit was wrinkled, a rare sight for someone so meticulous.
“Blair,” he said the moment he saw me. He was panicking. “It’s over. The Gallo Corporation pulled their investment.”
I paused, slipping off my heels and setting my bag down carefully. “What? Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know!” Xander ran a hand through his hair. “It was a sure thing. I trusted them.”
I stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm in what must have looked like a comforting gesture. “It’s going to be okay, Xander. You’ll figure something out. You always do.”
“No, I won’t.” His voice cracked, and for a moment, I saw a vulnerability I hadn’t seen before. “You don’t understand, Blair. I’ve lost everything.”
“Everything?”
“The money,” he admitted, his eyes darting away from mine. “Our family insurance company’s funds—I gambled them away. I thought I could double it, but…” His voice trailed off, and he collapsed onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. “And then I believed Gallo would save us, but they pulled out. Now, it’s all gone. My father’s gonna kill me if he learns about it. He’s never gonna trust me again.”
I blinked, fighting the urge to laugh. He didn’t know. Of course, he didn’t know.
Because I was the reason the Gallo Corporation had given them the investment and now they had pulled their investment also because of me. I had been helping their company in the shadows for years.
But I was done with it. I call it revenge for years of lies, for the plans he made behind my back while pretending I was the center of his world.
“Xander,” I said softly, keeping the smirk off my face, “maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.”
“It’s worse,” he muttered.
Before I could respond, the door to the apartment flew open. Xander’s secretary, Ed, stepped inside without knocking.
“Mr. Winfield,” he said, his voice trembling, “there’s a mob of protesters outside the office. People are demanding their insurance payouts.”
Xander’s head snapped up, “What?”
“They know we can’t pay them back,” Ed continued, glancing nervously at me before turning his attention back to Xander. “The word is out. They’ve filed complaints. Lawsuits are coming.”
Xander stood abruptly, the panic in his eyes turning into cold anger. “Dismiss them,” he ordered. “Find a flaw in their contracts. Anything. Make sure they can’t claim more than they’re owed.”
The secretary hesitated. “But, sir—”
“Do it!” Xander barked, slamming his fist on the table.
The man nodded quickly and retreated, leaving us alone once more.
The office was eerily silent after Ed left, but Xander’s pacing filled the void. He moved back and forth, his brow furrowed, lips pressed tightly together.
I watched him, my arms crossed, as he muttered to himself. “This can’t be it… there’s got to be a way…”
Then, suddenly, his steps slowed. His head snapped up, his expression shifting as if a lightbulb had gone off.
“Oh, right,” he muttered to himself. “The wed—”
He froze mid-word, his eyes darting toward me. I stared at him, unblinking, waiting for him to continue.
But he didn’t. Instead, he forced a casual smile, pulled his phone from his pocket, and turned away.
“Give me a second, sweetheart,” he said over his shoulder. Then, he switched to Italian as he paced across the room, the words flowing quickly from his mouth.
But I understood every one of them.
“Move the wedding up,” he said. “This week. I need my fiancee’s money as soon as possible. The company’s going under, and I can’t delay anymore. They need to invest in our company. I don’t care about the details—just make it happen.”
I stood there, frozen, every word carving another wound in my chest.
After finishing the call, Xander slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to me, his smile practiced, almost rehearsed. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “That was just a business partner. He doesn’t speak English, so I had to use Italian.”
“Right,” I replied, my voice flat.
He didn’t seem to notice my expression. Instead, he walked closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Listen,” he said, his tone suddenly soft, like he was trying to be gentle. “I’ve been thinking. Things are really crazy right now with the company. I’m going to be swamped for months, and I don’t want you to be stuck here while I’m working all the time.”
I tilted my head slightly. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying…” He hesitated, as if carefully choosing his words. “I’m saying I want to send you to Hawaii. Just for a little while. You can relax, enjoy yourself. A nice long holiday.”
“Hawaii?” I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding eagerly. “I’ll take care of everything—the flight, the accommodations, all of it. You’ll love it there. And once this business stuff is done, I’ll bring you back. I promise.”
I stared at him, trying to process the audacity of his words. “Why?” I asked. “So you can have space for your bride?”
