Chapter 6

Unfinished Business

As night fell over Manhattan, the city felt alive, buzzing with anxious energy. Xavier Carter stood by the big windows of Carter Ventures. He had his hands in his pockets, staring out at the view.

To anyone who glanced his way, Xavier looked like a man who had it all together. He seemed calm and composed. 

But inside, he was anything but that.

The moment Isabella Patterson stepped back into his life, something inside him shifted. He thought he was over all of it. He tried to convince himself that whatever unresolved feelings he had were gone. But one look at her, and he knew the truth. 

Isabella was the one thing he could never just push away. 

Now, here she was again. And she thought she could just avoid him. 

That made him smile. 

She really should have known better.

His eyes flicked to the sleek black envelope sitting on his desk. The name Isabella Patterson was written neatly on the front. Four years had gone by without him reaching out. He thought he was past her. 

But the second he saw her standing there in that hotel doorway, looking just like a memory he couldn't shake, he realized he had been lying to himself. 

He needed answers. 

And he was going to get them.

A loud knock at the door yanked him from his thoughts. 

“Come in,” he called, keeping his voice steady. 

His assistant, Diana, walked in, holding a tablet. Mr. Carter, Mr. Hargrove is here for your six o'clock meeting. 

Xavier sighed, feeling the pressure of work piling up. He had big things to focus on. Chasing after old ghosts wasn’t part of the plan. 

But Isabella was not just a ghost from the past. She was unfinished business. 

And he never left things incomplete. 

“Send him in,” he replied, adjusting his tie. He would tackle one thing at a time. 

Isabella Patterson would have to wait. 

For now.

---

Across town, in a dimly lit hotel room, Isabella Patterson sat on her bed. She was gripping the sheets, staring at the twinkling city lights outside her window. 

“I know he won’t let this go,” she thought.

She had seen it before — that quiet confidence of Xavier’s. His mind always working, ready to break things down and figure them out. He had always been like this.

And now, she was his latest puzzle.

Her stomach tightened at the thought.

She knew this moment would come the second she stepped back into New York. She had ready herself for it. 

But nothing could prepare her for actually seeing him again.

The Xavier she once knew was still there — the man who could command attention just by being in the room. Yet there was something different about him now. He seemed tougher, sharper.

Was that a good thing or a dangerous one?

Her fingers danced over her phone.

She had to be careful. She couldn’t afford to slip — not now, when everything depended on keeping her secrets.

A soft knock at her door startled her. 

Taking a deep breath, she moved to the door. When she opened it, a familiar face greeted her.

“Sophia!”

Her best friend stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “Wow, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Isabella let out a nervous laugh. “Maybe I should have.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “So, you saw him?”

Isabella nodded, raking a hand through her hair. “It was bound to happen. This place is too small to avoid him forever.”

Sophia crossed her arms. “And? How did he take it?”

Isabella sank back onto her bed. “He showed no emotion. But that’s why I know he won’t let this go.”

Sophia sat next to her, her expression serious. “Did he ask?”

Isabella gulped. “I’m not sure. But if he does…”

She trailed off, unable to finish the thought. 

Sophia looked concerned. “You need to be ready. Because if Xavier Carter seeks the truth…”

Isabella closed her eyes. 

“He’ll stop at nothing to find it.”

---

The next morning, Xavier sat in the back seat of his SUV as it drove through the streets of Manhattan. His fingers tapped on the leather armrest while his mind was still on Isabella.

He had limits to his patience.

And he wasn't the type to sit around waiting for information.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. When he found the name he wanted, he hit call and held the phone to his ear.

A clear voice answered on the second ring. “Mr. Carter.”

“I need everything you can find on Isabella Patterson,” he stated. “Where she’s been, who she’s been with, and –” his jaw tightened just a bit – “if there’s anything she might be hiding.”

There was a pause on the line. Then, “I’ll get back to you soon.”

Xavier hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

One way or another, he was going to find his answers.

Isabella Patterson made a mistake. 

She came back. 

And this time, he wouldn’t let her escape the truth.