XAVIER'S POV My hands were clutched tightly around the wheel, while the quietness in the car spoke louder than any words either of us could utter. Ella sat beside me, her body stiff, but I still knew how hot we'd gotten just a little time ago. The memory of her body, the way she responded to me, echoed inside my head like the steady beat of a drum. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since-the feel of her, her soft moans in my ears, the way her body bent to my will. I wanted that part of her again, the raw, unguarded side-the part she showed only me when we were alone, where I could strip away her walls. As I looked over at her, I could tell she stared out the window, probably lost to her own thoughts, but all I could think about was how much I wanted her. It was carnal, deep in my bones, and something I couldn't shake. We pulled up to Ivy's school. The sudden shift from desire to fatherly duty was almost amusing, but as I parked the car and stepped out, I wasn't bot
ELLA'S POV As I stepped into the living room, tension hit me like a physical wall. Xavier stood near the door, his back to me, facing his uncle. I could feel the energy between them-strained, thick, and unnerving. I didn't know what was going on, but it certainly didn't take a genius to figure out that Xavier wasn't exactly pleased to have his uncle appear so suddenly. Ivy tugged on my hand, her face innocently devoid of the currents running underneath. Her eyes gleamed bright as she looked from me to Xavier, heedless of the chill on his face, and the fact that his body screamed control. Uncle Luke had this casual arrogance about him-threw a leg over the wall and leaned on it like he owned the place. The smile on his face was of those that sent chills down my spine, a warning that whatever conversation was going on, it wasn't a friendly catch-up. I didn't want to interrupt, but Ivy had other plans. "Mommy, Daddy! Guess what happened in school today!" she piped up, cutting the si
ELLA'S POV The morning light filtered through the curtains, falling softly across the room. I blinked against the glare, feeling the warmth of Ivy nestled up beside me. Her small body was curled between Xavier and me, still soundly asleep, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of breathing. I turned to see Xavier already awake; his eyes, piercing as always, were set on the ceiling above him as if in deep reflection. His features were slack, yet there was something behind those eyes-something distant, a thousand miles away, though he lay no further than beside me.I shifted carefully, not to rouse Ivy, and then sat up. Today was the day of her school function, the one she had been so hyped about. The thought of going through all those people made my stomach twist nervously. People who had looked down at me, who have whispered behind my back. Ivy's classmates' parents that see us as less than them. But today was different. Today I had Xavier beside me.I got out of bed as
CLAUDIA'S POV As I walked away from Ella, my anger bubbled in my stomach, waiting to spill over. How dare that woman even think she could take anything that belonged to me? That was the maddening part. I fisted my hands, digging my nails into my palms as I struggled to keep at bay the surging anger.Ella had been no more than a thorn in my side. Now, apparently, she would stop at nothing to stake her claim on something that was never meant for her. In the world of Xavier, Ella was no better than a pawn, some sort of distraction with whom he'd grown bored. I knew this. I'd seen the whole thing before. Men like Xavier were never satisfied with those things that were easily within their grasp. They always reached for something new, something different.I took a deep breath, willing myself to be calm. I had to think, not let my emotions take over. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Seeing them, Xavier and her, so perfect and so satisfied, wanted to make me scream. I'd be
Claudia’s POVI stood there, hidden in the throng of guests, my gaze locked on Ella and Xavier. The sight of them, so close and intimate, was like a splinter in my mind. I had imagined myself in Ella’s place countless times, but seeing them together, so effortlessly at ease, ignited a storm of irritation within me. I was supposed to be the one by his side, not her. The way Xavier looked at her, the way he spoke to her—it was as if she had cast a spell over him.I wanted to understand it. What was it about Ella that had captured Xavier’s attention so thoroughly? What made her special enough to make a powerful CEO lose control? Was it her perfect smile, her seemingly effortless charm? I couldn’t comprehend it, and that frustration gnawed at me like a relentless beast.As I watched them, an idea began to form in my mind. If I couldn’t have Xavier, then I’d make sure everyone knew just how much I was willing to disrupt his perfect little life. I needed to draw attention, to remind everyon
Claudia's P.O.V.I stormed out of the event, my blood boiling beneath my skin like I was about to explode. That was supposed to be me there, standing next to Xavier and not that pathetic excuse for a woman, Ella. What did she have that I didn't? How had she managed to get a man like Xavier all wrapped up in her finger?It was sickening; every time I saw them together, my stomach would turn. She had Ivy-that little mistake of a child-and suddenly she was some saint in Xavier's eyes. I clasped the steering wheel tightly as I drove-my knuckles white, vision blurry from my rage. I could feel my heart pounding, pulsing in my chest as if it was going to burst through my rib cage any second.Why her? Why not me?I deserved to be there. I put in the time. I'd known Xavier for years-hell, I'd been there while he was still building his empire, when he was just a name and not the god everyone bowed to now. But somehow, she'd just waltzed into his life and claimed the throne that should've been m
Claudia's POVI watched him leave, his figure disappearing through the door like a shadow slipping into the night. The room felt colder without his presence, but the chill wasn't from the air conditioning; it was from the way my skin prickled with confusion and something else-something I couldn't quite place. Fear? No. I wasn't afraid of Alex. But the game we were playing? That was a different story.I let myself fall back into the chair behind my desk, my fingers going through my hair. My head reeled with questions, the sound of his voice, how easily he'd picked my emotions apart. How the hell could he know me this well? Know what I wanted? Know how I hated her?Ella.Her name was like venom in my blood. I could feel the rise of heat up my chest, the slow burn that was becoming altogether too familiar. How had I let it get this far? How had I allowed myself to become so consumed, so wrapped up- no, entirely obsessed with a thought of her? This wasn't me. I didn't fall apart like this
Ella's POVI stood in the doorway, watching him move around the kitchen, completely lost in the sight of him. I swear, I wasn't trying to stare, but Xavier was impossible to ignore-especially when he was like this. Shirtless, his muscles flexing every time he reached for something, those dark eyes focused on making breakfast. It was infuriating how effortless he could be this… perfect.He cracked eggs into the pan where they immediately joined the scent of bacon and fresh brewed coffee, and my stomach growled, reminding me I should at least be thinking about food, but how could I, when there he was right in front of me, like some kind of god stepping out of a daydream? He caught my gaze, and that slow grin spread across his lips, that damnable, teasing grin which quickened the pulse without my will.I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms, trying to compose myself. But it was impossible. There was something about him, something about the way he carried himself-so confident, s
ELLA'S POV As the car zoomed out of the McKinney mansion, I stared back at the figure of Rochelle and the man sprinting towards the parking lot. She flashed her a gaze and scrambled it through the parking lot in a daze.When her eyes met, I could've sworn the glass of the backseat door shook as her gaze pierced through it's transparent base. “That's her!! She running off!” She beamed and a dark smile tugged at my lips.I turned back to the driver and caught a glance at the bright glimmers of worry in his eyes. He turned to me, “It seems something's wrong, should I wait behind ma'am?” I winced sharply with my heart thumping hard in my chest as my voice rippled out in an hoarse beam, “No. Keep on going. I can't have them meet us here.” The driver hesitated for a minute before he said, “Yes ma'am,” He turned back to the steering wheel and gripped it before stepping his foot on the accelerator. The car roared to life and as the car sped into the streets, a surge of elation braced my h
ELLA'S POVAs I reached for my phone, I heard a sharp gasp tear through Rochelle's lips as she lunged in my direction. Stealthily, I maneuvered and ducked as I raced into the hallway.I started slowly, taking soft strides before I gathered enough momentum to make me sprint as fast as possible. As I pushed forward on weak legs, I heard her yelling at the guy she was with. “What are you looking at stupid? Go get her!!” Her commanding voice lashed through the air and I heard the ceding sound of boots and heels behind me. I continued running, this time, I made sure I was able to get to the staircase fast. My fingers shook like a winter leaf as I gripped the banister.The breath rolling through my lips heightened and with each whiff of air I took in, I felt my lungs tighten as I paused to glance at them. I tilted my head in their direction and I caught the sight of Rochelle sprinting towards me with her acquaintance hovering behind her in a wrinkled shirt and sagging trousers.The sight o
ELLA'S POV “Stay safe dear,”I waved at her. Ivy. She was just about pulling another unsolicited questionnaire when I shifted my gaze to my wrist watch. “You're going to be late. Hop into the car.” As my words travelled into the air, Ivy flashed me a glance and for the first time in what felt like forever, my curious little rascal turned and stepped into the car. My jaw tilted downwards a bit as shock seared into my veins.It took a while before she got to the car's backdoor and from where I stood, I watched her struggle to open the door. “Don't worry honey, I'm on my way.” I pushed forward slowly with a sharp jolt of membranes bridling my shoulders. The strength left in my legs was beginning to spiral out but I held back, steeling myself to stay strong.I clenched my fists tightly before taking slow strides in her direction. When I got close enough, I stretched my fingers and gripped the knob as I pulled it. The door pulled open and the flashy interior of the car caught my eyes. I
XAVIER'S POV “Now that Mr Xavier has finished his speech, we can now start voting.”I heard the soft beams of voices from behind me as I flashed my gaze at the media team. I stared at them for a moment and I fixed my gaze on each and every one of them. I took a moment to asess them and within a few seconds, I finished my analysis. In their widened eyes, their fear, anxiety and pity gleaned back at me.I sighed.The voting that was about to start was something that could either smoothen the edges of my life or create a dent but I made a decision and I was going to stick to it. Whatever happenes, I'd still stand by the company. I'd still nurtured it. I'd still watch it grow.The McKinney legacy couldn't go down like that.No.The sharp edgy lighting in the media team were holding beamed in my direction and I blinked slowly, steeling my eyes away from the lights. “It's so sad the president was kidnapped, I'm sure it’s the handiwork of that lady. I heard her name is Madame Browne.” The s
XAVIER'S POV I could feel their gazes on me.I heard their soft taunting sound of sighs and mumbling trudging through the air. This wasn't the first times they acted like this but this… this was definitely going to be the last.The news of the president going missing shocked me out of my wits. After my chat with him, he asked me to leave and as I returned to the room, I passed the night on the bed with Ella. I pulled into the sheets disorientedly as waves upon waves of tiredness launched into my veins.I was just about to pull to sleep when my phone suddenly beeped with an emergency contact signal from the president. I jumped to my feet almost immediately and grabbed my phone as I sprinted out of the room.I pushed the door open and raced into the hallway like a child being chased by clowns. My case wasn't really far from that. I was being chased by my fears, my hopes and the nerving sensation that came from the thought of having something bad happen to him.I couldn't afford to loos
ELLA'S POV ~The next day~“Good morning ma'am.” The sharp, cutting voice of a female slipped into my ears as I pulled out of the hazy confines of sleep. I yawned, stretching disorientedly as my stretched my fingers and reached for the other side of the bed to check if, just if, Xavier returned back to the room that night.My fingers stroke the soft cushion of his size of the bed and a sense of worry flowed into my veins. My eyes pulled open as I pulled my back from the bed. I flashed my gaze at his side of the bed for anything that hinted his presence but all I received was the familiar whiff of him in the sheets.Did he pass the night here or was all of this just another one of my disturbing thoughts?As I asked myself the question, I shot a glancea t the figure standing at the other side of the room. It was Madeline's. My eyebrows quirked and I clench my fists and I stepped down from the bed.I put on some flip-flops before pacing towards her. Her eyes sparkled from afar like alwa
XAVIER'S POV Dear reader, if absolute shock and confusion were a person, that god-damned person would be me.As I stood there, I felt my knees buckle as I nearly lost balance. The words the president spat out echoed repeatedly against the walls of my ears and with each replay, I felt fear encircling my senses.The fact that Lucas was the leader of a powerful mafia gang leader from Russia wasn't a small thing.I still couldn't believe it. Why would I believe Lucas, my uncle whose case I used to think could be taken down by a mere court case, was actually a powerful mafia lord himself.Confusion wrapped around me like a cocoon and in it's nerving sheets, I found a haunting solace that sent chills down my spine. It revealed a lot to me even at this time when I needed it the most. I used to think I could take him down with one course case backed with evidence but it's only then I realized this battle was one that had exceeded sparing words.The little energy I was able to gather in my l
XAVIER'S POV When my lips pulled open, It was to the starry vision of a dark room. I winced sharply, fear purring in my veins as I tried my best to make out something from the background I was.The last thing I remembered was zoning out after the president told me my family were killed by the brutal hands of Lucas McKinney and Madam Browne. As the thought punched through my mind, I shook my head slowly, my face powdered with sweats.Even now, I still couldn't believe it. It had to be a joke. Madame Browne and Lucas couldn't have done that. This had to be a dream, a nightmare of some sorts.I was sure it was edged far away from reality. That was the only logical reason I was waking up in a dark room. I must be sleeping peacefully on a bed with Ella's body clinging to mine.I must be sleeping peacefully.That had to be it.This was a dream.With gentle flinches, I pulled my back from the hard ground and I felt the brushing texture of the group against my back. The sudden scratch caused
XAVIER'S POV I obeyed the president's words and took my seat. As I did that, I still couldn't get a grip over the waves of emotions soaring in my chest. I flashed him a glance and I noticed the plain glint of remorse in his eyes.For quite a long time now, the president had been hiding something. I knew that for sure but what didn't know was why. Anytime he tried to talk to me, either Madame Browne or Lucas comes in and intrudes but this time around, there's no rooms for games.My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I took my seat and my chest heaved. I stared back at the president expecting him to start an explanation but instead, he stood up and walked over to the door which he locked before walking back to where I was.I wasn't sure what it was but I could tell for a fact that something was about to go down. Something dark. Something ground shattering.I steadied the uneven gasps rippling through my lips and turned back to him. The president's eyes turned dark almost immediately a