CHAPTER 49

Claudia’s POV

I 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