“Xavier!” Bella hissed, her voice shaking with frustration. “Why didn’t you lock the door?”
Xavier looked up, his relaxed expression turning to confusion.
“Why do you keep going on about it, Bella?”
“You’re such an idiot sometimes!” she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
“We were—” She cut herself off, blushing harder. “We were having sex, and you left the door unlocked.”
Xavier’s jaw clenched. Her sharp tone sliced through the room, and he felt his anger start to rise.
“If I forgot to lock it,” he said coldly, “then why didn’t you lock it?”
Bella’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious right now? You expect me to be thinking about locking the door when you’re the one who’s supposed to handle stuff like that?”
Xavier stood up abruptly, temper flaring. “Oh, so now it’s all on me? You could’ve locked it just as easily. Why are you acting so helpless?”
“Because of you, I had to face that humiliating situation!” Bella shot back, her voice growing louder.
“You left the door open and gave Tina the chance to walk in on us! You’re so careless, and now I have to clean up after your mistake!”
Xavier’s blood boiled. His fists clenched at his sides as he glared at her.
“You and Tina are both a couple of brainless idiots. Letting either of you into my life was the real mistake.”
Bella’s face went pale with fury. She grabbed her gown from the chair, her movements jerky and aggressive.
“How dare you say that?” she yelled.
“You’re such a—”
“I think you should leave,” Xavier cut in, not letting her finish. Tina’s intrusion and Bella’s overreaction had ruined his mood, and he didn’t want to deal with anyone now.
“Xavier…” Bella started, completely thrown off. She had been expecting an apology, but instead, he was acting totally out of line.
“Leave!” he snapped, his voice cold. “If I’m always wrong, then maybe you should just walk out. Go ahead!”
Without another word, Bella stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed in the now-silent space. Xavier stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, his hands still clenched. The tension in the room was suffocating, and his anger hadn’t faded.
“Why can’t I ever just enjoy myself?” he muttered into the empty room. “Why does something always have to go wrong?”
He felt the weight of his frustration pressing down on him, clouding his mind. The night had been going perfectly, and now it was wrecked. His plans, his mood—everything was ruined.
Xavier let out a deep sigh, running his hands through his hair. His mind kept replaying Tina’s obnoxious interruption and Bella’s harsh words. He had wanted just one peaceful moment, but apparently, that was too much to ask.
With an annoyed grunt, he walked over to the door and locked it. The click of the lock felt final like it could shut out all the chaos.
“At least now,” he muttered bitterly, “no one’s going to barge in and screw things up.”
He threw himself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts churned, frustration twisting inside him like a knot he couldn’t untangle.
“But I’m not letting those psycho siblings get away with this,” he growled to himself.
Eventually, exhaustion set in, and he closed his eyes. But even as sleep pulled him under, the weight of his irritation clung to him, refusing to let him fully rest.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He had no interest in answering, but then he saw the number.....
Xavier glanced at his phone and saw Logan’s message flash across the screen."Where the hell are you, man?"With a heavy sigh, Xavier dialed Logan back. It didn’t even take two rings before Logan answered.“Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you for hours!” Logan’s voice was a mix of concern and exasperation.Xavier got up from his bed and flopped down onto the sofa, rubbing his temples. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been… occupied.” He let out a sigh, trying to shake off the stress.“Occupied? Dude, you’re supposed to be relaxing. I didn’t force you onto this cruise just so you could stress out over more stuff. You need a break.”Xavier let out a half-laugh, half-groan. “Well, it hasn’t exactly been the stress-free escape you promised. It’s a mess here.”Logan’s voice softened, shifting into his professional tone. “Okay, what happened? You sound like someone just told you the pool bar ran out of rum.”Xavier sat up, running his hand through his hair. “I invited this girl, Bella, to my room. We
“I don’t know how I’ll manage ten days without my laptop and the internet,” Xavier muttered to himself, stepping onto the cruise ship. His custom-made Italian leather shoes, polished to a high gloss, clicked against the gleaming deck.'But you’ve got to do this, Xavier. For your health. No more sleeping pills.' He kept up a steady stream of self-talk as he walked, eyes scanning the horizon. 'You can handle this. Just ten days. No screens, no stress. Focus on the here and now.'Xavier had argued with his psychiatrist and childhood friend, Dr. Logan Pierce, suggesting he’d be better off on a private yacht where he could stay isolated. But Dr. Pierce had insisted that Xavier needed the social environment of a cruise. Xavier couldn’t understand why. To him, isolation was a luxury all its own, and he could afford the best—Ferraris, personal jets, everything money could buy.The ship’s deck stretched out before him in a stunning sweep of blue. The sky was a wide, clear canvas, with only a f
Another girl giggled, “Guess we’ve got ourselves a new pool toy.”Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he shot a glare at the girl who’d spoken. He then looked down at his drenched, perfectly tailored suit, frustration etched clearly on his face. The fabric clung uncomfortably to him, and he felt the chill of the water seeping through.One of the bikini-clad girls swam closer, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and amusement."Are you... okay?" she asked, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Her concern was undercut by the playful sparkle in her eyes.Another girl added from behind, "You know, you wear wet really well." Her tone was teasing, adding to Xavier’s growing irritation.Xavier gritted his teeth, ignoring the playful comments as he focused on getting out of the pool. "Fantastic," he muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed by the spectacle he’d become.Xavier’s jaw tightened. His first instinct was to snap back, but as he glanced around, he saw the boy standing at the edge of t
Xavier stepped out onto the deck, the morning air crisp against his skin as the horizon stretched before him, bathed in shades of gold and pink. The soft light danced on the waves, creating a serene, picture-perfect morning.Yet, despite the beauty of the scene, Xavier remained unmoved.‘I shouldn’t have listened to Logan,’ Xavier thought bitterly as he gripped the railing, inhaling the fresh sea breeze. He wasn’t expecting much from this trip—it was a forced break, thrust upon him by his well-meaning friend. But already, it felt like a prison, surrounded by everything he loathed—families, kids, noise."What am I even doing here?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head.But as much as he hated to admit it, last night had been the first real sleep he’d had in weeks. Without the sleeping pills he’d grown dependent on, he’d slept through the night. ‘Maybe it was the spa,’ he thought, his mind wandering.“Hey… how’s it going?” A warm, inviting voice broke through his thoughts.He turned
With that, Xavier turned and headed toward the dining hall, eager to avoid any more distractions.Just as he entered the dining hall, he heard a whisper.“He’s the one I pushed into the pool,” came the whisper, followed by giggles.Xavier spun around, his irritation flaring as he spotted the same boy who had caused him so much trouble the previous day. His brow furrowed in annoyance. But he was taken aback to see two figures—an identical twin boy and girl—standing side by side, whispering and giggling.“Twins. Of course,” Xavier muttered to himself with a touch of sarcasm.He took a seat at a nearby table and let out a deep sigh, trying to calm himself.“Sir, what would you like to order?” a waiter asked, approaching Xavier with a polite smile.“I’ll have a black coffee and some croissants,” Xavier replied flatly, his mood still sour.The waiter nodded and left. A few minutes later, he returned with a tray holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee and warm croissants.“Sir, do you need a
“I need that money you promised. I can’t get by without it, and now you’re unreachable.”Xavier's jaw clenched. He’d been expecting this, but it didn’t make it any easier.“Dad, you know this is my business. I’ve built it from the ground up. You’ve got nothing to do with it,” Xavier said, his voice tight. “You’re just after my money—again. I’ve worked my ass off, and all you do is spend it on booze and keep asking for more.”“You’re being selfish,” his father retorted. “I’ve got my problems, and I raised you. You owe me.”“I don’t owe you a damn thing,” Xavier shot back. “I’ve been bailing you out for years. If you want more money, you’re going to have to wait until I’m back. I’m done letting you run my life.”He could almost hear his father’s anger bubbling over the line. It gave Xavier a twisted sense of satisfaction.“I’m taking a break, and frankly, you could use one too—from drinking and being a leech. Stop draining your son for once,” Xavier said, his voice cold and unwavering.
“Xavier, you’re quite the dancer when you’re drunk,” Tina said with a hint of surprise in her voice, her breath warm against his ear.Xavier chuckled, the alcohol buzzing through his veins. “I didn’t know I could dance either… Honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I did.”The music thumped around them as Xavier moved closer to Tina, syncing his movements with hers. He’d lost track of how many vodka shots he’d had by now. Everything was a blur of lights, laughter, and bodies swaying to the beat. Tina’s friends were dancing nearby, but his focus was entirely on her.“You’re so handsome,” Tina said, her hand sliding over his muscular chest.Xavier heard the compliment and locked eyes with her. In the next instant, she grabbed his shirt and yanked him toward her. Before he could react, her lips were on his—fierce and intoxicating. For a moment, he froze, and then the alcohol took over.He kissed her back, harder, his hands slipping around her waist as the world around them faded a
Xavier woke up feeling refreshed as if he was finally finding himself again after ages. Surprisingly, it was the fourth day without internet, and he was enjoying the forced detox, courtesy of Logan. He was happy, wearing shorts, sunglasses, and a splash of perfume. He even found himself singing along to his favorite song—a rarity for him.Entering the dining hall for breakfast, he was momentarily startled by the noise of a kid. He turned, bracing himself for a possible encounter with the twins. To his relief, it wasn’t them.However, as he looked around, Xavier spotted the wild twin siblings already causing chaos near the buffet tables, bickering over something that involved a lot of arm-waving and loud voices. His mood soured instantly. He considered making a hasty retreat, thinking that perhaps it would be wiser to skip breakfast and avoid the dining hall altogether.Just as he was about to turn on his heel, a woman approached him with a warm, inviting smile.“Hey,” she greeted him.