Tides of Change

“Go and catch them!” Tina said, shoving Xavier toward the door.

Xavier realized he had to catch the twins quickly. He needed to get the photos deleted before they accidentally or intentionally ended up on social media. The last thing he needed was a scandal that could ruin not just his reputation but the entire Donovan family’s name. He could already imagine the headlines—disgrace, scandal, humiliation.

“Wait! Stop right now!” Xavier shouted, his voice a mix of desperation and anger.

The twins ignored him and continued racing toward their cabin.

After a frantic chase, Xavier finally caught up as they slipped into their cabin. He lunged forward and grabbed the door before it could close.

“Xavier? What’s going on?” Leila, standing in the middle of her cabin, looked at the breathless Xavier with surprise.

Ignoring Leila’s question, Xavier fixed his glare on the twins and said, “Your niece and nephew just took some very inappropriate photos of me. I need that phone. Now.”

Leila’s expression shifted to one of concern as she turned to the twins. “What? What did you two do?” Her gaze was stern.

The boy, still holding the phone, smirked slyly, though his bravado didn’t quite hide his nervousness. The girl, arms crossed, looked indifferent and ignored her aunt’s intense stare.

Leila sighed deeply, realizing the gravity of the situation. “Give him the phone, now. This behavior is completely unacceptable.”

The twins hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances and communicating silently. Then, the boy slowly handed the phone to his aunt.

Leila took the phone and said in a firm tone, “Why have you two been so mischievous? You used to be good kids. What’s gotten into you?”

The girl rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with the lecture, and said, “We don’t like him,” giving Xavier a sharp look.

Leila blinked in surprise and asked, “What? Why?”

The boy looked at Xavier and explained, “Because he looks at us with anger and hate. He’s so mean. No one else on this cruise dislikes us. They laugh at our jokes and pranks, but he acts like we’re annoying.”

Xavier shot the twins a look of frustration and irritation, choosing not to engage further.

Leila sighed deeply and said, “That’s no excuse for such reckless behavior. Apologize to Mr. Xavier, now.”

The twins exchanged glances but remained silent, their stubbornness evident.

Leila, seeing their serious faces, handed the phone back to Xavier. “Here. Delete whatever they took. I’m really sorry about this. I’ll handle them.”

Xavier nodded and quickly began scrolling through the photos. His chest tightened as he saw images of him and Tina in an intimate moment. He deleted each one, double-checking to make sure nothing was left behind.

“It’s done,” Xavier muttered as he handed the phone back to Leila.

“You should keep an eye on them. They’re quite ill-mannered,” Xavier said with a hiss before leaving the room without waiting for her reply.

Back in his cabin, Xavier found it empty—Tina had gone. He collapsed onto his bed and exhaled deeply. Just as he was about to head for a shower, he heard a notification ding from his phone.

He picked it up and saw a message from his sister: “When will you be back? I need to tell you something really important.”

Xavier read the message and tried calling her, but the phone was turned off.

“What’s going on?” he thought, feeling a twinge of concern. A shiver of unease ran down his spine.