Cecilia’s pov
Back at my new apartnt, I placed my ti capsule on a shelf. There was no need to destroy it—it contained more than just mories of Xavier. My life had always been bigger than just him.
My phone rang. Xavier’s na flashed on the screen.
Had he sensed our marriage’s last gasps? Was this the final burst of energy before the fla went out completely?
I let it ring out, neither answering nor declining. When it stopped, a ssage notification popped up.
Rolling my eyes, I opened it—only to discover it wasn’t from Xavier at all. Liam had finally responded.
Had Sebastian Black finally decided what he wanted from ?
I opened the ssage from Liam with trembling fingers.
"Alpha Sebastian will be eting a client at Amanson Hotel this Friday. Perhaps you could deliver the suit there, Cecilia."
Co again?
I stared at my phone, question marks practically exploding in my mind.
Sebastian wanted to see again? At a hotel? And not just any hotel—the Amanson was secluded enough that you could scream bloody murder and no one would hear a thing.
What exactly was the powerful Alpha up to?
I didn’t dare make assumptions. It wasn’t that I lacked courage to pursue an opportunity handed to on a silver platter. Rather, I couldn’t read this enigmatic man’s intentions. I simply wanted to focus on my career, not get mixed up in more complications.
After thinking it over for several minutes, I decided to give him a taste of his own dicine and leave him on read.
...
Two hours later, I drove out.
As soon as I pulled out of the gate, I saw the familiar Ferrari.
I slamd on the brakes imdiately.
Xavier was slouched in the driver’s seat, smoking a cigarette that swirled around his face as he brooded.
I took a deep breath, quickly ran through all possible strategies in my mind, then drove over, got out, opened his passenger door, and slid into the passenger seat.
"What are you doing here?" I spoke coldly, eting his eyes directly, "Are you stalking ?"
He didn’t speak, just picked up his phone from the dashboard and tossed it in my lap.
I looked down and saw that it was the registration form for the residents of the Lantern Garden Community.
Turned out he was here to interrogate .
I didn’t have any emotional reaction, I just calmly handed his phone back to him, my voice as steady as if I was discussing the weather: "I have been working for so many years and bought my own house. What’s the problem?"
His eyes were ice-cold: "Why are you keeping this from ?"
"I don’t feel like I owe you an explanation." I said matter-of-factly, "I paid the down paynt for this house myself, I didn’t touch a di of your money."
He let out a harsh laugh, as if he had heard so absurd joke, sarcasm flashing in his eyes, "When have I ever been cheap with you when it cos to money? Every piece of jewelry I gave you costs more than this house."
I didn’t respond.
Because he never understood that the jewels were never what I wanted.
The next mont, he dug into his wallet, pulled out several black and platinum cards, and threw them on my lap. The cards scattered like confetti, cold against my skirt. "You want to buy a house? Go for it. Put everything in your na. You can buy as many as you want. Whatever makes you happy."
I let out a hollow laugh.
"Thank you, Alpha Xavier, for being so generous."
Maybe I should accept this "hush money" and continue to play the sugar baby who spent money without blinking, numb and obedient, a pretty plaything under his control.
It would be so easy.
But I was not going down without a fight.
I picked up the cards one by one and put them back into his wallet, my movents careful but determined.
"I don’t need a house right now. I’ll let you know when I do."
I carefully put the wallet back on his lap, the gesture feeling symbolic, like I was gently ending our relationship.
He was speechless for a mont, as if he couldn’t figure out what I was upset about.
I was about to get out, when he suddenly grabbed my hand, his eyes laser-focused on .
"You don’t trust anymore?"
A bitter smile crossed my face.
Just figuring that out now?
I pulled my hand free, my smile bright, but hollow.
"Trust doesn’t matter. As long as you’re happy."
Just then, my phone rang.
I jumped - was it Liam? Was he ssaging again?
Xavier’s face darkened when he noticed my reaction.
"You ignore my phone calls, and you don’t text back. But the second soone else contacts you, you jump."
I slowly pulled out my phone.
The na displayed on the screen was: "Mrs. Green".
When he saw the screen, he relaxed.
"Answer it."
I pressed accept: "I’m with your son, want to talk to him first?"
There was a pause on the other end, then she recovered: "No thanks. I just wanted to ask if you still want the bag you were looking at."
"Absolutely." My voice was cheerful, "I’ve been getting my bags cleaned lately, and I’m short one."
"Perfect, I’ll grab it."
The call ended.
Xavier frowned, "When did you two beco so chummy?"
"Don’t you want to get along better with your mother?" I asked, "Or do you prefer that we can’t stand each other?"
He had no coback.
I could tell he was more at ease. He thought this was just my little rebellion, getting a house, buying an apartnt, paying for it myself, just to show him that I could be independent.
Just a harmless tantrum.
"I’ll drive you back." He said.
"What about my car?"
"I’ll have soone bring it to you."
He didn’t wait for to object, and hit the locks.
I had no choice but to go along with it.
...
For the next few days, I laid low and hardly went out.
I anticipated his reaction the mont he learned about the divorce: an explosion, questioning, lashing out.
I wasn’t going to face his fury head-on. I chose to travel abroad afterward to give him ti to cool off.
He would eventually understand that this is not impulsive, but a decision I had already made.
Cici would definitely pressure him to respond. And leaving quietly was the easiest choice for him.
The phone rang, it was Harper.
"There’s sothing I need to tell you," her tone was more serious than usual, "watch your back lately. Dora has been up to sothing and I wonder what she’s plotting."
I sneered: "Don’t worry. The divorce agreent hasn’t been signed yet, and she doesn’t dare make any big moves."
She had probably busy spreading rumors right now, saying that Xavier and I were married in na only, that our marriage was on its last legs, and that he was going to marry Shadow Pack’s daughter.
Let her say whatever she wanted.
I didn’t care anymore anyway.
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